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Software · head to head

Ghostery vs Stylus

Ghostery logo

Ghostery

Software

Block ads and stop trackers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stylus logo

Stylus

Software

Restyle the web with custom CSS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ghostery database of trackers requires regular updates to remain current; Stylus crashes and instability when applying certain styles
  • They diverge on capability: Ghostery covers Tracker blocking, Stylus covers Custom CSS injection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ghostery and Stylus actually diverge.

Attributes where Ghostery and Stylus differ
AttributeGhosteryStylus
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsFirefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, OperaChrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera
Founded20092017

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

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 Ghostery

  • Tracker blocking
  • Ad blocking
  • Privacy dashboard
  • Enhanced anti-tracking
  • Safari support

Only in Stylus

  • Custom CSS injection
  • Style management
  • userstyles.world integration
  • Built-in editor

Both cover

  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Opera support

What people use each for

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

Ghostery

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

Stylus

No use cases recorded yet. See the Stylus review.

Where each one falls short

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

Ghostery

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

Stylus

  • Crashes and instability when applying certain styles
  • No visual element selector tool for identifying page elements to style
  • Security risk if downloading and applying untrusted user-created styles

Pricing, plan by plan

Ghostery

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Ghostery review.

Stylus

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Custom CSS
    • Style library
    • Style editor

Which should you pick?

Choose Ghostery if

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

Choose Stylus if

  • You need custom css injection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
  • You also want style management.
Stylus review

Questions people ask

Is Ghostery or Stylus better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghostery starts at Free and Stylus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ghostery or Stylus?
Ghostery starts at Free and Stylus at Free.
Does Ghostery or Stylus run on more platforms?
Ghostery runs on Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera. Stylus runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
Can I use Ghostery for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Ghostery best used for?
Ghostery is most often used for blocking ads and sponsored content before they load, preventing tracker profiling by replacing identifying data with random values, automatically rejecting non-essential cookie consent, seeing which companies track a given site through whotracks.me. Of those, blocking ads and sponsored content before they load and preventing tracker profiling by replacing identifying data with random values are not what Stylus is typically brought in for.
What can Ghostery do that Stylus cannot?
Ghostery covers Tracker blocking, Ad blocking, Privacy dashboard, Enhanced anti-tracking. Stylus covers Custom CSS injection, Style management, userstyles.world integration, Built-in editor. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support, Opera support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Stylus: Is Stylus free?

Yes. Stylus is completely free and open-source, available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera browsers.

Source
Ghostery: What browsers does Ghostery support?

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

Source
Stylus: Can I use Stylus to change the browser UI?

No. Due to WebExtensions security restrictions, Stylus can only customize website pages, not the browser interface itself.

Source
Ghostery: What data does Ghostery collect?

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

Source
Stylus: What CSS pre-processors does Stylus support?

Stylus supports CSS, LESS, and Stylus syntax with built-in linting using Stylelint and CSSLint-mod with customizable rules.

Source
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