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Software · head to head

Violentmonkey vs AdBlock Plus

Violentmonkey logo

Violentmonkey

Software

Open source userscript manager

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
AdBlock Plus logo

AdBlock Plus

Software

The world's most popular ad blocker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Violentmonkey smaller script ecosystem compared to Tampermonkey which has larger user base and more available scripts; AdBlock Plus acceptable Ads allowlist model generates controversy over ad filtering conflicts of interest
  • They diverge on capability: Violentmonkey covers Userscript support, AdBlock Plus covers Ad blocking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Violentmonkey and AdBlock Plus differ
AttributeViolentmonkeyAdBlock Plus
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsChrome, Firefox, EdgeChrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser
Founded20132006

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 Violentmonkey

  • Userscript support
  • Clean interface
  • Cloud sync
  • Script editor

Only in AdBlock Plus

  • Ad blocking
  • Acceptable Ads
  • Custom filters
  • Social media blocking
  • Safari support

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.

Violentmonkey

  • Run open-source userscripts to customize or automate web pagesnot AdBlock Plus
  • Import scripts compatible with Greasemonkey and Tampermonkey formatsnot AdBlock Plus
  • Sync scripts and settings across browsers via Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, or WebDAVnot AdBlock Plus
  • Batch import/export scripts as zip filesnot AdBlock Plus

AdBlock Plus

No use cases recorded yet. See the AdBlock Plus review.

Where each one falls short

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

Violentmonkey

  • Smaller script ecosystem compared to Tampermonkey which has larger user base and more available scripts
  • Less marketing and visibility results in lower adoption compared to more widely-known alternatives
  • Community maintenance model means slower feature development compared to commercial alternatives

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Violentmonkey

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Violentmonkey review.

AdBlock Plus

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Violentmonkey if

  • You need userscript support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
  • You also want clean interface.
Violentmonkey review

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

Questions people ask

Is Violentmonkey or AdBlock Plus better?
Neither clearly leads. Violentmonkey starts at Free and AdBlock Plus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Violentmonkey or AdBlock Plus?
Violentmonkey starts at Free and AdBlock Plus at Free.
Does Violentmonkey or AdBlock Plus run on more platforms?
Violentmonkey runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge. AdBlock Plus runs on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser.
Can I use Violentmonkey for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Violentmonkey best used for?
Violentmonkey is most often used for run open-source userscripts to customize or automate web pages, import scripts compatible with greasemonkey and tampermonkey formats, sync scripts and settings across browsers via dropbox, onedrive, google drive, or webdav, batch import/export scripts as zip files. Of those, run open-source userscripts to customize or automate web pages and import scripts compatible with greasemonkey and tampermonkey formats are not what AdBlock Plus is typically brought in for.
What can Violentmonkey do that AdBlock Plus cannot?
Violentmonkey covers Userscript support, Clean interface, Cloud sync, Script editor. AdBlock Plus covers Ad blocking, Acceptable Ads, Custom filters, Social media blocking. Both handle Chrome support, Firefox support, Edge support, Opera support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Violentmonkey: Is Violentmonkey open-source?

Yes. Violentmonkey is fully open-source and available on GitHub, making it free to use and community-maintained unlike Tampermonkey which has a larger proprietary ecosystem.

Source
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
Violentmonkey: What browsers does Violentmonkey support?

Violentmonkey works on browsers with WebExtensions support, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers.

Source
AdBlock Plus: What browsers does Adblock Plus support?

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

Source
Violentmonkey: How does Violentmonkey compare to Tampermonkey in performance?

Community benchmarks show Violentmonkey uses about 15 to 30 percent less RAM on Chrome compared to Tampermonkey when managing many open tabs.

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
Violentmonkey: What is the current version of Violentmonkey?

Violentmonkey reached version 2.46.0 as of July 31, 2026, with active ongoing development and regular updates to the open-source project.

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.

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