Desktop app or Chrome extension: which one, and can I use both?
Install the desktop app first. It is the full Manycrawl. The Chrome extension is the lighter half: it runs tables and enrichment columns inside your browser. You can use both on the same account.
What each one can do
| Desktop app | Chrome extension | |
|---|---|---|
| Tables, columns, filters, views | Yes | Yes |
| CSV import and export | Yes | Yes |
| Scrape, crawl, AI columns, email finding | Yes | Yes |
| Sources: Google Maps, Apollo, Google results, Reddit, jobs, groups | Yes | No |
| Monitors and automations | Yes | No |
| Built-in browser login sessions | Yes | No |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes | No |
| Scraping a tab you are already signed into | No | Yes |
See the Chrome extension page for the full list and the reasons for the split. Anything marked “Desktop” on the templates page needs the desktop app.
Do I have to uninstall the extension?
No. Keep it if you want it, remove it if you do not. Either way, uninstalling does not free a device slot. See the next section.
Can I use both?
Yes. It is one account and one plan, so nothing is billed twice. With cloud sync on, which is the default, your tables sync through your account, so signing in to both shows the same tables. Each app keeps its own local copy of the data.
Each install counts as a device
Your plan allows a certain number of devices, and some plans allow only one. The desktop app and the Chrome extension each count as their own device, even on one computer in one browser. Reinstalling the app, or clearing the extension’s site data, also creates a new device.
When your plan’s limit is reached, a sign-in shows “Device limit reached” and tells you how many devices your plan allows. This often happens to people who install the desktop app, remove the extension, and then find the desktop app will not sign in, because the extension’s slot is still in use.
Your tables stay tied to the install they were created on, so removing a device does not delete them. With cloud sync on, they also live in your account.