Softwr

Browser Extensions · head to head

Mercury Reader vs Screencastify

M

Mercury Reader

Browser Extensions

Clear clutter from articles instantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Screencastify logo

Screencastify

LMS

Simple video creation for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mercury Reader mercury Reader's underlying engine (Postlight Parser) is free open source software licensed under Apache License 2.0, per the GitHub repository, with no paid tier; Screencastify limited to Chrome browser only, cannot record on Firefox, Safari, or Edge
  • They diverge on capability: Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Screencastify covers Screen recording.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mercury Reader and Screencastify actually diverge.

Attributes where Mercury Reader and Screencastify differ
AttributeMercury ReaderScreencastify
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, EdgeChrome Browser
CategoryBrowser ExtensionsLMS
Founded20152013

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 Mercury Reader

  • Content extraction
  • Clean reading view
  • Custom themes
  • Font customization
  • Firefox support

Only in Screencastify

  • Screen recording
  • Video editing
  • Drawing tools
  • Google Drive export

Both cover

  • Chrome support
  • Edge support

What people use each for

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

Mercury Reader

No use cases recorded yet. See the Mercury Reader review.

Screencastify

  • Recording lessons for flipped classroom instruction without external toolsnot Mercury Reader
  • Creating product demos and explainer videos for sales teamsnot Mercury Reader
  • Documenting technical processes for customer support tutorialsnot Mercury Reader
  • Collecting and grading video assignments from students with rubricsnot Mercury Reader
  • Adding interactive assessments to video content to measure understandingnot Mercury Reader

Where each one falls short

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

Mercury Reader

  • Mercury Reader's underlying engine (Postlight Parser) is free open source software licensed under Apache License 2.0, per the GitHub repository, with no paid tier

Screencastify

  • Limited to Chrome browser only, cannot record on Firefox, Safari, or Edge
  • Free version watermark appears on all videos and requires upgrade to remove
  • Free tier limited to 10 videos total before requiring paid plan
  • Maximum 1080p resolution at 30fps, no support for higher framerates or 4K
  • No free educator license for educational institutions

Pricing, plan by plan

Mercury Reader

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Clutter removal
    • Clean reading
    • Custom themes

Screencastify

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 videos
    • 30-minute recording limit
    • Browser tab, full screen, and webcam recording
  • Starter$7/month
    • Unlimited videos
    • 60-minute recording limit
    • Basic editing
  • Pro$10/month
    • Unlimited videos
    • 180-minute recording limit
    • AI video enhancements
  • Enterprise & EDU$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Central admin controls
    • LMS integrations

Which should you pick?

Choose Mercury Reader if

  • You need content extraction.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
  • You also want clean reading view.
Mercury Reader review

Choose Screencastify if

  • You need screen recording.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome Browser.
  • You also want video editing.
Screencastify review

Questions people ask

Is Mercury Reader or Screencastify better?
Neither clearly leads. Mercury Reader starts at Free and Screencastify at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mercury Reader or Screencastify?
Mercury Reader starts at Free and Screencastify at Free.
Does Mercury Reader or Screencastify run on more platforms?
Mercury Reader runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge. Screencastify runs on Chrome Browser.
Can I use Mercury Reader for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Mercury Reader do that Screencastify cannot?
Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Clean reading view, Custom themes, Font customization. Screencastify covers Screen recording, Video editing, Drawing tools, Google Drive export. Both handle Chrome support, Edge support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Screencastify: What's the free tier limit?

Free plan allows 10 total videos up to 30 minutes each, with watermark. After 10 videos, you must upgrade.

Source
Screencastify: Is Screencastify limited to Chrome?

Yes. Screencastify is exclusively a Chrome extension and does not work on other browsers like Firefox, Safari, or Edge.

Source
Screencastify: What's the maximum video quality?

Maximum resolution is 1080p at 30 frames per second. Videos can only be exported to MP4, audio to MP3, or as GIF.

Source
Screencastify: Does Screencastify work for educational use?

Screencastify lacks a free educator license for schools or non-profits, unlike some competitors who offer discounted or free plans for educational institutions.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Mercury Reader

More on Screencastify

Keep looking

Other head to heads