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AdBlock alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave AdBlock: acceptable Ads are on by default, and fewer power-user features than uBlock Origin. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces AdBlock, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Adblock Plus currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Adblock Plus logoAdblock PlusFree plan + paidYesBrowser extension, iOS, Android4 of 466.5
2uBlock Origin logouBlock OriginOpen sourceYesBrowser extension, Android5 of 562.6
3uBlock Origin Lite logouBlock Origin LiteOpen sourceYesBrowser extension, iOS, macOS3 of 359.6
4Ghostery logoGhosteryFreeYesBrowser extension, iOS, Android4 of 457.2
5Malwarebytes Browser Guard logoMalwarebytes Browser GuardFree plan + paidNoBrowser extension3 of 355.3
  1. Adblock Plus logo

    1. Adblock PlusTop pick

    Best for: Non-technical users who want a simple, widely supported blocker

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceBrowser extension, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from AdBlock

    Sister product with a near-identical feature set and wider mobile options.

    Pros

    • Available on every major browser and mobile
    • Simple setup with sensible defaults
    • Open source core extension

    Cons

    • Acceptable Ads shown by default, paid for by large companies
    • Fewer advanced controls than uBlock Origin
    • Some extras need a Premium subscription
    Visit Adblock Plus Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Adblock Plus a good AdBlock alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPLv3+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026adblockplus.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, iOS, Android
    Checked Oct 25, 2026adblockplus.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Funding
    Acceptable Ads licensing fees
    Checked Oct 25, 2026adblockplus.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Default filter lists
    EasyList and EasyPrivacy
    Checked Oct 25, 2026adblockplus.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. uBlock Origin logo

    2. uBlock Origin

    Best for: Firefox users who want the most capable, lightweight browser blocker available

    Open sourceBrowser extension, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from AdBlock

    No acceptable ads and stronger filtering, especially on Firefox.

    Pros

    • Very efficient on CPU and memory
    • Deep controls: custom filters, element picker, dynamic filtering
    • No acceptable-ads programme, no donations sought

    Cons

    • Removed from the Chrome Web Store; Chromium support is ending
    • Advanced mode is easy to misconfigure
    • Browser-only, so it can't block ads inside apps
    Visit uBlock Origin Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is uBlock Origin a good AdBlock alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    GPLv3
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Donations
    None sought
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Chrome Web Store
    Removed 31 August 2026
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Best browser
    Firefox
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Default lists
    EasyList, EasyPrivacy and uBO lists
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. uBlock Origin Lite logo

    3. uBlock Origin Lite

    Best for: Chrome, Edge and Safari users who want uBlock Origin's filtering after Manifest V3

    Open sourceBrowser extension, iOS, macOS

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from AdBlock

    Lean, free MV3 blocker without upsells for Chrome and Edge.

    Pros

    • Works on Chrome and Edge under Manifest V3
    • No background process, so near-zero resource use
    • Same team and core filter lists as uBlock Origin

    Cons

    • Less flexible than full uBlock Origin
    • MV3 rule limits weaken some cosmetic filtering
    • Fewer advanced controls for power users
    Visit uBlock Origin Lite Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is uBlock Origin Lite a good AdBlock alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Extension platform
    Manifest V3
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Background resource use
    None while filtering
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Browsers
    Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Ghostery logo

    4. Ghostery

    Best for: People who want ads, trackers and cookie pop-ups handled automatically

    FreeOpen sourceBrowser extension, iOS, Android

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from AdBlock

    Free open-source blocker with cookie-banner rejection included, no Premium needed.

    Pros

    • Rejects cookie banners automatically
    • Shows which trackers each site uses
    • Open source and free on all major browsers

    Cons

    • Fewer custom filtering options than uBlock Origin
    • Not available in Chrome on Android
    • Past data-monetisation history still worries some users
    Visit Ghostery Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Ghostery a good AdBlock alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cookie pop-ups
    Never-Consent rejects them automatically
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostery.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Browsers
    Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, Brave
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostery.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Downloads
    100+ million
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostery.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Malwarebytes Browser Guard logo

    5. Malwarebytes Browser Guard

    Best for: Less technical users who want ad blocking plus scam and phishing protection

    Free plan + paidBrowser extension

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from AdBlock

    Free blocker that adds scam and malicious-site protection.

    Pros

    • Blocks scams, phishing and malicious sites as well as ads
    • Free on Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari
    • Simple to use with little configuration

    Cons

    • Some protections need a paid Malwarebytes plan
    • Fewer filtering controls than dedicated blockers
    • Closed source
    Visit Malwarebytes Browser Guard Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Malwarebytes Browser Guard a good AdBlock alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026malwarebytes.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Browsers
    Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari
    Checked Oct 25, 2026malwarebytes.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium features
    With a Malwarebytes plan
    Checked Oct 25, 2026malwarebytes.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best AdBlock alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Adblock Plus logo

Best AdBlock alternative for most people

Adblock Plus

Sister product with a near-identical feature set and wider mobile options.

uBlock Origin logo

Best AdBlock alternative for a free option

uBlock Origin

No acceptable ads and stronger filtering, especially on Firefox.

Malwarebytes Browser Guard logo

Best AdBlock alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Malwarebytes Browser Guard

Free blocker that adds scam and malicious-site protection.

uBlock Origin Lite logo

Best AdBlock alternative for open source

uBlock Origin Lite

Lean, free MV3 blocker without upsells for Chrome and Edge.

uBlock Origin Lite logo

Best AdBlock alternative for Mac

uBlock Origin Lite

Lean, free MV3 blocker without upsells for Chrome and Edge.

Ghostery logo

Best AdBlock alternative for iPhone and Android

Ghostery

Free open-source blocker with cookie-banner rejection included, no Premium needed.

AdBlock alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to AdBlock?

Adblock Plus ranks first right now. Sister product with a near-identical feature set and wider mobile options. uBlock Origin and uBlock Origin Lite follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to AdBlock?

Yes. Adblock Plus (free plan + paid), uBlock Origin (open source), uBlock Origin Lite (open source) and Ghostery (free) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to AdBlock?

Yes: Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin, uBlock Origin Lite and Ghostery.

Why do people switch from AdBlock?

The complaints we hear most: acceptable Ads are on by default; fewer power-user features than uBlock Origin; upsells to Premium inside the extension.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces AdBlock, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.