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Browser Extensions · head to head

Mercury Reader vs Stay

M

Mercury Reader

Browser Extensions

Clear clutter from articles instantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stay logo

Stay

Browser Extensions

Safari userscript manager that runs Tampermonkey scripts

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; Stay apple only. No Chrome, Firefox or Edge build, so it cannot serve a cross-browser workflow.
  • They diverge on capability: Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Stay covers Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Mercury Reader and Stay differ
AttributeMercury ReaderStay
Pricing modelfreeone-time
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, EdgeSafari, iOS, macOS
Founded2015Unknown

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 Mercury Reader

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

Only in Stay

  • Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility
  • Userscript management
  • Cross-device bookmark sync
  • Download manager
  • Dark mode
  • One-time purchase across platforms

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.

Stay

  • Running Tampermonkey scripts on Safarinot Mercury Reader
  • Running userscripts on iPhone and iPadnot Mercury Reader
  • Syncing bookmarks across Apple and non-Apple devicesnot Mercury Reader
  • Managing downloads into categorised folders on iOSnot Mercury Reader
  • Forcing dark mode on sites that do not offer itnot 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

Stay

  • Apple only. No Chrome, Firefox or Edge build, so it cannot serve a cross-browser workflow.
  • The free tier is deliberately limited, so the practical product is the paid one.
  • Compatibility with Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey scripts is a translation layer rather than the real thing, and a script relying on an unusual GM function may not behave identically.
  • It bundles bookmark sync, downloads and dark mode alongside the script manager, which is more surface area than some people want from an extension with access to every page.
  • A much smaller project than the established managers, so fewer scripts are tested against it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Mercury Reader

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

Stay

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited functionality
  • Lifetime$5/one-time
    • All features
    • iPhone, iPad and Mac
    • Lifetime updates

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 Stay if

  • You need tampermonkey and violentmonkey compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Safari, iOS, macOS.
  • You also want userscript management.
Stay review

Questions people ask

Is Mercury Reader or Stay better?
Neither clearly leads. Mercury Reader starts at Free and Stay at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mercury Reader or Stay?
Mercury Reader starts at Free and Stay at Free.
Does Mercury Reader or Stay run on more platforms?
Mercury Reader runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge. Stay runs on Safari, iOS, macOS.
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 Stay cannot?
Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Clean reading view, Custom themes, Font customization. Stay covers Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility, Userscript management, Cross-device bookmark sync, Download manager.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Stay: Can Stay run Tampermonkey scripts?

Yes. It supports its own native scripts and also scripts written for Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey, which is the main reason to choose it on Safari.

Source
Stay: How much does Stay cost?

A one-time payment, reported at around $5, covering iPhone, iPad and Mac with lifetime updates and no subscription. A free version with limited functionality is available.

Source
Stay: Does Stay work on iPhone?

Yes. It supports Safari across iPhone, iPad and Mac, and the single purchase covers all three.

Source
Stay: What can userscripts do in Safari through Stay?

The vendor's examples are automatic pagination, immersive translation, redirect blocking and aggregated search. Anything a userscript can do on another browser is broadly in scope, subject to Safari's own restrictions.

Source
Stay: Is Stay open source?

The project publishes source on GitHub, and the app is distributed through the App Store as a paid product with a limited free tier.

Source
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