Workona organizes your browser into “spaces” and works through a Workona account, with paid plans for more features. If you want something smaller, LB TAB Layers lives in Chrome’s side panel, needs no account, saves every tab as an ordinary Chrome bookmark, and has an optional PRO version that is a one-time $9.99 purchase.
Workona is a capable tool. It turns your browser into a set of workspaces, keeps tabs saved for each one, and adds features for teams and cloud apps. For many people that is exactly right. Others try it and find it is more than they wanted. This article is for them.
Why people look for a Workona alternative
The reasons we hear most are not about Workona being bad. They are about fit:
- Another account. Workona works through a Workona account, and your spaces are kept and synced through its service. Some people would rather not sign up for one more thing, or are not allowed to at work.
- Another subscription. Workona lists Pro, Team and Enterprise plans on its pricing page. If you only need to save and reopen sets of tabs, a monthly plan can feel like a lot.
- A bigger change than expected. Workspaces change how the whole browser behaves. Some people just want a list of their projects next to the page they are reading, and to keep using Chrome the way they always have.
- Where the data lives. Some people want their saved tabs in a place they already own and can export without the extension.
Workona’s plans and limits change from time to time, so check its own pricing page for the current details before you decide.
What LB TAB Layers does differently
LB TAB Layers is a Chrome extension that sits in the side panel. You make groups such as “Client A”, “Research” or “Read later”, and drop tabs into them. That is most of it.
- No account. There is nothing to sign up for. Install it and start.
- Your tabs are Chrome bookmarks. Every group is a real bookmark folder, inside a folder called LB TAB Layers in your bookmarks. If you are signed in to Chrome with sync on, they sync to your other computers like any other bookmark.
- Nothing is locked in. If you remove the extension, the bookmark folders stay.
- One-time price. The free version covers groups, saving, opening and closing tabs in bulk, and search, with up to 5 groups. PRO is a one-time $9.99 and unlocks unlimited groups, the dashboard, AI search and more. Every feature is unlocked free for the first 3 months.
Side by side
| Question | Workona | LB TAB Layers |
|---|---|---|
| How you organize | Spaces (workspaces) | Groups and subgroups |
| Account | A Workona account | None |
| Where saved tabs live | Workona’s service | Your Chrome bookmarks |
| Sync between computers | Through your Workona account | Through Chrome bookmark sync |
| Where you use it | Across the browser, with its own pages | Chrome’s side panel, next to the page |
| Team features | Yes, on team plans | No, it is a personal tool |
| Paid version | Subscription plans | PRO, one-time $9.99 |
The honest summary: Workona does more, especially for teams. LB TAB Layers does less, on purpose, and keeps your data in Chrome itself.
Questions to ask before you switch
Any tab manager is only worth it if you keep using it. Before you move, it helps to be clear about what you actually need:
- Do you share tabs with other people? If your team works from the same set of links every day, a tool with shared workspaces will save more time than a personal list.
- Do you need the whole browser to change when you switch tasks, or is it enough to close one set of tabs and open another?
- Where do you want the data to live? In a service you sign in to, or in Chrome’s bookmarks, where you can export it with Chrome’s own bookmark manager?
- How do you prefer to pay? Some people are happy with a monthly plan that keeps adding features; others would rather pay once and be done.
- How many projects do you juggle? If it is three or four, the free version of most tools is enough. If it is twenty, check the limits before you commit.
If your answers are “no team, a simple switch, in my bookmarks, pay once”, read on.
A day with LB TAB Layers
Here is what the basic routine looks like, so you can judge whether it is enough for you.
- Open the panel with Alt+T (Option+T on Mac).
- Make a group for each project with New Group.
- Sort your open tabs. Tabs that aren’t saved yet are listed under Solo Tabs. Drag them into a group, or right-click and choose Save to Folder.
- Switch projects. Press ■ on the group you are leaving: its tabs close, and they stay saved. Press ▶ on the next one: all its tabs open at once.
- Put finished work away. Right-click a group and choose Archive. You can Restore it later.
While reading, you can right-click any page and choose Save to TAB Layers to drop it into one of your groups without opening the panel.
Moving your tabs across
- Keep Workona installed for now, so nothing is lost while you move.
- Open one space at a time, so its tabs are open in Chrome.
- In LB TAB Layers, create a group with the same name. Drag the tabs in from Solo Tabs, or use Group all into a new group at the top of Solo Tabs to save them all at once.
- Press ■ on the new group. The tabs close and are kept as bookmarks.
- When every space is moved, decide whether you still need Workona.
Moving one space at a time is also a good chance to drop the tabs you no longer need.
Who should stay with Workona
If you share workspaces with a team, connect cloud apps to your projects, or want the whole browser to switch when you change tasks, Workona is built for that and LB TAB Layers is not. If you work alone and want a light list of projects that you can close and reopen in one click — saved in your own bookmarks, with no account — LB TAB Layers is worth a try. You may also find our comparisons with OneTab and Session Buddy useful.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is there a Workona alternative that doesn’t need an account?
Yes. LB TAB Layers has no account or sign-up. It saves your groups as Chrome bookmark folders, and they sync through Chrome’s own bookmark sync if you use it.
Q. Is LB TAB Layers a subscription?
No. The free version works with up to 5 groups. PRO is a one-time $9.99 purchase, and every feature is unlocked free for the first 3 months after you install.
Q. Does LB TAB Layers have team or shared workspaces?
No. It is a personal tool. If you need shared workspaces for a team, a tool like Workona is a better fit.
Q. What happens to my tabs if I uninstall LB TAB Layers?
They stay. Every group is a normal Chrome bookmark folder inside a folder called LB TAB Layers, and removing the extension does not delete it.
▶ See it in action
Managing bookmarks and tabs together in the sidebar. (The video shows the Japanese UI.)
No account. No subscription. Just your tabs.
Groups saved as Chrome bookmarks, in the side panel. Try every feature free for 3 months.
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