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Software · head to head

Stylus vs Dark Reader

Stylus logo

Stylus

Software

Restyle the web with custom CSS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dark Reader logo

Dark Reader

Software

Dark mode for every website

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Stylus crashes and instability when applying certain styles; Dark Reader cannot modify PDF files displayed in browsers
  • They diverge on capability: Stylus covers Custom CSS injection, Dark Reader covers Dark mode.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Stylus and Dark Reader differ
AttributeStylusDark Reader
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, Edge, OperaChrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
Founded20172014

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 Stylus

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

Only in Dark Reader

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

Stylus

No use cases recorded yet. See the Stylus review.

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

Dark Reader

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Stylus

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

Dark Reader

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Dark Reader review.

Which should you pick?

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

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

Questions people ask

Is Stylus or Dark Reader better?
Neither clearly leads. Stylus starts at Free and Dark Reader at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Stylus or Dark Reader?
Stylus starts at Free and Dark Reader at Free.
Does Stylus or Dark Reader run on more platforms?
Stylus runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera. Dark Reader runs on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge.
Can I use Stylus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Stylus do that Dark Reader cannot?
Stylus covers Custom CSS injection, Style management, userstyles.world integration, Built-in editor. Dark Reader covers Dark mode, Custom brightness, Contrast adjustment, Site-specific settings. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Stylus: Is Stylus free?

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

Source
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: 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: 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: 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: What browsers does Dark Reader support?

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

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
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