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Software · head to head

Pocket vs Stylus

Pocket logo

Pocket

Software

Save articles and videos for later

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stylus logo

Stylus

Software

Restyle the web with custom CSS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Pocket no note-taking feature despite competitor Instapaper offering this; Stylus crashes and instability when applying certain styles
  • They diverge on capability: Pocket covers Save for later, Stylus covers Custom CSS injection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pocket and Stylus actually diverge.

Attributes where Pocket and Stylus differ
AttributePocketStylus
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, SafariChrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera
Founded20072017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Pocket

  • Save for later
  • Offline reading
  • Clean reading view
  • Tagging
  • Safari support

Only in Stylus

  • Custom CSS injection
  • Style management
  • userstyles.world integration
  • Built-in editor

Both cover

  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Opera support

Where each one falls short

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

Pocket

  • No note-taking feature despite competitor Instapaper offering this
  • Full-text search of saved articles limited to premium tier ($4.99/month)
  • Highlights feature was unreliable and often failed to work properly with large libraries
  • Images, particularly infographics and data-heavy charts, frequently failed to display properly in the reading view
  • Limited sharing capabilities with non-Pocket users

Stylus

  • Crashes and instability when applying certain styles
  • No visual element selector tool for identifying page elements to style
  • Security risk if downloading and applying untrusted user-created styles

Pricing, plan by plan

Pocket

Free
  • Premium$4.99/month
    • Permanent library backup
    • Full-text search
    • AI-suggested tags
  • Premium Annual$45/year
    • Permanent library backup
    • Full-text search
    • AI-suggested tags

Stylus

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Custom CSS
    • Style library
    • Style editor

Which should you pick?

Choose Pocket if

  • You need save for later.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Safari.
  • You also want offline reading.
Pocket review

Choose Stylus if

  • You need custom css injection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
  • You also want style management.
Stylus review

Questions people ask

Is Pocket or Stylus better?
Neither clearly leads. Pocket starts at Free and Stylus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pocket or Stylus?
Pocket starts at Free and Stylus at Free.
Does Pocket or Stylus run on more platforms?
Pocket runs on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Safari. Stylus runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
Can I use Pocket for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Pocket do that Stylus cannot?
Pocket covers Save for later, Offline reading, Clean reading view, Tagging. Stylus covers Custom CSS injection, Style management, userstyles.world integration, Built-in editor. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support, Opera support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pocket: Does Pocket work offline?

Yes. Pocket syncs articles to your device for offline reading access on phones, tablets, and computers.

Source
Stylus: Is Stylus free?

Yes. Stylus is completely free and open-source, available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera browsers.

Source
Pocket: Is Pocket free to use?

Pocket was free with unlimited article saves, offline reading, and basic tagging. Premium was $4.99/month or $45/year, adding features like permanent library backup, full-text search, and AI-suggested tags.

Source
Stylus: Can I use Stylus to change the browser UI?

No. Due to WebExtensions security restrictions, Stylus can only customize website pages, not the browser interface itself.

Source
Pocket: How do I export my saved articles?

Users could export data via CSV file by visiting getpocket.com/export before the October 8, 2025 deadline. The export includes links and metadata but not full article text or offline cached content.

Source
Stylus: What CSS pre-processors does Stylus support?

Stylus supports CSS, LESS, and Stylus syntax with built-in linting using Stylelint and CSSLint-mod with customizable rules.

Source
Pocket: Can I take notes while reading articles in Pocket?

Pocket did not have a native note-taking feature. Premium subscribers could highlight and annotate articles, but text notes were not supported, unlike competitor Instapaper.

Source
Pocket: Does Pocket sync across my devices?

Yes. Saved articles, tags, and reading progress synced automatically across iOS, Android, Web, and browser extensions.

Source
Pocket: What happened to Pocket?

Mozilla shut down Pocket on July 8, 2025, as part of a strategic shift to focus resources on Firefox. Users could export data until October 8, 2025, after which all saved data was permanently deleted.

Source
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