Softwr

Browser Extensions · head to head

Stay vs Violentmonkey

Stay logo

Stay

Browser Extensions

Safari userscript manager that runs Tampermonkey scripts

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Violentmonkey logo

Violentmonkey

Browser Extensions

Open source userscript manager

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.; Violentmonkey smaller script ecosystem compared to Tampermonkey which has larger user base and more available scripts
  • They diverge on capability: Stay covers Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility, Violentmonkey covers Userscript support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Stay and Violentmonkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Stay and Violentmonkey differ
AttributeStayViolentmonkey
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
PlatformsSafari, iOS, macOSChrome, Firefox, Edge
FoundedUnknown2013

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 Violentmonkey

  • Userscript support
  • Clean interface
  • Cloud sync
  • Script 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 Violentmonkey
  • Running userscripts on iPhone and iPadnot Violentmonkey
  • Syncing bookmarks across Apple and non-Apple devicesnot Violentmonkey
  • Managing downloads into categorised folders on iOSnot Violentmonkey
  • Forcing dark mode on sites that do not offer itnot Violentmonkey

Violentmonkey

  • Run open-source userscripts to customize or automate web pagesnot Stay
  • Import scripts compatible with Greasemonkey and Tampermonkey formatsnot Stay
  • Sync scripts and settings across browsers via Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, or WebDAVnot Stay
  • Batch import/export scripts as zip filesnot 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.

Violentmonkey

  • Smaller script ecosystem compared to Tampermonkey which has larger user base and more available scripts
  • Less marketing and visibility results in lower adoption compared to more widely-known alternatives
  • Community maintenance model means slower feature development compared to commercial alternatives

Pricing, plan by plan

Stay

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

Violentmonkey

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Violentmonkey review.

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 Violentmonkey if

  • You need userscript support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
  • You also want clean interface.
Violentmonkey review

Questions people ask

Is Stay or Violentmonkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Stay starts at Free and Violentmonkey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Stay or Violentmonkey?
Stay starts at Free and Violentmonkey at Free.
Does Stay or Violentmonkey run on more platforms?
Stay runs on Safari, iOS, macOS. Violentmonkey runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
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 Violentmonkey is typically brought in for.
What can Stay do that Violentmonkey cannot?
Stay covers Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility, Userscript management, Cross-device bookmark sync, Download manager. Violentmonkey covers Userscript support, Clean interface, Cloud sync, Script 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
Violentmonkey: Is Violentmonkey open-source?

Yes. Violentmonkey is fully open-source and available on GitHub, making it free to use and community-maintained unlike Tampermonkey which has a larger proprietary ecosystem.

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
Violentmonkey: What browsers does Violentmonkey support?

Violentmonkey works on browsers with WebExtensions support, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers.

Source
Stay: Does Stay work on iPhone?

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

Source
Violentmonkey: How does Violentmonkey compare to Tampermonkey in performance?

Community benchmarks show Violentmonkey uses about 15 to 30 percent less RAM on Chrome compared to Tampermonkey when managing many open tabs.

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
Violentmonkey: What is the current version of Violentmonkey?

Violentmonkey reached version 2.46.0 as of July 31, 2026, with active ongoing development and regular updates to the open-source project.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Stay

More on Violentmonkey

Keep looking

Other head to heads