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.

Last updated Jun 28, 2024

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4.4

Editorial Rating

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

4.3

Editorial Rating

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, Microsoft Edge, Opera	Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft 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	Voluntary contributions for Free to $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	61/100	91/100
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 91/100 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 score. 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, Microsoft Edge, Opera	Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Email, forums, online guides	Online form, forums, 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.

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.

4.3

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 overall	Best for parental controls
Price	Paid plan costs $1.59/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $3.99/mo (billed every two years)	Paid plans start at $2.49/mo
Blocks YouTube ads
Learn more	Get Total Adblock	Get NordVPN Threat Protection	Get AdGuard

4.3

Editorial Rating

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

About the Author

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.