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Browser Extensions · head to head

FireMonkey vs Instapaper

FireMonkey logo

FireMonkey

Browser Extensions

User scripts and user styles in one Firefox extension

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Instapaper logo

Instapaper

Browser Extensions

Save anything for reading later

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FireMonkey firefox only, and requires a recent one: version 93 on desktop, 113 on Android.; Instapaper full text search across saved articles is Premium only, at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year
  • They diverge on capability: FireMonkey covers Scripts and styles together, Instapaper covers Save for later.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FireMonkey and Instapaper actually diverge.

Attributes where FireMonkey and Instapaper differ
AttributeFireMonkeyInstapaper
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
PlatformsFirefoxWeb, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX)
FoundedUnknown2008

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 FireMonkey

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

Only in Instapaper

  • Save for later
  • Clean reading
  • Highlighting
  • Full-text search
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

What people use each for

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

FireMonkey

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

Instapaper

  • Saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped outnot FireMonkey
  • Building a searchable personal archive of things worth keepingnot FireMonkey

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Instapaper

  • Full text search across saved articles is Premium only, at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year
  • Free accounts are limited to 5 notes a month, against unlimited on Premium
  • Text to speech, speed reading and the permanent archive are all Premium only
  • The free web experience carries advertising

Pricing, plan by plan

FireMonkey

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

Instapaper

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Instapaper review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Instapaper if

  • You need save for later.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX).
  • You also want clean reading.
Instapaper review

Questions people ask

Is FireMonkey or Instapaper better?
Neither clearly leads. FireMonkey starts at Free and Instapaper at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FireMonkey or Instapaper?
FireMonkey starts at Free and Instapaper at Free.
Does FireMonkey or Instapaper run on more platforms?
FireMonkey runs on Firefox. Instapaper runs on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX).
Can I use FireMonkey for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is FireMonkey best used for?
FireMonkey is most often used for running user scripts and user styles without two separate extensions, restyling sites with css alongside scripted behaviour changes, editing scripts in a full editor inside the browser, injecting css globally across every site. Of those, running user scripts and user styles without two separate extensions and restyling sites with css alongside scripted behaviour changes are not what Instapaper is typically brought in for.
What can FireMonkey do that Instapaper cannot?
FireMonkey covers Scripts and styles together, Monaco editor with ESLint, Unlimited client-side storage, Global injection. Instapaper covers Save for later, Clean reading, Highlighting, Full-text search.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Instapaper: What is the cost of Instapaper?

Instapaper costs $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. The yearly plan saves over 15% compared to the monthly rate.

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
Instapaper: Does Instapaper offer a free trial?

No trial period is offered. The subscription starts immediately upon purchase.

Source
FireMonkey: Is FireMonkey open source?

Yes, under the MPL-2.0 licence.

Source
Instapaper: What features are included in the paid subscription?

Premium features include full-text search across all articles, permanent archiving, PDF reading, unlimited notes (free tier limited to 5 per month), Kindle integration, AI-powered text-to-speech, and speed reading up to 3x faster. The paid version also removes advertisements.

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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