Distraction-free reading mode with notes and annotations - free, easy to use, no sign-up required. Turns any webpage into a clean, focused reading experience — and saves a complete offline copy. | ||
Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each extension. |
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Our Rating Tooltivity's expert review score for each extension, based on hands-on testing and research. | 9.4 Winner in this category | |
Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 37 Winner in this category | |
Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 1 Winner in this category | |
Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | 5.0 ⭐ Winner in this category | |
Entry Level Price The minimum price required to start using the extension. "Free" means a free tier is available. | Free | |
Chrome User rating and stats for the extension on Chrome browser. | ![]() 5.0 5.0 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 37Users Winner in this category | |
Edge User rating and stats for the extension on Edge browser. | - | |
Firefox User rating and stats for the extension on Firefox browser. | - | |
Safari User rating and stats for the extension on Safari browser. | - | |
Features Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Features' aspect of each extension. | 9.5 This tool isn’t just a basic reader mode — it goes way beyond that. Yes, it gives you the distraction-free reading experience you'd expect (cleans up almost any webpage beautifully), but it also lets you highlight in multiple colors, add notes, organize with tags, and save a full offline version of the article — which is super helpful if a page ever gets taken down. One of my favorite parts is how smooth the export options are: Markdown, Notion, Obsidian, Capacities, PDF... it just works. It even has a spaced repetition feature that helps you remember what you read long-term. It’s basically a powerhouse for anyone doing research or deep reading. Winner in this category | |
Performance Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each extension. | 9.4 I tested it on several websites — from news articles to blog posts to PDFs — and it handled everything smoothly. Pages load quickly, the reader view pops up without delay, and saved articles open instantly, even without internet. Even the offline functionality was seamless. I disconnected from Wi-Fi just to test it — and could still open and read saved articles without a hitch. Winner in this category | |
Design Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each extension. | 9.6 The design is clean, modern, and just pleasant to use. You can switch between different color modes like dark, sepia, or high contrast, and you can customize font size, spacing, and width — which makes reading long texts super comfortable. It doesn’t feel overwhelming or cluttered. It’s intuitive and looks polished both on desktop and mobile. I especially liked how the sidebar slides in to show your notes and highlights without breaking your focus. Winner in this category | |
Value for Money Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each extension. | 9.1 The free version already gives you most of what you need — clean reading mode, offline access, highlighting, note-taking. No sign-up, no hidden limits. That alone is worth a lot. The paid version just builds on that. You get syncing, full-text search, and access to a web app to view your archive from anywhere. For the price (just a few bucks per month), it’s an excellent investment if you read and research online often. Winner in this category | |
Ease of Use Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each extension. | 9.0 This extension just works — no setup, no confusion. I installed it, clicked on the icon while reading an article, and boom — instant reader mode. From there, highlighting was as easy as selecting text. Notes? Just a click away. Bookmarks and tags? Super straightforward. Even advanced features like syncing or exporting are done in a really user-friendly way. There are many things to discover, but if you want to dive deeper, there are helpful guides and blog posts too. Winner in this category | |
Security & Privacy Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each extension. | 10 What I really respect is that you don’t need an account to use it. Everything you save stays on your device, so your highlights and notes are private by default. If you do choose to create an account (which unlocks syncing and cloud access), your data is still treated with care — no ads, no tracking, no selling your info. It's a great balance between usability and privacy. Especially rare for a free tool. Winner in this category | |
Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each extension. | Reader Mode + Notes & Annotations is more than just a reader mode extension. It’s a full-fledged research companion. Whether you're saving articles for later, organizing a reading archive, or just want to eliminate distractions, this tool delivers. If you're serious about focused reading and long-term content access, this might just become your favorite browser extension. | |
Our Recommendation |