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Browser Extensions · head to head

AdBlock Plus vs Stay

AdBlock Plus logo

AdBlock Plus

Browser Extensions

The world's most popular ad blocker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stay logo

Stay

Browser Extensions

Safari userscript manager that runs Tampermonkey scripts

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; Stay apple only. No Chrome, Firefox or Edge build, so it cannot serve a cross-browser workflow.
  • They diverge on capability: AdBlock Plus covers Ad blocking, Stay covers Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AdBlock Plus and Stay actually diverge.

Attributes where AdBlock Plus and Stay differ
AttributeAdBlock PlusStay
Pricing modelfreeone-time
PlatformsChrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex BrowserSafari, iOS, macOS
Founded2006Unknown

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 AdBlock Plus

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

Only in Stay

  • Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility
  • Userscript management
  • Cross-device bookmark sync
  • Download manager
  • Dark mode
  • One-time purchase across platforms

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

Stay

  • Running Tampermonkey scripts on Safarinot AdBlock Plus
  • Running userscripts on iPhone and iPadnot AdBlock Plus
  • Syncing bookmarks across Apple and non-Apple devicesnot AdBlock Plus
  • Managing downloads into categorised folders on iOSnot AdBlock Plus
  • Forcing dark mode on sites that do not offer itnot 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

Stay

  • Apple only. No Chrome, Firefox or Edge build, so it cannot serve a cross-browser workflow.
  • The free tier is deliberately limited, so the practical product is the paid one.
  • Compatibility with Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey scripts is a translation layer rather than the real thing, and a script relying on an unusual GM function may not behave identically.
  • It bundles bookmark sync, downloads and dark mode alongside the script manager, which is more surface area than some people want from an extension with access to every page.
  • A much smaller project than the established managers, so fewer scripts are tested against it.

Pricing, plan by plan

AdBlock Plus

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

Stay

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited functionality
  • Lifetime$5/one-time
    • All features
    • iPhone, iPad and Mac
    • Lifetime updates

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 Stay if

  • You need tampermonkey and violentmonkey compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Safari, iOS, macOS.
  • You also want userscript management.
Stay review

Questions people ask

Is AdBlock Plus or Stay better?
Neither clearly leads. AdBlock Plus starts at Free and Stay at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AdBlock Plus or Stay?
AdBlock Plus starts at Free and Stay at Free.
Does AdBlock Plus or Stay run on more platforms?
AdBlock Plus runs on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser. Stay runs on Safari, iOS, macOS.
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 Stay is typically brought in for.
What can AdBlock Plus do that Stay cannot?
AdBlock Plus covers Ad blocking, Acceptable Ads, Custom filters, Social media blocking. Stay covers Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey compatibility, Userscript management, Cross-device bookmark sync, Download manager.

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
Stay: Can Stay run Tampermonkey scripts?

Yes. It supports its own native scripts and also scripts written for Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey, which is the main reason to choose it on Safari.

Source
AdBlock Plus: What browsers does Adblock Plus support?

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

Source
Stay: How much does Stay cost?

A one-time payment, reported at around $5, covering iPhone, iPad and Mac with lifetime updates and no subscription. A free version with limited functionality is available.

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
Stay: Does Stay work on iPhone?

Yes. It supports Safari across iPhone, iPad and Mac, and the single purchase covers all three.

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.

Stay: What can userscripts do in Safari through Stay?

The vendor's examples are automatic pagination, immersive translation, redirect blocking and aggregated search. Anything a userscript can do on another browser is broadly in scope, subject to Safari's own restrictions.

Source
Stay: Is Stay open source?

The project publishes source on GitHub, and the app is distributed through the App Store as a paid product with a limited free tier.

Source
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Related pages

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