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Browser Extensions · head to head

Hemingway Editor vs Stay

Hemingway Editor logo

Hemingway Editor

Browser Extensions

Make your writing bold and clear

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: Hemingway Editor no grammar or spelling corrections; tool focuses only on style, readability, and clarity, leaving grammatical errors unflagged; Stay apple only. No Chrome, Firefox or Edge build, so it cannot serve a cross-browser workflow.
  • They diverge on capability: Hemingway Editor covers Readability analysis, 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 Hemingway Editor and Stay actually diverge.

Attributes where Hemingway Editor and Stay differ
AttributeHemingway EditorStay
Pricing modelUnknownone-time
PlatformsWeb, macOS, WindowsSafari, iOS, macOS
Founded2013Unknown

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 Hemingway Editor

  • Readability analysis
  • Sentence complexity
  • Passive voice detection
  • Adverb highlighting
  • 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.

Hemingway Editor

  • Checking readability and flagging dense sentencesnot Stay
  • Grammar checking and proofreading a draftnot Stay
  • Adjusting tone before publishingnot Stay
  • Paraphrasing passages with the free web toolsnot Stay

Stay

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

Where each one falls short

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

Hemingway Editor

  • No grammar or spelling corrections; tool focuses only on style, readability, and clarity, leaving grammatical errors unflagged
  • Cannot distinguish context for idioms and colloquialisms, sometimes suggesting inappropriate replacements that alter intended meaning
  • Free version cannot suggest fixes for highlighted issues, only displays problems without solutions
  • Not suitable for academic or formal writing where its simplicity bias penalizes legitimate complex sentence structures

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

Hemingway Editor

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Readability checking
    • Sentence highlighting
    • Adverb detection
  • Hemingway Editor Plus Individual 5K$8.33/month
    • 5,000 AI sentence rewrites monthly
    • Advanced grammar fixes (unlimited)
    • Unlimited document review
  • Hemingway Editor Plus Individual 10K$12.5/month
    • 10,000 AI sentence rewrites monthly
    • Advanced grammar fixes (unlimited)
    • Unlimited document review
  • Hemingway Editor Plus Team 10K$12.5/month
    • 10,000 AI sentence rewrites per user monthly
    • Role-based admin controls
    • Priority support

Stay

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Hemingway Editor if

  • You need readability analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want sentence complexity.
Hemingway Editor 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 Hemingway Editor or Stay better?
Neither clearly leads. Hemingway Editor 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, Hemingway Editor or Stay?
Hemingway Editor starts at Free and Stay at Free.
Does Hemingway Editor or Stay run on more platforms?
Hemingway Editor runs on Web, macOS, Windows. Stay runs on Safari, iOS, macOS.
Can I use Hemingway Editor for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Hemingway Editor best used for?
Hemingway Editor is most often used for checking readability and flagging dense sentences, grammar checking and proofreading a draft, adjusting tone before publishing, paraphrasing passages with the free web tools. Of those, checking readability and flagging dense sentences and grammar checking and proofreading a draft are not what Stay is typically brought in for.
What can Hemingway Editor do that Stay cannot?
Hemingway Editor covers Readability analysis, Sentence complexity, Passive voice detection, Adverb highlighting. Stay covers Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility, Userscript management, Cross-device bookmark sync, Download manager.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hemingway Editor: Is there a free version and what does it include?

Yes. The free web version at hemingwayapp.com includes readability scoring, highlighting of complex sentences, passive voice detection, and weak adverb flagging. No account needed. Hemingway Editor Plus ($8.33/month or $100/year) adds advanced grammar fixes, AI sentence rewrites (10,000 monthly on best value plan), and unlimited document feedback.

Source
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
Hemingway Editor: Does Hemingway Editor work offline?

The free web version requires internet. The desktop version for Mac and Windows ($19.99 one-time payment) works fully offline after download, enabling distraction-free writing without network connectivity.

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
Hemingway Editor: What writing metrics does Hemingway measure?

Hemingway grades readability level, highlights adverbs and weak words, flags passive voice constructions, marks complex or hard-to-read sentences in color (red for very hard, yellow for difficult), and suggests simpler alternatives for complex phrases.

Source
Stay: Does Stay work on iPhone?

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

Source
Hemingway Editor: Can I collaborate with others or share documents?

The web version allows pasting text directly, but Hemingway Editor itself does not have native collaboration or team features. Team plans on Hemingway Plus support $12.50/user/month pricing and role-based admin controls, but are primarily for shared workspace management rather than live document collaboration.

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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