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Chrome extensions

The Best Color Picker Chrome Extensions to Get HEX, RGB, and HSL Color Codes

Eye Dropper is the best default for HEX, RGB, and HSL sampling. Compare it with ColorZilla, ColorPick Eyedropper, and newer palette tools by workflow.

By ThatPainter Team 6 min read
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Eye Dropper is the best default choice if you need HEX, RGB, and HSL values from a webpage. It offers a simple page picker, format switching, palettes, and JSON export. Choose ColorZilla instead if you need page-wide color analysis, gradients, sampling controls, or color history. For a focused zoomed eyedropper, ColorPick Eyedropper is a practical alternative, although its documented output focuses on HEX and RGB.

The right extension depends on whether you need to sample one rendered pixel, collect a palette, analyze an entire page, or retrieve the exact CSS value behind an element.

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Quick comparison

Extension Best for HEX RGB HSL Palette or analysis features Main limitation
Eye Dropper HEX, RGB, and HSL sampling Yes Yes Yes Saved palettes and JSON export Cannot pick from some Chrome-restricted pages
ColorZilla A complete design toolkit Yes Yes Not clearly documented Page analyzer, gradients, history, sampling sizes More complex and permission-heavy than a basic picker
ColorPick Eyedropper A familiar zoomed eyedropper Yes Yes Not clearly documented Optional automatic clipboard copying HSL output is not established by the reviewed listing
ChromaPicker Emerging palette and modern color tools Yes Yes Verify current version Palette extraction, OKLCH, gradients, JSON Less established than the leading extensions

Format support above reflects the cited product material, not assumptions based on the phrase “color picker.” Extensions, permissions, ratings, and interfaces can change, so check the current Chrome Web Store listing before installing.

Best overall for HEX, RGB, and HSL: Eye Dropper

Eye Dropper is the clearest match for this article’s main requirement. Its Chrome Web Store listing and official site explicitly advertise HEX, RGB, HSL, and HSV support. You can pick a color from the current webpage, copy it in the format you need, or save it to a palette.

#1 Best Overall
Nix Mini 3 Color Sensor Colorimeter - Portable Color Matching Tool - Dust Debris and Splash Resistant (IPX4) - Identify and match paint and digital color values instantly
  • Scan any object or surface to instantly match to 300,000+ brand name paints.
  • Not just for paint - Instant RGB, HEX, CMYK and more digital color values.
  • 95%+ hit rate on top paint brands including Benjamin Moore, Behr, PPG, Valspar, Sherwin-Williams and more. Paint libraries vary by country region.
  • Get instant matches to Pantone, RAL and NCS premium databases.
  • Scan instantly and for years to come with no calibration required + dust and water resistance (IPX4 rating).

Its normal workflow is short:

  1. Open Eye Dropper from Chrome’s toolbar.
  2. Choose the webpage color picker.
  3. Move over the target color and click.
  4. Copy the HEX, RGB, or HSL value.
  5. Save the color if you are building a palette.

Eye Dropper is a strong fit for frontend developers, painters collecting reference colors, and anyone who needs several CSS-ready values without opening a design application. Its official site also advertises JSON export.

Important restriction: the picker cannot operate on the Chrome Web Store and may not work on other browser-controlled pages. Chrome prevents extensions from freely accessing some internal or protected contexts. That is a browser limitation, not necessarily a defect in Eye Dropper.

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Best full-featured option: ColorZilla

ColorZilla is the better choice when sampling one color is only part of the job. It combines an eyedropper, advanced picker, webpage color analyzer, palette tools, color history, gradient generation, and element-related information.

Its documented sampling controls include 1×1, 3×3, 5×5, 11×11, and 25×25 pixel areas, including average-color sampling. These options are useful when a one-pixel sample lands on an anti-aliased edge or a noisy image. ColorZilla also documents CSS HEX and RGB clipboard output, zoom support, keyboard shortcuts, and sampling for dynamic elements.

Rank #2
COLOR MUSE 3 Portable Color Matching and Paint Scanner Device – Black
  • COLOR & SHEEN MATCHING TECHNOLOGY: Color Muse 3 measures both color and sheen in one scan using a 3-path color system across paints, textiles, plastics, print, and more. Powered by proprietary SurfaceSmart Technology with 45/0° geometry for real-world color, d/8° SCI geometry for scientific color accuracy, and 60° angle to measure gloss and sheen.
  • WHAT’S INCLUDED & SMART FEATURES: Color Muse 3 color checker features a USB-C charger, On/Off button for power management control, 12X longer standby battery life, and subscription-based access to RAL and Pantone libraries within the mobile app. This color sensor connects wirelessly with the Color Muse app on iOS and Android.
  • PORTABLE & EASY TO USE: Just press the power button, scan your surface, and view accurate matches on the app. The 12X improved standby battery life lasts over one year in standby mode, ensuring lab-grade results from a pocket-sized device. Upgraded version of Color Muse 2, built for professionals who demand speed, accuracy, and simplicity.
  • SEAMLESS MOBILE APP INTEGRATION: Pair instantly with the Color Muse app for iOS or Android. Access over 100,000+ product colors, build custom libraries, and identify paint colors from leading brands. This color reader offers a full surface solution, matching colors in both hue and finish. Color meter to ccan, store, share, and match colors.
  • AFFORDABLE PROFESSIONAL-GRADE PERFORMANCE: Match paint, leather, plastics, textiles, printed media, coatings, and more with lab-level precision. Up-to-date visual sensors and specialized geometry ensure accurate, consistent color results across complex surfaces. This paint matching tool is ideal for professionals needing consistent output.

To use it, open the ColorZilla menu and select Pick Color From Page. Its help documentation describes a menu-based workflow on Mac and other platforms; single-click startup is documented as a Windows-specific feature, so controls may differ by operating system.

ColorZilla is not the safest recommendation if HSL export is non-negotiable: the reviewed official material clearly documents HEX, CSS RGB, and HSV-related manipulation, but does not clearly establish direct HSL export. It also requests access to data on websites so it can inspect pages. ColorZilla says it does not collect browsing activity or website data; treat that as the publisher’s statement rather than an independent privacy audit.

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Best focused zoomed picker: ColorPick Eyedropper

ColorPick Eyedropper is designed around a traditional magnified eyedropper. It is useful when you want to target a particular pixel accurately without a page analyzer, palette manager, or larger design toolkit.

The reviewed listing documents HEX and RGB CSS output. It also offers optional automatic clipboard copying, but that feature is disabled by default. Enabling it requires clipboard-write permission and can overwrite whatever you copied previously, so manual copying is the safer starting point.

Rank #3
COLOR MUSE Colorimeter - Mobile Color Matching Tool
  • SIMPLE AND PORTABLE - Scan any flat surface to find the closest matching paint colours and products in the Color Muse app. Color Muse pairs to the app via wireless so that you can scan colours anywhere.
  • MATCH WITH CONFIDENCE - Trust that you’re getting accurate colour matches with an accuracy rate of over 90%. Spot touch-ups are not recommended. Colour matches may be used for wall-to-wall painting. For best results, scan a smooth, flat surface. Scanned colours may vary from what’s displayed on your phone screen.
  • LARGE PRODUCT LIBRARY - The Color Muse app includes paints and products from Sikkens, Farrow & Ball, PPG, Dulux, Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, Color Is, Dulux, Munsell, and other leading brands.
  • COORDINATE, SAVE, SHARE - Find coordinating colours, inspiration photos, and even your scan’s HEX, CMYK, RGB, LAB, LCH, LRV, HSB, and HSV colour values in the Color Muse app. Save and share your favourite colours.
  • COMPARE - Compare two colours side-by-side or see how close your colour matches to the available products. You can compare RGB, CMYK, Lab values, and more.

Choose ColorPick when zoomed targeting and a focused interface matter more than HSL support or page-wide extraction. Its listing points users toward desktop software for unsupported pages and mobile applications for screenshots, photos, and other image workflows.

Lightweight and newer alternatives

Newer Chrome extensions built around the browser’s EyeDropper API may add palette extraction, CSS variables, OKLCH, harmony generation, gradients, and JSON export. ChromaPicker, for example, advertises page and image palette extraction, OKLCH tools, CSS gradient creation, JSON export, and an Alt+P shortcut in its listing and project materials.

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

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These tools can be attractive for advanced workflows, but they should be treated as emerging alternatives rather than automatic winners. Before installing one, check its current publisher, permissions, update history, format output, and support for the pages or images you need to sample.

What HEX, RGB, and HSL mean

  • HEX: A compact hexadecimal value such as #3B82F6, commonly used in CSS and design tools.
  • RGB: Red, green, and blue channel values such as rgb(59, 130, 246).
  • HSL: Hue, saturation, and lightness, such as hsl(217, 91%, 60%). It is often convenient when adjusting lightness or saturation.
  • Alpha: Some tools expose transparency as RGBA or HSLA, but support and syntax vary.

The same color may be represented differently in each model. HSL formatting can also vary in whether values use integers, decimals, degrees, or an alpha component.

Rank #4
C&T Publishing CTP10792 Notions Color Tool 3rd Edition
  • Color tool 3rd edition- just pick your favorite color then match it to one of the 24 cards from where you can choose a color scheme from 5 color plans
  • C&T Publishing notions color tool 3rd edition- just pick your favorite color then match it to one of the 24 cards from where you can choose a color scheme from 5 color plans
  • The cards are easy to view, as they are attached in the bottom corner with a plastic bolt which allows you to twist open into a color fan
  • Made in China

How to use a Chrome color picker extension

  1. Open the extension’s official Chrome Web Store listing.
  2. Check the publisher and requested permissions.
  3. Select Add to Chrome and confirm the installation.
  4. Open Chrome’s Extensions menu and pin the extension if you use it frequently.
  5. Visit the webpage containing the color.
  6. Open the extension and activate its eyedropper or page-picker command.
  7. Move over the target and click once.
  8. Copy the required format or save it to a palette.

For a solid background, sample its center. For text, borders, gradients, and image edges, use the magnifier or an averaged sampling area when available.

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A sampled pixel is not always the CSS color

Most browser pickers read the rendered pixel visible on screen. That may differ from the CSS declaration because of transparency, gradients, shadows, images, filters, blend modes, overlays, anti-aliasing, browser zoom, or color management.

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If you need the exact declared or computed CSS value, use Chrome DevTools instead:

  1. Right-click the element and choose Inspect.
  2. Select the element in the Elements panel.
  3. Check the Styles or Computed pane.
  4. Read the relevant color, background-color, border, or CSS custom property.

DevTools is usually more accurate for design tokens and stylesheet values. A pixel picker is better when you want the visible result, including a color inside an image or composite effect.

Best Value
COLOR MUSE 2 Colorimeter Paint Color Matching Tool
  • PRECISE COLOR & SHEEN MATCHING: The COLOR MUSE 2 Colorimeter revolutionizes paint color matching tool. As a premium paint matcher device, it easily identifies the closest paint color, guaranteeing an exceptionally accurate match.
  • YOUR ON-THE-GO COLOR ANALYST: The compact and intuitive COLOR MUSE 2 is more than just a color reader for paint matching tool. With wireless connectivity and seamless integration with the Color Muse app, it transforms any flat surface into a canvas for accurate color readings, making color matching effortless.
  • SHEEN IDENTIFICATION MADE SIMPLE: Say goodbye to the guesswork in paint finishes with the COLOR MUSE 2. This advanced color sensor and reader accurately identifies sheen levels—from Flat/Matte to High-Gloss—ensuring you achieve the perfect paint finish every time.
  • UNMATCHED ACCURACY IN COLOR MATCHING: This ultimate paint color scanner for over 95% accuracy in paint color matching is designed for wall-to-wall painting, spot touch-ups are not recommended. For best results, scan smooth, flat surfaces and note that colors displayed on your phone screen may slightly vary from the scanned colors.
  • EXTENSIVE PRODUCT LIBRARY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: Explore an extensive range of paint colors from top brands with the Color Muse app. This comprehensive color matching tool provides access to favorites like Sherwin-Williams, Behr, PPG, Benjamin Moore, Munsell, and more, including premium options for RAL and Pantone.

Troubleshooting common problems

The picker does nothing

Try an ordinary webpage first. Extensions generally cannot access chrome:// pages, the Chrome Web Store, extension pages, browser settings, and some protected or embedded contexts.

The color looks slightly wrong

You may have sampled an anti-aliased edge, a shadow, or a transparent overlay. Move to the center of a solid region or use a larger average-sampling area.

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The color only exists on hover

Trigger the hover or focus state before sampling. Tools with dynamic-element support, such as ColorZilla, may be able to resample the last sampled location.

The clipboard does not update

Use the extension’s manual copy button first. If automatic copying is available, confirm that it is enabled and that the extension has clipboard-write permission.

You need a screenshot or desktop application

A browser extension may not be able to sample a local image, PDF, desktop window, or browser UI. Use a desktop screen color picker or image editor instead.

HSL is missing

Do not assume that every color picker supports HSL. Eye Dropper explicitly advertises it; the reviewed ColorPick material emphasizes HEX and RGB, while the reviewed ColorZilla material does not clearly promise direct HSL export.

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Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Nix Mini 3 Color Sensor Colorimeter - Portable Color Matching Tool - Dust Debris and Splash Resistant (IPX4) - Identify and match paint and digital color values instantly
Nix Mini 3 Color Sensor Colorimeter - Portable Color Matching Tool - Dust Debris and Splash Resistant (IPX4) - Identify and match paint and digital color values instantly
Scan any object or surface to instantly match to 300,000+ brand name paints.; Not just for paint - Instant RGB, HEX, CMYK and more digital color values.
$129.00
Bestseller No. 4

Which extension should you choose?

  • Need HEX, RGB, and HSL: Eye Dropper.
  • Need page analysis, gradients, history, and sampling controls: ColorZilla.
  • Need a simple zoomed eyedropper: ColorPick Eyedropper.
  • Need modern palette or OKLCH features: Evaluate an emerging tool such as ChromaPicker, after checking its current permissions and maintenance.
  • Need the exact CSS declaration: Chrome DevTools.
  • Need colors from screenshots or desktop applications: Use desktop or mobile color-picker software.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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