Add to ChromeHow they compare
Hover-on-element info is one capability inside Design Mode (the inspector overlay). The broader product adds editing, exports, and MCP.
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Design Mode | Hover Inspector |
|---|---|---|
| Visual editing of any live website | Yes — full design surface (typography, colour, layout, spacing, motion, effects) | Hover info only |
| MCP (Model Context Protocol) handoff to AI agents | Yes — Cloud, Local, and Self-hosted modes; eight MCP tools | No |
| Persistent change history (Changes tab) | Yes — searchable, filterable, exportable | None |
| Open source | Yes (MIT) | Proprietary |
| Price | Free forever | Free |
| Markdown / JSON export of the diff | Yes | None |
| Best fit for | Designers, developers, QA, PMs, content, indie hackers, agencies, vibe coders | Casual inspection |
When to pick Design Mode
- You need to make changes, not just see info.
When to pick Hover Inspector
- You only need a hover tooltip and nothing else.
Honest take
If hover info is all you need, the small footprint of those extensions wins. Otherwise, Design Mode includes that capability among many.