Privacy Badger vs. uBlock Origin 2024: Which Free Blocker Should You Use?

Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin are free ad blockers that bring something to the table, but uBlock Origin provides a seamless, clutter-free browsing experience.
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Best for anti-tracking protection

4.4
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 ad-blocking protection

4.8
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On uBlock Origin's website

Ad Blocker
uBlock Origin
  • One of the best totally free ad blockers available
  • Highly customizable, open-source ad blocker that's compatible with multiple browsers
  • Can block advertising and analytics tools, including banner ads, video ads, and trackers, and can even bypass soft paywalls
  • Better suited for advanced users because some features require technical knowledge

Ad blockers can prevent pesky pop-ups, banner ads, and even trackers. There are plenty of ad blockers on the market, and choosing the best ad blocker can be tricky. Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin are two completely free ad blockers worthy of consideration.

While Privacy Badger lacks some ad-blocking capabilities, its tracker blocking is superior to most competitors. uBlock Origin’s ad blocking is better, but some components require technical knowledge that might deter some users.

This article compares Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin to determine which free ad blocker is best for you.

In this article
Overview
Features
Test results
Compatibility and customer support
FAQs
Privacy Badger vs. uBlock Origin: Which is better?

Privacy Badger vs. uBlock Origin at a glance

Both Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin can block ads and trackers which help clean up your online experience. Some of the key differences lie in the ad-blocking capabilities.

uBlock Origin blocks ads on YouTube, but Privacy Badger can’t. Privacy Badger is designed to block trackers, so it only blocks ads if they contain trackers.

Privacy Badger may be a good fit if you’re more concerned with your online security and blocking third-party trackers. If you’re looking for a traditional ad blocker, uBlock Origin might be a better option.

Best for Best for anti-tracking protection Best for free ad-blocking protection
Price Free Free
Ads blocked on Forbes 33 18
Does it block YouTube ads?
Compatibility Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari 12 or earlier, Opera, Chromium
Mobile compatibility
Learn more Get Privacy Badger

Read Privacy Badger Review

Get uBlock Origin

Read uBlock Origin Review

Privacy Badger pros and cons

Pros
  • Blocks third-party trackers
  • Automatically opts out of data sharing and tracking
  • Free
Cons
  • Lacks traditional ad-blocking services
  • Doesn’t block YouTube ads

uBlock Origin pros and cons

Pros
  • Compatible with multiple browsers
  • Successfully blocked YouTube ads
  • Free
Cons
  • Certain features may require technical knowledge
  • No mobile version

Privacy Badger vs. uBlock Origin: 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 uBlock Origin

Read uBlock Origin Review

Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin offer different features with little overlap. Both offer whitelisting, which is a strategy that allows you to approve apps and ads you deem appropriate to see and block tracking.

Privacy Badger Disabled Sites customization

Privacy Badger Disabled Sites customization


That’s about where the similarities end. Privacy Badger’s features are a bit lackluster, which makes sense since it wasn’t designed to be an ad-blocking service. But when compared to uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger’s lack of features leaves much to be desired.

uBlock Origin not only offers whitelisting but blacklisting as well. It includes a blocked ad counter, can bypass soft paywalls like common news sites, and blocks a wide range of ads, including pop-up, video, banner, and push ads.

The Forbes homepage along with the uBlock Origin browser extension indicating how many ads were being blocked on the page.

Last but not least, uBlock Origin blocks trackers as well.

Winner: We give this win to uBlock Origin for a full suite of ad-blocking features and tracker blocking.

Privacy Badger vs. uBlock Origin: test results

Feature
Our Pick
Adblock Tester score 61/100 96/100
Cover Your Tracks score 2/3 2/3
Can You Block It score 2/3 3/3
YouTube ads blocked
Paywalls bypassed
Learn more Get Privacy Badger

Read Privacy Badger Review

Get uBlock Origin

Read uBlock Origin Review

To test Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin, we used three ad blocker website tests: AdBlock Tester, Cover Your Tracks, and Can You Block It. We tested each on YouTube to determine if either service blocked video ads, and we checked to see if either service could bypass paywalls.

AdBlock Tester rates the effectiveness of ad blockers by testing contextual advertising, analytics tools, banner ads, and error monitoring. uBlock Origin received a perfect score of 96/100, while Privacy Badger’s had a less-than-stellar score of 61/100.

uBlock Origin's AdBlock Tester 100/100 results.
uBlock Origin's AdBlock Tester 100/100 results

Can You Block It tests to see if an ad blocker is working as intended. These tests can help you identify what formats of advertisements are blocked — or not blocked. uBlock Origin performed perfectly, blocking all ads and scoring a 3/3. Privacy Badger scored a respectable 2/3.

Cover Your Tracks tests an ad blocker’s effectiveness at blocking trackers, invisible tracking, and fingerprinting. We were pleased that both Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin received a 2/3.

Winner: uBlock Origin wins. It received perfect or near-perfect scores in each testing category.

Privacy Badger vs. uBlock Origin: compatibility and customer support

Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Linux
Browser extensions Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari (prior to 13), Opera, Chromium
24/7 customer support
Customer support options Email, online guides Online guides, forums
Learn more Get Privacy Badger

Read Privacy Badger Review

Get uBlock Origin

Read uBlock Origin Review

Our experience testing uBlock Origin was seamless and intuitive. uBlock Origin effectively blocked ads across most websites and worked instantly. The extension offers various modes to accommodate all levels of users: easy, medium, and hard blocking.

For more technical users, advanced options include the element zapper, which removes specific icons and buttons from websites, and the element picker, which can permanently delete these elements.

uBlock Origin's available filter lists and customization options
uBlock Origin's filter lists and customization options

uBlock Origin is compatible with many popular browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari (prior to 13), Edge, Opera, and Chromium. A big downside to uBlock Origin is that it’s only a browser extension, so there’s no app to download to your mobile device.

uBlock Origin is a great free ad blocker, and if you’re a Chrome user, uBlock Origin is one of the best ad blockers for Chrome. However, we were disappointed that it’s not compatible with all browsers and doesn’t have a mobile app. While the advanced options are a bonus for many users, the lack of customer support — only Github — could deter other users.

Privacy Badger was similarly easy to install and use. We even received notifications to help improve any browsing errors we encountered. For example, we received a notification to customize permissions for a Google tracker if we wanted to log into our Google account.

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.

It was slightly disappointing that Privacy Badger didn’t block YouTube ads, but that’s not really what it was designed for. It’s great at preventing third-party trackers from tracking your online footprints.

It’s worth noting that a major downside to Privacy Badger is that it lacks compatibility with Safari.

Winner: Tie. We had a seamless, easy, intuitive experience with both ad blockers and didn’t encounter any compatibility issues with either one.

Privacy Badger vs. uBlock Origin FAQs


+

Can I trust Privacy Badger?

Privacy Badger is a legitimate tool that can help improve your online security. The extension did ask for permission to access our data when we installed it, but that doesn’t mean it tracked our data or our online activity.

Privacy Badger claims these are necessary permissions to block third-party trackers, and it also claims never to share your data.


+

Is uBlock Origin a security risk?

uBlock Origin is a safe, effective ad blocker. It’s open-source, so it’s constantly being tweaked and improved by users.


+

Does uBlock Origin sell your data?

According to uBlock Origin’s privacy policy, they don’t collect any data, let alone sell it.

Privacy Badger vs. uBlock Origin: Which is better?

Comparing Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin is tricky. They both bring a unique set of features to the table, and both services are reliable free ad-blocking options.

Privacy Badger does what it’s designed to do — it blocks trackers from following your online activity, and it may block some ads in the process.

Overall, however, we pick uBlock Origin because it provides a more comprehensive ad-blocking experience, including removing YouTube ads, blocking banner and push ads, and blocking pop-up windows and other distractions.

4.8
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On uBlock Origin's website
Ad Blocker
uBlock Origin
  • One of the best totally free ad blockers available
  • Highly customizable, open-source ad blocker that's compatible with multiple browsers
  • Can block advertising and analytics tools, including banner ads, video ads, and trackers, and can even bypass soft paywalls
  • Better suited for advanced users because some features require technical knowledge

Privacy Badger vs. uBlock Origin alternatives

While Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin are both solid free ad blockers, there are also many other good options out there. Some of the best ad blockers include more advanced security features while others cater to streaming apps.

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

Best Basic Adblocker — Including YouTube Video Ads
4.9
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Total Adblock's website
Ad Blocker
Total Adblock
Special deal: Save 80% off
  • Instantly blocks distracting ads on millions of websites, including YouTube video ads
  • Blocks third-party trackers to protect your privacy and information
  • Improves page load times and enables faster browsing

Author Details
Courtney Daybell brings over 15 years of experience in print journalism and holds a B.A. in Communications from Brigham Young University. Her focus has shifted to cyber security, where she specializes in topics such as identity theft protection, password managers, antivirus software, and more.