uBlock Origin Lite Review 2026: Is It Just As Good as the Original?

uBlock Origin was long considered the best ad and tracker blocker online — but it no longer works in Chrome due to Google’s shift to Manifest V3, which restricts how extensions block content. That’s why uBlock Origin Lite exists: it’s a stripped-down, Manifest V3-compliant version built to keep running on Chrome.

We found in hands-on testing that uBlock Origin Lite still delivers strong ad blocking with minimal setup. It’s low-maintenance, easy to install, and doesn’t get constantly disabled by Google. Although it has limited features — whitelisting, no blacklisting, and a basic ad-block counter — uBlock Origin Lite works well out of the box. 

We also recommend some of the best ad blockers available as alternatives for those who want diverse device and browser compatibility.

Overview

Ads blocked on Forbes	20
AdBlock Tester score	96/100
Can You Block It score	2.5/3
Does it block YouTube ads?	Yes
Whitelisting available	Yes
Blacklisting available	No
Compatibility	iOS, Chrome, Edge, Safari
Paid version	No
Learn more	Get uBlock Origin Lite

Star rating summary

We last tested uBlock Origin Lite on October 24, 2025.

Our experience

Using uBlock Origin Lite was neither time-consuming nor difficult. We were able to install the extension seamlessly on our Chrome browser, and it worked without issue in less than a minute.

The only thing we really didn’t like was that the default ad blocking filter is set to "Optimal" rather than "Complete." During our tests, Optimal mode regularly performed worse than Complete mode, so we were unsure why Complete wasn't the default. For someone who doesn't click into extensions often, you may be stuck at a subpar experience without knowing it.

There are special permissions you can customize in the settings. If you know what you’re doing and want to set those up, it’s not a difficult interface. Just know that you don’t have to set up any special permissions to use uBlock Origin Lite. We didn’t include any, and the software worked great at stopping all sorts of ads.

uBlock Origin Lite prices and plans

uBlock Origin Lite, like the original uBlock Origin, is a free, open-source extension. Below, we compare the two ad blockers.

Price	Free	Free
Ad counter
Mobile compatibility
Compatible browsers	Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari	Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera
Details	View Plan	View Plan

uBlock Origin is now disabled in Google Chrome, but uBlock Origin Lite was created as a Chrome replacement. It blocked every type of ad we tested, so it’s definitely worth using, especially if you want to avoid YouTube ads.

Main features

Ad blockers work by stopping the code that runs ads, but there are additional features included in some that may enhance your online experience. uBlock Origin Lite, however, is very bare bones and is only focused on blocking ads.

Here are some extra features you can use:

• Custom Filters let you manually add rules to block specific domains, page elements, or scripts. This is especially useful if you encounter ads or annoyances that slip past the default filter lists. You can add filters by clicking the extension icon, then going to the settings > Custom filters, and customizing your rules.

• Remove an Element is a quick way to hide anything on a webpage, even if it’s not technically an ad. Just right-click on the uBlock Origin Lite icon, choose “Remove an element”, then click the part of the page you want gone. It’s ideal for clearing out banners, pop-ups, or embedded widgets without needing any coding knowledge.
• The blocking strength slider lets you adjust how aggressively it filters content. You can choose between Basic, Optimal, and Complete. In our testing, Complete mode offered the best protection with few downsides, while Basic mode was useful for sites that rely heavily on scripts for layout or functionality.

uBlock Origin Lite’s test results

We used two tests on uBlock Origin Lite. Overall, the ad blocking was impressive, though slightly less powerful than the original uBlock Origin extension.

AdBlock Tester serves up a variety of ads you’d normally find while browsing the internet. If the ad blocker can effectively block all of them, you’ll get a perfect 100 score. In the case of uBlock Origin Lite, we got a 96/100, compared to the original's 100/100 score.

This was actually an interesting place to put the slider option to the test, since each level of the slider got slightly different results:

• Basic: 88/100
• Optimal: 91/100
• Complete: 96/100

Finally, the Can You Block It test includes even more ad types, like interstitial ads, to see if your ad blocker works as intended. uBlock Origin Lite worked slightly worse than the original, not able to completely stop the interstitial ad from happening (though it did remove the visual — we were just met with a blank screen). In our latest tests, the original extension could completely block the interstitial from coming up.

uBlock Origin Lite scores

	AdBlock Tester	Can You Block It?
uBlock Origin Lite score	96/100	2.5/3

YouTube ad test

YouTube seems to have had more ads than ever recently. We’re guessing it’s an effort to get you to purchase YouTube Premium, but if you’d rather keep watching free YouTube with little to no ads, we found that uBlock Origin Lite still blocks them as well as uBlock Origin does.

We tested it, and there were no issues blocking ads. We didn’t experience a lag or any glitches. Since uBlock Origin Lite has a slider that can customize the level of blocking you want, we were able to slide it all the way down without disabling the extension itself. When we slid it back to moderate blocking, it instantly removed the ad that was playing.

Bypassing paywall test

Unfortunately, uBlock Origin Lite doesn’t help you bypass any paywalls. As paywall technology improves, it is becoming increasingly common that ad blockers don’t have the ability to get around them. 

We tested uBlock Origin Lite on both hard paywalls like The Wall Street Journal and soft paywalls on sites like Reading Eagle. We hit a paywall every time.

uBlock Origin Lite compatibility

	uBlock Origin Lite compatibility
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Safari
Microsoft Edge
Other browsers
Android
iOS
Desktop apps

uBlock Origin Lite was built to comply with Google’s Manifest V3 update, so it's available on Google Chrome on your desktop. However, uBlock Origin Lite is also available for other browsers like Microsoft Edge and Safari. 

Although the original uBlock Origin didn't have any mobile apps, the Lite version has an app for iPhone.

uBlock Origin Lite customer support

Support type	uBlock Origin Lite
Email or live chat
Phone
Online guides or forums

uBlock Origin Lite shares the same limited support options as the original version. There's a GitHub Wiki where you can find tutorials and troubleshooting guides. If you want to troubleshoot with a person, your best option is the uBlock Origin subreddit. 

uBlock Origin Lite user reviews

• Apple App Store rating: 4.8
• Trustpilot rating: 4.0

The uBlock Origin Lite app has rave reviews on the Apple App Store. Most reviewers are grateful that the extension exists so Safari users can benefit from its powerful blocking capabilities. Reviewers also mention that it works better than other ad blockers for Safari, like AdGuard. 

uBlock Origin also has a 4.0 Trustpilot score, with 64% of ratings being five stars. Reviewers are impressed by how well the extension works, even blocking ads on YouTube.

How to use uBlock Origin Lite

Installation and use are very easy. We had everything set up in less than a minute. At first, we found the slider a little confusing, and we thought we had to visit the settings page every time we wanted to adjust the level of blocking, but we discovered we could easily use the slider.

To use uBlock Origin Lite:

1. Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Turn it on. We also recommend pinning it in your extensions at the top of your browser.
3. Click on the extension to pull up the menu and use the slider.
4. Adjust the slider to the level of blocking you want on each site (or leave it alone to always be protected).

Top alternatives

We agree that uBlock Origin Lite is a specific product without many features. If you need broader compatibility or more features, consider one of the alternatives we’ve listed below. Like with all our recommendations, we’ve personally tested each of these ad blockers ourselves.

Bottom line: Is uBlock Origin Lite good?

Yes, despite the necessary trimming to comply with the Manifest V3 update, uBlock Origin Lite still does an excellent job of blocking ads across the web. It doesn’t offer a lot of features, but what it does have, including blocking all types of ads and allowing whitelisting, works efficiently and without issues.

While we were impressed with uBlock Origin Lite, some of the best ad blockers scored better on our in-house testing. uBlock Origin Lite is a free, must-have for your Chrome browser, but Chrome isn’t the only browser out there. You have options.

Learn more about how uBlock Origin Lite compares to the original ad blocker.

FAQs