← Back home · Compare
Anouk vs WXT
Browser-extension framework (Vite-powered, TS-first)
WXT is a build-tooling competitor to Plasmo. Anouk is not in that race — it is the AI service you import into whatever framework you chose.
| Feature | Anouk | WXT | Better fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layer in the stack | AI runtime + settings inside an extension | Full Vite-based extension framework | Comparable |
| Provider adapter | One OpenAI-compatible client for 5+ providers | Bring your own | Anouk |
| Response cache | Built-in, keyed per request id | Out of scope | Anouk |
| Rate-limit queue | Per-provider queueing built in | Out of scope | Anouk |
| Runtime settings UI | Pre-built settings panel | Build your own | Anouk |
| Build system | Out of scope (use esbuild / Vite / WXT) | Vite-powered dev + build, HMR | WXT |
| TypeScript-first DX | JS today; usable from TS | TypeScript-first across the framework | WXT |
| Multi-browser targets | Not in scope (Chrome / Chromium MV3 today) | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari from one source | WXT |
| Manifest generation | Template ships a working MV3 manifest | Auto-generated from convention | WXT |
| Composable with | WXT, Plasmo, hand-rolled extensions | Standalone framework | Anouk |
Pick Anouk when
- ▸You picked WXT (or anything else) for the build layer and just need the AI plumbing
- ▸You want a runtime-configurable settings panel so users supply their own provider and key
- ▸You want a single OpenAI-compatible adapter rather than a stack of provider SDKs
- ▸You want a scaffold that hands you a working Manifest V3 extension to use as a reference
Pick WXT when
- ▸You are choosing a build framework and want Vite + TypeScript + multi-browser targets done well
- ▸You want auto-generated manifests, file-based entrypoints, and a modern dev server
- ▸You want a framework that targets Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari from the same source tree
- ▸You are not (yet) adding AI features and want the best general-purpose extension framework
They compose, not compete
Most teams will pick WXT (or similar) for the build layer and Anouk for the AI layer. Use both. The only thing they share is the manifest.