1. The address bar: fastest for a single pair
Chrome sends what you type in the address bar to your search engine. With Google, a query such as
usd to krw, brl to usd or 100 sek in usd shows a conversion card with today's rate, a small
calculator and a chart with periods from a day to several years.
Good for: a quick answer and a look at the history. Not good for: watching several pairs, because each pair is a new search, and there are no alerts.
2. Google Finance: a watchlist of pairs
Google Finance lets you search for a currency pair (for example BRL / USD) and add it to a watchlist
when you are signed in to your Google account. The watchlist shows each pair's rate and daily change, and
each pair has a detailed chart.
Good for: following a handful of pairs with charts. Not good for: converting prices on other sites; it lives in its own tab.
3. A pinned converter tab
Any converter website can be pinned: right-click its tab and choose Pin. The tab stays small at the left of the tab strip and survives restarts.
Good for: people who already like a particular converter. Not good for: seeing rates while you read something else — you still switch tabs.
4. An exchange rate extension in the side panel
An extension can put the rates next to the page instead of in another tab. With Exchange Rate:
- Install it and pin its icon from the puzzle menu.
- Click the icon. The board opens in Chrome's side panel with your home currency.
- Add up to 10 currencies. Each row shows its rate and the time of the last hourly update.
- Type an amount in any row to convert, or hover a price on a page to see it in your currencies.
- Click the 🔔 on a row to be notified once when the rate reaches your target.
Good for: people who follow the same currencies every day, shop or work across currencies, or wait for a target rate. Not good for: long history charts or minute-by-minute trading data.
Which one should you use?
| Need | Best option |
|---|---|
| One rate, right now | Address bar |
| A chart of the last year | Address bar or Google Finance |
| Several pairs, glanced at daily | Google Finance or an extension board |
| Rates beside the page you read, prices converted on hover | Extension |
| A notification at a target rate | Extension, or the Xe / Wise phone apps |
A side-by-side look at the first and last options: Exchange Rate vs Google.