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Browser Extensions · head to head

Mercury Reader vs Tampermonkey

M

Mercury Reader

Browser Extensions

Clear clutter from articles instantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tampermonkey logo

Tampermonkey

Browser Extensions

The most popular userscript manager

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mercury Reader mercury Reader's underlying engine (Postlight Parser) is free open source software licensed under Apache License 2.0, per the GitHub repository, with no paid tier; Tampermonkey only source code up to version 2.9 is GPLv3; all newer versions are distributed under a proprietary license despite the extension itself being free to use
  • They diverge on capability: Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Tampermonkey covers Userscript management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mercury Reader and Tampermonkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Mercury Reader and Tampermonkey differ
AttributeMercury ReaderTampermonkey
Pricing modelfreeopen-source
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, EdgeWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Founded20152010

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 Mercury Reader

  • Content extraction
  • Clean reading view
  • Custom themes
  • Font customization

Only in Tampermonkey

  • Userscript management
  • Script editor
  • Auto-update
  • Cloud sync
  • Safari support
  • 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.

Mercury Reader

No use cases recorded yet. See the Mercury Reader review.

Tampermonkey

  • Auto-run custom JavaScript to add features to specific websitesnot Mercury Reader
  • Block ads, remove clutter, or reformat page layout via community/personal userscriptsnot Mercury Reader
  • Run scripts sourced from Greasy Fork or similar userscript repositoriesnot Mercury Reader
  • Automate repetitive web tasks such as form-filling or redirect skipping via installed scriptsnot Mercury Reader

Where each one falls short

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

Mercury Reader

  • Mercury Reader's underlying engine (Postlight Parser) is free open source software licensed under Apache License 2.0, per the GitHub repository, with no paid tier

Tampermonkey

  • Only source code up to version 2.9 is GPLv3; all newer versions are distributed under a proprietary license despite the extension itself being free to use
  • Under Manifest V3, GM_webRequest is not (yet) supported
  • Under Manifest V3, GM_xmlhttpRequest fires only one progress event instead of streaming progress, requiring a responseType: 'stream' workaround
  • Since v5.3.2, Chrome/Edge (MV3) requires the user to manually enable Developer Mode, or from Chrome 138+ a per-extension 'Allow User Scripts' toggle, before any userscript will run

Pricing, plan by plan

Mercury Reader

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Clutter removal
    • Clean reading
    • Custom themes

Tampermonkey

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Tampermonkey review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Mercury Reader if

  • You need content extraction.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
  • You also want clean reading view.
Mercury Reader review

Choose Tampermonkey if

  • You need userscript management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android.
  • You also want script editor.
Tampermonkey review

Questions people ask

Is Mercury Reader or Tampermonkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Mercury Reader starts at Free and Tampermonkey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mercury Reader or Tampermonkey?
Mercury Reader starts at Free and Tampermonkey at Free.
Does Mercury Reader or Tampermonkey run on more platforms?
Mercury Reader runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge. Tampermonkey runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android.
Can I use Mercury Reader for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Mercury Reader do that Tampermonkey cannot?
Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Clean reading view, Custom themes, Font customization. Tampermonkey covers Userscript management, Script editor, Auto-update, Cloud sync. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Tampermonkey: How much does Tampermonkey cost?

Tampermonkey is completely free for all versions and across all supported browsers including Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera, and Firefox.

Source
Tampermonkey: Is Tampermonkey available on all browsers?

Yes, Tampermonkey is available on Chrome 120 and later, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Opera Next, and Firefox with no cost.

Source
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