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Updated October 20, 2026

Add Tab Rotator to Chrome - Free

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Tab Rotator vs TabCycle: Which Is Better for a Dashboard Display?

By the Pick Ads team · Tested on Chrome · Published October 20, 2026 · Updated October 20, 2026

Verdict: TabCycle is a strong free choice. It's open source, has no tab cap, and includes per-tab timing and scheduled tabs at no cost. Tab Rotator is built for screens nobody touches all day. It resumes after crashes, power cuts and updates, keeps the display awake, and plays Slides, Sheets and YouTube full screen. Per-tab timing is Premium.

Disclosure: We make Tab Rotator.

At a glance

Tab RotatorTabCycle
Per-tab intervalsPremiumYes (free)
Auto-refreshYes, after each tab is shown (normal or hard); per-tab refresh is PremiumReload tabs when switching
Fullscreen/kioskPlays Slides, Sheets, Excel Online and YouTube full screen via smart links; doesn't put Chrome in kiosk modeRecommends Chrome full screen (F11); toolbar briefly appears on each switch
Start with ChromeYesYes
Pause when someone uses the computerYesNot stated on listing
Manifest V3YesYes
Languages1911
Price in USDFree (up to 5 tabs); Premium $6.99/month or $69.90/year, one account = one screenFree; open source
Privacy (per developer)Playlists stay on your device unless you turn on syncWill not collect or use your data
Last updatedOctober 17, 2026 (v1.0.3)January 5, 2026 (v2.5.1)
Best forAll-day screens that must recover on their ownFree rotation with per-tab timing and scheduled tabs

Sources: Tab Rotator listing, TabCycle listing, TabCycle FAQ. Last verified: 2026-10-20.

What each is

TabCycle is a lightweight, open-source extension by Alexander Lee for cycling tabs on a TV, signage screen or wallboard. You open your tabs, set a default interval, and press Start. Settings let you give each tab its own interval and pick which window to cycle. You can reload tabs on switch, start on browser launch and skip pinned tabs. It can also schedule tabs to open at a set time and day, then close again. Its site says there's no limit on interval length. It also says the extension runs entirely in the browser without collecting personal data.

Tab Rotator is our extension for dashboard TVs and kiosks. The free plan rotates up to 5 tabs every 5 seconds to 60 minutes. It refreshes each page after it's shown and saves one playlist. It starts when Chrome opens and resumes after a crash, power cut or update. Free also keeps the screen awake and pauses while someone uses the computer. Smart links play Google Slides, Sheets, Excel Online and YouTube full screen without menus. Premium adds unlimited tabs and per-tab timing, refresh and zoom. It also brings schedules, reopening of expired logins, email alerts when a screen stops, and cloud sync.

Test setup and results

Method (planned): one Windows or macOS mini PC on a TV, a clean Chrome profile, and the same four dashboards in each extension at a 30-second interval. Run 24 hours, then force-quit Chrome, then reboot the OS, then cut power once. After each event, record whether rotation resumed without a click.

Until results are in, the restart rows above reflect each listing's claims, not our measurements.

Pricing

TabCycle is free, with no paid tier shown on its listing. Tab Rotator is free for up to 5 tabs and one playlist of up to 5 URLs or slides. Premium costs $6.99/month or $69.90/year, can be cancelled anytime, and one account covers one screen. For one screen with a handful of dashboards, both can cost nothing.

Key differences

  • Recovery. Both can start rotating when Chrome starts. Tab Rotator also claims to resume after a crash, power cut or update. TabCycle's listing makes no such claim.
  • Per-tab timing. Free in TabCycle, Premium in Tab Rotator.
  • Full screen. TabCycle's own FAQ notes that Chrome shows the toolbar for a few seconds on each switch, and videos leave full screen. Tab Rotator's smart links open Slides, Sheets, Excel Online and YouTube in full-screen views. Neither puts Chrome into kiosk mode (see Chrome kiosk mode for dashboard TVs).
  • Scheduling. TabCycle schedules tabs to open and close at set times, free. Tab Rotator's time-of-day schedules, including screen off at night, are Premium.
  • Privacy. TabCycle's developer declares no data collection. Tab Rotator keeps playlists on your device unless you turn on sync, and screen monitoring is opt-in.

Choose Tab Rotator if…

  • The screen runs unattended all day and must come back after restarts without a visit.
  • You show Google Slides, Sheets or YouTube and want them full screen without menus.
  • You want keep-awake and pause-on-use without extra tools.
  • You need alerts, schedules or remote setup later (Premium).

Choose TabCycle if…

  • You want a free, open-source tool with no tab cap.
  • Each dashboard needs its own interval and you don't want to pay for that.
  • You want tabs to open and close on a schedule.
  • You prefer an extension that declares no data collection.

FAQ

Which survives a restart? Both list starting rotation when Chrome starts. Tab Rotator also claims to resume after a crash, power cut or Chrome update. We're running a side-by-side test and will publish results here. Either way, the computer must boot and open Chrome by itself first. See our recovery guide.

Which supports per-tab refresh? Tab Rotator Premium has per-tab refresh settings; the free plan refreshes every page after it's shown. TabCycle reloads tabs when switching and offers per-tab rotation intervals. Its listing doesn't mention a per-tab refresh setting.

Which is cheaper? TabCycle is free with no paid tier listed. Tab Rotator is free for up to 5 tabs and one playlist. Premium costs $6.99/month or $69.90/year. For a single screen with five or fewer dashboards, both cost nothing.

More comparisons

Add Tab Rotator to Chrome - Free

Sources

Last verified: 2026-10-20