The View Rendered Source Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about View Rendered Source in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
View Rendered Source
The Insider’s Guide
Free Chrome extension comparing raw HTML with the rendered page
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among SEO browser extensions, read from View Rendered Source’s own pages.
Made by Peg Leg Ltd · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from View Rendered Source’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on View Rendered Source’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 4 of the 34 other SEO browser extensions we grade
View Rendered Source is a small, free Chrome extension by Jon Hogg's Peg Leg Ltd that shows a page three ways: the raw HTML the server sent, the DOM after the browser and JavaScript have built it, and a line-by-line diff of the two. It is aimed at developers working with frameworks such as React, Angular and Vue, and at SEOs checking what search engines are served. The raw source can be requested as Googlebot or a mobile browser.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about View Rendered Source, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating on record, but nothing to set up: open a page, click the icon and the three views are there.
- 1
Best for comparing raw HTML with the rendered page
View Rendered Source shows a page three ways, the raw HTML, the DOM after JavaScript has run, and a line-by-line diff of the two, and can fetch the raw source as Googlebot or a phone.
- 2
It is free
View Rendered Source has no paid plan at all. Free to install from the Chrome Web Store; the listing mentions no paid version, account or sign-up.
- 3
Raw source
The HTML sent from the server before the DOM is built, as the browser's own View Source shows it, lightly formatted.
- 4
Rendered source
The page after it has been turned into a DOM, including every change JavaScript has made to it.
- 5
Line-by-line difference
Highlights each line that differs between the raw and rendered versions, showing what JavaScript added or changed.
- 6
A 2.8 GPA, above 4 of 34
That is against the other SEO browser extensions we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
View Rendered Source is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
View Rendered Source at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Browser extension
- Made by
- Peg Leg Ltd
- Category
- SEO Browser Extensions
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for comparing raw HTML with the rendered page
View Rendered Source shows a page three ways, the raw HTML, the DOM after JavaScript has run, and a line-by-line diff of the two, and can fetch the raw source as Googlebot or a phone. That's one narrow job, in Chrome only, and the last release was version 4.0 in June 2023.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free from the Chrome Web Store, with no paid version, account or sign-up mentioned anywhere in its listing. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright: raw, rendered and diff views and the Googlebot and mobile options, with nothing to upgrade to. |
| Features | D | One narrow function: raw against rendered source with the differences highlighted, as Googlebot or a mobile browser if you like. No tags, links, schema or search data, and no audit. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but nothing to set up: open a page, click the icon and the three views are there. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Chrome only, so computers only, in English, with no website of its own and no integrations. Support is by X message to the developer. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who View Rendered Source is for
- Fits if you check what a JavaScript-heavy page looks like before and after rendering
- Works for developers testing prerendering or dynamic rendering for Googlebot
Who it is not for
- Watch out: the last release, version 4.0, is from June 2023
- Skip it if you're not on Chrome, as there's no other version
- Too light for audits, since it compares one page's source and checks nothing else
- Not for you if you want a help page, as support is by X message to the developer
Good to know
Good for
- SEOs checking what a JavaScript-heavy page looks like before and after rendering
- Developers testing prerendering or dynamic rendering for Googlebot
- Sites that serve different HTML to mobile devices
Worth knowing
- The last release, version 4.0, dates from June 2023.
- It is listed for Chrome only, with an English interface and no website of its own; support is by X message to the developer.
- It compares sources for one page at a time and does not crawl or audit a site.
- The listing says the developer will not collect or use your data.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
View Rendered Source is free to use.
Free from the Chrome Web Store, with no paid version, account or sign-up mentioned anywhere in its listing.
Free
$0
Raw, rendered and difference views with Googlebot and mobile user-agent options, free from the Chrome Web Store.
The free plan
Free to install from the Chrome Web Store; the listing mentions no paid version, account or sign-up.
Read from chromewebstore.google.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Browser extension
Free Chrome extension comparing raw HTML with the rendered page. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: local-first, site audit.
One narrow function: raw against rendered source with the differences highlighted, as Googlebot or a mobile browser if you like.
- Raw source
- The HTML sent from the server before the DOM is built, as the browser's own View Source shows it, lightly formatted.
- Rendered source
- The page after it has been turned into a DOM, including every change JavaScript has made to it.
- Line-by-line difference
- Highlights each line that differs between the raw and rendered versions, showing what JavaScript added or changed.
- Googlebot and mobile requests
- Request the raw source as Googlebot to check dynamic rendering setups, or tick a box to emulate a mobile user agent for adaptive sites.
Where it runs
- Browser extension
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
View Rendered Source is made by Peg Leg Ltd.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/34
Other SEO browser extensions it is graded above
View Rendered Source's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 4 of the 34 other SEO browser extensions we grade, and level with 12.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 5 of 34) and worst on features (D, above 0).
View Rendered Source has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 35 SEO browser extensions we grade, cut by the letter each got. View Rendered Source’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 4 of 34
- AFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 34
- DFeaturesAbove 0 of 34
- BEase of useAbove 3 of 34
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 34
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 34 SEO browser extensions. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. View Rendered Source is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
View Rendered Source is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 18 of the 34 other SEO browser extensions grade higher.
What you could not
- A crawler that checks every page of a site.
What this rests on. View Rendered Source’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
SEO Minion, Web Developer, Detailed SEO Extension, META SEO inspector and Redirect Path
The 5 tools View Rendered Source is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
SEO Minion
From $14/mo
On-page, link and SERP checks sold with Keywords Everywhere plans.
- View Rendered Source has a free plan. SEO Minion does not.
- SEO Minion also covers schema markup.
- 3.0GPA
Web Developer
Free
Free browser toolbar of page inspection and validation tools.
- Web Developer is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
Detailed SEO Extension
Free
Free Chrome and Firefox extension for one-click on-page SEO checks.
- Detailed SEO Extension also covers schema markup.
- 3.0GPA
META SEO inspector
Free
Free Chrome extension that lays out a page's hidden metadata.
- META SEO inspector also covers schema markup.
- 2.8GPA
Redirect Path
Free
Free Chrome extension that shows every redirect and status code.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is View Rendered Source free?
Yes. View Rendered Source is free to use.
How much does View Rendered Source cost?
View Rendered Source lists one plan. Free: $0.
Does View Rendered Source have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. View Rendered Source is listed for no platform we could confirm.
Does View Rendered Source have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. View Rendered Source is listed for no platform we could confirm.
Is View Rendered Source open source?
View Rendered Source is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Who makes View Rendered Source?
View Rendered Source is made by Peg Leg Ltd.
What are the alternatives to View Rendered Source?
The closest alternatives to View Rendered Source in our directory are SEO Minion, Web Developer, Detailed SEO Extension, META SEO inspector and Redirect Path.
How does View Rendered Source compare with other SEO browser extensions?
View Rendered Source's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 4 of the 34 other SEO browser extensions we grade, and level with 12.
Is View Rendered Source good value for money?
ToolGPA grades View Rendered Source A for value for money. View Rendered Source has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of View Rendered Source?
View Rendered Source is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from View Rendered Source’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from the developer's Chrome Web Store listing, its only page on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Peg Leg Ltd. Prices change, so check chromewebstore.google.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- View Rendered Source, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/view-rendered-source
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "View Rendered Source: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/view-rendered-source
Know someone choosing between SEO browser extensions?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/view-rendered-source/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded SEO browser extensions after View Rendered Source, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- SEO Browser Extensions Insider's GuideEvery one of the 35 SEO browser extensions we grade, compared
- SEOquake Insider's GuideFree Semrush extension for page audits and metrics in Google results3.2 GPA
- Botpresso SEO Extension Insider's GuideFree Chrome extension for on-page, link and n-gram SEO checks3.0 GPA
- Detailed SEO Extension Insider's GuideFree Chrome and Firefox extension for one-click on-page SEO checks3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what View Rendered Source’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. View Rendered Source is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Peg Leg Ltd. Prices and plans change: check chromewebstore.google.com before you buy.

