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Browser Extensions · head to head

Mercury Reader vs Wappalyzer

M

Mercury Reader

Browser Extensions

Clear clutter from articles instantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wappalyzer logo

Wappalyzer

Browser Extensions

Identify web technologies

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; Wappalyzer cannot detect server-side or hidden technologies without client-side footprints
  • They diverge on capability: Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Wappalyzer covers Technology detection.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Mercury Reader and Wappalyzer differ
AttributeMercury ReaderWappalyzer
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, EdgeChrome, Firefox, Edge, Web
Founded20152009

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

Only in Wappalyzer

  • Technology detection
  • CMS identification
  • Framework analysis
  • Analytics tracking

Both cover

  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support

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

Wappalyzer

  • Cannot detect server-side or hidden technologies without client-side footprints
  • Went closed-source in 2023; self-hosting now difficult without maintaining community forks
  • Data export features locked to Business plan ($450/month) minimum

Pricing, plan by plan

Mercury Reader

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

Wappalyzer

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Wappalyzer review.

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 Wappalyzer if

  • You need technology detection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Web.
  • You also want cms identification.
Wappalyzer review

Questions people ask

Is Mercury Reader or Wappalyzer better?
Neither clearly leads. Mercury Reader starts at Free and Wappalyzer at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mercury Reader or Wappalyzer?
Mercury Reader starts at Free and Wappalyzer at Free.
Does Mercury Reader or Wappalyzer run on more platforms?
Mercury Reader runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge. Wappalyzer runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Web.
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 Wappalyzer cannot?
Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Clean reading view, Custom themes, Font customization. Wappalyzer covers Technology detection, CMS identification, Framework analysis, Analytics tracking. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Wappalyzer: Does Wappalyzer have a free version?

Yes. Wappalyzer's browser extension is completely free and provides unlimited technology lookups with no account required. The free tier includes basic website technology detection across all categories.

Source
Wappalyzer: What are the paid pricing tiers for Wappalyzer?

Wappalyzer's paid plans start at $250/month for Pro (5,000 lookups, 1 user), $450/month for Business (20,000 lookups, 5 users, API access), and $850+/month for Enterprise (200,000+ lookups, 25+ users). Annual billing offers 17% discount.

Source
Wappalyzer: Can Wappalyzer detect all website technologies?

Wappalyzer detects over 1,000 technologies but cannot detect server-side or hidden technologies, backend infrastructure, internal databases, or ERP systems with no client-side footprint.

Source
Wappalyzer: Can Wappalyzer be self-hosted?

Wappalyzer went closed-source in 2023 when the GitHub repository was taken down. It can be deployed via Docker or npm, but the community-contributed fingerprint database is now part of the commercial product. Open-source forks are available but not officially maintained.

Source
Wappalyzer: What integrations does Wappalyzer offer?

Wappalyzer integrates with CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot, and supports lead list exports and API access for business users on paid plans.

Source
Wappalyzer: When does Wappalyzer data export become available?

Data export and lead list generation features are only available on the Business plan ($450/month) and above, not on the Pro tier.

Source
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