Compare Weava and Urban VPN Proxy: Which Extension is the Best?

Weava logoWeava
Urban VPN Proxy logoUrban VPN Proxy
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.
Highlighter Note Taking
Urban VPN Proxy offers a free VPN service with additional integrated functions such as adblocking. There are only concerns about the comprehensive data collection.
VPN Productivity
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.
  • IP Address Masking: Allows users to change their IP location to any of the 77 available countries.
  • Ad-Blocking: Protects against annoying ads and mining websites.
  • Encryption: Complies with the latest OpenVPN standards for secure browsing.
  • No Additional Software Required: Easy installation as a browser extension.
  • Free Service: Offers a vast network of 530+ VPN servers without a subscription fee.
Our Rating
7.0
7.4
Total users
200,000
6,463,814
Total ratings
2,728
56,408
Average rating
4.1 ⭐
4.4 ⭐
Entry Level PriceFreeFree
Chrome
Chrome Web Store logo
4.1
3.01
2.7K+ ratings
200.0K+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.7
4.63
53.0K+ ratings
5.0M+Users
Edge
-
Microsoft Edge Store logo
4.4
4.05
946 ratings
1.3M+Users
Firefox
-
Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store logo
4.2
3.86
2.5K+ ratings
154.7K+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.

8.0

Several features are included in the free Urban VPN Proxy. The most obvious is IP address masking, which allows VPN access to servers in over 80 countries.

vpn

An adblocking function is also integrated as an add-on, which reduces unwanted advertising while surfing and also protects against mining websites.

adblocking

However, advanced security features such as a kill switch or multi-hop connections, which are available in some premium VPNs, are missing here, probably due to the free version.

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.

5.5

The performance of Urban VPN Proxy was good at the beginning of the tests, the connection speed and server availability were also okay, but could be even better in our tests. Especially at peak times, when the server load is high, you notice a sharp drop in speed.
After longer testing, the connection drops and throttled speeds became more and more frequent at peak times. The performance may still be sufficient for occasional users, but those who need a stable connection will not find what they are looking for with the free extension.

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 design of Urban VPN Proxy is clear and simple. Every user is immediately shown the basic functions and these can be switched on and off directly as required.
The design could be a little more customizable and generally look a little more modern.

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.

8.0

Urban VPN Proxy is free and has a good price-performance ratio. With access to over 530 servers without a subscription fee, it's perfect for any basic user. You also get additional functions such as adblocking for free.

However, it should be noted and clear to everyone that you “pay” for the use by saving your tracked data through the extension.

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.

9.0

Urban VPN Proxy is a very easy-to-use tool overall. The installation process is quick and uncomplicated, and you can start establishing a VPN connection immediately after installation. Every user should have no problems with it, only the performance problems can cause some users to despair.

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.

6.0

Urban VPN Proxy offers basic encryption according to OpenVPN standards. Due to the VPN function, you initially browse the websites anonymously. At the same time, however, the service collects precisely this web browsing data for itself. The data is collected in an anonymized format. The browser extension also lacks a clear no-logs policy and other advanced security functions, which also affects the rating in this category.

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.

Urban VPN Proxy is a perfect choice for those looking for a free VPN service with basic features.


It stands out for its ease of use and offers a wide range of server locations.
The only drawback is the extensive data collection. After all, this is explicitly pointed out several times before use and active consent is required.


Overall, the service offers good value for money. However, if you want to use a VPN because of the anonymity on the Internet, you will have to use a different option due to the extensive data collection.

Install Weava
Install Urban VPN Proxy
Our Recommendation

In our comparison between Weava and Urban VPN Proxy, Urban VPN Proxy came out on top, scoring 7.4.

Urban VPN Proxy is the most widely used, with over 6 million users and 56k+ reviews—and it also delivered the strongest performance in our tests. We rate Weava and Urban VPN Proxy lower than users do.

Notably, Urban VPN Proxy has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.44, which is even higher than our rating of 7.4.

In the end, the differences between these extensions are minimal, so your choice may come down to personal preference or specific features.

  • Looking for the richest feature set? Weava stands out with a rating of 8.5. On the other hand, Urban VPN Proxy lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • Need top performance? Weava stands out with a rating of 7. On the other hand, Urban VPN Proxy lags behind in this area with a rating of 5.5.
  • Design lovers, take note: Urban VPN Proxy 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? Urban VPN Proxy stands out with a rating of 8. On the other hand, Weava lags behind in this area with a rating of 6.8.
  • If you hate complicated tools, Urban VPN Proxy stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, Weava lags behind in this area with a rating of 6.5.
  • With privacy and security becoming ever more important, Weava stands out with a rating of 7. On the other hand, Urban VPN Proxy lags behind in this area with a rating of 6.

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