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Browser Extensions · head to head

Ghostery vs Mercury Reader

Ghostery logo

Ghostery

Browser Extensions

Block ads and stop trackers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
M

Mercury Reader

Browser Extensions

Clear clutter from articles instantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ghostery database of trackers requires regular updates to remain current; Mercury Reader mercury Reader's underlying engine (Postlight Parser) is free open source software licensed under Apache License 2.0, per the GitHub repository, with no paid tier
  • They diverge on capability: Ghostery covers Tracker blocking, Mercury Reader covers Content extraction.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ghostery and Mercury Reader actually diverge.

Attributes where Ghostery and Mercury Reader differ
AttributeGhosteryMercury Reader
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsFirefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, OperaChrome, Firefox, Edge
Founded20092015

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 Ghostery

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

Only in Mercury Reader

  • Content extraction
  • Clean reading view
  • Custom themes
  • Font customization

Both cover

  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge 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 Mercury Reader
  • Preventing tracker profiling by replacing identifying data with random valuesnot Mercury Reader
  • Automatically rejecting non-essential cookie consentnot Mercury Reader
  • Seeing which companies track a given site through WhoTracks.Menot Mercury Reader

Mercury Reader

No use cases recorded yet. See the Mercury Reader 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

Mercury Reader

  • Mercury Reader's underlying engine (Postlight Parser) is free open source software licensed under Apache License 2.0, per the GitHub repository, with no paid tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Ghostery

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Ghostery review.

Mercury Reader

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Clutter removal
    • Clean reading
    • Custom themes

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 Mercury Reader if

  • You need content extraction.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
  • You also want clean reading view.
Mercury Reader review

Questions people ask

Is Ghostery or Mercury Reader better?
Neither clearly leads. Ghostery starts at Free and Mercury Reader at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ghostery or Mercury Reader?
Ghostery starts at Free and Mercury Reader at Free.
Does Ghostery or Mercury Reader run on more platforms?
Ghostery runs on Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera. Mercury Reader runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
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 Mercury Reader is typically brought in for.
What can Ghostery do that Mercury Reader cannot?
Ghostery covers Tracker blocking, Ad blocking, Privacy dashboard, Enhanced anti-tracking. Mercury Reader covers Content extraction, Clean reading view, Custom themes, Font customization. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge 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
Ghostery: What browsers does Ghostery support?

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

Source
Ghostery: What data does Ghostery collect?

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

Source
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