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Best for blocking YouTube ads
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Best for Firefox users
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Best for Apple users
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The best alternatives to Ghostery are Total Adblock, uBlock Origin and 1Blocker. Each offers free ad blocking, but Total Adblock and 1Blocker offer additional features with their paid tiers.
uBlock Origin is best for Mozilla Firefox users since it's no longer available on Google Chrome. Total Adblock offers a solid free version but it can block all types of ads, even YouTube ads, with a premium subscription. And 1Blocker provides Apple users with a quality service that others are lacking.
You can read our comparisons below to decide which ad blocker is right for you.
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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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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
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Works seamlessly on macOS, iOS, and Safari
Offers lots of features, including regional filters, a firewall, custom filters, and more
Free version also proved to be highly effective
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| Best for | Efficiency | Firefox users | Blocking YouTube ads | Apple users |
| Star rating | ||||
| Starting price | Free | $1.59/mo | Free | $2.99/mo |
| AdBlock tester score | 99/100 | 100/100 | 100/100 | 78/100 |
| Can You Block It score | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 | 2.5/3 |
| Compatibility | iOS, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari | Android, iOS, Chrome, Edge, Safari | Edge, Firefox, Opera | macOS, iOS, Safari |
| Learn more | Get Ghostery | Get Total Adblock | Get uBlock Origin | Get 1Blocker |
Every ad blocker in this guide is hands-on tested by our team using a consistent process. We evaluate each product across six areas:
We test all ad blockers at least twice a year to ensure our recommendations stay current. We test across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS so our results reflect real-world performance on the devices most readers actually use.
To learn more about how we test, read our full ad blocker methodology here.
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
Total Adblock is a great option if you want more from your ad blocker and are willing to subscribe monthly for additional features, benefits, and perks. While you can use Total Adblock for free, you get much more from its upgraded service.
Ghostery asks you to become a paying contributor without giving you additional features. You get additional metrics and reporting stats with Ghostery but no actual feature upgrades. Total Adblock’s upgrades include even more blocking capabilities, removing browser notifications, and it also includes antivirus protection.
Total Adblock is a great option for blocking trackers and even helped us block YouTube ads. Compared to Ghostery’s less consistent tracker blocking, this is a significant upgrade.
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Total Adblock’s annual premium pricing is reasonable and should fit most budgets, even if you were previously using Ghostery’s free plan.
Total Adblock’s free plan is very restrictive and doesn’t block ads on the top 15,000 websites. The premium plan is part of a broader Total Security suite that includes antivirus, a virtual private network (VPN), and other security features. If you only want an ad blocker, this may be more features than you need.
Total Adblock is our top recommended ad blocker because it has some of the best test scores across the board. It received perfect test scores with AdBlock Tester and Can You Block It.
Total Adblock also consistently blocks YouTube ads on both desktop and mobile, so you'll be able to stream YouTube ad-free on your Android.
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| AdBlock Tester results | 100/100 |
| Can You Block It results | 3/3 |
| Can Total Adblock block ads on YouTube? | Yes |
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock |
Total Adblock's perfect star rating of 5.0 was achieved due to its 5/5 scores in the experience, value, features, and customer service categories.
Total Adblock was docked one point in the compatibility factor because it doesn't offer apps for desktop.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 5.0 |
| Value | 21% | 5.0 |
| Features | 18% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 34% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 5% | 4.0 |
| Customer service | 7% | 5.0 |
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
uBlock Origin is best for budget-conscious users who are looking for a secure, reputable, free ad blocker. It's widely considered one of the best ways to block ads, and it has the bonus of being free and open source.
uBlock Origin is capable of blocking YouTube ads and it received strong scores when we tested its ad blocking capabilities. While you don’t have to purchase Ghostery to use its services, the ad blocker still asks you to become a paying contributor.
We also found that uBlock Origin could protect us from trackers. Ghostery offers tracker blocking, but it’s not nearly as robust as uBlock Origin. We compared uBlock Origin vs Ghostery and found uBlock Origin provided more blocking overall.
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uBlock Origin can be a little complicated for the average user to use, especially if you aren’t used to configuring software. The user interface looks overly technical, partly because it’s free and not maintained as actively as many premium services. It’s not difficult to learn, but you may get frustrated initially.
Also, uBlock Origin was taken down from Chrome following the Manifest v3 update. You can only use it on specific browsers, including Mozilla Firefox.
uBlock Origin performed well in all of our testing. It received a near-perfect AdBlock Tester score and aced all the Can You Block It tests. It can also block ads on YouTube.
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| AdBlock Tester results | 100/100 |
| Can You Block It results | 3/3 |
| Can uBlock Origin block ads on YouTube? | Yes |
| Learn more | Get uBlock Origin |
uBlock Origin received a high star rating of 4.7. It received 5/5 scores in the value, features, and test results categories. We also liked our experience with uBlock Origin, but we're disappointed that it's no longer available on Google Chrome.
uBlock Origin is only available as a browser extension, which is why it was marked down in the compatibility category. There's also no option to contact customer support, only forums and guides.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 4.5 |
| Value | 21% | 5.0 |
| Features | 18% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 34% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 5% | 3.0 |
| Customer service | 7% | 3.0 |
Works seamlessly on macOS, iOS, and Safari
Offers lots of features, including regional filters, a firewall, custom filters, and more
Free version also proved to be highly effective
1Blocker is ideal for Apple users who want software tailored to their operating system. Its made for macOS and iOS, which means you won’t have to deal with gaps in service, like Apple users usually have to when using software built for a Windows/Android platform and converted over.
We found that Ghostery didn’t block as much on Safari as on Chrome and Firefox, leaving us exposed to ads. 1Blocker, on the other hand, blocked cookie requests, intrusive ads, comment sections, and more. Since it’s built for iOS and macOS, it targets the specific needs of Apple users.
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1Blocker also offers a free option that lets you use one feature at a time, but upgrading unlocks all the features simultaneously. 1Blocker includes an Evergreen subscription option, allowing you to pay one fee and use the product, with upgrades, forever.
1Blocker aggressively blocks ads and other annoyances. Because of that, the firewall can interfere with the appearance of emails and websites, and we disabled it for everyday use.
If there were customization options, we’d probably use them more often, but for now, we turn them on only when we’re using shared Wi-Fi, like at a hotel or coffee shop.
1Blocker proved to be an efficient ad blocker during our testing. It earned solid marks with AdBlock Tester, almost bested all three Can You Block It tests, and it can block ads on YouTube.
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| AdBlock Tester results | 78/100 |
| Can You Block It results | 2.5/3 |
| Can 1Blocker block ads on YouTube? | Yes |
| Learn more | Get 1Blocker |
1Blocker's decent star rating of 4.7 was achieved due to its 5/5 scores in the experience, features, compatibility, and customer service categories.
1Blocker failed to fully block interstitial ads during repeated in-house testing, though it effectively blocked banner ads, YouTube ads, and other ad formats.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 5.0 |
| Value | 21% | 4.67 |
| Features | 18% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 34% | 4.5 |
| Compatibility | 5% | 5.0 |
| Customer service | 7% | 5.0 |
The best ad blocker alternatives to Ghostery are Total Adblock, uBlock Origin, and 1Blocker. Total Adblock’s free product blocks a lot, but the upgraded version lets you block YouTube ads and includes antivirus. uBlock Origin blocks more ads than Ghostery and never asks for payment. 1Blocker is built for Apple operating systems and offers more essential features and blocking capabilities for Apple users.
The best ad blockers not only stop ads but also protect you from online trackers. Our three picks are excellent choices to block ads, making your online experience cleaner and safer. Make sure you’re using a strong, effective ad blocker every time you go online.
There's no need to use Ghostery and uBlock Origin together, as uBlock Origin is a powerful ad blocker on its own.
When we tested uBlock Origin against Ghostery for blocking ads, uBlock Origin was the clear winner with more powerful ad and tracker blocking. While Ghostery might be more user friendly, it isn’t as powerful as uBlock Origin.
Yes, Ghostery is still available to prevent unwanted ads. When downloading software, make sure you do it only from the original, verified site. If you try downloading it from a third-party site, you may end up with a fake that steals your information or deposits malware onto your device.
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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