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Cybersecurity · head to head

ProtonVPN vs uBlock Origin

ProtonVPN logo

ProtonVPN

Cybersecurity

High-speed Swiss VPN that safeguards your privacy

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: ProtonVPN free plan limited to one device at a time; 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: ProtonVPN covers No-logs policy, uBlock Origin covers Ad blocking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ProtonVPN and uBlock Origin actually diverge.

Attributes where ProtonVPN and uBlock Origin differ
AttributeProtonVPNuBlock Origin
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, AndroidChrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera
CategoryCybersecurityBrowser Extensions

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2014).

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 ProtonVPN

  • No-logs policy
  • Secure Core
  • Kill Switch
  • DNS leak protection
  • Tor over VPN
  • Split tunneling
  • NetShield ad-blocker
  • VPN Accelerator

Only in uBlock Origin

  • Ad blocking
  • Tracker blocking
  • Malware domain blocking
  • Custom filter lists
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Opera support

What people use each for

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

ProtonVPN

  • Privacy-focused browsing without subscription costnot uBlock Origin
  • Multi-device protection with Plus plan supporting 10 devicesnot uBlock Origin
  • Integrated access to Proton email and cloud services via Unlimited plannot uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin

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

Where each one falls short

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

ProtonVPN

  • Free plan limited to one device at a time
  • Free plan restricted to 10 countries with random selection
  • Pricing amounts not clearly published; shown as variable

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

ProtonVPN

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ProtonVPN review.

uBlock Origin

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

Which should you pick?

Choose ProtonVPN if

  • You need no-logs policy.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want secure core.
ProtonVPN review

Choose uBlock Origin if

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

Questions people ask

Is ProtonVPN or uBlock Origin better?
Neither clearly leads. ProtonVPN 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, ProtonVPN or uBlock Origin?
ProtonVPN starts at Free and uBlock Origin at Free.
Does ProtonVPN or uBlock Origin run on more platforms?
ProtonVPN runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. uBlock Origin runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
Can I use ProtonVPN for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ProtonVPN best used for?
ProtonVPN is most often used for privacy-focused browsing without subscription cost, multi-device protection with plus plan supporting 10 devices, integrated access to proton email and cloud services via unlimited plan. Of those, privacy-focused browsing without subscription cost and multi-device protection with plus plan supporting 10 devices are not what uBlock Origin is typically brought in for.
What can ProtonVPN do that uBlock Origin cannot?
ProtonVPN covers No-logs policy, Secure Core, Kill Switch, DNS leak protection. uBlock Origin covers Ad blocking, Tracker blocking, Malware domain blocking, Custom filter lists.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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