Compare Weava and one sec: Which Extension is the Best?

Weava Highlighter was once a popular choice, but now it’s filled with ads and has a poor user experience. Better options like Web Highlights do the job better without the hassle.
One Sec is a browser extension designed to help you manage your time online by introducing a brief pause before accessing distracting websites.
Key Features
  • Web & PDF Highlighting: Easily highlight text on web pages and PDFs using various colors.
  • Annotations: Add detailed notes to your highlights for better reference and organization.
  • Cloud Syncing: Seamlessly access your highlights and notes across multiple devices.
  • Organize with Folders: Structure your highlights with folders and sub-folders for easy retrieval.
  • Citation Creation: Automatically generate citations for your highlighted text, simplifying your research process.
  • Pause Before Access: Introduces a short delay before opening distracting sites.
  • Customizable Settings: Adjust the delay time and select which sites to monitor.
  • Analytics Dashboard: Provides insights into your browsing habits.
  • Cross-Browser Support: Available on multiple browsers for seamless integration.
Our Rating
7.0
8.9
Total users
200,000
25,036
Total ratings
2,727
1,004
Average rating
4.1 ⭐
4.8 ⭐
Entry Level PriceFreeFree
Chrome
Chrome Web Store logo
4.1
3.01
2.7K+ ratings
200.0K+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.9
4.84
840 ratings
20.0K+Users
Edge
-
Microsoft Edge Store logo
4.9
4.86
47 ratings
3.6K+Users
Firefox
-
Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store logo
4.8
4.74
117 ratings
1.5K+Users
Safari
-
-
Features
8.5

Weava offers basic but functional features like web and PDF highlighting, annotations, and folder organization.

The basic functionalities work great but the lack of innovative or advanced functionalities, especially compared to competitors, limits its appeal.

Top 3 Features of Weava Highlighter

1. Highlight Websites and PDFs

Highlighting text with Weava

Similar to our favorite highlighter Web Highlights, you can highlight text on any website or PDF. Choose different colors to customize your highlights and make important information stand out.

2. Organize Research into Folders

Organize in folders

Weava lets you save your highlights and organize them into folders, making it simple to keep your research organized and find what you need fast.

3. Collaborate with Your Team

Share folders with your co-workers

Weava allows you to share folders with your team, making collaboration on research projects easy. Everyone can add and view highlights and notes all in one place.

7.5

The core function that One Sec uses to make users more productive is a pause before opening the website. When I open websites I have defined, such as Twitter, a gray page with a countdown appears. During this period, I was reminded that I didn't want to spend so much time on Twitter and asked myself whether this was intentional or just a reflex out of boredom.
This worked very well for us in the test and there were no problems.


It is also possible to adjust the delay individually. If you only need the reminder but don't want to be disturbed too much, you can set the timer to just one second, or several seconds if you prefer.


Finally, a useful function is the analysis dashboard. This provides analyses of your surfing behavior, showing you at a glance how often you try to open these websites during the day. However, we would like to see more analysis options here.


All in all, the functions are kept very simple; further options for time tracking would be an advantage here so that you don't need additional extensions. These functions are already available in the mobile app. One Sec is a good addition to existing time management extensions.

Performance
7.0

Weava performs adequately when it comes to basic highlighting and syncing. However, the overall performance is marred by the intrusive ads and occasional bugs that make the experience less smooth than it should be.

9.5

In our test, we did not notice any delays or slowdowns due to the extension.
Regular updates are also released to improve performance and fix bugs.

Design
6.0

The design is where Weava really struggles. The interface is cluttered with ads, making it not only visually unappealing but also frustrating to use.

Here's a screenshot showing one of their ads taking up nearly half the height of their sidebar:

Ads are covering half of the sidebar

The overall design feels outdated and lacks the intuitive flow found in other tools. This poor design significantly hampers the user experience.

8.0

The user interface is clean and minimalist, and this also applies to the setup and settings. The extension offers an effective use of visual elements for taking a break by displaying a preset screen with a countdown. There would be potential for improvement here if the screen could be customized.

Value for Money
6.8

The free version of Weava offers basic features, and their premium plan at $3.99/month is priced similarly to competitors.

However, given the ads in the free version and the overall user experience, you can find better value in alternatives that provide more features and a cleaner interface for the same or even lower cost.

9.2

The browser extension is completely free of charge. However, you only get a small number of functions. For anyone who only needs the basic function, this is unbeatable value for money.

OneSec also offers an app with additional functions. At $4.99/month or $49.99/year, it also has a good price-performance ratio.

Ease of Use
6.5

Weava’s basic highlighting functionality is straightforward, but the poor design and mandatory account creation add unnecessary friction. The ads make navigation cumbersome, and while it’s not difficult to learn, using the tool effectively can be a challenge due to these barriers.

9.5

The installation process was quick and straightforward. This also includes the setup, which is very intuitive with clear step-by-step instructions. Everything is also well explained in the settings menu afterward, so everyone should be able to find their way around.

set up
Security & Privacy
7.0

Weava does take steps to protect user data, and their privacy policy is clear about not selling personal information. However, the requirement to create an account and the potential for data collection through ads could be a concern for privacy-conscious users.

9.5

Data usage is described transparently in the privacy policy, which places great value on user privacy.
This is also reflected in the fact that the features already work with minimal authorizations so that not much private data needs to be tracked.

Conclusion

Weava Highlighter may still be a popular choice, but its current state leaves much to be desired. The overwhelming presence of ads and a clunky design significantly detract from the user experience, making it hard to justify its use when other tools offer a more polished and ad-free environment.

If you’re serious about your productivity, it’s worth exploring alternatives like Web Highlights, which delivers all the benefits of Weava without the downsides.

One Sec is a tool that encourages mindful browsing by introducing a pause every time you want to access a distracting website.
Although it stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness, its limited functionality means that it should only be seen as a supplement in the area of time management. Overall, however, it is a valuable tool for anyone looking to improve their online productivity.

Our Recommendation

In our comparison between Weava and one sec, one sec came out on top, scoring 8.9.

Weava is the most widely used, with over 200k users and 3k+ reviews, but one sec outperformed it in our review. User reviews for one sec reflect our findings, while we rate Weava lower than users do.

Notably, one sec has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.84, which supports its strong performance in our review.

There are big differences between these extensions, so it's important to look at the details below to find the best fit for your needs.


  • Looking for the richest feature set? Weava stands out with a rating of 8.5. On the other hand, one sec lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.5.
  • Need top performance? one sec stands out with a rating of 9.5. On the other hand, Weava lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.
  • Design lovers, take note: one sec stands out with a rating of 8. On the other hand, Weava lags behind in this area with a rating of 6.
  • Want to get the most for your money? one sec stands out with a rating of 9.2. On the other hand, Weava lags behind in this area with a rating of 6.8.
  • If you hate complicated tools, one sec stands out with a rating of 9.5. On the other hand, Weava lags behind in this area with a rating of 6.5.
  • With privacy and security becoming ever more important, one sec stands out with a rating of 9.5. On the other hand, Weava lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.

If you want a quick recommendation, one sec is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you.