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Browser Extensions · head to head

Awesome Screenshot vs Mercury Reader

Awesome Screenshot logo

Awesome Screenshot

Browser Extensions

Screen capture and image annotation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
M

Mercury Reader

Browser Extensions

Clear clutter from articles instantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Awesome Screenshot free browser extension with limited information about premium tier pricing on homepage; Mercury Reader mercury Reader's underlying engine (Postlight Parser) is free open source software licensed under Apache License 2.0, per the GitHub repository, with no paid tier
  • They diverge on capability: Awesome Screenshot covers Screen capture, Mercury Reader covers Content extraction.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Awesome Screenshot and Mercury Reader actually diverge.

Attributes where Awesome Screenshot and Mercury Reader differ
AttributeAwesome ScreenshotMercury Reader
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, Edge, SafariChrome, Firefox, Edge
Founded20072015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Browser Extensions).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Awesome Screenshot

  • Screen capture
  • Annotation tools
  • Cloud storage
  • Screen recording
  • Safari support

Only in Mercury Reader

  • Content extraction
  • Clean reading view
  • Custom themes
  • Font customization

Both cover

  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Awesome Screenshot

  • Screen recording for tutorials and documentationnot Mercury Reader
  • Screenshot annotation for design feedbacknot Mercury Reader
  • Team collaboration on visual communicationnot Mercury Reader
  • Bug reporting with visual evidencenot Mercury Reader
  • Social media content creationnot Mercury Reader

Mercury Reader

No use cases recorded yet. See the Mercury Reader review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Awesome Screenshot

  • Free browser extension with limited information about premium tier pricing on homepage
  • Pricing details not fully disclosed on main page

Mercury Reader

  • Mercury Reader's underlying engine (Postlight Parser) is free open source software licensed under Apache License 2.0, per the GitHub repository, with no paid tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Awesome Screenshot

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Screen capture
    • Basic annotation
    • Cloud storage

Mercury Reader

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Clutter removal
    • Clean reading
    • Custom themes

Which should you pick?

Choose Awesome Screenshot if

  • You need screen capture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari.
  • You also want annotation tools.
Awesome Screenshot review

Choose Mercury Reader if

  • You need content extraction.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
  • You also want clean reading view.
Mercury Reader review

Questions people ask

Is Awesome Screenshot or Mercury Reader better?
Neither clearly leads. Awesome Screenshot starts at Free and Mercury Reader at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Awesome Screenshot or Mercury Reader?
Awesome Screenshot starts at Free and Mercury Reader at Free.
Does Awesome Screenshot or Mercury Reader run on more platforms?
Awesome Screenshot runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari. Mercury Reader runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
Can I use Awesome Screenshot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Awesome Screenshot best used for?
Awesome Screenshot is most often used for screen recording for tutorials and documentation, screenshot annotation for design feedback, team collaboration on visual communication, bug reporting with visual evidence. Of those, screen recording for tutorials and documentation and screenshot annotation for design feedback are not what Mercury Reader is typically brought in for.
What can Awesome Screenshot do that Mercury Reader cannot?
Awesome Screenshot covers Screen capture, Annotation tools, Cloud storage, Screen recording. Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Clean reading view, Custom themes, Font customization. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support.
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