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Browser Extensions · head to head

AdBlock Plus vs Mullvad VPN

AdBlock Plus logo

AdBlock Plus

Browser Extensions

The world's most popular ad blocker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
M

Mullvad VPN

Cybersecurity

Privacy-first VPN with one flat price and no email required to sign up

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AdBlock Plus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AdBlock Plus acceptable Ads allowlist model generates controversy over ad filtering conflicts of interest; Mullvad VPN offers no free trial or free tier, unlike several consumer VPN competitors.
  • They diverge on capability: AdBlock Plus covers Ad blocking, Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AdBlock Plus and Mullvad VPN actually diverge.

Attributes where AdBlock Plus and Mullvad VPN differ
AttributeAdBlock PlusMullvad VPN
Starting priceFree$5/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsChrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browserwindows, mac, linux, ios, android
CategoryBrowser ExtensionsCybersecurity
Founded20062009

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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

  • Ad blocking
  • Acceptable Ads
  • Custom filters
  • Social media blocking
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

Only in Mullvad VPN

  • Flat single pricing
  • Account-number signup
  • Cash and crypto payments
  • WireGuard support
  • Independent audits

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 Mullvad VPN
  • Performance enhancement by eliminating ad content to accelerate page load times and reduce data and battery consumption on mobile devicesnot Mullvad VPN
  • Security and privacy protection by blocking malware-infected ads (malvertising), preventing tracking by companies monitoring user behavior, and stopping access to malware-distributing sitesnot Mullvad VPN
  • Supports web browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Safari, as well as iOS Safari and Android devicesnot Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN

  • Paying for a VPN anonymously with cash or cryptocurrencynot AdBlock Plus
  • Avoiding tiered upsells with a single flat-rate plannot AdBlock Plus
  • Signing up without providing an email addressnot AdBlock Plus
  • Verifying a provider's privacy claims via independent auditsnot 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

Mullvad VPN

  • Offers no free trial or free tier, unlike several consumer VPN competitors.
  • Lacks a bundled tiered structure, so there is no cheaper limited plan for occasional users.
  • Server network and streaming-unblocking performance is smaller than large mainstream VPN providers.
  • No annual discount, meaning long-term subscribers pay the same monthly rate as short-term users.

Pricing, plan by plan

AdBlock Plus

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

Mullvad VPN

$5/month
  • Mullvad VPN$5/month
    • Flat rate regardless of subscription length
    • 5 simultaneous devices
    • No email required

Which should you pick?

Choose AdBlock Plus if

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

Choose Mullvad VPN if

  • You need flat single pricing.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
  • You also want account-number signup.
Mullvad VPN review

Questions people ask

Is AdBlock Plus or Mullvad VPN better?
Neither clearly leads. AdBlock Plus starts at Free and Mullvad VPN at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AdBlock Plus or Mullvad VPN?
AdBlock Plus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AdBlock Plus and $5/month for Mullvad VPN.
Does AdBlock Plus or Mullvad VPN run on more platforms?
AdBlock Plus runs on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser. Mullvad VPN runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
Can I use AdBlock Plus for free?
Yes. AdBlock Plus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mullvad VPN starts at $5/month.
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 Mullvad VPN is typically brought in for.
What can AdBlock Plus do that Mullvad VPN cannot?
AdBlock Plus covers Ad blocking, Acceptable Ads, Custom filters, Social media blocking. Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, Account-number signup, Cash and crypto payments, WireGuard 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
AdBlock Plus: What browsers does Adblock Plus support?

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

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
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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