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Browser Extensions · head to head

Stay vs Stylus

Stay logo

Stay

Browser Extensions

Safari userscript manager that runs Tampermonkey scripts

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stylus logo

Stylus

Browser Extensions

Restyle the web with custom CSS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Stay apple only. No Chrome, Firefox or Edge build, so it cannot serve a cross-browser workflow.; Stylus crashes and instability when applying certain styles
  • They diverge on capability: Stay covers Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility, Stylus covers Custom CSS injection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Stay and Stylus actually diverge.

Attributes where Stay and Stylus differ
AttributeStayStylus
Pricing modelone-timefree
PlatformsSafari, iOS, macOSChrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera
FoundedUnknown2017

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 Stay

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

Only in Stylus

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

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Stay

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

Stylus

  • Customizing website appearance with community-created CSS themesnot Stay
  • Writing personal style overrides for specific websitesnot Stay
  • Managing multiple styles across different websites automaticallynot Stay
  • Searching and installing user-styles for current websitesnot Stay
  • Migrating style collections from Stylish extensionnot Stay

Where each one falls short

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

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.

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

Stay

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

Stylus

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

Which should you pick?

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

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 Stay or Stylus better?
Neither clearly leads. Stay 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, Stay or Stylus?
Stay starts at Free and Stylus at Free.
Does Stay or Stylus run on more platforms?
Stay runs on Safari, iOS, macOS. Stylus runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
Can I use Stay for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Stay best used for?
Stay is most often used for running tampermonkey scripts on safari, running userscripts on iphone and ipad, syncing bookmarks across apple and non-apple devices, managing downloads into categorised folders on ios. Of those, running tampermonkey scripts on safari and running userscripts on iphone and ipad are not what Stylus is typically brought in for.
What can Stay do that Stylus cannot?
Stay covers Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility, Userscript management, Cross-device bookmark sync, Download manager. Stylus covers Custom CSS injection, Style management, userstyles.world integration, Built-in editor.

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
Stylus: Is Stylus free?

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

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
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
Stay: Does Stay work on iPhone?

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

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
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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