Comparison

Aurora vs Dark Reader Mode for Safari

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Aurora

Enhance your browsing experience with customizable dark themes and eye care features. Adjust brightness, contrast, and blue light to reduce strain and improve sleep. Automate dark mode with iOS Focus modes and Control Center widgets.

Highlights
  • Customizable dark themes
  • Blue light filter
  • Image glare reduction
  • Brightness and contrast adjustment
  • iOS Focus mode integration
  • Control Center widget
  • Auto scheduling
Features
Read full description

Tired of blinding screens at night? Wish you could browse in total comfort, with a style that's uniquely yours? Aurora is the only Safari dark mode built for iOS — with Focus Filter, Control Center, Live Activity, and Auto Schedule features no other dark mode app has. Unlike the dark mode in iOS Settings or Focus modes — which only darkens the Safari interface — Aurora darkens the website content itself, even on sites that have no dark mode of their own. MADE FOR iOS — FEATURES NO OTHER DARK MODE APP HAS • Read in Your Own Font — the new Font tab brings 14 typefaces, from Literata and Inter to OpenDyslexic and Atkinson Hyperlegible, plus four text sizes. Per-site control, and it works with dark mode on or off. • Focus Filter — Aurora automatically toggles dark mode when you enter Sleep, Reading, Work, or any iOS Focus mode. Built right into iOS. • Control Center Widget — Toggle dark mode from anywhere on iOS 18+, even outside Safari, with one tap. • Live Activity — See dark mode status on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. • Auto Schedule — Automatic on/off at custom times. Different schedules per day of the week. Let Aurora adapt to your routine. • Siri & Shortcuts — "Hey Siri, turn on dark mode." Automate Aurora with the Shortcuts app. One tap, total control. • iOS Appearance Sync — "Sunset to sunrise." Aurora automatically toggles on and off based on your iOS system theme. Perfect harmony. BUILT FOR iOS 18+ Aurora is updated for the latest iOS and works reliably where other dark mode extensions fail. Site-specific optimizations for YouTube, Google, Twitter, Reddit, Amazon, Wikipedia, Medium, and many more for the best possible experience. BEYOND DARK MODE — A COMPLETE EYE COMFORT TOOLKIT • Unleash Your Creativity — Don't settle for black and white. Our powerful Theme Creator lets you design and save unlimited unique themes. Your web, your colors. • Protect Your Eyes & Sleep Better — Our Blue Light Filter reduces harmful blue light from screens, helping to reduce eye strain and improve your sleep quality. • Reduce Annoying Glare — Tame overly bright images, ads, and banners with the Image Filter. Enjoy a perfectly balanced and comfortable view in any lighting condition. • Fine-Tune Your Experience — Adjust brightness (10–190%) and contrast (10–290%) to match your perfect reading comfort level. • You Are In Control — Use the powerful Whitelist/Blacklist feature to decide exactly which websites Aurora should run on. WHY AURORA PRO? • Unlock every feature — Theme Creator, Focus Filter, Auto Schedule, unlimited themes and fonts, and more. • Pay once, keep it forever — the $5.99 Lifetime unlock never renews. No subscription needed. • Prefer to pay monthly? Aurora Pro Monthly is available as an alternative. • 3-day free trial — no credit card, no auto-charge. • One purchase covers iPhone, iPad and Mac. • Free lifetime updates and priority support. Download Aurora today and rediscover the joy of browsing at night!

About

Dark Reader Mode for Safari

Enhance your nighttime browsing experience with a true dark theme that preserves website readability and image integrity. Enjoy customizable brightness, contrast, and color temperature settings for ultimate comfort. This utility works seamlessly within Safari on your iPhone and iPad.

Highlights
  • True dark theme rendering
  • Preserves image and logo integrity
  • Smart dark theme detection
  • Per-site brightness and contrast control
  • Customizable color temperature
  • Global on/off toggle
  • Per-site enable/disable
Features
Read full description

Browsing at night should not hurt your eyes or break websites. Dark Reader Mode for Safari applies a true dark theme with stylesheet-level rendering, so pages stay readable and natural. Download free and make any site comfortable to read. Why it feels better • No color inversion filters • Images and logos stay correct • Smart detection avoids double-darkening on sites that already support dark themes • Smooth flash prevention when pages load • Works on iPhone and iPad with Safari Free features • Global on/off toggle • Per-site enable/disable • Follow System, Always On, Always Off modes • Quick control from the Safari toolbar popup • Fully on-device processing with zero data collected Pro features • Per-site brightness control • Per-site contrast control • Per-site warmth and color temperature control • Per-site custom CSS injection Subscription information • Auto-renewable monthly subscription available • Optional lifetime purchase available • Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Manage or cancel subscriptions in App Store Account Settings Privacy Policy: https://www.storqlabs.com/safari-dark-reader/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.storqlabs.com/safari-dark-reader/terms

Screenshots

Aurora4 screens
Dark Reader Mode for Safari4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Aurora at 5.0 against Dark Reader Mode for Safari's 4.3. Aurora also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (21 vs 6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Aurora sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Dark Reader Mode for Safari sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Aurora holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 6 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Aurora ships an update weekly, Dark Reader Mode for Safari every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on September 10, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Aurora versus Dark Reader Mode for Safari: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAuroraDark Reader Mode for Safari
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (21 ratings) — better4.3 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings21 — better6
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB7 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperDat Nguyen Nam ThanhStorq Labs BV

Customer experience

Aurora

All ratings21 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Dark Reader Mode for Safari

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Aurora

One-time2
  • Aurora Pro - Monthly$1.99
  • Pro Lifetime$5.99
2 purchases

Dark Reader Mode for Safari

Subscriptions1
  • Dark Reader Pro$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • Dark Reader Pro Lifetime$4.99

Questions

Is Aurora free?
Aurora is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dark Reader Mode for Safari free?
Dark Reader Mode for Safari is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Aurora or Dark Reader Mode for Safari?
Aurora is rated higher. Aurora averages 5.0 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Dark Reader Mode for Safari averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.
Do Aurora or Dark Reader Mode for Safari have ads?
Neither Aurora nor Dark Reader Mode for Safari shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Aurora or Dark Reader Mode for Safari?
Aurora ships an update weekly, and Dark Reader Mode for Safari every 5 weeks. Most recently, Aurora was updated on September 10, 2026 and Dark Reader Mode for Safari on September 10, 2026.

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