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Tampermonkey Review

Worth it

Should I use Tampermonkey?

Tampermonkey® by Jan Biniok - tampermonkey.net

· 1 week ago

Buy it if you write or can vet JavaScript — it's the free, de facto userscript standard with the biggest ecosystem. Skip it if you won't vet third-party scripts or work on a locked-down corporate machine.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 20+ public sources: official docs and store listings, Reddit/HN threads, and security reports.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo evidence found
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Safari appPaid (price not listed in sources)

Best for

  • JavaScript-comfortable power users
  • Automating repetitive web tasks
  • Fixing sites you don't control
  • Lightweight personal scraping

Not for

  • Non-technical users who won't vet scripts
  • Locked-down corporate machines — IT will flag it
  • Open-source-only buyers (pick Violentmonkey)
  • Anyone who just wants a clean browser

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

The manager is safe; the scripts you install may not be — vet everything

medium

Safari version is paid; the other browsers' builds are free

medium

Closed-source core means trusting the vendor's builds

low

Some websites actively detect userscript use

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free on Chrome, Firefox, Edge
  • Most popular userscript manager with a huge script ecosystem
  • Extensive documentation, FAQ, and changelog
  • Runs across Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari

Cons

  • Core is closed source, a long-running trust complaint
  • Abused by malware campaigns for in-browser crypto skimming
  • Compromised or malicious third-party scripts run with page access
  • Some users find it heavyweight versus lighter managers

Sources & method

- 12 sources - No vulnerability in Tampermonkey itself found in sources; real risks are its closed-source core and malicious third-party scripts.

official x4review x5security x3
  • Closed-source core criticized, Long-running GitHub issue questions the closed-source core; some users switch to open-source managers.
  • Abused in ClickFix malware campaigns, Attackers use Tampermonkey with Google Sheets C2 to skim cryptocurrency in the browser.
  • Third-party script compromises, Waze forum warned two userscripts were compromised; installed scripts run with full page access.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free on major browsers
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Users call it heavyweight vs alternatives
  • Feature depth: 4/5. De facto standard, extensive docs
  • Support quality. No evidence found
  • Security posture: 2/5. Closed source; malware-campaign abuse reports
  • Most popular Popularity userscript manager, per its GitHub repo
  • Free Price Chrome, Firefox, Edge builds
  • Yes Free tier Safari app sold separately
  • 4+ Platforms Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Chrome, Firefox, Edge builds
  • Full userscript manager

Safari app

Paid (price not listed in sources)

  • App Store distribution
  • Only needed for Safari

Security

No vulnerability in Tampermonkey itself found in sources; real risks are its closed-source core and malicious third-party scripts.

  • Closed-source core criticizedLong-running GitHub issue questions the closed-source core; some users switch to open-source managers.⁵
  • Abused in ClickFix malware campaignsAttackers use Tampermonkey with Google Sheets C2 to skim cryptocurrency in the browser.⁶
  • Third-party script compromisesWaze forum warned two userscripts were compromised; installed scripts run with full page access.⁷

What users say

Users rely on it daily and praise its ecosystem, but debates about its closed-source core and safety persist.

“A big thing for me is that Tampermonkey is not open source.”
Hacker News
“It's kind of heavyweight”
Hacker News

Alternatives

Compare Tampermonkey with each alternative.

Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources: official docs and store listings, Reddit/HN threads, and security reports.

Free, dominant userscript manager for tinkerers; closed source and script risks make it wrong for non-technical users.

Methodology

Based on 20+ public sources: official docs and store listings, Reddit/HN threads, and security reports.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Tampermonkey: Hometampermonkey.net
    official
  2. Tampermonkey - Chrome Web Storechromewebstore.google.com
    official
  3. Tampermonkey GitHub repositorygithub.com
    official
  4. Tampermonkey product security pagetampermonkey.net
    official
  5. Security concerns about closed-source Tampermonkeygithub.com
    security
  6. ClickFix campaign abuses Google Sheets C2 and Tampermonkey for crypto skimmingbrinztech.com
    security
  7. Waze forum: two userscripts compromisedwaze.com
    security
  8. HN: Greasemonkey, Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey comparisonnews.ycombinator.com
    review
  9. HN: Tampermonkey closed-source threadnews.ycombinator.com
    review
  10. Reddit r/chrome: Is Tampermonkey an unsafe extension?reddit.com
    review
  11. Firefox Add-ons reviews for Tampermonkeyaddons.mozilla.org
    review
  12. Tampermonkey vs Momentum comparisonsoftwr.com
    review

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