Chrome extension
The lighter half, and what it cannot do
Manycrawl started as a Chrome extension and it is still on the Web Store. It runs the table and the enrichment columns inside your browser, which covers a real job: enriching a list you already have. What it cannot do is anything that needs a browser of its own.
The split
Same account, same tables, same sync. Different amount of engine.
| Desktop | Extension | |
|---|---|---|
| Tables, columns, filters, views | Yes | Yes |
| CSV import and export | Yes | Yes |
| Scrape, crawl, AI columns | Yes | Yes |
| Email finding, formatting, split and merge | Yes | Yes |
| Export to Manyreach | Yes | Yes |
| Scraping a tab you are signed into | No | Yes |
| Sources: Maps, Apollo, Google results, Reddit, jobs, groups | Yes | No |
| Monitors and automations | Yes | No |
| Built-in browser login sessions | Yes | No |
| Tech detection | Yes | No |
| MCP server | Yes | No |
Note the one row that goes the other way. The extension lives in your browser, so it can read a page you are already signed into. The desktop app has its own browser for that instead.
Why the difference exists
A source needs its own browser
Google Maps, Apollo and Facebook groups are driven in a real browser window that Manycrawl controls: scrolling, paging, holding a session. An extension lives inside your browser and cannot take one over.
A monitor needs to still be there
Automations re-run on a schedule and pick up where they left off. That needs a process that outlives a tab, which is what a desktop app is and an extension is not.
Questions
Is the extension being discontinued?
No. It is deliberately getting lighter rather than going away: the engine-heavy work moves to the desktop app, and the extension keeps doing the part that genuinely belongs in a browser.
Can I use both?
Yes, on the same account. Tables sync between them, so you can scrape a signed-in tab in the extension and enrich the result on the desktop.
Do they share a plan?
One account, one plan, one pool of actions. Nothing is billed twice for using both.
Which should I install first?
The desktop app, unless the only thing you need is enriching a list you already have or reading a page behind a login. Everything on the templates page marked "Desktop" needs it.