Session Buddy is the default answer for saving browser sessions in Chrome — roughly 900,000 users, free, and genuinely good at its core job. So why do people go looking for alternatives? Almost always one of three reasons: it's Chrome-only, it has no cloud sync (everything lives on that one machine), and Chrome tab groups don't survive a restore. As of v4.1.2 (April 2026), sync and cloud backup are on the official roadmap but not shipped.
This guide compares the strongest alternatives by the specific gap you're trying to close — and is honest about the cases where staying with Session Buddy is the right call.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Cloud sync | Cross-browser | Auto-save | Works offline | Free / paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackmount | Cross-device session restore | Yes | 6 browsers + iOS | On save | Yes (Guest Mode) | Free / $0.99 mo |
| Session Buddy | Local Chrome sessions | — | — | Crash recovery | Yes | Free |
| Tab Session Manager | Auto-save + Firefox | Via Google Drive | Chrome + Firefox | Yes | Yes | Free (OSS) |
| Workona | Workspace organization | Yes | Chromium + Firefox | Yes | Limited | Free / $7+ mo |
| OneTab | Tab list dump | — | No sync between | — | Yes | Free |
When Session Buddy is still the right choice
Honesty first: if you live in one Chrome profile on one computer, never need a session on your phone or laptop, and remember to save before risky moments, Session Buddy remains excellent. It's fast, free, private by default (everything stays local), has built-in crash recovery, and is battle-tested. The alternatives below only earn their switch if one of its three gaps actually bites you.
Our pick: Blackmount — cross-device session restore
Blackmount exists because we kept hitting the exact wall this post is about: sessions saved on the desktop, needed on the laptop — or saved in Chrome, needed in Firefox. One click saves the whole window; signing in syncs sessions across Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera, and iPhone. Guest Mode works fully offline with no account, like Session Buddy. You can attach a voice note to a session, and saved sessions are searchable — including AI chats you've captured.
Fair trade-offs in the other direction: Session Buddy's local-only model means zero cloud surface if that's a hard requirement for you, and Blackmount's unlimited sync is paid ($0.99/mo) past the free tier. If you never leave one browser on one machine, you don't need us.
For free desktop auto-save: Tab Session Manager
Tab Session Manager is open source, runs on Chrome and Firefox, and auto-saves named session snapshots on an interval (Session Buddy auto-saves for crash recovery, but named collections are manual). It can sync sessions through your own Google Drive.
The trade-offs: the Drive-based sync is a backup channel rather than a live multi-device experience (you sign into Drive on each machine and pull), the UI is utilitarian, and there's no phone story. If you want free and auto-saving on desktop, it's the strongest pick.
For workspace people: Workona
Workona reframes the problem: instead of saving sessions, you organize work into persistent workspaces that sync across devices, with docs and tasks attached. It's genuinely good for people who juggle 4-5 ongoing projects all day.
The trade-offs: it's a heavier mental model — you adopt Workona's way of working rather than keeping your browsing habits. The free tier caps workspaces, and the paid tiers are priced for teams. It's a work tool, not a "save these 40 tabs before my flight" tool.
The minimalist detour: OneTab
OneTab collapses all tabs into a list with one click, which frees memory and feels great — but it shares Session Buddy's core limits (local-only, no sync, and users report losing lists to Chrome updates and profile resets), with fewer management features on top. It's a fine decluttering tool, not a session safety net.
The short version
- Need sessions to follow you across browsers and devices → Blackmount (our pick).
- One Chrome profile, one computer, disciplined saver → stay on Session Buddy.
- Want auto-save and/or Firefox, free → Tab Session Manager.
- Live in project workspaces all day → Workona.
- Just want fewer open tabs right now → OneTab.
Spotted an inaccuracy, or a tool we should add? Email support@blackmount.ai — we update this post as tools ship new versions.