Tab Shelf vs Shiori: a shelf or a workspace?
Updated October 27, 2026
Shiori is a newer tab manager that turns the new tab page into a workspace. Here is how it compares.
Shiori replaces your new tab page with a workspace of collections, spaces and groups that hold links, notes, to-dos, images and timers, with an optional account for sync and an AI helper. Tab Shelf leaves your new tab alone and does one thing well: it clears the tabs you aren't using and keeps them on a shelf. Choose Shiori if you want one all-in-one workspace. Choose Tab Shelf for a lighter tool and a one-time price.
Tab Shelf and Shiori at a glance
| Tab Shelf | Shiori | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A shelf for tabs you aren't using | A new tab workspace for links, notes, to-dos, images and timers |
| Your new tab page | Unchanged | Replaced by the workspace |
| Account | None | Optional. An account adds cloud sync |
| Free plan | Free to use, with no item cap | 1 collection, 2 spaces, 1 easel and up to 100 items |
| Paid plan | Pro, $4.99 once | $6 a month, $55 a year, or a lifetime offer ($35 for 2 devices, $45 for all devices, in a limited batch of 50) |
| Clearing your tabs | One click keeps your current tab and your last few active tabs | Save a window as a session, close duplicates, put inactive tabs to sleep |
| Tab switcher | Search your shelf | A shortcut finds open, saved and recently closed tabs |
| AI helper | No | Ask Shiori, using your own Gemini key |
| Sync across devices | No. Export and import a file | Yes, with an account |
| Reopen where you left off | Yes, in Pro (Resume Points) | No |
| Browsers | Chrome and Edge | Chrome, Edge and Helium. Firefox and Zen are listed as coming soon |
Where Shiori is stronger
- More in one place. Notes, checklists, images, timers and a free-form canvas called an easel sit beside your saved tabs.
- Sync. Sign in and the same workspace follows you across browsers.
- Finding things. A single shortcut searches open tabs, saved tabs and recently closed tabs.
- More clean-up tools. It can close duplicates, sleep tabs and gather windows into one.
Where Tab Shelf is stronger
- It stays out of the way. Shiori takes over your new tab page. Tab Shelf adds a toolbar button and a shelf page, and your new tab stays as it is.
- No limits to hit. Shiori's free plan stops at 100 items. Tab Shelf's free version has no cap on shelved tabs.
- Price. $4.99 once, against a monthly or yearly plan or a limited lifetime batch.
- Resume Points. In Pro, a tab comes back at your scroll position, video time or highlighted line.
- Autopilot. In Pro, tabs you haven't touched are shelved on their own.
Which one should you use?
Choose Shiori if
- you want a place to plan projects, not only park tabs.
- you want notes, to-dos and a canvas next to your links.
- you want one workspace synced across your computers.
Choose Tab Shelf if
- you want your new tab page left alone.
- you only need tabs cleared and findable.
- you want a one-time price and no account.
Moving from Shiori
Export your links from Shiori and use Import on your shelf. Tab Shelf reads the links from the file and saves them as a session. Notes, to-dos and images stay behind, because Tab Shelf only stores tabs.
Sources
Facts about other products come from their own sites, checked on October 27, 2026. Plans and prices change, so confirm before you buy.
Questions
Is Shiori a Tab Shelf competitor?
They overlap on saving and reopening tabs. Shiori goes further into notes, tasks and a canvas, while Tab Shelf stays a focused shelf.
Does Tab Shelf change my new tab page?
No. Tab Shelf adds a toolbar button and a shelf page. Your new tab is untouched.
Is there a free version of Shiori?
Yes. Shiori's free plan holds 1 collection, 2 spaces, 1 easel and up to 100 items, according to its pricing page. Pro removes the limits.
Can I use Shiori and Tab Shelf together?
You can, but both aim at the same job of getting tabs out of your way, so most people pick one.
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