Updated: October 2026
The best NVDA add-ons in 2026 are the ones that stay compatible after NVDA 2026.1, which broke compatibility with add-ons built for earlier versions. Useful add-ons listed in the store for NVDA 2026.2 include BrowserNav, Tony’s Enhancements, Place markers, Outlook Extended, Golden Cursor, LION, Resource Monitor, Clipspeak and AI Content Describer.
I use NVDA every day, for my office work and for my personal online activity, so this guide focuses on the add-ons that matter in daily use. I checked every version, compatibility claim and release date against the NV Access release notes and the NVDA Add-on Store on October 19, 2026.
What are NVDA add-ons?
NVDA add-ons are free extensions that add commands, speech features or support for specific programs to the NVDA screen reader. You install them from the NVDA Add-on Store inside NVDA. Most are made by community developers, and NV Access runs the store and scans submissions.
What are the best NVDA add-ons in 2026?
The best NVDA add-ons depend on the task, and the ten below are all in the Add-on Store for NVDA 2026.2. On October 19, 2026, the store listed 415 stable add-ons compatible with NVDA 2026.2, with incompatible add-ons hidden by default. The table shows what each does, who publishes it and its store version.
I have tested these add-ons myself, and I think they are well worth trying. Pick any that fits your own use case, because the right add-on can make daily work with NVDA easier.
| Add-on | What it does | Publisher in the store | Store version |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrowserNav | New browse mode keystrokes, such as navigation by font size or style and QuickJump bookmarks | mltony | 2.7.8 |
| Tony’s Enhancements | Table navigation, clipboard history, separate NVDA volume, mic mute and more | mltony | 1.22.5 |
| Place markers | Mark a position in a page or document and jump back to it | nvdaes | 53.0.0 |
| Outlook Extended | Extra commands that make Outlook easier to use | Cyrille Bougot | 3.4 |
| Golden Cursor | Move the mouse pointer with the keyboard and save pointer positions per program | jmdaweb | 26.1 |
| LION | Reads changing on-screen text aloud using OCR, such as video subtitles | anmi2004 | 3.3.0 |
| Resource Monitor | Announces CPU, memory, battery, disk and uptime | josephsl | 26.10.2 |
| Clipspeak | Announces cut, copy, paste, undo and redo | Rui Batista | 2026.08.24 |
| AI Content Describer | Describes the focused object, screen or clipboard image using an AI service | Carter Temm and contributors | 2026.05.06 |
| Vision Assistant Pro | Connects NVDA to Google Gemini for screen descriptions, translation, dictation and document questions | Mahmood Hozhabri | 2026.10.16 |
What changed for NVDA add-ons in 2026?
Three things changed: NVDA 2026.1 broke compatibility with older add-ons, the Add-on Store gained safety information, and NVDA 2026.2 let add-ons ship speech dictionaries.
Why did NVDA 2026.1 break add-ons?
NVDA 2026.1 moved to 64-bit Python, which breaks add-ons made for NVDA 2025.3.3 and earlier. NV Access announced the release on May 6, 2026, and advises people who rely on add-ons to check that each one has been updated before upgrading. 32-bit Windows and Windows 10 on ARM are no longer supported, and Windows 10 is the minimum version. In a guide for add-on authors, NV Access noted that as of February 7, 2026, at least 46 of 350 store add-ons were incompatible with the 2026.1 beta.
What is new in the NVDA Add-on Store?
According to the NVDA change log, NVDA 2026.1 shows VirusTotal scan results in an add-on’s details, with a link to the full report, and lets authors supply a changelog. You also choose which add-ons are copied to the sign-in and secure screens, and none are copied by default. NVDA 2026.2 added an improved search algorithm to the store.
Can NVDA add-ons include speech dictionaries now?
Yes. NVDA 2026.2, announced on August 31, 2026, allows add-ons to ship speech dictionaries. It does not list a new compatibility break for add-ons.
Is NVDA Remote still needed?
For most people, no, because Remote Access is built into NVDA. NVDA 2025.3, released on September 15, 2025, lists fixes and improvements to it, including a command to send Control+Alt+Delete.
How do you install NVDA add-ons and check they work?
Following the NVDA user guide, press NVDA+N to open the NVDA menu, then T for Tools, then A for Add-on Store. The first time you open it, NVDA warns that add-ons are not vetted by NV Access. Select an add-on, press Enter to open its actions menu, and choose Install. The installation starts when you close the Store, and NVDA then reports that a restart is required to complete it. The store has an Installed incompatible add-ons tab and a filter to include incompatible add-ons, which are hidden by default. Before you update NVDA, check that each add-on you rely on has a version for the new release, and keep the previous installer available.
Which NVDA add-on is best for each task?
Pick by task: BrowserNav for the web, Place markers for long documents, Outlook Extended for email, Golden Cursor for inaccessible controls, LION for changing text, Resource Monitor for system status and Clipspeak for clipboard feedback.
What is the best NVDA add-on for browsing the web?
BrowserNav. According to its developer, it enhances browse mode with new keystrokes, including navigation by horizontal offset, font size or font style, and QuickJump bookmarks for jumping to or clicking chosen page elements. It works in browsers and in other programs that support browse mode, such as Word and email clients. The developer notes that NVDA 2024.2 added some vertical and same style navigation commands to NVDA itself, so use the built in versions where they exist. I use BrowserNav regularly.
Which NVDA add-on adds many small improvements?
Tony’s Enhancements. It bundles table navigation by column or row, copying tables as formatted tables, a clipboard history on Windows+V, separate volume controls for NVDA and other programs, a microphone mute command and a beep when NVDA is busy. Its page lists compatibility with NVDA 2024.2 or later and says to install it from the Add-on Store, where version 1.22.5 is listed for NVDA 2026.2. I use Tony’s Enhancements regularly.
What is the best NVDA add-on for long documents and pages?
Place markers. It lets you save a position in a web page or document and return to it later. According to its page, Ctrl+Shift+NVDA+Y saves the current position, NVDA+Y and Shift+NVDA+Y move to the next and previous marker, and Alt+NVDA+Y opens a list of the document’s markers where you can add notes, delete or jump to one. It also saves and searches text strings in browse mode and in multi line controls.
What is the best NVDA add-on for Outlook?
Outlook Extended makes Microsoft Outlook easier to use by speaking some native commands and adding new ones. According to its page, Alt plus a number key reads the header fields of a message, calendar or task window, NVDA+Shift+A reports the attachments in a message, NVDA+Shift+M moves focus to the message body, and Ctrl+Q and Ctrl+U mark selected messages as read or unread. It is listed in the store for NVDA 2026.2 as version 3.4.
Which NVDA add-on helps with inaccessible controls?
Golden Cursor. AccessWorld’s editor listed it among essential add-ons. It moves the mouse pointer with the keyboard and can save pointer coordinates for each program, so you can jump to a control that NVDA cannot reach. Profiles are tied to a screen resolution.
Which NVDA add-on reads video subtitles and changing text?
LION. According to its developer, it runs OCR on set screen areas at set intervals and speaks the text, mainly for subtitles and for screen text that NVDA cannot read directly, such as video game menus. By default it scans the full screen every second and speaks only when the text changes.
Which NVDA add-on reports battery, CPU and memory?
Resource Monitor. It announces memory, CPU load, battery level and charging state, disk space and system uptime with NVDA+Shift plus a number key, and NVDA+Shift+E gives a summary.
Which NVDA add-on announces cut, copy and paste?
Clipspeak. It announces cut, copy, paste, undo and redo, and you can choose to hear only the operation or also the content.
If you are unsure where to start, try the add-on that matches the task you do most, whether that is browsing, email, documents or AI descriptions. In my testing, a good add-on helps most when it fits something you already do every day. For how NVDA compares with its paid rival, see our NVDA vs JAWS guide, and for a writing workflow see editing and proofreading with NVDA.
Are there AI add-ons for NVDA?
Yes, and there are many. On October 19, 2026, at least 14 add-ons in the store had AI, ChatGPT, Gemini or OpenRouter in their names, including AI assistant, AI-Hub, Ask OpenRouter, ChatGPT Desktop Access for NVDA, and NVDAIAs, which is described by its name as a way to chat with ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. AI Content Describer and Vision Assistant Pro are the two covered here. They connect NVDA to online AI services, so what you describe is processed by that service. Read each developer’s privacy information first.
What does AI Content Describer do?
AI Content Describer describes the focused object, a part of the screen, the whole screen, the focused file or an image from the clipboard, and it can also use a camera. Users on AppleVis have reported using it with Google Gemini and ChatGPT through an API key, and with Pollinations as a default option. Experiences differ: one user found Gemini descriptions quick, while others reported setup problems.
What does Vision Assistant Pro do?
Vision Assistant Pro, posted on AppleVis on December 2, 2025, is a free, open source add-on that connects NVDA to Google Gemini. Its developer lists screen and control descriptions with follow up questions, translation, speech to text dictation, document questions for PDF, TIFF and text files, and video analysis. You need your own free Google Gemini API key. It is in the Add-on Store as version 2026.10.16 from Mahmood Hozhabri, and its source is on GitHub.
Which other NVDA add-ons are notable in 2026?
The Add-on Store lists many more add-ons than the ten above, and several target Office, email and chat apps. These are listed for NVDA 2026.2 with the version shown on October 19, 2026. I have tested these as well, and the versions below are the ones shown in the store, so read each description in the store before installing.
| Add-on | Version in the store | Area |
|---|---|---|
| BOA: Better Office Accessibility | 2.0.1 | Microsoft Office |
| VisionAccess Excel Enhancements | 1.0.2 | Excel |
| Word Header Footer Accessibility Assistant | 0.2.1 | Word |
| Thunderbird+ (for Thunderbird 140 and later) | 2609.26.0 | |
| Google Docs accessibility (mltony) | 1.4.3 | Google Docs |
| Zoom Enhancements | 26.10.1 | Meetings |
| WhatsApp Desktop accessibility enhancements (Nuno Costa) | 1.8.1 | Chat |
| Terminal Access for NVDA (Pratik Patel) | 2.3.0 | Terminal |
| Calibre accessibility enhancements | 2026.3.1 | Books |
| Access8Math | 5.0 | Math |
| NVDA Coach, interactive screen reader training (Tony Gebhard) | 1.6.0 | Learning NVDA |
Are NVDA add-ons safe?
Mostly, but you should install only add-ons you trust. NVDA itself warns the first time you open the Add-on Store that add-ons are not vetted by NV Access. Add-ons are community made and can access personal data. NV Access scans submissions with VirusTotal and, since NVDA 2026.1, shows the result in an add-on’s details, but according to its add-on datastore page it does not require a manual review of an add-on’s code before submission. Check the developer’s page before you install.
Which NVDA add-ons are the most popular?
There is no official ranking. The Add-on Store shows name, version, channel and publisher but not download counts, so this list is based on recommendations from AccessWorld and other community sources and on the store listing, not on usage data. Compatibility here is based on the store’s own NVDA 2026.2 filter, which hides incompatible add-ons by default, so confirm in the store again before you update NVDA.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install NVDA add-ons?
Press NVDA+N, then T, then A to open the Add-on Store, search for the add-on, press Enter and choose Install. Installation starts when you close the Store, and NVDA asks you to restart to complete it.
Why did my NVDA add-ons stop working after NVDA 2026.1?
NVDA 2026.1 broke compatibility with add-ons made for NVDA 2025.3.3 and earlier. Each add-on needs an update from its author, so check the store for an updated version before upgrading.
Are NVDA add-ons free?
Add-ons listed here are free to install. Some AI add-ons need your own account or API key for the online service they use.
Do NVDA add-ons work with JAWS?
No. NVDA add-ons are built for NVDA and run only inside it.
Can I use NVDA add-ons on a portable copy?
A portable copy can carry over add-ons when it is created from an installed copy. The NVDA user guide does not say whether you can use the Add-on Store inside a portable copy, so install add-ons in your main copy first.
