Where it blocks18 of 23
Blocking26 of 26
Privacy and trust20 of 20
Price31 of 31
ad blocker · Raymond Hill
uBlock Origin
Free, open-source blocker for ads, trackers and malware sites. The full add-on runs on Firefox, Edge and Opera; Chrome gets a Lite edition.
The full uBlock Origin was removed from the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026; on Chrome the project now offers uBlock Origin Lite1,3.
In short
- uBlock Origin is free, and the project says it seeks no donations1.
- The full add-on is listed for Firefox (desktop and Android), Edge and Opera; it left the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 20261,5,6,7.
- uBlock Origin Lite, built on Manifest V3, is listed for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, and needs iOS 18.5 or later on iPhone and iPad3,4.
- By default it blocks ads, trackers and malware sites using EasyList, EasyPrivacy, Peter Lowe's list and an Online Malicious URL Blocklist1.
- Source code is public under GPL-3.01.
uBlock Origin suits people who want a free, open-source blocker with their own filter rules and no data collection1,2,9,10. The full add-on runs on Firefox, Edge and Opera, while Chrome users get the Lite edition built for Manifest V31,3. The catch: Lite is a pared-down version, the full add-on left the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026, and the blocker works only inside browsers1,8.
Best for: People who want a free, open-source blocker with their own filter rules.
Where the points come from
Where it blocks 18 of 23 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Windows browsers | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, OperaThe full add-on is listed for Firefox, Edge and Opera; Chrome lists uBO Lite1,3,5,6,7. | 12 / 12 |
| Blocks outside the browser | NoThe project describes uBO as a blocker for Chromium and Firefox; its README lists no Windows app or system-wide DNS setting1. | 0 / 5 |
| Phone protection | iOS, AndroidAndroid: the full add-on runs in Firefox for Android. iOS: uBO Lite for Safari on iPhone and iPad, free on the App Store1,4,5. | 6 / 6 |
Blocking 26 of 26 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Still works in Chrome after Manifest V2 | YesOn Chrome the project offers uBO Lite, a named Lite edition based on the Manifest V3 API; the full add-on is Manifest V23,8. | 4 / 4 |
| Your own block rules | YesMy filters takes your own rules; the Filter lists pane imports third-party lists by URL. Lite also takes custom filters9,10,11. | 7 / 7 |
| Malicious site blocking | YesBy default it blocks malware sites using lists such as the Online Malicious URL Blocklist1. | 5 / 5 |
| Cookie pop-up blocking | YesThe project publishes a 'uBlock filters – Cookie Notices' list that hides cookie banners12; its Filter lists wiki names it9. | 4 / 4 |
| No ad allow-list on by default | YesThe README lists the default lists: EasyList, EasyPrivacy, Peter Lowe's, Online Malicious URL Blocklist and uBO lists. None is an allow-list of ads1. | 6 / 6 |
Privacy and trust 20 of 20 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | YesSource code is public on GitHub under the GPL-3.0 licence1. | 10 / 10 |
| No browsing history kept | YesPrivacy policy: uBO collects no data of any kind; the project says it cannot 'phone home' with your browsing data2,13. | 6 / 6 |
| Works without an account | YesInstalls from the Firefox, Edge and Opera stores. The project says uBO has no dedicated server1,13. | 4 / 4 |
Price 31 of 31 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | YesThe project calls it free and open source, and seeks no donations1. | 12 / 12 |
| Cheapest paid plan | $0No paid plan; the project is free and seeks no donations1. | 12 / 12 |
| Devices on one paid plan | 99No paid plan, so no device limit applies; we record 991. | 4 / 4 |
| Money-back guarantee | YesNo paid plan, so there is nothing to refund; we score this as true1. | 3 / 3 |
The rule behind each line: how we score ad blockers.
Plans and prices
As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.
Strengths
- Free, with no paid plan, and the project says it seeks no donations1.
- Source code is public on GitHub under GPL-3.01.
- The privacy policy says uBO collects no data of any kind and embeds no analytics or telemetry2.
- You can write your own filters or import third-party lists by URL9,10.
- The full add-on runs in Firefox for Android, and Lite is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad4,5.
Limits
- The full add-on left the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026; the project says Chrome users must find a replacement, such as uBlock Origin Lite1,11.
- The Lite FAQ says it cannot support dynamic filtering or the per-site switches for remote fonts and scripting, and that it is less effective against anti-blocker sites11.
- Microsoft has said Edge will start moving consumers off Manifest V2 extensions from August 2026, and the full add-on is Manifest V21,8.
- On iPhone and iPad the App Store listing is uBlock Origin Lite, which needs iOS 18.5 or later4.
What Raymond Hill says
Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.
- The project calls uBlock Origin a CPU and memory-efficient content blocker1.
Other ad blockers
- 2
GhosteryPeople who want a free, open-source blocker with cookie pop-up handling82/100$0cheapest paid plan - 3
AdGuard DNSPeople who want device-wide blocking and a plan with their own rules77/100$1.67/mocheapest paid plan - 4
Control DPeople who want to filter every device by DNS and write their own domain rules73/100$2.50/mocheapest paid plan - 5
NextDNSPeople who want one blocker for every app and device on the network71/100$1.86/mocheapest paid plan
uBlock Origin vs Ghostery · uBlock Origin vs AdGuard DNS · All 12 ad blockers
Sources
- gorhill/uBlock, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Privacy policy, uBlock Origin wiki on GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- uBlockOrigin/uBOL-home, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- uBlock Origin Lite, Apple App Store. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- uBlock Origin, Mozilla Add-ons. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- uBlock Origin extension, Opera add-ons. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- uBlock Origin, Microsoft Edge Add-ons. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- About Google Chrome's "This extension may soon no longer be supported", uBlock Origin wiki on GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Dashboard: Filter lists, uBlock Origin wiki on GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Dashboard: My filters, uBlock Origin wiki on GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ), uBO Lite wiki on GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- uBlock filters – Cookie Notices, uBlock Origin uAssets on GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Can you trust uBlock Origin?, uBlock Origin wiki on GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Website: github.com/gorhill/uBlock · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Raymond Hill.