Privacy Badger vs. Ghostery 2025: 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

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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
  • Focused on blocking trackers, so ads may slip through

Best for Blocking YouTube ads

4.1
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 at a glance
Prices
Features
Test results
Compatibility and customer support
FAQs
Privacy Badger vs. Ghostery: Which is better?

Premium protection against unwanted ads and trackers

Ad blocker CleanWeb Ad Block and Anti-Track 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
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Privacy Badger vs. Ghostery

Privacy Badger logo Ghostery logo
Our Pick
Star rating N/A
4.1
Price Free Free
Ads blocked on Forbes 33 trackers 16 ads
Does it block YouTube ads?
Compatibility Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera iOS, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari
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

Privacy Badger logo
Our Pick
Ghostery logo
Price range Free (donations accepted) Free or contributor tiers
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 offers a thank-you gift for donations, which may include stickers, pins, or Privacy Badger merchandise.

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 offers more payment options, and you even receive a thank-you gift for your donation.

Privacy Badger vs Ghostery: features

Feature Privacy Badger logo Ghostery logo
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 to block trackers and doesn't function as an ad blocker. Since many ads contain trackers, Privacy Badger ends up blocking them anyway.

Privacy Badger also features Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track signals, which inform third parties 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 offers additional tools, including a private browser and private search. Its standout feature is never-consent, which can automatically reject cookies for you.

Ghostery privacy protection settings

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

4.9
Ad Blocker
Total Adblock
  • 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
Learn More

Privacy Badger vs Ghostery: test results

Feature Privacy Badger logo Ghostery logo
Our Pick
Adblock Tester score 67/100 99/100
Cover Your Tracks score 2/3 0.5/3
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 99/100 score on the Adblock Tester examination. It also successfully blocked ads on YouTube.

Ghostery's Adblock Tester test results (99/100).

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 trackers that sometimes come from ads, which is why some ads are blocked but others are shown. For example, Privacy Badger didn't stop ads on YouTube, but it did block other online ads.

A YouTube video ad with Privacy Badger extension open

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. 

The 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

Privacy Badger logo Ghostery logo
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 its ease of 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.

Neither Ghostery nor Privacy Badger offers 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?

Ghostery is the better ad blocker here. It passed our ad blocking 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.

4.1
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
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Privacy Badger is also a smart privacy tool to use in conjunction with a strong ad blocker. While it doesn't focus on blocking ads, Privacy Badger blocks ads that contain trackers, ensuring it can prevent third parties from collecting data about you.

#1 Adblocker — Even Blocks YouTube Video Ads
4.9
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Total Adblock's website
Ad Blocker
Total Adblock
  • 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

Author Details
Sara J. Nguyen is a 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