Privacy Badger vs. Ghostery 2024: Which Is the Better Free Ad Blocker?

Ghostery may be better at blocking ads, but Privacy Badger can block third parties from tracking you.
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Best for Blocking trackers

4.0
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Privacy Badger's website

Ad Blocker
Privacy Badger
  • 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
  • Only blocks some ads and is limited to blocking trackers, so may need to be used in conjunction with a traditional ad-blocking tool

Best for Blocking YouTube ads

4.4
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Ghostery's website

Ad Blocker
Ghostery
  • User-friendly design provides for seamless browsing
  • Keeps a regularly updated list of blocked trackers
  • Provides both whitelisting and blacklisting functionality
  • Struggled with all tracker tests

Ghostery passed all our ad-blocking tests, and it has several features so you can customize which ads you see. It's also compatible with popular browsers and devices, making it suitable for nearly everyone.

Privacy Badger wasn't as effective at blocking ads, but it did a better job at blocking trackers. However, it's still a good choice if you want to add a privacy-focused extension to your online security suite.

We dig into the details below in this head-to-head comparison.

In this article
Privacy Badger vs. Ghostery
Privacy Badger vs. Ghostery: prices
Privacy Badger vs Ghostery: features
Privacy Badger vs Ghostery: test results
Privacy Badger vs Ghostery: compatibility and customer support
Privacy Badger and Ghostery FAQs
Privacy Badger vs. Ghostery: Which is better?

Privacy Badger vs. Ghostery

Ghostery is highly effective at blocking ads, including ads on YouTube. While Privacy Badger can block some ads, its primary purpose is to stop trackers from collecting your data.

Best for Blocking trackers Blocking YouTube ads
Price Free Free
Ads blocked on Forbes 33 9
Does it block YouTube ads?
Compatibility Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera
Mobile compatibility Android Android, iOS
Learn more Get Privacy Badger
Read Privacy Badger Review
Get Ghostery
Read Ghostery Review

Privacy Badger pros and cons

Pros
  • Effectively blocks trackers
  • Automatically opts out of data sharing
  • Compatible with other ad blockers
Cons
  • Doesn't work on Safari
  • Doesn't block YouTube ads

Ghostery pros and cons

Pros
  • Works on all popular browsers
  • Blocks YouTube ads
  • Passed ad-blocking tests
Cons
  • Failed tracking tests
  • Weaker performance on Safari

Privacy Badger vs. Ghostery: prices

Our Pick
Price range Free $1.99-$11.99/mo
Free version available
Learn more Get Privacy Badger
Read Privacy Badger Review
Get Ghostery
Read Ghostery Review

Privacy Badger and Ghostery are free ad blockers, but you can donate to either platform to show your support.

At Privacy Badger, you can donate using cryptocurrency, credit card, or PayPal. You can make a one-time donation or choose a monthly or annual donation. Privacy Badger also gives you a thank-you gift for donating, which can be stickers, pins, or Privacy Badger clothing.

Ghostery lets you make a monthly or annual donation using a credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal. Unlike Privacy Badger, there's no option to make a one-time donation, and you can't use cryptocurrency.

Winner: Privacy Badger wins. It has more payment options, and you even get a thank-you gift for donating.

Privacy Badger vs Ghostery: 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 Get Privacy Badger
Read Privacy Badger Review
Get Ghostery
Read Ghostery Review

The biggest difference is that Privacy Badger claims it's not an ad blocker. Privacy Badger exclusively aims at blocking trackers and doesn't work as an ad blocker. Since many ads contain trackers, Privacy Badger ends up blocking them anyway.

Privacy Badger also has Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track signals, which let third parties know not to collect or share your data. It provides an extra layer of privacy without any extra thought from you.

Privacy Badger's settings make it easy to customize how and what it blocks, and it also offers advanced settings.

Meanwhile, Ghostery focuses on blocking ads. It also offers more advanced features to protect your privacy. For example, it has whitelisting and blacklisting functionality. Ghostery also has additional tools like a private browser and private search.

Ghostery's settings were easy to find and adjust to block certain types of ads.

Winner: Ghostery wins. It has more features and tools to block ads and trackers.

Privacy Badger vs Ghostery: test results

Feature
Our Pick
Adblock Tester score 67/100 98/100
Cover Your Tracks score 2/3 0/3
Can You Block It score 2/3 3/3
YouTube ads blocked
Paywalls bypassed
Learn more Get Privacy Badger
Read Privacy Badger Review
Get Ghostery
Read Ghostery Review

We examine all of our ad blockers by running them through a rigorous testing process. Ghostery did a stellar job at blocking ads with a 98/100 score on the Adblock Tester examination. It also successfully blocked ads on YouTube.

AdBlock Tester test results with Ghostery open in the foreground.

However, it didn't do so well in the Cover Your Tracks test, failing to block any trackers. It's pretty ineffective at stopping third parties from collecting data about you.

Privacy Badger scored lower with our ad-blocking tests, but it's not designed to block ads. Privacy Badger stops the trackers that sometimes come from ads, which is why some ads get blocked but others get shown. For example, Privacy Badger didn't stop ads on YouTube, but it did block other online ads.

Privacy Badger has a simple slider setup where you can block, yellowlist, or allow a site domain.

Privacy Badger scored a 2/3 on the Cover Your Tracks test. It managed to block trackers, but it couldn't stop the creation of a unique fingerprint to identify your device.

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) created Cover Your Tracks and is the same non-profit organization behind Privacy Badger.

Winner: Ghostery wins. While it wasn't effective at blocking trackers, it did block ads at a higher rate.

Privacy Badger vs Ghostery: compatibility and customer support

Our Pick
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Linux
Browser extensions Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera
24/7 customer support
Customer support options Email, forums, online guides Email, online guides
Learn more Get Privacy Badger
Read Privacy Badger Review
Get Ghostery
Read Ghostery Review

Ghostery impressed us with how easy it was to use. It was simple to customize settings to our preferences, but we did have some difficulty using Ghostery on Safari.

Ghostery ad blocker counter

Privacy Badger doesn't work on Safari, which makes it impossible to use on macOS and iOS devices. The good news is that Privacy Badger was easy to install during our Chrome experience. We also received helpful notifications about any errors during the process.

We liked that Privacy Badger notified us with a way to fix browsing errors, such as customizing permissions when we tried to log into our Google account.

Neither Ghostery nor Privacy Badger offer 24/7 support, so you’ll need to check the FAQ section or online guides to find the answers to your issues. However, Privacy Badger does provide an email address if you need direct support. Ghostery only has an online form.

Winner: Ghostery wins. It's more compatible with popular devices and browsers.

Privacy Badger and Ghostery FAQs


+

Is Privacy Badger legit?

Privacy Badger is legit. The EFF, a non-profit organization "defending civil liberties in the digital world," runs it.[1] While it's not a designated ad blocker, Privacy Badger can block ads that contain trackers.

Privacy Badger also proved it can block trackers by passing the Cover Your Tracks test, which, to be fair, is run by the EFF.


+

Does Privacy Badger collect your data?

According to the EFF’s privacy policy, it claims it doesn't collect personal data, but it may obtain data when you submit a bug report. You can dictate what you want to do with your data if you contact the organization.


+

Does Ghostery hide your IP address?

Ghostery doesn't hide your IP address. You need to use a virtual private network (VPN) to mask your IP address from third parties. Ghostery doesn't have a VPN, but it can be combined with a VPN for enhanced privacy.

Privacy Badger vs. Ghostery: Which is better?

Ultimately, Ghostery is a better choice overall, especially if you’re aiming to block ads. It passed our ad block tests and was effective at blocking YouTube ads. However, it's not a great choice for blocking trackers — Ghostery didn't pass the Cover Your Tracks test.

Privacy Badger is also a great choice to block trackers. While it doesn't focus on blocking ads, it does block ads that contain trackers. Privacy Badger is a great asset to stop third parties from collecting data about you.

Privacy Badger recommends using it with a traditional ad blocker, so you could use it with Ghostery to get the best of both worlds.

4.4
Ad Blocker
Ghostery
  • User-friendly design provides for seamless browsing
  • Keeps a regularly updated list of blocked trackers
  • Provides both whitelisting and blacklisting functionality
  • Struggled with all tracker tests
Learn More

Privacy Badger and Ghostery alternatives

The best ad blockers have additional tools to secure your privacy. If you want the ultimate privacy experience, you may need a VPN, which hides your IP address and makes it harder for third parties to track your online behavior.

Ad blocker
Best for Best for blocking YouTube ads Best for streaming Best overall
Price Paid plan costs $1.59/mo (billed annually) Paid plans start at $1.99/mo (billed every two years) Starts at $3.59/mo (billed every two years)
Blocks YouTube ads
Learn more Get Total Adblock Get Surfshark CleanWeb Ad Blocking Get NordVPN Threat Protection

4.4
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Ghostery's website
Ad Blocker
Ghostery
  • User-friendly design provides for seamless browsing
  • Keeps a regularly updated list of blocked trackers
  • Provides both whitelisting and blacklisting functionality
  • Struggled with all tracker tests
Author Details
Sara J. Nguyen is a freelance writer specializing in cybersecurity. She aims to help people protect their data while enjoying technology. She has written about online privacy and tech for over 5 years for several organizations. When she's not writing about the latest cybersecurity trends, you can find her on LinkedIn.

Citations

[1] About EFF | Electronic Frontier Foundation