best text analysis
extensions 2026.
read between the lines of any message, profile, or thread — without leaving the tab.
most browser extensions help you write better. tells is different: it reads what other people write and surfaces what they actually mean. tone shifts, hesitation, underlying asks, and behavioral signals — in 12 languages.
v1.0.1·free to install·12 languages
install on Chrome
tells vs Crystal Knows vs Grammarly Tone
these three tools share a category name — text analysis — but solve different problems. here is an honest breakdown.
| feature | tells | Crystal Knows (crystalknows.com) |
Grammarly Tone (grammarly.com) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyses text written by others | ✓ core use case | partial profiles only | ✗ |
| Works on messages & email replies | ✓ | ✗ profiles only | ✗ your text only |
| Tone shift tracking across a thread | ✓ conversation mode | ✗ | ✗ |
| Hesitation / hedge detection | ✓ named hedges & backtracks | ✗ | ✗ |
| Underlying ask interpretation | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Suggested response framing | ✓ | partial communication tips | ✗ |
| Analyses your own writing tone | ✗ not the goal | ✗ | ✓ core use case |
| DISC / personality typing | ✗ | ✓ DISC + Enneagram | ✗ |
| Works on any pasted text | ✓ paste anything | ✗ LinkedIn integration only | partial active text field |
| Browser extension | ✓ Chrome (Firefox TBD) | ✓ Chrome + Gmail | ✓ Chrome + Firefox |
| Language support | ✓ 12 languages | ✗ English only | ✓ English primarily |
| Free tier | ✓ free to install | partial limited free | ✓ free tier |
| Price (paid) | workspace plans — see tells.voiddo.com/pricing | from $49/mo | from $12/mo (Premium) |
analysis modes
tells has two input modes designed for different reading tasks.
when to use each tool
the three tools solve different problems. pick the one that matches your actual need.
frequently asked questions
What is the best browser extension for text analysis?
tells is the only browser extension focused on reading inbound text — messages, profiles, replies, and conversations — for tone shifts, hesitation, and hidden signals. Crystal Knows analyses personality from static LinkedIn profiles; Grammarly analyses tone in text you write. tells fills the gap: what does this message, email, or bio actually signal?
How is tells different from Grammarly's tone detector?
Grammarly's tone detector works on text you are writing — it tells you how your draft sounds to a reader. tells works on text written by other people — you paste a message, profile, or thread and it surfaces what the other person's language signals: tone shifts, hedges, backtracks, underlying asks, and suggested response framing. These are complementary but opposite directions.
Does tells work on LinkedIn messages and Twitter/X profiles?
Yes. tells works on any text you can copy and paste — LinkedIn messages, Twitter/X threads, email replies, Slack messages, dating-app bios, job postings, or any other source. You paste the text into the tells panel and it runs analysis without leaving the tab.
What signals does tells detect?
tells surfaces: tone label (e.g. guarded, direct, deflecting), hesitation markers (hedges, backtracks, qualifiers counted), underlying ask (what the person actually wants vs. what they said), signal density score, and a suggested response frame. In conversation mode it also tracks how positions shift across turns.
Which languages does tells support?
tells supports 12 languages: English, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Turkish, and Polish. Paste in the original language and analysis runs in the same language by default.
Does tells send my text to a server?
Analysis requires a server call for language processing. tells sends only the text you explicitly paste into the panel — not background page content, browsing history, or any other data. Workspace plans include analysis history stored server-side; free use does not retain history.