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Browser Extensions · head to head

Greasemonkey vs Totara

Greasemonkey logo

Greasemonkey

Browser Extensions

The original userscript manager, for Firefox

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Totara logo

Totara

LMS

Open source learning, performance and collaboration platform derived from Moodle and sold through partners

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Greasemonkey has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Greasemonkey firefox only. There is no Chrome, Edge or Safari build and there never has been.; Totara you cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • They diverge on capability: Greasemonkey covers Userscript execution, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 17 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Greasemonkey and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where Greasemonkey and Totara differ
AttributeGreasemonkeyTotara
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsFirefoxWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategoryBrowser ExtensionsLMS

Identical on both: 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 Totara

  • Organisational hierarchies
  • Compliance and certification
  • Totara Perform
  • Totara Engage
  • Self-hosting
  • Programs and learning plans

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 Totara
  • Automating a repetitive action on a web applicationnot Totara
  • Adding a missing feature to a site you do not controlnot Totara
  • Running userscripts on Firefox for Androidnot Totara
  • Writing and testing your own scripts in the browsernot Totara

Totara

  • Health services and government bodies that must evidence mandatory training by job role across a large hierarchynot Greasemonkey
  • Organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructurenot Greasemonkey
  • Moodle users who need appraisal, competency and compliance features the academic product does not carrynot Greasemonkey
  • Buyers who want exit rights over the platform code rather than dependence on a single hosted vendornot 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.

Totara

  • You cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • Open source does not mean cheap. Subscription plus partner hosting plus implementation and version upgrade services commonly lands near commercial system cost, and the saving is in control and exit rights rather than in the invoice.
  • The administrative interface carries its Moodle lineage and is dense, so administrator training is a real project cost rather than an afterthought.
  • Major version upgrades are projects, especially where a partner has customised the deployment, and organisations that customise heavily find upgrades slower and dearer over time.
  • The learner facing experience is functional rather than engaging, and organisations wanting a consumer grade learning experience usually front it with something else.

Pricing, plan by plan

Greasemonkey

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

Totara

On request
  • Totara subscription via partner$undefined/year
    • Sold only through distribution partners
    • Partner sets hosting, implementation and support pricing
    • Source available under the GPL, but subscription required for supported releases

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 Totara if

  • You need organisational hierarchies.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want compliance and certification.
Totara review

Questions people ask

Is Greasemonkey or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. Greasemonkey starts at Free and Totara at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Greasemonkey or Totara?
Greasemonkey has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Greasemonkey and On request for Totara.
Does Greasemonkey or Totara run on more platforms?
Greasemonkey runs on Firefox. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use Greasemonkey for free?
Yes. Greasemonkey has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Totara starts at On request.
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 Totara is typically brought in for.
What can Greasemonkey do that Totara cannot?
Greasemonkey covers Userscript execution, Built-in script editor, GM. API, @resource support. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

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
Totara: Is Totara free because it is open source?

No. The source is available under the GPL, but supported releases require a subscription, and it is sold through partners who add hosting, implementation and support costs.

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
Totara: How is it different from Moodle?

Moodle is built around courses and academic delivery. Totara adds organisational hierarchies, role based automatic assignment, recurring certification and appraisal, which is what workplace compliance reporting needs.

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
Totara: Can we host it ourselves?

Yes. Self hosting is a genuine option and is one of the main reasons regulated and public sector buyers choose it over a hosted only competitor.

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
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
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