Microsoft Rewards simply “pays” you-not much, though it adds up-for simply using it. I’m a sucker for Microsoft Rewards though, and have been for years. With browsers like Edge offering integrated, shopper-friendly coupon codes and even price history, there’s far less need for coupon plugins like Honey. If that appeals to you, then Ghostery is a superior option. Honorable Mention: Ghostery ( for Microsoft Edge and Chrome) does an even better job of blocking ads than Adblock Plus, to the point that it can sometimes get around the “paywalls” that some sites implement. Mark Hachman / IDGĪdBlock Plus gives you many options to allow or block cookies, trackers, and ads.

Personally, I just like the casual way it encourages you to stay on task.Īdblock Plus is available for Microsoft Edge as well as Google Chrome. Forest can connect to a mobile app of the same name, where you can grow a virtual forest as a way of measuring your productivity.

(See below for how to add it to Edge.) Here, your work is a “tree,” and you can “kill” the tree if you click on a website that you’ve blocked. Honorable Mention: Forest is only technically available for Chrome, but I like it as well or better than the Edge-native BlockSite. BlockSite also pushes a $10.99 monthly subscription at you, though there’s a free option and cheaper annual plans. My personal issue is that social media sites like Twitter can be both a distraction as well as a viable work destination, so I still wrestle with whether to continue using BlockSite. BlockSite for Edge uses the Pomodoro technique-work intensively for 25 minutes or so, then take a break-and actually blocks you from accessing distracting websites during that work period. During the pandemic I’d occasionally turn to BlockSite to prevent further distractions. I’m a big believer in toggling on and off Microsoft Windows’ Focus Mode, a way in which you can limit the number of Windows pop-in notifications from email, Facebook, and the like. Editor, though, seems more relevant to my day-to-day communication. Honorable Mention: Grammarly ( for Edge and Chrome) offers similar options, including a way to check the “tone” of your writing, and also feels slightly more organized. Microsoft Editor is available for Microsoft Edge as well as Google Chrome.

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