Video DownloadHelper installs discretely - in fact, the only time you'll see it is when you look under the Tools menu, or browse a site with video. When it you see the little icon - usually in the top left corner - clicking downloads the video directly. Alternatively, click on the little triangle, and choose from other options, such as Copy URL, Convert file or Download as hidden file. This simple extension downloads anything from YouTube, to MySpace, Google Video, DailyMotion and more.

One of the great things about Video DownloadHelper is how many options it has. It's pretty impressive for a free browser add-on, and we'd really recommend checking them all out. From tweaking Video DownloadHelper's appearance and including and excluding video types to download, to sharing your videos and converting your files, Video DownloadHelper is a really slick app. Most people will be happy to use the app's default settings, but if you want a little more control over your downloads, this is most definitely an app you'll want to check out.

Video DownloadHelper is a video download app for Firefox that just gets stronger with every new version.

Download Video DownloadHelper 4.9.8 in Softonic

The purpose of Video DownloadHelper is to make the download and conversion process as quick as possible. When installed, Video DownloadHelper installs a multicolored icon, which appears next to your URL bar. When your browser detects a video, the icon animates indicating that there is content available to download. A drop-down item next to the icon indicates the videos on the page you can download.

The great thing is that you can configure the format that you want it to download it in and it works for just about any site with Flash video. To change the format downloaded, just go to preferences, which can be accessed by right-clicking on the icon and choosing 'Preferences'. If there are several videos, you can download more than one at a time, or just one by one to save bandwidth.

I've been using this plug-in for some time now and there is little to fault in it - it's definitely one of the best video download plug-ins I've ever used. However, I've noticed that occasionally, when watching videos in full-screen mode, Firefox has crashed and the error reporter has labeled this plugin as one of the culprits, so I do deactivate it from time to time.

Overall though, Video DownloadHelper is one of the best video download plug-ins you could wish for in Firefox.

Download Video DownloadHelper 4.9.3 in Softonic

Other features include a multi-language spell check, Google search box and a built-in auto-filler for forms and other fields. You can even check your Gmail via the toolbar without having to open your inbox within Firefox. Other add-ons you may choose to select or deselect is a pagerank tool. The number of buttons you can add is a bit overwhelming in fact and can soon leave Firefox looking bloated and cluttered.

Most worryingly however is the memory leak associated with Google Toolbar. I was using the latest version of Firefox (version 3.6.3) and found that at random moments, it leaks memory terribly meaning that Firefox simply freezes with the spinning wheel of death crashing the browser. The only solution is to deactivate or uninstall it in your Add-Ons menu and wait until Mozilla and Google find a solution.

Google Toolbar is designed to increase productivity and make life easier although the terrible memory leak with the latest version of Firefox means using it can be more trouble than it's worth.

Download Google Toolbar for Firefox 7.0.20100326M Beta in Softonic

It's a free browser plug-in for Safari which allows you to download audio instantly in Firefox using the Video2mp3.net website. Once installed, Youtube to MP3 for Safari works by generating a link next to the clip you're viewing which takes you to the Video2mp.net website where your audio file will be downloaded in MP3 format. Note that despite the name, apart from YouTube, Youtube to MP3 works with MyVideo, Clipfish, Sevenload and MySpace videos.

The actual process is a bit long-winded because once you click download, you have to wait for the Video2mp3.net site to process it, then verify it and finally convert the audio to MP3. After that, there's a 20 second wait before you can actually download the file. There are also a series of annoying ads that plague you on the Video2mp3.net website as you download files.

Youtube to MP3 for Safari can only save in MP3 format, but you can always use a third party application such as Handbrake to convert it to another format afterwards.

Youtube to MP3 for Safari is fast, effective and a Safari friendly way to extract audio from your favorite videos

Download YouTube to MP3 for Safari 1.0.7 in Softonic

Any helping hand is therefore received with open arms and FireBug does much of the hard work for you. FireBug is a Firefox extension that allows you to monitor and tinker with JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and Ajax through a combination of a powerful debugger, error console, command line, and code inspectors. There are many other minor features to FireBug but the most important by far is the debugger, which automatically checks your code line by line.

The debugger sets breakpoints in your scripts and examines every step of execution in real time. Particularly handy is the FireBug icon in the Firefox status bar which tells you instantly if your page is broken. Just open the FireBug panel and you'll see exactly what the problem is - no more scouring through reams of script in the JavaScript Console window. You can open Firebug in a separate window, or as a bar at the bottom of your browser, and also configure a blacklist of sites that you'd like it to exclude.

For any developer who has been driven mad by debugging, FireBug provides an ultra quick, easy and headache-free way of developing your code.

Download FireBug 1.8.3 in Softonic

You can save videos directly in FLV or MP4 format plus there's an "HQ-mode" which allows you to download videos in HD format. You have to look carefully to see the download links but you'll find them next to the Embed code in YouTube where you see the formats available to download highlighted as blue hyperlinks i.e. FLV, MP4, 3GP and HD. Downloading is simple, quick and easy although unfortunately, there are no options for customizing beyond that.

1-Click YouTube Video Download is a very simple but effective YouTube downloader plugin for Firefox.

Download 1-Click YouTube Video Download 1.5 in Softonic

However, finding a decent proxy often involves hunting high and low on the internet for one in the country you're looking for. FoxyProxy Extension removes this painstaking task by providing instant access to a huge number of proxies directly in Firefox. All you need to do is activate FoxyProxy Extension by clicking on it in your Firefox toolbar and you have instant access to a huge number of proxies from all around the World.

Not only is FoxyProxy Extension easy to use but it also offers a high degree of customization. For example, you can customize mouse clicks to activate it, make a quick list of regularly accessed proxies and add "patterns" according to how you want FoxyProxy Extension to behave with certain proxies. The one thing that's really missing however is a way to tell which proxies are fast and which are slow based on your location. It's very time consuming and frustrating to try proxy after proxy only to realize that none of them are fast enough, especially for viewing multimedia content.

If you've never used proxies before or simply want a proxy tool that's easy to activate at any time, FoxyProxy Extension is a comprehensive and easy to use tool for Firefox users.

Download FoxyProxy 2.18.1 in Softonic

Adblock Plus is supported by over forty filter subscriptions in several different languages which automatically configures it to block all known malware domains. Adblock Plus also allows you to customize filters including a context option for images, a block tab for Flash and Java objects, and a list of blockable items to remove scripts and stylesheets.

Adblock Plus sits in the bottom-left corner of your Firefox navigation bar. Clicking on the red icon will bring up a list of blockable items on the page, while a drop-down list reveals more features and configuration options. Adblock Plus works by identifying the advertising source on a web page and completely preventing it from appearing.

There is, of course, the risk that Adblock Plus could accidentally block something that isn't actually advertising which could prove frustrating when accessing sites with a lot of pop-ups and Flash content. If Adblock Plus does block a legitimate object, the developer website provides information about what to do. There are few downsides to Adblock Plus although you might find that viewing the net with no ads means many pages look a bit empty.

Adblock Plus is a very powerful Firefox extension that will be loved by all those that hate ads interrupting their viewing or that may pose a security threat.

Download Adblock Plus 1.3.7 in Softonic

MultiFirefox is an ingenious little tool for Mac that will allow you to run up to five different versions of the browser alongside each other. It can be extremely useful if you're a developer and want to see how your website appears in the different versions of the version. MultiFirefox can also be used to go back into the history of the Mozilla browser and see how the different versions evolved over the years.

The application comes with a copy of Firefox 3, which you'll have to install if you haven't done so yet. Unfortunately, you'll still have to install all the other versions that you might want to test out. Switching between versions from MultiFirefox's interface is quick and easy however the program at times fails to indicate the number of each version.

Looking to test out your website in different versions of Firefox? MultiFirefox is what you're looking for.

Download MultiFirefox 2.0 in Softonic

Facebook Toolbar sits quietly at the top of your browser and provides twelve essential shortcuts to different sections of Facebook i.e. profile, friends, photos and groups. It also features several icons to show you how many friend requests you have, messages you've received and invitations to events and groups.

One of the handiest features of Facebook Toolbar is an alert system similar to an IM client that tells you if there has been any activity on your profile since you last logged on. The problem with this is, if you've got lots of friends, it's constantly alerting you and can be a real distraction while you are working. You can even have a sidebar of your friends faces staring at you although that's taking it a bit far in my book.

Facebook Toolbar is a seriously addictive extension that could easily distract you from your work but if you can't get enough Facebook in your life, then you'll love it.

Download Facebook Toolbar 1.4.3 in Softonic

Being an add-on, Zotero is managed entirely from inside your browser. It has some impressive configuration options, many of which won't make any sense until you start to use the add-on. The Zotero window can be toggled from the Zotero icon in the lower right corner of your browser. The icon, location and hotkeys can all be changed.

The Zotero window will open in half your screen, allowing you to add and manage information sources, whether they be journals, books, newspaper articles or other documents. These items are listed and archived, and you'll be able to add notes, highlight, tag and create bibliographies as needed.

Admittedly, it's not easy to get to grips with Zotero, but it's not impossible either. After a while with the application, you should be getting used to it, and a little bit of investigation will reveal all the options. It's not just for academics, either - we can imagine lots of people getting use out of Zotero, as its perfect for anyone who needs to manage lots of related online information.

Give Zotero a little time and it will greatly help your online research.

Download Zotero 2.1.8 in Softonic

Ever used Prism or Webrunner? Just like these two applications, Fluid allows you to access all your web apps (like Facebook, Gmail or Campfire) from your desktop. Essentially, Fluid is a simple browser that hosts web applications in a very basic interface. Once you start it up, type the url of your web app in the window, select a name and location, press OK and you're ready to go. The advantage of using it is that you free up your browser for other things. It also uses up very little memory and is very fast.

On the downside, Fluid is in a way like a stripped down browser window. No controls, panel bar or preferences, you only get a browser window for each webapp you launch. This also means that most of the features you take for granted in your browser, such as spell-checking, pop up window management or tabs will not work.

Although it doesn't offer the advanced features of a browser, Fluid is a great tool to access your web apps separately on your Mac desktop.

Download Fluid 1.2 in Softonic

YouTube to MP3 for Firefox a free browser plug-in for Firefox which allows you to download audio instantly in Firefox using the Video2mp3.net website. Once installed, YouTube to MP3 for Firefox works by generating a link next to the clip you're viewing which takes you to the Video2mp.net website where your audio file will be downloaded in MP3 format. Note that despite the name, apart from YouTube, Youtube to MP3 works with MyVideo, Clipfish, Sevenload and MySpace videos.

The actual process is a bit long-winded because once you click download, you have to wait for the Video2mp3.net site to process it, then verify it and finally convert the audio to MP3. After that, there's a 20 second wait before you can actually download the file. There are also a series of annoying ads that plague you on the Video2mp3.net website as you download files.

YouTube to MP3 for Firefox can only save in MP3 format, but you can always use a third party application such as Handbrake to convert it to another format afterwards.

Youtube to MP3 is fast, effective and a Firefox friendly way to extract audio from your favorite videos

Download YouTube to MP3 for Firefox 1.0.7 in Softonic

Stylish changes colors, spacing, fonts, and the arrangement of individual elements including advertising banners. On the developer page you can find a list of ready-made script files for websites, which you can load into the extension. If you've got any CSS skills, you can even create your own templates.

Stylish could be useful if you really feel the need to fix ugly sites or are simply bored with the look of Firefox. In the same way that GreaseMonkey can adapt and improve JavaScript, Stylish allows you to make instant changes to CSS styles. It's a bit annoying how you have to download styles from the developer's site however - it would be preferable to have some styles already preloaded.

Overall, Stylish isn't exactly the most essential Firefox extension out there, but if you're really bored of the look of Firefox or can't stand the sight of a particular website, it´s worth a try.

Download Stylish 1.0.11 in Softonic

This Safari extension is pretty simple, but potentially very useful for heavy web users. Safari Tab Reloader simply installs a little button next the address bar. Click it and a toolbar appears, allowing you to set how often you want a page to reload. There are quick set buttons, and a custom mode where you can pinpoint exactly how often you want pages refreshed.

Safari Tab Reloader is a neat little extension. Its best feature is that its toolbar automatically disappears after you have set it, so it won't disturb your browser. You need to open Safari Tab Reloader on every page you want. However, this does give you more control over what is refreshed and when, as you can have different settings for every tab.

Safari Tab Reloader gives you control over when the web pages you view are reloaded.

Download Safari Tab Reloader 1.0 in Softonic

Ghostery only blocks once it has alerted you to what sites sites are trying to do. This includes revealing the identity of trackers and even their script source. Ghostery can be managed and monitored in the Firefox taskbar. By right-clicking the little ghost icon, you get access to Help (online), Options (not many) and information on the trackers.

When Ghostery does not detect any bugs, it is gray, and when it sees something watching you, it turns red and highlights what it has found, displaying a warning in the taskbar and a small floating square containing the names of the bugs and trackers on the website in question.

Ghostery also offers you the option of collaborating with other Ghostery users to make it more effective. This is done via a feature known as GhostRank, which sends Ghostery servers anonymous information about the trackers you encounter and where you encounter them helping the developers to create a comprehensive list of detectable items. However, the developers assure that Ghostery places no cookies in your browser, there's no sign-up required and there's no tracking of your internet usage.

Ghostery is very efficient to the point where you may find it a bit intrusive at times. It may also cause crashes when certain objects try to launch in Firefox.

Overall though, Ghostery is an excellent Firefox add-on for those that want to take control of their surfing privacy.

Download Ghostery Firefox Add-On 2.5.3 in Softonic

However, there are ways to surf anonymously and the Stealther add-on is surely one of the most simple and user friendly out there. Stealther doesn't work via a proxy or encrypt your surfing traces - rather it simply disables your Browsing History (including auto-saved URLs that appear in your Address bar), Cookies, Downloaded Files History, Disk Cache, Saved Form Information, Sending of ReferrerHeader and Recently Closed Tabs list.

The advantage of this is that no trace of your surfing habits is ever stored locally when using Firefox on your hard drive. The disadvantage is that if you need Firefox to store URLs for easy access, it doesn't so you'll have to retype the address in every time you want to access it (unless you have it bookmarked of course). For some reason though, Stealther doesn't seem to work with all web sites, especially those that use encryption of some kind. It can also be frustratingly slow when it comes to loading images meaning your surfing time can be slowed-down considerably depending on the site.

All in all though, Stealther is more effective than using Firefox in private mode. Just be warned that it won't guarantee your privacy on all sites.

Download Stealther 1.07 in Softonic