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Browser Extensions · head to head

Mercury Reader vs WhatFont

M

Mercury Reader

Browser Extensions

Clear clutter from articles instantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WhatFont logo

WhatFont

Browser Extensions

Identify fonts on web pages

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; WhatFont can only detect web-safe fonts and fonts loaded via web font services
  • They diverge on capability: Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, WhatFont covers Font detection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Mercury Reader and WhatFont differ
AttributeMercury ReaderWhatFont
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, EdgeChrome, Firefox, Arc
Founded20152011

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 WhatFont

  • Font detection
  • Typography info
  • Service detection
  • Hover inspection
  • 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.

Mercury Reader

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

WhatFont

  • Identifying typefaces used on competitor websites for design researchnot Mercury Reader
  • Sourcing font inspiration from high-performing landing pagesnot Mercury Reader
  • Discovering web font services like Google Fonts or Typekit on sitesnot 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

WhatFont

  • Can only detect web-safe fonts and fonts loaded via web font services
  • Does not work on images with embedded text or rasterized typography
  • Limited to inspecting single text elements at a time

Pricing, plan by plan

Mercury Reader

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

WhatFont

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Font inspection on any website
    • Font family identification
    • Font size and weight detection

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 WhatFont if

  • You need font detection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Arc.
  • You also want typography info.
WhatFont review

Questions people ask

Is Mercury Reader or WhatFont better?
Neither clearly leads. Mercury Reader starts at Free and WhatFont at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mercury Reader or WhatFont?
Mercury Reader starts at Free and WhatFont at Free.
Does Mercury Reader or WhatFont run on more platforms?
Mercury Reader runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge. WhatFont runs on Chrome, Firefox, Arc.
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 WhatFont cannot?
Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Clean reading view, Custom themes, Font customization. WhatFont covers Font detection, Typography info, Service detection, Hover inspection. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

WhatFont: How do I use WhatFont to inspect fonts?

Click the WhatFont icon in your browser toolbar to activate it, then hover over any text on a webpage to see the font name and details in a pop-up. Click the text to reveal additional information like font style, weight, color, and font samples.

Source
WhatFont: What browsers does WhatFont support?

WhatFont works on Google Chrome, Firefox, and Arc browser. It is available as a free extension in each browser's extension store.

Source
WhatFont: Is WhatFont free?

Yes. WhatFont is a completely free browser extension with no paid tier or premium features. It is maintained as a free tool for designers and developers.

Source
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