Tab Shelf vs Workona: Spaces or a shelf?
Updated October 27, 2026
Workona is a workspace manager. Tab Shelf is a quick clear-out. Both keep tabs from piling up.
Workona organises your browser into a Space for each project, shows only the current Space's tabs, autosaves them, and syncs across devices. Tab Shelf has no workspaces: it clears the tabs you aren't using and keeps them on a shelf. Choose Workona if you juggle several projects all day. Choose Tab Shelf if you want a simple clear-out with no setup.
Tab Shelf and Workona at a glance
| Tab Shelf | Workona | |
|---|---|---|
| Main idea | Close what you aren't using and find it on a shelf | A Space for each project, with only that project's tabs showing |
| Setup | None. Install and click | Create Spaces and sort your tabs into them |
| Autosave | Saves when you clean | Autosaves every tab in a Space |
| Sync across devices | No. Export and import a file | Yes |
| Search | Search your shelf by title or address | A shortcut finds tabs and Spaces anywhere in the browser |
| Tab suspension | No | Yes |
| Teams | No | Yes, on the Team plan (minimum 3 users) |
| Price | Free. Pro is $4.99 once | Pro starts at $7 a month. Team starts at $8 per user a month |
| Browsers | Chrome and Edge | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
Where Workona is stronger
- Projects. If your day is "client A, then client B, then research", Spaces keep each set of tabs apart and swap with a click.
- Autosave and backups. Tabs in a Space are saved as you go, and the paid plan keeps 90 days of session backups.
- Sync and teams. Your Spaces follow you between computers, and teams can share them.
- Memory. Tab suspension unloads tabs you aren't using, which helps on slower machines.
Where Tab Shelf is stronger
- Nothing to learn. There are no workspaces to maintain. If you don't want to file every tab, you can still clear your browser.
- Price. A single $4.99 payment instead of a monthly plan.
- Account-free. Your shelf stays on your computer and nothing needs signing in.
- Pick up mid-page (Pro). Resume Points reopen tabs at your scroll position, video time or highlighted line.
Which one should you use?
Choose Workona if
- you switch between several projects every day.
- you want your tabs on more than one computer.
- your team needs shared workspaces.
Choose Tab Shelf if
- you want a quick clear-out, not a system.
- you don't want a monthly subscription or an account.
- you mostly have one pile of tabs, not several projects.
Moving from Workona
Copy the links from a Space and use Import on your shelf. Tab Shelf saves them as a session, grouped by site.
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 Tab Shelf a Workona alternative?
If you used Workona mostly to get tabs out of the way, yes. If you rely on per-project Spaces, sync or team sharing, Tab Shelf does not replace those.
How much does Workona cost?
Workona's Pro plan starts at $7 a month and the Team plan at $8 per user a month with a minimum of 3 users. Check Workona's pricing page for current plans.
Does Tab Shelf suspend tabs to save memory?
No. It closes the tabs you aren't using and stores them on your shelf, which frees the same memory, then reopens them when you ask.
Give your tabs somewhere to go.
It's free, and your tabs never leave your computer.
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