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The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
Best for privacy-focused users
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Completely free, open-source privacy tool that detects and blocks third-party trackers
Automatically opts out of data sharing and tracking
Can block some contextual ads and analytics tools
Best for ad-blocking enthusiasts
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Free product blocks ads, pop-up, trackers, push notifications, social media icons tracking, and even YouTube video ads
Open-source software allows for custom filtering and community-based support
In our Adblock Plus vs. Privacy Badger comparison, Adblock Plus fared better because of its ad blocking test scores and its Premium plan extras. With Adblock Plus Premium, you can block site notifications, survey requests, cookie consent pop-ups, and more.
Privacy Badger is useful for blocking third-party trackers and it's free to use. However, it wasn't designed to block ads, so it doesn’t effectively stop video, banner, or push ads.
Below is a thorough comparison of these two blockers, their features, and their prices.
| Ad blocker |  Total Adblock |
 Surfshark CleanWeb |
 Aura Ad Block and Anti-Track |
 NordVPN Threat Protection |
| Best for | Best for blocking YouTube ads | Best for unlimited devices | Best for identity protection | Best for safe browsing |
| Lowest starting price | Starts at $1.59/mo (billed annually) | Starts at $2.89/mo (billed annually) | Starts at $19.99/first yr | Starts at $5.99/mo (billed annually) |
| Blocks YouTube ads | ||||
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get Surfshark CleanWeb Ad Blocking | Get Aura Ad Blocker | Get NordVPN Threat Protection |
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Our Pick
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| Star rating | N/A | |
| Best for | Privacy-focused users | Ad-blocking enthusiasts |
| Price | Free | $3.33-$4.00/mo |
| Ads blocked on Forbes | 31 | 30 |
| Does it block YouTube ads? | ||
| Compatibility | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Yandex |
| Mobile compatibility | Browsers for Android | Android, iOS |
| Learn more | Read Privacy Badger Review | Read Adblock Plus Review |
Free product blocks ads, pop-ups, and even YouTube video ads
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Our Pick
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| |
| Price range | Free | $3.33-$4.00/mo |
| Best value plan | Free | Yearly plan for $3.33/mo (billed annually) |
| Free version available | ||
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 60 days | |
| Learn more | Read Privacy Badger Review | Read Adblock Plus Review |
Privacy Badger is completely free — supported by donations — and doesn’t offer any paid plans. This makes it an excellent choice for users looking for a cost-effective way to enhance their online privacy without additional expenses.
On the other hand, Adblock Plus offers both a free plan and a Premium version. The best value for Adblock Plus is its yearly plan at $3.33/mo (billed annually). This plan blocks a variety of ads, including YouTube ads, and offers additional privacy features.
Adblock Plus also provides a 60-day money-back guarantee, offering a risk-free way to try the premium features.
| Feature |
|
Our Pick |
| Whitelisting | ||
| Blacklisting | ||
| Ads blocked counter | ||
| Bypasses paywalls | ||
| Block pop-up ads | ||
| Block tracking | ||
| Block video ads | ||
| Block banner ads | ||
| Block push ads | ||
| Learn more | Read Privacy Badger Review | Read Adblock Plus Review |
Privacy Badger focuses primarily on blocking third-party trackers to ensure users' online activities are not monitored. It supports whitelisting, so you can specify sites where tracking is allowed, but it doesn't include blacklisting.
Privacy Badger doesn’t effectively block video, banner, or push ads, but that's because it wasn't created to block ads.
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In contrast, Adblock Plus offers a more extensive feature set aimed at improving the browsing experience by blocking a variety of ad types. It supports both whitelisting and blacklisting, providing users with more control over their browsing.
Adblock Plus effectively blocks pop-up ads, video ads, banner ads, and push ads. With the Premium plan, you can block site notifications, survey requests, floating videos, and cookie consent pop-ups.
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| Feature |
|
Our Pick |
| AdBlock Tester score | 67/100 | 100/100 |
| Cover Your Tracks score | 2/3 | 0/3 |
| Can You Block It score | 2/3 | 1/3 |
| YouTube ads blocked | ||
| Paywalls bypassed | ||
| Learn more | Read Privacy Badger Review | Read Adblock Plus Review |
We start our ad blocker tests by visiting AdBlock Tester. With this test, Privacy Badger scored 67/100, which shows it wasn't made to block ads.
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On the other hand, Adblock Plus received a perfect 100/100 AdBlock Tester score.
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Privacy Badger did have the upper hand with Cover Your Tracks and Can You Block It. Cover Your Tracks confirmed Privacy Badger provides strong protection against trackers. And in the Can You Block test, it blocked banner ads and ad blocker detection warnings.
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Finally, Adblock Plus can block ads on YouTube, which Privacy Badger isn't capable of doing.
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Our Pick | |
| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| Browser extensions | Android, iOS, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, Yandex |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Email, online guides | Email, online guides |
| Learn more | Read Privacy Badger Review | Read Adblock Plus Review |
Both Privacy Badger and Adblock Plus offer user-friendly interfaces that are easy to navigate. However, Adblock Plus stands out with its comprehensive customization options, which are readily accessible through its intuitive settings menu.
Users can easily find and configure features like whitelisting, blacklisting, and various blocking options without much hassle. Privacy Badger lacks some of these advanced features, which might limit its appeal for users seeking extensive control over their browsing experience.
Both options have extensions for popular browsers. Privacy Badger supports Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera, while Adblock Plus extends its compatibility to include Safari and Yandex as well.
In terms of customer support, both products have the same options and neither offers 24/7 support, live chat, or phone support.
Privacy Badger is still good, especially if you're primarily concerned with online privacy and blocking third-party trackers.
While it doesn't block as many ads as traditional ad blockers like Adblock Plus, it excels at preventing trackers from following your online activity.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) maintains Privacy Badger, continually updating it to keep up with evolving tracking techniques.
No, Privacy Badger doesn't collect any personal data.
Adblock Plus is considered highly trustworthy and is one of the most popular ad blocking tools available. It’s an open-source project, meaning its code is publicly available for review, which adds a layer of transparency and trustworthiness.
Adblock Plus is the better choice, especially for users looking for comprehensive ad blocking and willing to pay for premium features. It effectively blocks a wide range of ads, including YouTube ads, pop-ups, and banners.
| Category |
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Our Pick
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| Value | ||
| Features | ||
| Test results | ||
| Compatibility & customer support | ||
| Learn more | Read Privacy Badger Review | Read Adblock Plus Review |
Adblock Plus offers more customization options with whitelisting and blacklisting features, making it a versatile tool for users who want greater control over their browsing experience.
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Free product blocks ads, pop-up, trackers, push notifications, social media icons tracking, and even YouTube video ads
Open-source software allows for custom filtering and community-based support
Privacy Badger excels in privacy protection, focusing on blocking third-party trackers for a more private browsing experience. It’s completely free, but its ad blocking capabilities are limited — it doesn’t block video, banner, or push ads effectively.
Instantly blocks distracting ads on millions of websites, including Facebook and YouTube ads
Blocks third-party trackers to protect your privacy and information
Improves page load times and enables faster browsing
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