Intro
Chrome Extension support is our most requested feature. An exciting opportunity has emerged through the Electron community that could enable support for essential extensions like password managers.
The Journey So Far
Extension support has been the defining feature request since we launched Horse¹. Every day, our community tells us they want to use their password managers, developer tools, and productivity extensions. Without password managers in particular, many users tell us they can't use Horse even when they like everything else about it.
We had been planning to maintain our own Electron fork to add extension support², but a much better path has emerged. An Electron maintainer has independently developed a PR that would enable support for key extensions like 1Password - if it receives proper review and gets merged.
¹55% of users request extension support, with password managers being the main blocker mentioned in 63% of cancellation reasons
²The PR includes over 4,000 lines of carefully crafted changes to support essential extensions through service workers
The Path Forward
This PR would be a significant step forward for the Electron ecosystem. While it won't support all Chrome extensions initially, it would enable critical functionality like password managers across Electron apps³. The implementation focuses on service worker support, which is essential for extensions like 1Password to function properly.
The PR is ready for review, but needs attention from developers familiar with both Electron's architecture and Chrome's extension system. If you have expertise in these areas, your review would be invaluable.
³184M+ combined monthly users across major Electron apps would gain access to essential extensions
Progress
Manifest v3 Support
Added support for the latest extension manifest version in the electron-chrome-extensions
package.
Chrome Web Store Package
Created a package for installing extensions from the Chrome Web Store, electron-chrome-web-store
.
Service Worker Support
Waiting for Electron maintainer review on PR #44411. If you're an Electron maintainer reading this, on behalf of our users, we humbly request your help to move this forward.
1Password Support
Ready to implement once service worker support is merged.
Additional Extension Support
Expand support to more Chrome extensions over time.
Horse has built-in extensions
While we work on full Chrome Extension support, Horse includes several essential extensions built directly into the browser.
ExtensionGhostery
The best adblocker for Electron apps, protecting your privacy and improving page load times.
ExtensionSaddlepack
Built-in password manager designed specifically for Horse, offering secure credential management.
ExtensionDark Reader
Automatically generates dark mode for websites, reducing eye strain and improving readability.