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Browser Extensions · head to head

AdBlock Plus vs uBlock Origin

AdBlock Plus logo

AdBlock Plus

Browser Extensions

The world's most popular ad blocker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
uBlock Origin logo

uBlock Origin

Browser Extensions

Free, open-source ad content blocker

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; uBlock Origin cNAME uncloaking of third-party trackers disguised as first-party is only available on Firefox, because the required DNS API does not exist in Chromium
  • They diverge on capability: AdBlock Plus covers Acceptable Ads, uBlock Origin 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 uBlock Origin actually diverge.

Attributes where AdBlock Plus and uBlock Origin differ
AttributeAdBlock PlusuBlock Origin
PlatformsChrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex BrowserChrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera
Founded20062014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (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
  • Safari support

Only in uBlock Origin

  • Tracker blocking
  • Malware domain blocking
  • Custom filter lists

Both cover

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

uBlock Origin

  • Ad and tracker blocking in web browsersnot AdBlock Plus
  • Privacy protection while browsing the webnot AdBlock Plus
  • Reducing bandwidth usage by blocking adsnot AdBlock Plus
  • Users seeking open-source browser extensionsnot 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

uBlock Origin

  • CNAME uncloaking of third-party trackers disguised as first-party is only available on Firefox, because the required DNS API does not exist in Chromium
  • HTML filtering of response bodies requires the webRequest.filterResponseData API, which is only available in Firefox
  • On Chromium-based browsers uBO is not reliably ready at browser launch, so tracker and advertisement payloads can reach already-open tabs before filtering starts
  • Pre-fetch blocking is not reliable on Chromium-based browsers because they give websites precedence over user settings
  • The Chromium build does not use the WebAssembly filtering code paths, because the extra manifest permission would create friction publishing to the Chrome Web Store
  • LZ4 storage compression is Firefox only, and on Chromium in incognito mode IndexedDB resets, so uBO launches with out-of-date filter lists

Pricing, plan by plan

AdBlock Plus

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

uBlock Origin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Ad blocking
    • Tracker blocking
    • Custom filter lists

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 uBlock Origin if

  • You need tracker blocking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
  • You also want malware domain blocking.
uBlock Origin review

Questions people ask

Is AdBlock Plus or uBlock Origin better?
Neither clearly leads. AdBlock Plus starts at Free and uBlock Origin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AdBlock Plus or uBlock Origin?
AdBlock Plus starts at Free and uBlock Origin at Free.
Does AdBlock Plus or uBlock Origin run on more platforms?
AdBlock Plus runs on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser. uBlock Origin runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, 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 uBlock Origin is typically brought in for.
What can AdBlock Plus do that uBlock Origin cannot?
AdBlock Plus covers Acceptable Ads, Custom filters, Social media blocking, Safari support. uBlock Origin covers Tracker blocking, Malware domain blocking, Custom filter lists. 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
uBlock Origin: How much does uBlock Origin cost?

uBlock Origin is completely free and open-source software with no licensing fees, subscriptions, or commercial restrictions.

Source
AdBlock Plus: What browsers does Adblock Plus support?

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

Source
uBlock Origin: Is uBlock Origin open source?

Yes, uBlock Origin is distributed under the GPL-3.0 License with source code publicly available on GitHub. The project encourages community review and contribution.

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
uBlock Origin: Does uBlock Origin accept donations?

No, uBlock Origin explicitly does not accept donations. The project instead encourages users to support the developers maintaining the filter lists that power 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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