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Browser Extensions · head to head

Stylus vs uBlock Origin

Stylus logo

Stylus

Browser Extensions

Restyle the web with custom CSS

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: Stylus crashes and instability when applying certain styles; 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: Stylus covers Custom CSS injection, uBlock Origin covers Ad blocking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Stylus and uBlock Origin differ
AttributeStylusuBlock Origin
Founded20172014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera), 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 Stylus

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

Only in uBlock Origin

  • Ad blocking
  • Tracker blocking
  • Malware domain blocking
  • Custom filter lists

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.

Stylus

  • Customizing website appearance with community-created CSS themesnot uBlock Origin
  • Writing personal style overrides for specific websitesnot uBlock Origin
  • Managing multiple styles across different websites automaticallynot uBlock Origin
  • Searching and installing user-styles for current websitesnot uBlock Origin
  • Migrating style collections from Stylish extensionnot uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Stylus

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

uBlock Origin

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

Which should you pick?

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

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 Stylus or uBlock Origin better?
Neither clearly leads. Stylus 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, Stylus or uBlock Origin?
Stylus starts at Free and uBlock Origin at Free.
Does Stylus or uBlock Origin run on more platforms?
Both run on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Stylus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Stylus best used for?
Stylus is most often used for customizing website appearance with community-created css themes, writing personal style overrides for specific websites, managing multiple styles across different websites automatically, searching and installing user-styles for current websites. Of those, customizing website appearance with community-created css themes and writing personal style overrides for specific websites are not what uBlock Origin is typically brought in for.
What can Stylus do that uBlock Origin cannot?
Stylus covers Custom CSS injection, Style management, userstyles.world integration, Built-in editor. uBlock Origin covers Ad blocking, Tracker blocking, Malware domain blocking, Custom filter lists. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support, Opera support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Stylus: Is Stylus free?

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

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
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
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
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
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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