Comparison

Dark Surf vs Texly

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

Head to head
About

Dark Surf

Enhance your browsing experience with a customizable dark theme for Safari. Adjust shade, contrast, saturation, and image settings. Schedule dark mode or set it per-site.

Highlights
  • Customizable dark theme
  • Adjustable shade and contrast
  • Saturation and image handling
  • Scheduling for dark mode
  • Per-site theme controls
  • Preset themes (Midnight, Warm, AMOLED, Gray)
Features
Read full description

Dark Surf gives Safari a thoughtful dark mode for every website. Instead of painting over pages, Dark Surf reads each site’s own design and rebuilds it in the dark. Backgrounds and cards turn deep and calm, text stays crisp, and the colors that carry meaning, like buttons, links, warnings and highlights, keep their character. Photos stay natural. SMART BY DEFAULT • Leaves websites that already have a dark design alone • Keeps dark logos, icons and formulas visible • Keeps text on top of photos readable • Handles modern websites built with CSS variables, Tailwind, Bootstrap and web components MAKE IT YOURS • Six themes: Midnight, Ocean, Dim, Warm, Graphite and true-black AMOLED • Build your own palette from any colors • Fine-tune brightness and contrast, and choose how images look • See every change instantly in a live preview that runs Safari’s own Dark Surf engine YOUR RULES • Switch any website between Dark, Invert and Off right from Safari • Keep lists of websites that are always dark, inverted or never themed • Follow a schedule or your device’s Dark Mode, or pause for an hour PRIVATE BY DESIGN Pages are recolored on your device. Dark Surf has no account, no analytics, no ads and no tracking, and never sends the pages you visit to anyone. Dark Surf is a Safari extension. After installing, turn it on in Settings › Apps › Safari › Extensions. The app shows you how.

About

Texly

Transform messy web pages into a clean, readable format with AI-powered summaries and insights. Listen to articles with studio-quality audio and organize your saved content with custom tags. Customize your reading experience with various fonts and themes.

Highlights
  • Clean article formatting
  • AI article summaries
  • AI topic insights
  • Article-to-audio playback
  • Save, clip, and organize content
  • Customizable reading experience
Features
Read full description

Texly is the ultimate tool for anyone who wants to read the web without clutter. Whether you're researching, learning, or saving something for later, Texly gives you a clean and beautiful way to experience online articles — with smart AI features to help you go deeper. Clean Up Any Article Turn messy web pages into a clean, readable format with a single tap. No ads, no popups, no distractions — just pure content. AI Summaries Don't have time to read the full article? Texly uses AI to instantly summarize the key points so you can stay informed in seconds. AI Insights Explore related topics, discover key themes, and dive deeper with smart suggestions tailored to each article you read. AI Listen Turn any article into studio-quality audio. Listen with HD narration and true background playback — perfect for commutes, workouts, or multitasking hands-free. Save, Clip, and Organize Save full articles, clip specific highlights, and tag your content using custom labels. Your reading list, your way. Customize Your Experience Choose from a range of fonts, color themes, and text sizes for a reading experience that fits your style. Try Texly Pro for free for 14 days and experience the future of reading. Texly Terms of Use https://texly.app/terms/ Texly Privacy Policy https://texly.app/privacy/ Texly Support https://texly.app/support/

Screenshots

Dark Surf4 screens
Texly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Texly at 5.0 against Dark Surf's 3.0. Texly also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 months). Dark Surf's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement 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. Texly sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Dark Surf asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Texly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dark Surf ships an update every 4 months, Texly every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 4 level
Dark Surf versus Texly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDark SurfTexly
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB40 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperVali MikayilovAntonio Salazar III

Customer experience

Dark Surf

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Texly

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Dark Surf

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Texly

Subscriptions4
  • Basic Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly14 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Basic Yearly$59.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro Yearly14 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Dark Surf free?
Dark Surf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Texly free?
Texly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dark Surf or Texly?
Texly is rated higher. Dark Surf averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Texly averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Dark Surf or Texly have ads?
Texly shows ads; Dark Surf does not.
Which is updated more often, Dark Surf or Texly?
Dark Surf ships an update every 4 months, and Texly every 3 days. Most recently, Dark Surf was updated on October 31, 2026 and Texly on October 31, 2026.

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