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Disconnect alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Disconnect: doesn't aim to remove all visible ads, and paid tiers overlap with VPN services. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Disconnect, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Privacy Badger currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Privacy Badger logoPrivacy BadgerFreeYesBrowser extension, Android3 of 366.5
2Ghostery logoGhosteryFreeYesBrowser extension, iOS, Android4 of 462.6
3Lockdown Privacy logoLockdown PrivacyFree plan + paidYesiOS, macOS3 of 359.6
4NextDNS logoNextDNSFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +34 of 457.2
  1. Privacy Badger logo

    1. Privacy BadgerTop pick

    Best for: People who want automatic tracker blocking from a trusted non-profit

    FreeOpen sourceBrowser extension, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Disconnect

    Free non-profit tracker blocker that learns trackers automatically.

    Pros

    • Made by the EFF, a digital rights non-profit
    • Works with no settings or configuration
    • Sends Global Privacy Control signals

    Cons

    • Doesn't block non-tracking ads
    • Overlaps heavily with full content blockers
    • Learning approach can occasionally break embeds
    Visit Privacy Badger 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 Privacy Badger a good Disconnect alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Developer
    Electronic Frontier Foundation
    Checked Oct 25, 2026privacybadger.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Approach
    Algorithmic tracker detection
    Checked Oct 25, 2026privacybadger.org(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    GPL v3 or later
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Ghostery logo

    2. Ghostery

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

    FreeOpen sourceBrowser extension, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Disconnect

    Shows trackers per site and also blocks ads and cookie banners.

    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 ×0.387
    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 Ghostery a good Disconnect 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)
  3. Lockdown Privacy logo

    3. Lockdown Privacy

    Best for: iPhone and Mac users who want to block trackers inside apps for free

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceiOS, macOS

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Disconnect

    Free open-source tracker firewall for iPhone and Mac apps.

    Pros

    • Blocks trackers in all apps, not just the browser
    • Runs on device; traffic isn't sent to a server
    • Free and open-source firewall

    Cons

    • Takes the device's VPN slot
    • Secure Tunnel VPN is a paid extra
    • Apple platforms only
    Visit Lockdown Privacy 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 Lockdown Privacy a good Disconnect alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes, free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026lockdownprivacy.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Features
    Firewall and Secure Tunnel VPN
    Checked Oct 25, 2026lockdownprivacy.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Processing
    On-device
    Checked Oct 25, 2026lockdownprivacy.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. NextDNS logo

    4. NextDNS

    Best for: People who want Pi-hole-style blocking on all devices without running a server

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Disconnect

    DNS filtering with tracker blocklists across every device.

    Pros

    • Works everywhere, including on mobile data
    • All features available on the free plan
    • Very cheap paid plan with unlimited queries

    Cons

    • Free plan stops blocking after 300,000 queries a month
    • DNS queries are handled by a third party
    • Can't remove ads served from the same domain as content
    Visit NextDNS 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 NextDNS a good Disconnect alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    300,000 queries/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026nextdns.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Over quota
    Resolves without blocking
    Checked Oct 25, 2026nextdns.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid plan
    Unlimited queries
    Checked Oct 25, 2026nextdns.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Payment methods
    Cards, PayPal, crypto
    Checked Oct 25, 2026nextdns.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best Disconnect alternative for…

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

Privacy Badger logo

Best Disconnect alternative for most people

Privacy Badger

Free non-profit tracker blocker that learns trackers automatically.

Ghostery logo

Best Disconnect alternative for a free option

Ghostery

Shows trackers per site and also blocks ads and cookie banners.

Lockdown Privacy logo

Best Disconnect alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Lockdown Privacy

Free open-source tracker firewall for iPhone and Mac apps.

Privacy Badger logo

Best Disconnect alternative for open source

Privacy Badger

Free non-profit tracker blocker that learns trackers automatically.

NextDNS logo

Best Disconnect alternative for Mac

NextDNS

DNS filtering with tracker blocklists across every device.

NextDNS logo

Best Disconnect alternative for Windows

NextDNS

DNS filtering with tracker blocklists across every device.

NextDNS logo

Best Disconnect alternative for Linux

NextDNS

DNS filtering with tracker blocklists across every device.

Ghostery logo

Best Disconnect alternative for iPhone and Android

Ghostery

Shows trackers per site and also blocks ads and cookie banners.

NextDNS logo

Best Disconnect alternative for working in the browser

NextDNS

DNS filtering with tracker blocklists across every device.

Disconnect alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Disconnect?

Privacy Badger ranks first right now. Free non-profit tracker blocker that learns trackers automatically. Ghostery and Lockdown Privacy follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Disconnect?

Yes. Privacy Badger (free), Ghostery (free), Lockdown Privacy (free plan + paid) and NextDNS (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Disconnect?

Yes: Privacy Badger, Ghostery and Lockdown Privacy.

Which Disconnect alternatives work on Linux?

NextDNS runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Disconnect?

The complaints we hear most: doesn't aim to remove all visible ads; paid tiers overlap with VPN services; company focus has shifted toward business products.

How is this list ranked?

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