Best browser extensions for accessibility

Read Aloud is the extension we would try first if you want a page read to you. One click on the toolbar icon reads the current article aloud, or only your selected text if you have highlighted some. Its code is public on GitHub, and it is published by LSD Software.

The free voices are the ones built into your browser and operating system, and the developer's privacy policy says speech made with them is created locally and never sent to the internet. You can change voice, speed and pitch and turn on highlighting. It reads PDFs, Google Docs and, through a companion extension, EPUB files. Optional cloud voices are available for readers who want a more natural sound.

The trade-off is privacy and polish. When you pick one of the developer's premium voices you must sign in, the text is sent to its cloud server for synthesis, and it may be cached briefly; the policy says it is not permanently stored or shared with third parties. Free voices vary by device, and the interface is functional rather than slick. For most people, this is the one to start with.

Helperbird is the broadest tool in this list. Instead of doing one thing, it bundles dozens of aids for reading and writing: dyslexia-friendly fonts, adjustable letter, word and line spacing, a reading ruler, colour overlays and tints, a reading mode that removes ads, and text to speech.

The free plan is the reason to try it. Its pricing page says dyslexia fonts and spacing, reading mode, text to speech and colour overlays are free forever with no account. The paid Pro plan adds extras such as summarising, screenshot reading and more writing tools.

The main thing to know is where your text goes. The privacy policy says the free version collects nothing and that fonts, colours, the ruler and built-in voices work on your device. Pro's online natural voices use Microsoft Azure, and its AI tools send only the text you choose to services such as OpenAI, which the policy says do not retain it. These are the vendor's own claims. It needs access to all websites, as any page-restyling tool does. For people with dyslexia, and teachers, it is the most complete choice.

Speechify is the polished, commercial answer to read-aloud tools. The extension reads web pages, Google Docs and PDFs in a floating player with active highlighting, and your library syncs to its mobile apps. Its founder, Cliff Weitzman, has dyslexia, and it is aimed at students, professionals and people with reading difficulties.

The pitch is the voice quality. Its listing promises over a thousand voices in more than sixty languages and playback up to 4.5 times speed, and it has added AI chat about the page and voice typing. On the free plan, its pricing page shows about ten robotic-sounding voices at speeds up to 1.5 times, so the headline features are paid.

Be clear about the trade-offs before you install. Natural voices and AI features are cloud services, so assume the text you listen to leaves your device. The privacy policy says it does not sell your information or share it for others' advertising, but it uses Meta and Google ad pixels on its site, says staff do not normally view your content but may do so to improve its algorithms, and is unclear on general AI training. If you listen for hours and value voice quality, it is the strongest option here; otherwise start with Read Aloud.

Reader View brings a Firefox-style reading mode to every browser. Click its button and the page is stripped down to the article, using Mozilla's open-source Readability library, with the buttons, backgrounds and ads removed. It is free, its code is on GitHub, and the listing says it collects no data.

What sets it apart from the browser's own reading mode is the amount you can adjust. A side panel changes colour, background, font size, font family and width; the page can show several columns; and there is a Bionic Reading option. It also includes a text-to-speech engine, a highlighter and sticky notes, keyboard shortcuts, and options to print, save as HTML or email the page.

It is not a dedicated dyslexia product, but it covers the same ground for many readers: simpler pages, larger text, calmer colours. It works best on pages with a lot of text and can fail on app-like or heavily scripted sites. The Chrome listing shows about 300,000 users, an update on 25 October 2026 and Manifest V3. One oddity to know: the stores list different developer names for the same project. If you want a customisable reading mode rather than a full accessibility suite, it is the best fit.

NaturalReader's Chrome extension is the browser end of a wider service that includes a web app and mobile apps. It reads web pages, Google Docs, PDFs, emails and Kindle books aloud.

Its selling points are listening comfort and reach. The listing says its reader skips page headers, footers, citations, captions and URLs, and offers an immersive mode that removes distractions. There are more than 150 voices in over twenty languages, split into free, premium and plus tiers, with paid users getting unlimited use of the top voices. One account covers the extension, web app and mobile app.

The cautions are plain. The extension is only in the Chrome Web Store, so there is no Firefox or Safari version. The better voices are a paid upgrade, and it is a commercial service rather than open source. The listing says the developer does not sell data, but its privacy policy is general and does not spell out how text read in the extension is handled, so treat the AI voices as a cloud service and avoid confidential documents. Rated 4.1 on Chrome, it is solid rather than outstanding, and a fair alternative to Speechify.

OpenDyslexic for Chrome is the plain version of a dyslexia aid: it replaces the fonts on a web page with OpenDyslexic, a free typeface designed to make reading easier for people with dyslexia. Each letter has a heavier bottom, which the project says keeps letters steady and reduces confusion.

There is little to learn. Install it, toggle it on, and pages are reformatted in that font, with an optional low-contrast setting. The listing says it is open source, and the code is on GitHub. The Chrome listing has 225 ratings averaging 4.3, was last updated on 30 July 2026, and says the developer will not collect or use your data. The listing credits Robert James Gabriel, who also founded Helperbird, as maintainer.

Its simplicity is also the limit. It replaces all fonts on a page rather than offering fine control. It offers none of the rulers, tints or reading aloud that Helperbird adds. We cannot say a particular font helps every reader, so try it for a few days. The README mentions Firefox and Edge versions, but we could not confirm store listings. If a font swap is all you need, it is free and easy.

High Contrast is a first-party accessibility extension published by Google Ireland under the name chrome-a11y-extensions. It lets you browse with colour filters that make text easier to read. By default, it inverts a page so black becomes white and white becomes black, while leaving photos alone, and you can choose between several filters.

It is simple to use. A toolbar button turns the effect on or off, you can save different settings for individual sites, and a keyboard shortcut changes settings as you browse. The listing says filters avoid the breakage that colour rewriting causes. It shows about 300,000 users and a version dated 8 December 2025.

It has limits. It is a visual filter, not a reader: there is no text to speech and no font control. The 3.5 rating from 5,900 reviews is middling, we could not find public source code, and Chrome's own pages such as the New Tab page and Settings are unaffected by design. Only a Chrome Web Store listing exists, so there is no Firefox or Safari version we could confirm. It is a sensible, free pick for people with low vision or glare sensitivity who want a Google-made tool; for dark themes, see the dark mode category.