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Browser Extensions · head to head

Stylus vs Web Developer

Stylus logo

Stylus

Browser Extensions

Restyle the web with custom CSS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Web Developer logo

Web Developer

Browser Extensions

Web developer toolbar for browsers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Stylus crashes and instability when applying certain styles; Web Developer the Web Developer browser extension is licensed GPL-3.0 per its GitHub repository (github.com/chrispederick/web-developer), which states 'All files are distributed for free under the terms of the GNU General Public License,' confirming it has no vendor pricing model to compare.
  • They diverge on capability: Stylus covers Custom CSS injection, Web Developer covers CSS inspection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Stylus and Web Developer actually diverge.

Attributes where Stylus and Web Developer differ
AttributeStylusWeb Developer
Founded20172003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera), 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 Stylus

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

Only in Web Developer

  • CSS inspection
  • Form debugging
  • Image analysis
  • Element outlining

Both cover

  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Opera support

What people use each for

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

Stylus

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

Web Developer

No use cases recorded yet. See the Web Developer review.

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

Web Developer

  • The Web Developer browser extension is licensed GPL-3.0 per its GitHub repository (github.com/chrispederick/web-developer), which states 'All files are distributed for free under the terms of the GNU General Public License,' confirming it has no vendor pricing model to compare.

Pricing, plan by plan

Stylus

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

Web Developer

Free
  • FreeFree
    • CSS tools
    • Form tools
    • Image tools

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 Web Developer if

  • You need css inspection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
  • You also want form debugging.
Web Developer review

Questions people ask

Is Stylus or Web Developer better?
Neither clearly leads. Stylus starts at Free and Web Developer at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Stylus or Web Developer?
Stylus starts at Free and Web Developer at Free.
Does Stylus or Web Developer run on more platforms?
Both run on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Stylus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Stylus best used for?
Stylus is most often used for customizing website appearance with community-created css themes, writing personal style overrides for specific websites, managing multiple styles across different websites automatically, searching and installing user-styles for current websites. Of those, customizing website appearance with community-created css themes and writing personal style overrides for specific websites are not what Web Developer is typically brought in for.
What can Stylus do that Web Developer cannot?
Stylus covers Custom CSS injection, Style management, userstyles.world integration, Built-in editor. Web Developer covers CSS inspection, Form debugging, Image analysis, Element outlining. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support, Opera 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
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
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
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