Softwr

Browser Extensions · head to head

Greasemonkey vs Matomo

Greasemonkey logo

Greasemonkey

Browser Extensions

The original userscript manager, for Firefox

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Matomo logo

Matomo

Marketing

Privacy-focused web analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Greasemonkey firefox only. There is no Chrome, Edge or Safari build and there never has been.; Matomo the self hosted Community Edition is free but excludes A/B testing, heatmaps, session recording, cohorts, crash analytics and multi channel attribution, all of which are paid plugins
  • They diverge on capability: Greasemonkey covers Userscript execution, Matomo covers Web analytics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 17 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Greasemonkey and Matomo actually diverge.

Attributes where Greasemonkey and Matomo differ
AttributeGreasemonkeyMatomo
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsFirefoxWeb, On-premise
CategoryBrowser ExtensionsMarketing
FoundedUnknown2007

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

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 Greasemonkey

  • Userscript execution
  • Built-in script editor
  • GM. API
  • @resource support
  • Script localisation
  • Firefox for Android

Only in Matomo

  • Web analytics
  • Real-time reports
  • Custom dimensions
  • Goal tracking
  • E-commerce tracking
  • Google Search Console
  • Privacy-focused
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Greasemonkey

  • Restyling or de-cluttering a site you use dailynot Matomo
  • Automating a repetitive action on a web applicationnot Matomo
  • Adding a missing feature to a site you do not controlnot Matomo
  • Running userscripts on Firefox for Androidnot Matomo
  • Writing and testing your own scripts in the browsernot Matomo

Matomo

  • Privacy focused web analytics as an alternative to Google Analyticsnot Greasemonkey
  • Self hosting analytics so visitor data stays on owned infrastructurenot Greasemonkey

Where each one falls short

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

Greasemonkey

  • Firefox only. There is no Chrome, Edge or Safari build and there never has been.
  • Its API diverged from the Tampermonkey conventions most shared scripts are written against, so a script from a sharing site may need adjusting to run.
  • The dashboard is plainer than Tampermonkey's, with no diff view when a script updates itself.
  • No cloud sync of the kind Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey offer; moving machines means exporting.
  • A userscript manager can read and rewrite every page you visit, so the security of the arrangement depends entirely on the scripts you choose to install.

Matomo

  • The self hosted Community Edition is free but excludes A/B testing, heatmaps, session recording, cohorts, crash analytics and multi channel attribution, all of which are paid plugins
  • Premium plugin bundles for self hosted installs run from 275 EUR a month for 4 users to 3,400 EUR for 50
  • Cloud pricing is banded by monthly hits, and anything above 10 million requires contacting sales
  • Self hosting places all operation and upgrades on the operator while still needing paid plugins for the advanced features

Pricing, plan by plan

Greasemonkey

Free
  • Open sourceFree
    • Unlimited scripts
    • Built-in editor
    • No account required

Matomo

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • Open-source
    • Full analytics
    • Privacy-focused

Which should you pick?

Choose Greasemonkey if

  • You need userscript execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Firefox.
  • You also want built-in script editor.
Greasemonkey review

Choose Matomo if

  • You need web analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, On-premise.
  • You also want real-time reports.
Matomo review

Questions people ask

Is Greasemonkey or Matomo better?
Neither clearly leads. Greasemonkey starts at Free and Matomo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Greasemonkey or Matomo?
Greasemonkey starts at Free and Matomo at Free.
Does Greasemonkey or Matomo run on more platforms?
Greasemonkey runs on Firefox. Matomo runs on Web, On-premise.
Can I use Greasemonkey for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Greasemonkey best used for?
Greasemonkey is most often used for restyling or de-cluttering a site you use daily, automating a repetitive action on a web application, adding a missing feature to a site you do not control, running userscripts on firefox for android. Of those, restyling or de-cluttering a site you use daily and automating a repetitive action on a web application are not what Matomo is typically brought in for.
What can Greasemonkey do that Matomo cannot?
Greasemonkey covers Userscript execution, Built-in script editor, GM. API, @resource support. Matomo covers Web analytics, Real-time reports, Custom dimensions, Goal tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Greasemonkey: Is Greasemonkey still maintained?

Yes. Version 4.14 was released on 2 June 2026, and the project has an active repository, bug tracker and discussion groups.

Source
Matomo: How much does Matomo cost?

Matomo Cloud starts at EUR 29 per month for the Starter plan, which covers 50,000 hits per month. Matomo On-Premise has a free Community edition, with paid bundles from EUR 275 per month for up to 5M hits and 4 users.

Source
Greasemonkey: Does Greasemonkey work on Chrome?

No. It is a Firefox extension and has never shipped for Chrome. Violentmonkey and Tampermonkey are the equivalents there.

Source
Matomo: Is Matomo free?

The On-Premise Community edition is free forever with unlimited users and hits, supported through the forum only. Matomo Cloud is a paid service, though a free trial with access to all core features is offered.

Source
Greasemonkey: Will Tampermonkey scripts run in Greasemonkey?

Often, but not always. Greasemonkey's API diverged from the conventions most shared scripts are written against, so a script may need its header or its GM calls adjusted.

Source
Matomo: What is the difference between Matomo Cloud and On-Premise?

Cloud plans include hosting, maintenance, automatic updates and daily backups, priced by monthly hits from EUR 29. On-Premise is self-hosted, free in its Community edition, with paid bundles adding support and higher user counts.

Source
Greasemonkey: Does Greasemonkey run on mobile?

On Firefox for Android, from version 4.12. There is no iOS build, because Firefox on iOS cannot load extensions of this kind.

Source
Matomo: How many hits do the Matomo On-Premise bundles cover?

The Team bundle covers up to 5M hits per month and 4 users at EUR 275 per month. Business covers up to 30M hits and 20 users at EUR 1,450. Enterprise covers up to 100M hits and 50 users at EUR 3,400.

Source
Greasemonkey: What is the GM API?

The set of functions a userscript manager exposes to scripts, named after Greasemonkey, which defined it. Greasemonkey supports the promise-based GM. form including GM.xmlHttpRequest and GM.registerMenuCommand.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Greasemonkey

More on Matomo

Keep looking

Other head to heads