Dark Reader vs Stylus
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Browser extension that automatically darkens web pages to reduce eyestrain.
Open source · MIT
A CSS preprocessor for Node.js that lets you write styles in a shorter, more flexible syntax.
The short answer
Choose Dark Reader if you need…
- People who browse a lot in low light and want darker pages without changing each site themselves
- Users of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari or Thunderbird who want one tool across browsers
- Web developers who want to offer a dark mode on their own site using the npm package or CDN build
- Users who want fine control over brightness, contrast and sepia on pages
Choose Stylus if you need…
- Node.js developers who already build front-end projects and want a CSS preprocessor
- Front-end developers who prefer a terse, indentation-based style syntax
- Teams that want to compile stylesheets as part of a Node.js build step
Side-by-side
| Dark Reader | Stylus | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 22.6k | 11.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Use it in the browser (or self-host) | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 19 months ago |
What each one is
Dark Reader
Dark Reader is a free, open-source browser extension that analyzes web pages and generates a dark color scheme for them. People use it to reduce eyestrain when browsing at night or in dim rooms. It is customizable through its interface and is also available as a JavaScript library for websites.
Stylus
Stylus is a CSS preprocessor written in JavaScript for Node.js. You write styles in its own compact language and it compiles them into regular CSS that browsers can read. Based on the repository description and topics, it is aimed at people who want more expressive, feature-rich styling code than plain CSS offers. The README was truncated, so this summary relies mainly on the project description.
Best for
Dark Reader
- People who browse a lot in low light and want darker pages without changing each site themselves
- Users of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari or Thunderbird who want one tool across browsers
- Web developers who want to offer a dark mode on their own site using the npm package or CDN build
- Users who want fine control over brightness, contrast and sepia on pages
Stylus
- Node.js developers who already build front-end projects and want a CSS preprocessor
- Front-end developers who prefer a terse, indentation-based style syntax
- Teams that want to compile stylesheets as part of a Node.js build step
Strengths
Dark Reader
- Free, MIT-licensed and open source, with a large public following (about 22,500 stars on GitHub)
- Available across several browsers and as an npm package for websites
- Highly customizable and has a documented API for developers
Stylus
- MIT license, so it is free to use and modify
- Long-running project with a large community (about 11,000 stars)
- Written in JavaScript, which fits naturally into Node.js workflows
Not ideal for
Dark Reader
- People who need a guaranteed perfect dark theme on every site: the README describes it as aiming to reduce eyestrain, and site fixes are not automatically synced by default
- Firefox users who want it on restricted pages without lowering browser security settings, since the README asks them to change about:config and warns of a security risk
- Users looking for a system-wide dark mode for their whole operating system; the README only describes browser use
Stylus
- People who only need standard CSS and no build step, since the output is still compiled CSS that needs a tool to produce it
- Projects that need a preprocessor with a large ecosystem of tooling, which is not clear from the README provided
Trade-offs
Dark Reader
- Some pages may not look right, and fixing them can require manual site-fix steps described in the README
- On some Firefox restricted pages, it needs extra browser settings changes that carry a security risk
- Automatic site-fix syncing is disabled by default, so users must enable it manually
Stylus
- The README provided was truncated, so detailed syntax and feature documentation could not be verified here
- Latest release has no prebuilt binaries, so installation goes through Node.js tooling
- Last push was April 2025, so maintenance activity should be checked before adopting it
Getting started
Dark Reader
Clone the repository to build from source
git clone https://github.com/darkreader/darkreaderStylus
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/stylus/stylusFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Dark Reader and Stylus?
Dark Reader: Browser extension that automatically darkens web pages to reduce eyestrain. Stylus: A CSS preprocessor for Node.js that lets you write styles in a shorter, more flexible syntax. Dark Reader suits people who browse a lot in low light and want darker pages without changing each site themselves, while Stylus suits node.js developers who already build front-end projects and want a css preprocessor.
Are Dark Reader and Stylus free?
Dark Reader: Free and open source. Stylus: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Dark Reader or Stylus?
Dark Reader is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Stylus is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Dark Reader or Stylus more popular?
Dark Reader has more GitHub stars (22.6k) than Stylus (11.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Dark Reader and Stylus?
Other options people compare them with include Refined GitHub, Saladict, ChatGPTBox, Sass, PostCSS.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.