Cookie-Editor alternative
TL;DR: CookieVault is an open-source Cookie-Editor alternative on Manifest V3. It matches Cookie-Editor’s lightweight per-site editing and adds MIT-licensed code, end-to-end encrypted cross-device sync, cookie history, and reproducible builds. Cookie-Editor remains a good choice for users who want the smallest footprint and do not need sync.
CookieVault is a free, MIT-licensed cookie manager that serves as an open-source alternative to Cookie-Editor, the popular Manifest V3 cookie editor by Moustachauve. Both let you view, edit, add, and delete cookies from a per-site popup. The difference is that CookieVault publishes its source code, offers optional end-to-end encrypted sync, and ships reproducible builds — while Cookie-Editor is closed-source, local-only, and lighter weight. This page compares them honestly so you can pick on the merits.
Cookie-Editor is a good extension
In short: This is not a teardown. Cookie-Editor is well-maintained, Manifest V3-compatible, and widely used. CookieVault competes on open-source transparency and sync, not by claiming Cookie-Editor is unsafe — because it is not.
Per our content standards, we do not attack competitors. Cookie-Editor (by Moustachauve) is a legitimately good tool: a clean popup, fast local editing, a large and satisfied user base, and active maintenance on the current Manifest V3 platform. If you are happy with it, you have no urgent reason to leave.
CookieVault exists for a specific subset of users — those who want to audit the source code, sync cookies across devices with zero-knowledge encryption, or verify the shipped binary against the published source. If none of those matter to you, Cookie-Editor’s smaller footprint is a real point in its favor.
What CookieVault adds
In short: Open-source code, end-to-end encrypted sync, cookie history with undo, multi-account profiles, and reproducible builds. These are the reasons to choose CookieVault over a closed-source local-only editor.
Five capabilities CookieVault offers that Cookie-Editor does not:
- MIT-licensed open source — the Editor and Guardian browser extensions, including the client-side cryptographic boundary, are public and auditable (the hosted sync service is proprietary). Independent reviewers can inspect exactly how cookies are read, written, and (optionally) synced.
- End-to-end encrypted sync — passphrase-derived key (PBKDF2-SHA-256), per-record AES-256-GCM encryption, server stores only ciphertext. Your cookies appear on all devices without the provider being able to read them.
- Cookie history with undo — 90-day history (Pro) lets you restore a cookie you edited or deleted by accident.
- Multi-account profiles — named cookie snapshots for one-click identity switching (work vs personal) in a single browser window.
- Reproducible builds — verify the Chrome Web Store binary matches a tagged Git commit by comparing SHA-256 checksums.
What Cookie-Editor does better
In short: Smaller install, faster cold popup, no account ever, and a longer track record. For pure local editing, these are genuine advantages.
Honesty cuts both ways. Three areas where Cookie-Editor has the edge:
- Smaller footprint — roughly 120 KB packed versus CookieVault’s ~480 KB. CookieVault carries the sync client and crypto library even if you never enable Pro.
- No account, ever — Cookie-Editor never prompts for an account. CookieVault’s local mode is identical, but the existence of a Pro/sync tier is visible in the UI.
- Longer track record — Cookie-Editor has years of stable releases and a large review history. CookieVault is newer.
Feature comparison
| Criterion | CookieVault Editor | Cookie-Editor |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT (open source) | Closed source |
| Manifest version | V3 | V3 |
| Reproducible builds | Yes | No |
| Per-site cookie edit popup | Yes | Yes |
| Add / delete / search cookies | Yes | Yes |
| Edit SameSite / HttpOnly / Secure | Yes | Yes |
| Export JSON / Netscape / HAR | Yes | JSON |
| End-to-end encrypted sync | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Cookie history / undo | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Multi-account profiles | Yes | No |
| Install footprint | ~480 KB | ~120 KB |
| Account required | No (Pro optional) | No |
| Firefox build | Yes | Yes |
| Active maintenance | Yes | Yes |
How to migrate from Cookie-Editor
If CookieVault’s additions are worth it for you, migration takes about a minute:
- Open Cookie-Editor on any site, click its export button, and save the JSON
- Check the download page for the verified Editor release status. The package is not yet publicly available.
- Open CookieVault → Settings → Import → JSON
- Select the file you exported in step 1
- Verify your cookies appear with correct domains, values, and flags
- Optionally enable Pro sync to replicate across devices
See also
- CookieVault vs Cookie-Editor — the head-to-head comparison
- CookieVault Editor — product overview
- EditThisCookie alternative — the other major migration path
- Encrypted cloud sync — how the sync works
- Open source — license and reproducible builds
- What is a cookie? — the underlying protocol