Is Dark Reader Safe? — Extension Safety Profile

Quick verdict: Dark Reader earns a safety grade A, 82 out of 100, based on 5 of 5 dimensions.

A

82/100

Grade A · 5 of 5 checks


What we found

· Data updated

Automated safety profile from public signals (the extension's manifest & permissions, store listing, publisher, privacy policy). A full review hasn't been published yet.

We assess Dark Reader from its the Chrome Web Store listing. It's also published on Firefox Add-ons (AMO) (1,297,350 users there).

What Dark Reader's safety grade means

Dark Reader earns a safety grade of A (82.02/100), measured across 5 of 5 dimensions. Its strongest area is Maintenance & Ownership (100%). The weakest is Publisher & Identity (60%) — what holds its grade back the most.

On the public records we can check, Dark Reader comes through cleanly. 7,000,000 active users/installs reported on the store. Store rating 4.7/5 from 13,100 user ratings. Last updated on the store 2026-04-28 (1 month ago). This is an automated profile, not a hands-on review — so treat the grade as a starting point: open Dark Reader's own store listing and privacy policy before installing, and weigh it against the other browser extensions we track below.

Safety Signals

Based on 5 of 5 safety dimensions

DimensionScoreBarSource
Publisher & Identity 60% · 8/20 pts assessed Automated signals
Permissions & Access 65% · of 25 pts Automated signals
Data & Privacy 100% · 16/20 pts assessed Automated signals
Maintenance & Ownership 100% · 7.5/15 pts assessed Automated signals
Community Reputation 100% · 10/20 pts assessed Automated signals

In-depth safety analysis

Dark Reader requests permissions that allow it to inject scripts and modify fonts on any website you visit, plus store settings locally and schedule tasks. This includes the ability to read and alter page content across all domains. For a dark mode tool that needs to invert colors and adjust styling on every site, this broad access is expected and necessary for its core function.

As with any extension that can see and change all website data, a careful user should be

AI-assisted analysis of the documented signals above (permissions, store data, privacy practices) — explains what they mean and the risks typical for this category. Not a hands-on test.

What Dark Reader's store listing shows

Dark Reader listing on the Chrome Web Store
Dark Reader on the Chrome Web Store, captured 2026-06-18. View the live listing ↗

Who's Behind Dark Reader?

  • Publisher Dark Reader Ltd

How Dark Reader compares

Among the 48 browser extensions we track, Dark Reader scores higher on safety than 77% of them.

Computed from our own database of assessed browser extensions — updated as we track more.

Evidence on File (12)

Store rating: Store rating 4.7/5 from 13,100 user ratings.
Store users: 7,000,000 active users/installs reported on the store.
Founder public: Publisher publicly identified: The publisher has a good record with no history of violations. Learn more. (individual founders not separately named).
Our reports database · Captured 2026-06-18
Registered company: Registered operator: Dark Reader Ltd.
Our reports database · Captured 2026-06-18
Data collection scope: Developer lists no user-data categories collected on the store privacy disclosure.
Source: darkreader.org ↗ · Captured 2026-06-18
Data not sold: Developer declares on the Chrome Web Store that your data is not sold to third parties.
Source: darkreader.org ↗ · Captured 2026-06-18
Data use limited: Developer declares data isn't used for unrelated purposes or to determine creditworthiness/lending.
Source: darkreader.org ↗ · Captured 2026-06-18
Privacy policy present: A privacy policy is linked from the store listing: https://darkreader.org/privacy/
Source: darkreader.org ↗ · Captured 2026-06-18
Last updated recency: Last updated on the store 2026-04-28 (1 month ago).
High-capability permissions: Requests 1 high-capability permission(s): scripting.
Website access scope: Requests access to ALL websites you visit (*://*/*) — broad for what this extension does.
Manifest version: Built on Manifest V3 (the modern, more sandboxed permission model).

Dark Reader FAQ

Is Dark Reader safe?
Dark Reader earns a safety grade of A (82/100) on our evidence-based assessment, based on 5 of 5 safety dimensions we could verify from public records. This is an automated profile built from public records, not a hands-on review.
Who is behind Dark Reader?
Dark Reader is operated by Dark Reader Ltd.

Dark Reader Alternatives We Track

Share 𝕏 Reddit Facebook

Cite this profile: Is Dark Reader safe? — ExtensionTrust. ExtensionTrust. https://extensiontrust.com/tool/dark-reader/

Get browser-extension safety alerts