Some people want their new tab to be a quiet moment: a clock, a beautiful photo, nothing asking for attention. Others open a new tab because they're on their way somewhere, usually to Gmail, a project tracker, or a shared doc.
Bonjourr is made for the first group, and does it very well. WebCatalog New Tab, the WebCatalog browser extension, is made for the second. Both replace your browser's new tab page with quick links, widgets, and wallpapers, so the question is which kind of new tab you want.
At a glance
| WebCatalog New Tab | Bonjourr | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Getting to your everyday apps fast | A minimalist, private start page |
| Quick links | Speed dial of apps and websites, with folders | Quick links with folders and link groups |
| Adding links | Catalog of 65,000+ apps with icons, plus any website | Add your own links |
| Pages | Separate pages for work, personal, or each project | Profiles for different setups |
| Widgets | Clock, weather, to-dos, focus mode, world clock, calculator, currency converter, Pomodoro | Clock, weather, greeting, notes with checklists, Pomodoro, quotes |
| Wallpapers | Curated collection, plus your own images | Unsplash photos that change with the time of day, videos, your own images |
| Deep customization | Layout, theme, and widget options | Fonts, layout, and custom CSS |
| Sync | Cloud sync with your WebCatalog account | Settings import, export, and sync |
| Account | WebCatalog account required | Not required |
| Open source | No | Yes (GPL-3.0) |
| Desktop app | Same library in WebCatalog Desktop | No |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave; web version for Safari |
What is WebCatalog New Tab?
WebCatalog New Tab fills your new tab with the apps you actually open, as a speed dial arranged in folders. Instead of building links by hand, you search a catalog of more than 65,000 apps and they arrive with the right name and icon. Your setup is saved to your WebCatalog account and follows you to other browsers.
What is Bonjourr?
Bonjourr is an open-source start page built around minimalism and privacy. It replaces your new tab with a clean screen: a large clock, a greeting, the weather, a search bar, and quick links over a beautiful background. It's funded by donations, doesn't ask for an account, and says it collects no data.
1. Links in the background, or apps up front
Both extensions put your favorite sites one click away, and both let you group them into folders.
Bonjourr's quick links are deliberately light. You add links, drag one onto another to make a folder, and can import or sync your browser bookmarks. They sit quietly under the clock and don't compete with the background.
WebCatalog makes the grid the main event. A product designer might keep Figma, Linear, and Slack in a "Work" folder and the bank and the kids' school portal in "Home". Those can also become separate pages, so Monday morning starts on a page that shows only work.
2. Widgets and focus
The two are closer here than you might expect. Bonjourr includes a clock, weather, a greeting, Markdown notes with checklists, a Pomodoro timer, and quotes.
WebCatalog includes a clock, live weather with hourly and daily forecasts, to-dos, and focus mode, which keeps one daily goal on screen and plays ambient sounds. It also has a Pomodoro timer, a world clock, a calculator, and a currency converter. If you want notes on your new tab, Bonjourr has them built in.
3. Look and feel
This is Bonjourr's strongest area. Its backgrounds follow the time of day, it supports video backgrounds, and you can change fonts and write your own CSS. If you enjoy tuning every detail of your start page, Bonjourr gives you more control.
WebCatalog offers a curated wallpaper collection, and you can upload your own images and set a different wallpaper for each page, so your work page and your weekend page don't look the same. You can adjust layout and theme, but there's no custom CSS.
4. Account and openness
Bonjourr needs no account and is open source, so you can read the code yourself. If that matters most to you, Bonjourr is the clear choice.
WebCatalog asks you to sign in, because your apps are stored in your WebCatalog account. That's what lets your setup appear in Chrome at work and Firefox at home. It isn't open source.
5. When a browser tab isn't enough
The account also connects the extension to WebCatalog Desktop, which runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. The apps you arranged on your new tab show up there too, each able to open in its own window with its own Dock or taskbar icon, out of the sea of browser tabs.
You don't need the desktop app to use the extension. It's there for the day your most-used tools deserve their own windows.
Which one should you choose?
Bonjourr makes sense if you want a calm, open-source start page that needs no account and lets you style every detail.
Choose WebCatalog New Tab if you:
- Start most new tabs on the way to the same handful of apps
- Would rather search a catalog than collect links and icons yourself
- Want separate pages for work and home
- Use more than one browser and want the same setup in each
- Might want those apps on your desktop later
If your new tab is where your workday starts, try WebCatalog New Tab.
