Disclosure up front: I make X Filter Pro, which is on this list. I'll tell you exactly what it does and where it falls short, and I'll recommend competing tools where they're better. The goal is "what should be in your Chrome", not advertising.
1. X Filter Pro — feed cleaner with AI summaries
What it does: Hides ads and promoted posts, mutes accounts (timed or permanent), filters by keyword, hides the left/right sidebars in one click, and summarizes any tweet with AI in 8 languages.
Strong points: The Focus Mode is the cleanest implementation I've seen — one toggle removes everything except the feed itself. AI summaries are useful for long threads, especially in non-English content. The free tier is genuinely usable (ad blocking, keyword filter, mute) which is rare.
Weak points: No native dark theme override (X's own dark mode is fine, but some extensions go further). No browser support beyond Chromium yet — Firefox is on the roadmap.
Price: Free, Pro at $2/mo or $20/yr.
2. uBlock Origin — the universal ad blocker
What it does: Blocks ads and trackers across the entire web, including X. Battle-tested, open source, and free forever.
Strong points: Industry standard. If you only install one extension, this is it. It blocks Twitter ads as a side effect of its general filter lists.
Weak points: Generic. Doesn't understand the structure of X — can't toggle Focus Mode, can't summarize, can't mute accounts in a UI. It's a hammer; X-specific tools are screwdrivers.
Price: Free.
Use uBlock Origin and a feed-specific extension. They don't conflict.
3. Tweak New Twitter (TNT)
What it does: A long-running open-source project that lets you toggle dozens of X interface elements: hide trends, hide media, force the chronological timeline, hide reply counts, etc.
Strong points: Granular control. If you want to hide one specific element of X (like reply counts to fight rage-bait), TNT can probably do it. The settings page is overwhelming in a good way.
Weak points: The UX is built for tinkerers, not normal users. Many options are obscure. No AI features. No paid plan, no support.
Price: Free.
4. ControlPanel for Twitter
What it does: Similar to TNT — toggle UI elements, hide ads, hide notifications. From the same kind of "power user, lots of switches" school of thought.
Strong points: Slightly more polished than TNT. Reliable, updates often.
Weak points: No AI features. No filtering by keyword or engagement.
Price: Free.
5. Black Twitter / Dark Theme extensions
Skip these. X's built-in dark mode (Settings → Display → Dark) does everything these extensions do without the security risk of installing a random extension that wants permission to read every page you visit.
What about TweetDeck / X Pro?
X Pro (formerly TweetDeck) is now bundled with X Premium ($8/mo). For monitoring multiple feeds and live events, it's still the gold standard. But for general timeline reading, it's overkill.
If you live on X for work (journalists, researchers, traders), X Pro plus a feed-cleaning extension is probably the best combo. For everyone else, just a feed cleaner is enough.
Want a clean feed in 30 seconds?
X Filter Pro is free to install. Try it for a week — uninstall if you don't notice the difference.
What I actually run
My setup: uBlock Origin (universal ad block), X Filter Pro (feed cleaner + AI summaries). That's it.
I tried more for a while — TNT, ControlPanel, dark theme tweakers. Each had one nice feature but the cumulative complexity wasn't worth it. Two extensions cover 95% of the cleanup need with almost no maintenance.
What to avoid
Be careful with extensions that ask for "all data on every site" permission unless they're well-known and open-source. X-specific extensions that limit themselves to x.com and twitter.com are safer — they can only see your X feed, not your bank or your email.
Check the Chrome Web Store reviews and the developer's website. Extensions with no website, no privacy policy, and 5 reviews are red flags regardless of category.
Short answer
If you want one recommendation: install uBlock Origin and X Filter Pro. Both free to start. Your feed will feel different in 60 seconds.