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Browser Extensions · head to head

Greasemonkey vs Violentmonkey

Greasemonkey logo

Greasemonkey

Browser Extensions

The original userscript manager, for Firefox

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Violentmonkey logo

Violentmonkey

Browser Extensions

Open source userscript manager

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.; Violentmonkey smaller script ecosystem compared to Tampermonkey which has larger user base and more available scripts
  • They diverge on capability: Greasemonkey covers Userscript execution, Violentmonkey covers Userscript support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Greasemonkey and Violentmonkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Greasemonkey and Violentmonkey differ
AttributeGreasemonkeyViolentmonkey
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
PlatformsFirefoxChrome, Firefox, Edge
FoundedUnknown2013

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 Greasemonkey

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

Only in Violentmonkey

  • Userscript support
  • Clean interface
  • Cloud sync
  • Script editor
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Opera support

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

Violentmonkey

  • Run open-source userscripts to customize or automate web pagesnot Greasemonkey
  • Import scripts compatible with Greasemonkey and Tampermonkey formatsnot Greasemonkey
  • Sync scripts and settings across browsers via Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, or WebDAVnot Greasemonkey
  • Batch import/export scripts as zip filesnot 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.

Violentmonkey

  • Smaller script ecosystem compared to Tampermonkey which has larger user base and more available scripts
  • Less marketing and visibility results in lower adoption compared to more widely-known alternatives
  • Community maintenance model means slower feature development compared to commercial alternatives

Pricing, plan by plan

Greasemonkey

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

Violentmonkey

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Violentmonkey review.

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 Violentmonkey if

  • You need userscript support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
  • You also want clean interface.
Violentmonkey review

Questions people ask

Is Greasemonkey or Violentmonkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Greasemonkey starts at Free and Violentmonkey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Greasemonkey or Violentmonkey?
Greasemonkey starts at Free and Violentmonkey at Free.
Does Greasemonkey or Violentmonkey run on more platforms?
Greasemonkey runs on Firefox. Violentmonkey runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
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 Violentmonkey is typically brought in for.
What can Greasemonkey do that Violentmonkey cannot?
Greasemonkey covers Userscript execution, Built-in script editor, GM. API, @resource support. Violentmonkey covers Userscript support, Clean interface, Cloud sync, Script editor.

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
Violentmonkey: Is Violentmonkey open-source?

Yes. Violentmonkey is fully open-source and available on GitHub, making it free to use and community-maintained unlike Tampermonkey which has a larger proprietary ecosystem.

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
Violentmonkey: What browsers does Violentmonkey support?

Violentmonkey works on browsers with WebExtensions support, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers.

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
Violentmonkey: How does Violentmonkey compare to Tampermonkey in performance?

Community benchmarks show Violentmonkey uses about 15 to 30 percent less RAM on Chrome compared to Tampermonkey when managing many open tabs.

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
Violentmonkey: What is the current version of Violentmonkey?

Violentmonkey reached version 2.46.0 as of July 31, 2026, with active ongoing development and regular updates to the open-source project.

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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