ExtensionDB vs Chrome Goldmine (2026)

TL;DR — ExtensionDB indexes 246,000+ Chrome extensions with 22 mostly raw fields for $9 lifetime. Chrome Goldmine focuses on 9,656 *expired* extensions with 12 deeply researched data points — revenue estimates, rebuild difficulty, competitor analysis, action plans — for $23.20 launch / $29 one-time with quarterly updates. ExtensionDB wins on volume and price. Chrome Goldmine wins on recency, signal quality, and decision-ready intelligence for builders who actually want to ship.

If you're an indie hacker, solo SaaS founder, or "vibe coder" hunting for your next Chrome extension idea, you've likely stumbled onto extension db tools like ExtensionDB (extensiondb.store) and Chrome Goldmine (chromegoldmine.com). Both promise to cut through the noise of the Chrome Web Store — but which one actually helps you launch profitable extensions faster with real data?

In this comparison we break down ExtensionDB vs Chrome Goldmine across every angle that matters: data volume, research depth, recency, actionability, pricing, and real ROI. We'll situate both inside the 2026 Manifest V2/V3 landscape, where 34,000+ extensions and 400M+ installs still hang in the balance and thousands more have already been delisted.

Spoiler: ExtensionDB offers impressive breadth, but Chrome Goldmine is the better choice for most serious builders thanks to quarterly-refreshed data, laser focus on profitable expired extensions, and 12 meticulously researched data points per entry that turn raw information into ready-to-execute opportunities.

The Chrome Extension Opportunity Landscape in 2026

Google's Manifest V3 (MV3) transition and the deprecation of Manifest V2 (MV2) created both chaos and unprecedented opportunity.

• Thousands of extensions were delisted or forced to migrate — many with proven product-market fit, paying users, and organic rankings.
• Abandoned or under-maintained extensions with hundreds of thousands of installs sit ripe for revival or acquisition.
• New builders struggle with idea validation: which niches are underserved, which features convert, what revenue is realistic.

This is why chrome extension databases like ExtensionDB and Chrome Goldmine exploded in popularity — alongside lighter entrants like Built That Extension's raw expired-extensions CSV and broader idea libraries such as NicheTools' 130K-tool catalogue. For ongoing analytics on *active* extensions, our Chrome Stats vs Chrome Goldmine comparison covers the monitoring angle. They aggregate, filter, and analyse the sprawling ecosystem so you don't have to scrape the Chrome Web Store yourself.

But not all databases are equal. Volume matters less than signal quality, recency, and actionable synthesis. One casts a wide net across 246,000+ extensions; the other dives deep into the richest 9,656 delisted veins. Let's examine each.

What Is ExtensionDB.store?

ExtensionDB (extensiondb.store) positions itself as the go-to resource for discovering Chrome extension ideas, spotting MV2 migration gaps, identifying abandoned extensions with massive user bases, and finding acquisition targets.

Key Features & Stats

• Coverage: 246,000+ Chrome extensions across 28 categories.
• Data fields: 22 per extension — name, description, category, installs, manifest version, last updated, developer, website, color-coded permission risk, more.
• Tools: full-text search, advanced filters (users, recency, MV2/MV3, risk), tracking of 34,000+ MV2 extensions at risk (400M+ installs), category trend insights, CSV/JSON/SQLite exports, dashboard UI.
• Pricing: $9 lifetime (promotional; regular $20). One-time payment, includes regular updates.
• Target users: indie devs scanning for gaps, MV2→MV3 rebuilders, acquisition hunters, market researchers.

Strengths

ExtensionDB excels at breadth and raw discovery. If you want to scan every extension in a category, filter for ones not updated in 2+ years, analyse permission patterns of successful extensions, or export massive datasets for outreach to ex-users via tools like ReplyGuy — it delivers solid value. The permission risk scoring and MV2/MV3 filters are genuinely useful for technical due diligence, and $9 lifetime is hard to argue with.

Limitations

The data is largely raw and scraped. The 22 fields give a good snapshot but stop short of synthesis. You still need to estimate revenue potential from raw user counts, assess rebuild difficulty yourself, research active competitors (often by layering on a scraping platform like Apify), and build your own action plans.

Update frequency is described as "regular" but without an explicit cadence tied to delisting waves or policy shifts — which can mean stale signals in fast-moving niches. ExtensionDB shines when your workflow involves heavy custom scripting or deep manual analysis. It's less ideal when you want pre-digested, decision-ready intelligence — a gap that ProvenTools tries to close with AI-ready build prompts (a different trade-off worth understanding before you commit). Once you've picked a winner, an AI builder like Lovable.dev can compress the rebuild itself from months to days.

What Is Chrome Goldmine?

Chrome Goldmine (chromegoldmine.com) takes a radically different approach. Instead of indexing *everything*, it focuses exclusively on 9,656 expired and delisted Chrome extensions that once had real traction — users, revenue potential, proven demand — before being removed from the Chrome Web Store (often due to MV3 migration challenges).

Key Features & Stats

• Coverage: 9,656 high-signal expired extensions sourced from the Chrome Web Store archive.
• Data points per extension: 12 deeply researched and synthesised fields — far more valuable than raw scraped columns.
• Tools: revenue estimates based on historical user counts and category benchmarks; rebuild difficulty (Low / Medium / High) with no-code feasibility notes; MV3 impact scores; competitor analysis; tailored step-by-step action plans; interactive Notion workspace with filtered views + CSV export.
• Pricing: $23.20 launch (regular $29) one-time via Gumroad — includes Notion database, CSV, all future quarterly updates for life, and a 30-day refund.
• Target users: indie hackers and solo builders who want validated, profitable ideas without starting from zero.

The 12 Data Points That Make Chrome Goldmine Different

This is where Chrome Goldmine's research edge becomes undeniable. For every single expired extension, the team delivers:

1. Historical user base & install metrics — real traction numbers from its heyday.
2. Estimated monthly/annual revenue potential — data-driven projections using category benchmarks.
3. Rebuild difficulty rating — Low/Medium/High with no-code pathway indicators.
4. Manifest V3 impact & delisting reason score — how and why it was removed and how easy revival is.
5. Core features & unique selling propositions — what made it popular originally.
6. Active competitor landscape — who's still thriving and where gaps remain.
7. Category saturation & niche opportunity score — how crowded (or open) the space is now.
8. Recommended monetization models — ads, subscription, freemium, tailored to the idea.
9. Estimated rebuild time & resource requirements — realistic timelines for solo builders.
10. Technical complexity breakdown — permissions, APIs, architecture notes.
11. Revival success probability indicators — informed by similar case studies and patterns.
12. Customizable step-by-step action plan — a ready-to-follow revival or rebuild guide.

These aren't just data points — they're decision intelligence. Chrome Goldmine doesn't only show you an extension existed; it tells you *why it mattered*, *how hard it is to bring back*, *what you can realistically earn*, and *exactly what to do next*.

Strengths

• Laser focus on "gold": these extensions already proved demand. You're not guessing — you're reviving or iterating on winners.
• Recent data advantage: quarterly updates add new delistings and refresh existing entries (revenue estimates, competitors) as the market evolves. Critical as Google continues enforcement waves in 2026.
• Actionability built in: Notion workspace + action plans take research time from weeks to hours.
• Risk mitigation: difficulty scores and no-code flags match opportunities to your actual skills.
• Lifetime value: one payment unlocks perpetual updates. No recurring fees.

Limitations

The main trade-off is scope. With ~9,656 entries versus 246,000, you won't find every obscure active extension or raw MV2 list. If your strategy requires scanning literally everything for acquisition targets or hyper-specific permission research, ExtensionDB has more raw material. But for builders whose goal is *profitable, validated ideas they can actually ship*, focused quality dramatically outperforms volume.

Head-to-Head Comparison: ExtensionDB vs Chrome Goldmine

The pattern is clear: ExtensionDB gives you the ingredients; Chrome Goldmine gives you the fully cooked, seasoned meal with a recipe card.

Why Chrome Goldmine Wins for Most Builders in 2026

1. More recent data matters hugely

The extension market doesn't stand still. New delistings happen regularly, competitor landscapes shift, and revenue benchmarks evolve. Chrome Goldmine's quarterly cadence — explicitly including refreshed data on existing entries — keeps you ahead. Many "regular" databases lag behind policy changes and market dynamics.

2. 12 researched data points vs 22 raw fields

Quantity of fields is not the same as quality of insight. Chrome Goldmine's team has done the hard work of modelling revenue, scoring difficulty for real humans (including no-code paths), analysing competitors, and writing actionable plans — saving dozens of hours per idea and dramatically improving decision quality.

3. Focus on proven, expired goldmines

Why start from scratch or chase unproven MV2 gaps when you can revive extensions that already had users and revenue? The MV3 wave created a unique window: many great products were killed not because demand disappeared but because migration was hard. Chrome Goldmine surfaces exactly those opportunities with revival scores and plans.

4. Designed for indie hackers and vibe coders

Difficulty scores that respect no-code tools, realistic timelines, and step-by-step guides match the reality of solo builders. It's not just data — it's empowerment.

5. Better long-term value

At roughly 2–3× the one-time price of ExtensionDB you get interactive Notion tooling, higher-signal data, and perpetual quarterly updates. For anyone launching multiple extensions, the ROI is significantly higher.

Balanced view: ExtensionDB isn't "bad" — it's a legitimate tool with genuine strengths in breadth and price. If your budget is extremely tight or you have a specific workflow that benefits from 246k raw records, it's useful. But for the core use case behind most "extension db" searches — *finding and validating profitable ideas quickly* — Chrome Goldmine's focused, recent, deeply researched approach wins.

Who Should Choose What

Choose ExtensionDB if…

• You're on a very tight budget ($9 is hard to beat).
• You enjoy building custom dashboards or scripts on top of raw data.
• You need maximum coverage for acquisition scouting or academic-style research.
• You want permission pattern analysis across the entire ecosystem.

Choose Chrome Goldmine if… (recommended for most)

• You want to launch a real extension with minimal guesswork and maximum data-backed confidence.
• You value recent, refreshed intelligence over static snapshots.
• You appreciate pre-computed revenue estimates, difficulty ratings, and full action plans.
• You're a solo founder or small team that needs to move fast without a research team.
• You like beautiful, interactive tools (Notion) over plain exports.

Hybrid approach (power users): use ExtensionDB to cast a wide net and identify interesting abandoned or MV2 extensions, then check those specific ideas in Chrome Goldmine for the 12-point deep research treatment. Many successful builders do exactly this.

Final Verdict

When comparing ExtensionDB vs Chrome Goldmine, the choice comes down to philosophy:

• ExtensionDB = the big library catalog. Excellent for exploration.
• Chrome Goldmine = the treasure map with X marks, assay reports, excavation difficulty ratings, and step-by-step digging instructions for the richest veins.

In 2026's fast-moving Chrome extension landscape — where data freshness and decision speed separate winners from those stuck in analysis paralysis — Chrome Goldmine's combination of recent quarterly data, extensive 12-point research per extension, and exclusive focus on proven expired opportunities makes it the smarter, higher-ROI investment.

Don't just browse another extension database. Mine the actual gold.

Related reading: benchmark your revenue expectations against our Chrome extension revenue benchmarks, then follow the revive-an-expired-Chrome-extension playbook to ship on Manifest V3.