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Browser Extensions · head to head

Dark Reader vs FireMonkey

Dark Reader logo

Dark Reader

Browser Extensions

Dark mode for every website

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FireMonkey logo

FireMonkey

Browser Extensions

User scripts and user styles in one Firefox extension

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Dark Reader cannot modify PDF files displayed in browsers; FireMonkey firefox only, and requires a recent one: version 93 on desktop, 113 on Android.
  • They diverge on capability: Dark Reader covers Dark mode, FireMonkey covers Scripts and styles together.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dark Reader and FireMonkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Dark Reader and FireMonkey differ
AttributeDark ReaderFireMonkey
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, Safari, EdgeFirefox
Founded2014Unknown

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 Dark Reader

  • Dark mode
  • Custom brightness
  • Contrast adjustment
  • Site-specific settings
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

Only in FireMonkey

  • Scripts and styles together
  • Monaco editor with ESLint
  • Unlimited client-side storage
  • Global injection
  • Notifications and clipboard
  • Firefox for Android

What people use each for

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

Dark Reader

  • Applying dark mode to websites that don't natively support itnot FireMonkey
  • Reducing eye strain for night-time or extended browsingnot FireMonkey
  • Per-site brightness, contrast, and sepia customizationnot FireMonkey
  • Toggling dark mode on/off per domainnot FireMonkey
  • Accessibility use for light-sensitive usersnot FireMonkey

FireMonkey

  • Running user scripts and user styles without two separate extensionsnot Dark Reader
  • Restyling sites with CSS alongside scripted behaviour changesnot Dark Reader
  • Editing scripts in a full editor inside the browsernot Dark Reader
  • Injecting CSS globally across every sitenot Dark Reader
  • Managing a mixed library of scripts and styles from one dashboardnot Dark Reader

Where each one falls short

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

Dark Reader

  • Cannot modify PDF files displayed in browsers
  • Performance impact on devices with limited resources

FireMonkey

  • Firefox only, and requires a recent one: version 93 on desktop, 113 on Android.
  • Not a drop-in replacement for Greasemonkey, Tampermonkey or Stylus. The project says so itself, so an existing library may need adjusting.
  • A much smaller user base than Tampermonkey or Violentmonkey, which means fewer people have hit the bug you are about to hit.
  • No Chrome, Edge or Safari build, so it cannot be the answer for anyone working across browsers.
  • Combining scripts and styles in one extension also combines the blast radius: one extension with permission to inject both into every page.

Pricing, plan by plan

Dark Reader

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Dark Reader review.

FireMonkey

Free
  • Open sourceFree
    • MPL-2.0 licensed
    • Unlimited scripts and styles
    • No account required

Which should you pick?

Choose Dark Reader if

  • You need dark mode.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge.
  • You also want custom brightness.
Dark Reader review

Choose FireMonkey if

  • You need scripts and styles together.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Firefox.
  • You also want monaco editor with eslint.
FireMonkey review

Questions people ask

Is Dark Reader or FireMonkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Dark Reader starts at Free and FireMonkey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dark Reader or FireMonkey?
Dark Reader starts at Free and FireMonkey at Free.
Does Dark Reader or FireMonkey run on more platforms?
Dark Reader runs on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge. FireMonkey runs on Firefox.
Can I use Dark Reader for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dark Reader best used for?
Dark Reader is most often used for applying dark mode to websites that don't natively support it, reducing eye strain for night-time or extended browsing, per-site brightness, contrast, and sepia customization, toggling dark mode on/off per domain. Of those, applying dark mode to websites that don't natively support it and reducing eye strain for night-time or extended browsing are not what FireMonkey is typically brought in for.
What can Dark Reader do that FireMonkey cannot?
Dark Reader covers Dark mode, Custom brightness, Contrast adjustment, Site-specific settings. FireMonkey covers Scripts and styles together, Monaco editor with ESLint, Unlimited client-side storage, Global injection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dark Reader: Is Dark Reader free to use?

Yes, Dark Reader is completely free with no ads and no tracking. It does not send user data anywhere.

Source
FireMonkey: What makes FireMonkey different from Violentmonkey?

It manages user styles as well as user scripts. The usual arrangement is a script manager plus a separate style manager such as Stylus; FireMonkey replaces both with one extension.

Source
Dark Reader: How can I customize the dark mode in Dark Reader?

Users can configure brightness, contrast, and sepia filter settings to suit their specific needs, and selectively enable or disable Dark Reader for specific websites.

Source
FireMonkey: Which browsers does FireMonkey support?

Firefox only. Desktop requires Firefox 93 or later and Android requires 113, with an API minimum of 102.

Source
Dark Reader: What browsers does Dark Reader support?

Dark Reader is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge browsers across desktop and mobile platforms.

Source
FireMonkey: Is FireMonkey open source?

Yes, under the MPL-2.0 licence.

Source
Dark Reader: Does Dark Reader work offline?

Yes, Dark Reader runs entirely on your device with no external dependencies. It analyzes web pages locally to generate dark themes.

Source
FireMonkey: Will my existing Tampermonkey scripts work?

Not necessarily. The project states that while it shares functionality with Greasemonkey, Tampermonkey and Stylus, there are differences, so scripts and styles written for those may need adjusting.

Source
FireMonkey: What editor does FireMonkey use?

Current versions use the Monaco editor with ESLint, the same editor component that powers VS Code.

Source
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