A ColorZilla alternative that keeps your colors
ColorZilla and ColorPick Eyedropper are the color pickers most people know. Both are free and both work well. Here is an honest look at where Pigmo differs, and when one of them is the better choice.
Play video| Pigmo | ColorZilla | ColorPick Eyedropper | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. Pro 19 EUR once | Free | Free. A paid licence for business use |
| Pick a color on a page | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Palette of a whole page | Yes, ranked by how much each color is used | Yes, Webpage Color Analyzer | Not listed |
| Keeps your colors | Yes, in a library where you name them | A history of recent picks | Not listed |
| Palette export to code | Pro: CSS variables, Tailwind, JSON, PNG | Not listed | Not listed |
| Site access at install | None. Reads a tab only after your click | All websites | All websites |
| Extra tools | None | Gradient generator, element details, sample sizes | Zoom loupe, desktop and phone apps |
| Users | New | 4,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
ColorZilla and ColorPick Eyedropper as described in the Chrome Web Store and their manifests on 24 September 2026. "Not listed" means their store description does not mention it.
Why people look for an alternative
Usually for one of three reasons: the install warning that the extension can read and change data on all websites, picked colors that are gone once the popup closes, or a palette that has to be retyped before it can go into code.
Where Pigmo is different
- It asks for no site access. Pigmo uses Chrome's activeTab permission, so it can look at a tab only after you click its button, and only that tab.
- Your colors stay. Every pick is saved to a library page where you can name it. Pro keeps whole palettes too.
- Palettes go straight into code. Pro exports a palette as CSS variables, a Tailwind theme, JSON or a PNG.
- Nothing leaves your machine. The extension makes no network requests, not even to check your licence.
What "read and change all your data" means
When an extension asks for access to all websites, Chrome shows that warning at install. It means the extension can run code on every page you open, from the moment the browser starts, including your bank and your email. Most pickers need that only for the moment you pick a color.
Pigmo asks for none of it. Chrome gives it one tab, for one visit, when you click its button. Close the tab or go to another site, and the access is gone. That is also why the install dialog for Pigmo has no warning about your data.
Your picks, a week later
Every color you pick goes into a library page. Give it a name like "button hover" or "Stripe purple", and it is there next month too. Colors are stored in your browser, on this device, and never sent anywhere. A backup file is free to download; restoring it on another computer comes with Pro.
When ColorZilla is the better choice
If you need a CSS gradient generator, element details such as class and size, or an average over 3×3 to 25×25 pixels, ColorZilla has them and Pigmo does not. ColorZilla also runs in Firefox.
Trying it
Install Pigmo next to the picker you have and use both on the same page for a week. The free version has no time limit, so there is no rush.