# Close Idle Tabs vs tab suspender extensions in 2026 Tab suspenders **sleep** a page so it uses less memory. You still have fifty tabs. [Close Idle Tabs](/projects/edge-close-idle-tabs) is a **Microsoft Edge extension** from [PatakoLabs](/) that **closes tabs that have been idle too long**, with defaults that protect pinned tabs, the active tab, audio, and loading pages. Storage is **local-only**. This page is for people searching for an **Edge auto-close tabs** extension, a **tab discard** alternative, or a way to reclaim focus rather than RAM. ## Suspend vs close - **Suspend / discard:** the tab stays in the strip; waking it can lose form state. - **Close with recovery:** the tab is gone from the strip; Edge’s recently closed list (and the extension’s own recovery, when enabled) can bring it back. Close Idle Tabs chooses close. The product job is **fewer stale tabs in the way**, not a quieter memory graph. ## Comparison | Approach | What happens to idle tabs | Typical extra permissions | Data | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Built-in Edge sleeping tabs | Sleeps, still listed | None | Browser | | Classic “The Great Discarder”-style tools | Discards / hibernates | Often broad site access | Varies | | Manual cleanup | You close them | None | None | | **[Close Idle Tabs](/projects/edge-close-idle-tabs)** | **Closes after your idle threshold** | Designed around **local storage**, not host scraping | **On the device** | ## Safe defaults The extension is meant to refuse drama: it should not close the tab you are looking at, pinned tabs, tabs playing sound, or sites you allowlist. Tune the idle threshold; do not turn it into a hair-trigger. ## Bottom line If you want Edge to **forget** tabs you have not touched, not merely freeze them, use [Close Idle Tabs](/projects/edge-close-idle-tabs). If you only care about RAM and like a long strip of titles, a suspender is closer to that job.