Safari Extensions

Safari Web Extensions are browser extensions for Apple's Safari, built on the cross-browser WebExtensions standard, so Chrome and Firefox extensions can largely be ported. Unlike other browsers, Safari does not have a standalone extensions store: every extension must be wrapped in a native macOS (and/or iOS/iPadOS) app and distributed through the Mac App Store / App Store, then enabled in Safari's settings.

This means distribution inherits the full Apple pipeline — an Apple Developer Program membership ($99/year), submission through App Store Connect, and mandatory App Review. Apple has reduced friction with a Safari Web Extension packager that converts a ZIP upload into a submittable package without needing Xcode, but the review gate and native-wrapper requirement still make this a higher-complexity surface than other browser stores. Because the container is a real App Store app, monetization can use standard Apple in-app purchases (Apple as Merchant of Record), whereas the extension logic authenticates users via the WebExtensions identity/OAuth2 APIs. The upside is reach into Safari's large macOS/iOS user base; the tradeoff is Apple's fees and review rigor.