A Pokémon new tab can be a quick wallpaper swap, or it can turn every spare tab into a tiny Pokédex session. Those are different pleasures. If you want to meet a surprise Pokémon, PokeTab is the strongest starting point. If you’d rather watch sprites wander across the screen, keep a favorite scene in view, or put your Pokémon bookmarks to work, one of its four alternatives will suit you better.

There’s one naming trap worth clearing up first: two separate Chrome extensions use the name PokeTab. The lead pick here is the one published through poketab.com, with colored backgrounds and a six-Pokémon party tracker. The sprite-focused extension is made by a different developer and appears below as an alternative.

Extension	Best for	What you’ll see on a new tab
PokeTab by poketab.com	Surprise encounters and Dex details	A random Pokémon with a matching color gradient
PokeTab by mrlee	Fans of game sprites	Pokémon sprites moving around the page
Pokémon Worlds — Animated New Tab	A favorite Pokémon-inspired scene	An animated habitat you choose
PokeMarks — New Tab Bookmarks	Collectors with lots of saved links	Searchable bookmark cards paired with Pokémon
Pokemon Wallpaper	Fans who want a simple visual change	A rotating or favorited Pokémon wallpaper

PokeTab is the best all-around pick for Pokémon fans

PokeTab by poketab.com gives each new tab a randomly selected Pokémon, a background drawn from its colors, and quick Dex information. You can filter encounters by generation, keep a team of six with encounter progression, and adjust the weather, date, and time widgets. It feels like a Pokémon feature first, rather than a standard start page with character art pasted behind the search box.

The encounter system is its real draw. If you spend time with several generations of games, the random selection offers a pleasant break from seeing the same starter every morning. If you’re replaying a particular region, generation filters give the page a tighter identity. The developer’s feature guide describes controls for dark mode, animation, displayed Dex details, and artwork or sprite views, so you can dial back the activity without giving up the encounters.

PokeTab also has a distinct extra for competitive players: a helper panel for Pokémon Showdown battles and replays. Its store listing describes type-effectiveness information, ability- and item-aware matchup context, and hazard and status summaries. The panel gives PokeTab a use beyond the new tab itself. Treat the panel as a quick reference, though, not a replacement for checking the battle state and making your own call.

There are trade-offs. PokeTab chooses the encounter; it isn’t built around keeping one favorite Pokémon permanently on display. Its FAQ says party progress is stored locally and is erased when the extension is uninstalled. The weather feature also uses an IP-based location service, so fans who only want a private, self-contained art page should look closely at its privacy details and permissions before installing.

Four alternatives worth considering

PokeTab by mrlee: best for moving game sprites

The other PokeTab, offered by mrlee, takes a notably different approach. Instead of presenting one Pokémon with Dex details, it fills the new tab with moving sprites. Click the page to open its options and adjust the selection. Its Chrome Web Store description lists Pokémon through Generation IX, plus forms and other additions in its update notes.

This is the pick for someone whose favorite part of opening a Pokémon game is seeing the small character art come to life. It has an immediate, playful appeal that PokeTab’s polished gradients don’t quite replicate. The store listing also credits sprite artists and projects, useful context for a fan-made extension built around art from many generations.

Choose it for the sprites, not because it shares a name with the lead pick. The two extensions have different developers, designs, and features.

Pokémon Worlds — Animated New Tab: best for a scene you can settle into

Pokémon Worlds — Animated New Tab lets you choose from 12 Pokémon-themed worlds, each presented as an animated habitat. The listing describes optional sounds, lighting that follows local time, favorites, shortcuts, search, and a note for each companion. It also offers low-motion and focus controls, and says animation pauses when the tab is hidden.

This one makes the most sense if you’d rather spend time with a chosen companion than roll for a new encounter. A new tab can feel like returning to a familiar spot instead of drawing another Pokémon from the Dex. The sound controls matter, too: ambience starts only when you press Play, rather than surprising you during a quiet browsing session.

Keep your expectations specific. This changes the page inside a new tab, not Chrome’s toolbar and tab colors; those require a separate browser theme. It’s also a lightly reviewed fan project. Its store listing discloses handling of personally identifiable information and website content while its description says preferences stay in the browser, so read the permissions and privacy information yourself rather than treating either statement as a blanket assurance.

PokeMarks — New Tab Bookmarks: best for collectors who save everything

If your Pokémon browsing tends to end in a growing pile of saved links, PokeMarks — New Tab Bookmarks has the sharpest practical idea on this list. It turns the new tab into searchable bookmark cards and assigns a Pokémon to each saved address. Add a link you want to keep, and you may reveal a new entry in its built-in Pokédex. The listing says you can import existing browser bookmarks, organize categories, and export a JSON backup.

That makes saving a favorite TCG reference, anime episode guide, or team-building resource a small collection event. Unlike PokeTab’s encounter-and-level system, PokeMarks doesn’t offer battles, XP, or daily rewards. Its game loop is simply saving and finding useful links. It also offers Mystic, Valor, and Instinct interface colors—a nice touch for Pokémon GO players without making the whole extension about GO.

The limit is clear: this works best if you want a bookmark manager. If you rarely save links, its Pokédex hook won’t do much for you. The developer says bookmarks are kept in local Chrome storage and describes an artwork request made to a Pokémon image host; those are more useful details to weigh than a broad “private” label.

Pokemon Wallpaper: best for a straightforward art change

Pokemon Wallpaper is the conventional option: open a tab, see a Pokémon background, and get on with browsing. You can randomize its wallpapers or mark favorites. The page also includes a search bar, clock, notes, bookmarks, shortcuts, and optional visual effects such as falling leaves or fireworks.

Pick it if you want artwork more than a Pokémon mechanic. The ability to favorite a background gives you a simpler route to a familiar look than PokeTab’s random encounters. On the other hand, its many widgets and extras may feel busy if all you wanted was a clean image. Its store listing showed no user ratings when checked, so there isn’t much review history to help judge the day-to-day experience. Start with the visuals, then see if the added tools earn their space.

Choose one new-tab page, then check what it can access

Start with the feature you’ll notice after the novelty wears off. PokeTab by poketab.com is the best fit for repeat Pokémon encounters, Dex browsing, and a useful Showdown extra. Mrlee’s PokeTab wins on sprite charm. Pokémon Worlds suits a companion you want to revisit, PokeMarks rewards saving links, and Pokemon Wallpaper keeps the choice centered on art.

These extensions all aim to take over the same part of Chrome. If the page you expected doesn’t appear, check which new-tab extension is enabled before assuming the install failed. Google’s Chrome extension guidance explains how to turn extensions off or remove them; its settings guide also explains how to restore a changed new-tab page.

Finally, read the permission prompt before adding any fan-made extension. A Pokémon picture on a new tab and a helper that works on battle websites may need different access. Chrome’s permission guide explains what website-access warnings mean, and the store listings provide the starting point for checking each developer’s disclosures. Choose the extension whose Pokémon features you’ll use—and whose access you’re comfortable granting.