Softwr

Software · head to head

Rakuten vs Stylus

Rakuten logo

Rakuten

Software

Get cash back on every purchase

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: Rakuten minimum withdrawal amount of $5.01 creates friction for light users; Stylus crashes and instability when applying certain styles
  • They diverge on capability: Rakuten covers Cash back rewards, Stylus covers Custom CSS injection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rakuten and Stylus actually diverge.

Attributes where Rakuten and Stylus differ
AttributeRakutenStylus
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsBrowser Extension (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera
Founded19992017

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 Rakuten

  • Cash back rewards
  • Coupon codes
  • In-store offers
  • Price comparisons
  • Safari support

Only in Stylus

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

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.

Rakuten

  • Minimum withdrawal amount of $5.01 creates friction for light users
  • Quarterly payout schedule only, with months-long delays between earning and receiving payments
  • Amazon cashback limited to specific categories at 1-3% rates
  • Must click through Rakuten link first or cashback does not register

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

Rakuten

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Rakuten review.

Stylus

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Rakuten if

  • You need cash back rewards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Browser Extension (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
  • You also want coupon codes.
Rakuten 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 Rakuten or Stylus better?
Neither clearly leads. Rakuten 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, Rakuten or Stylus?
Rakuten starts at Free and Stylus at Free.
Does Rakuten or Stylus run on more platforms?
Rakuten runs on Browser Extension (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). Stylus runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
Can I use Rakuten for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Rakuten do that Stylus cannot?
Rakuten covers Cash back rewards, Coupon codes, In-store offers, Price comparisons. Stylus covers Custom CSS injection, Style management, userstyles.world integration, Built-in editor. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rakuten: Is Rakuten free to use?

Yes, the Rakuten browser extension is completely free with no membership fees. Users never pay to earn cashback rewards.

Source
Stylus: Is Stylus free?

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

Source
Rakuten: How and when can I withdraw my cashback earnings?

Rakuten processes payouts quarterly in February, May, August, and November. You need a minimum balance of $5.01 to request a payout via PayPal or check.

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
Rakuten: How many stores does Rakuten support?

Rakuten works with over 3,500 online stores and offers cashback rates up to 40% depending on the retailer and promotion.

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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Rakuten

More on Stylus

Keep looking

Other head to heads