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Browser Extensions · head to head

Userscripts vs Violentmonkey

Userscripts logo

Userscripts

Browser Extensions

Open-source userscript manager for Safari on Mac and iOS

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: Userscripts safari cannot let extensions bypass a site's Content Security Policy, so strict sites produce "Refused to execute a script" errors that the @inject-into workaround does not always fix.; Violentmonkey smaller script ecosystem compared to Tampermonkey which has larger user base and more available scripts
  • They diverge on capability: Userscripts covers Built-in script editor, Violentmonkey covers Userscript support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Userscripts and Violentmonkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Userscripts and Violentmonkey differ
AttributeUserscriptsViolentmonkey
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
PlatformsSafari, macOS, iOSChrome, 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 Userscripts

  • Built-in script editor
  • Standard metadata support
  • GM API
  • Remote script updating
  • iCloud sync
  • Per-page popup

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.

Userscripts

  • Running userscripts on Safari without paying for Tampermonkeynot Violentmonkey
  • Running userscripts on an iPhone or iPadnot Violentmonkey
  • Writing scripts on a Mac and syncing them to iOSnot Violentmonkey
  • Blocking or restyling site elements Safari content blockers cannot reachnot Violentmonkey
  • Keeping a script library under an open-source licencenot Violentmonkey

Violentmonkey

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

Where each one falls short

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

Userscripts

  • Safari cannot let extensions bypass a site's Content Security Policy, so strict sites produce "Refused to execute a script" errors that the @inject-into workaround does not always fix.
  • Apple only. There is no Chrome, Firefox or Edge build, so it cannot be a cross-browser answer.
  • iCloud sync is documented as having delays, which is awkward when editing the same script on two devices.
  • Requires macOS 12 and Safari 14.1, or iOS 15.1, so older Apple hardware is excluded.
  • GPL v3 means a commercial licence is required for non-open-source use, which matters if you are embedding rather than just using 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

Userscripts

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full functionality
    • GPL v3 licensed
    • macOS, iOS and iPadOS

Violentmonkey

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Violentmonkey review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Userscripts if

  • You need built-in script editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Safari, macOS, iOS.
  • You also want standard metadata support.
Userscripts 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 Userscripts or Violentmonkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Userscripts 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, Userscripts or Violentmonkey?
Userscripts starts at Free and Violentmonkey at Free.
Does Userscripts or Violentmonkey run on more platforms?
Userscripts runs on Safari, macOS, iOS. Violentmonkey runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
Can I use Userscripts for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Userscripts best used for?
Userscripts is most often used for running userscripts on safari without paying for tampermonkey, running userscripts on an iphone or ipad, writing scripts on a mac and syncing them to ios, blocking or restyling site elements safari content blockers cannot reach. Of those, running userscripts on safari without paying for tampermonkey and running userscripts on an iphone or ipad are not what Violentmonkey is typically brought in for.
What can Userscripts do that Violentmonkey cannot?
Userscripts covers Built-in script editor, Standard metadata support, GM API, Remote script updating. Violentmonkey covers Userscript support, Clean interface, Cloud sync, Script editor.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Userscripts: Is Userscripts for Safari free?

Yes, free on the App Store and licensed under GPL v3. A commercial licence is required for use in something that is not itself open source.

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
Userscripts: Does it work on iPhone?

Yes, on iOS and iPadOS 15.1 or later, which makes it one of the few ways to run userscripts on an iPhone.

Source
Violentmonkey: What browsers does Violentmonkey support?

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

Source
Userscripts: Why do I get "Refused to execute a script" errors?

Safari does not let extensions bypass a site's Content Security Policy the way other browsers do. The documented workaround is changing the script's @inject-into setting, though it does not resolve every case.

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
Userscripts: Do my scripts sync between Mac and iPhone?

Yes, over iCloud, though the project notes the sync can be delayed rather than immediate.

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
Userscripts: What are the system requirements?

macOS 12 or later with Safari 14.1 or later, or iOS and iPadOS 15.1 or later.

Source
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