Softwr

Browser Extensions · head to head

Dark Reader vs Stylus

Dark Reader logo

Dark Reader

Browser Extensions

Dark mode for every website

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: Dark Reader cannot modify PDF files displayed in browsers; Stylus crashes and instability when applying certain styles
  • They diverge on capability: Dark Reader covers Dark mode, Stylus covers Custom CSS injection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dark Reader and Stylus actually diverge.

Attributes where Dark Reader and Stylus differ
AttributeDark ReaderStylus
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, Safari, EdgeChrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera
Founded20142017

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 Dark Reader

  • Dark mode
  • Custom brightness
  • Contrast adjustment
  • Site-specific settings
  • 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

What people use each for

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

Dark Reader

  • Applying dark mode to websites that don't natively support itnot Stylus
  • Reducing eye strain for night-time or extended browsingnot Stylus
  • Per-site brightness, contrast, and sepia customizationnot Stylus
  • Toggling dark mode on/off per domainnot Stylus
  • Accessibility use for light-sensitive usersnot Stylus

Stylus

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dark Reader

  • Cannot modify PDF files displayed in browsers
  • Performance impact on devices with limited resources

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

Dark Reader

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Dark Reader review.

Stylus

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Dark Reader if

  • You need dark mode.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge.
  • You also want custom brightness.
Dark Reader 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 Dark Reader or Stylus better?
Neither clearly leads. Dark Reader 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, Dark Reader or Stylus?
Dark Reader starts at Free and Stylus at Free.
Does Dark Reader or Stylus run on more platforms?
Dark Reader runs on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge. Stylus runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
Can I use Dark Reader for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dark Reader best used for?
Dark Reader is most often used for applying dark mode to websites that don't natively support it, reducing eye strain for night-time or extended browsing, per-site brightness, contrast, and sepia customization, toggling dark mode on/off per domain. Of those, applying dark mode to websites that don't natively support it and reducing eye strain for night-time or extended browsing are not what Stylus is typically brought in for.
What can Dark Reader do that Stylus cannot?
Dark Reader covers Dark mode, Custom brightness, Contrast adjustment, Site-specific settings. 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

Dark Reader: Is Dark Reader free to use?

Yes, Dark Reader is completely free with no ads and no tracking. It does not send user data anywhere.

Source
Stylus: Is Stylus free?

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

Source
Dark Reader: How can I customize the dark mode in Dark Reader?

Users can configure brightness, contrast, and sepia filter settings to suit their specific needs, and selectively enable or disable Dark Reader for specific websites.

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
Dark Reader: What browsers does Dark Reader support?

Dark Reader is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge browsers across desktop and mobile platforms.

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
Dark Reader: Does Dark Reader work offline?

Yes, Dark Reader runs entirely on your device with no external dependencies. It analyzes web pages locally to generate dark themes.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Dark Reader

More on Stylus

Keep looking

Other head to heads