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Browser Extensions · head to head

AdBlock Plus vs Ghostery

AdBlock Plus logo

AdBlock Plus

Browser Extensions

The world's most popular ad blocker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ghostery logo

Ghostery

Browser Extensions

Block ads and stop trackers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AdBlock Plus acceptable Ads allowlist model generates controversy over ad filtering conflicts of interest; Ghostery database of trackers requires regular updates to remain current
  • They diverge on capability: AdBlock Plus covers Acceptable Ads, Ghostery covers Tracker blocking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AdBlock Plus and Ghostery actually diverge.

Attributes where AdBlock Plus and Ghostery differ
AttributeAdBlock PlusGhostery
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsChrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex BrowserFirefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera
Founded20062009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Browser Extensions).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AdBlock Plus

  • Acceptable Ads
  • Custom filters
  • Social media blocking

Only in Ghostery

  • Tracker blocking
  • Privacy dashboard
  • Enhanced anti-tracking

Both cover

  • Ad blocking
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support
  • Opera support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AdBlock Plus

  • Ad blocking for display ads, video advertisements including YouTube pre-roll/mid-roll/post-roll, pop-ups, flashing banners, and overlay adsnot Ghostery
  • Performance enhancement by eliminating ad content to accelerate page load times and reduce data and battery consumption on mobile devicesnot Ghostery
  • Security and privacy protection by blocking malware-infected ads (malvertising), preventing tracking by companies monitoring user behavior, and stopping access to malware-distributing sitesnot Ghostery
  • Supports web browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Safari, as well as iOS Safari and Android devicesnot Ghostery

Ghostery

  • Blocking ads and sponsored content before they loadnot AdBlock Plus
  • Preventing tracker profiling by replacing identifying data with random valuesnot AdBlock Plus
  • Automatically rejecting non-essential cookie consentnot AdBlock Plus
  • Seeing which companies track a given site through WhoTracks.Menot AdBlock Plus

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AdBlock Plus

  • Acceptable Ads allowlist model generates controversy over ad filtering conflicts of interest
  • Smaller feature set compared to open-source alternatives like uBlock Origin
  • Less customization and dynamic filtering compared to uBlock Origin
  • Mobile version less comprehensive than desktop extension
  • Chrome version increasingly limited due to Manifest V3 migration

Ghostery

  • Database of trackers requires regular updates to remain current
  • Some sites break functionality when trackers are aggressively blocked

Pricing, plan by plan

AdBlock Plus

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Ad blocking
    • Acceptable Ads option
    • Custom filters

Ghostery

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Ghostery review.

Which should you pick?

Choose AdBlock Plus if

  • You need acceptable ads.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser.
  • You also want custom filters.
AdBlock Plus review

Choose Ghostery if

  • You need tracker blocking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera.
  • You also want privacy dashboard.
Ghostery review

Questions people ask

Is AdBlock Plus or Ghostery better?
Neither clearly leads. AdBlock Plus starts at Free and Ghostery at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AdBlock Plus or Ghostery?
AdBlock Plus starts at Free and Ghostery at Free.
Does AdBlock Plus or Ghostery run on more platforms?
AdBlock Plus runs on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser. Ghostery runs on Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera.
Can I use AdBlock Plus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AdBlock Plus best used for?
AdBlock Plus is most often used for ad blocking for display ads, video advertisements including youtube pre-roll/mid-roll/post-roll, pop-ups, flashing banners, and overlay ads, performance enhancement by eliminating ad content to accelerate page load times and reduce data and battery consumption on mobile devices, security and privacy protection by blocking malware-infected ads (malvertising), preventing tracking by companies monitoring user behavior, and stopping access to malware-distributing sites, supports web browsers including chrome, firefox, edge, opera, and safari, as well as ios safari and android devices. Of those, ad blocking for display ads, video advertisements including youtube pre-roll/mid-roll/post-roll, pop-ups, flashing banners, and overlay ads and performance enhancement by eliminating ad content to accelerate page load times and reduce data and battery consumption on mobile devices are not what Ghostery is typically brought in for.
What can AdBlock Plus do that Ghostery cannot?
AdBlock Plus covers Acceptable Ads, Custom filters, Social media blocking. Ghostery covers Tracker blocking, Privacy dashboard, Enhanced anti-tracking. Both handle Ad blocking, Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AdBlock Plus: What does Adblock Plus block?

Adblock Plus blocks banner ads, pre-roll and mid-roll video ads on YouTube, pop-ups, sidebar ads, and most standard display formats. With Acceptable Ads disabled and EasyPrivacy enabled, it achieved a 100/100 score on AdBlock Tester in April 2026.

Source
Ghostery: Is Ghostery completely free?

Yes. Ghostery is a free ad blocking browser extension that you can install without paying a subscription. All of Ghostery's features are completely free to use, including ad blocking, tracker blocking, and cookie consent banner handling.

Source
AdBlock Plus: What browsers does Adblock Plus support?

Adblock Plus is available for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Yandex Browser.

Source
Ghostery: What browsers does Ghostery support?

Ghostery is available for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Edge and Safari as a browser extension.

Source
AdBlock Plus: Is there a premium version of Adblock Plus?

Yes. Adblock Plus Premium costs $40 annually or $4 per month and allows users to block cookie consent pop-ups, while the free version includes core ad blocking.

Source
Ghostery: What data does Ghostery collect?

Ghostery collects no personal information, ensuring your privacy remains protected while using the extension.

Source
AdBlock Plus: What is Acceptable Ads?

Acceptable Ads is an opt-in setting that allows advertising Adblock Plus deems unobtrusive to display on websites; it is disabled by default but can be toggled in Settings.

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