uBlock Origin Lite 2025: Is This uBlock Origin Alternative the Best Free Ad Blocker for Chrome?

uBlock Origin was widely considered the best ad and tracker blocker on the internet, but uBlock Origin Lite is still powerful, considering its tracker-blocking technology needed to be reduced. We found powerful ad-blocking capabilities and a low-maintenance extension that Google didn’t constantly try to disable.

The features are minimal: It has whitelisting but not blacklisting, as well as an ad block counter. The best part is how easy uBlock Origin Lite is to install and use. You won’t have to be tech-savvy at all to use this extension on your desktop's Chrome browser.

We tested it out and give you all the details below. We also recommend some of the best ad blockers available as alternatives for those who want more anti-tracking protection and more diverse device and browser compatibility.

uBlock Origin Lite overview

Ads blocked on Forbes	16
AdBlock Tester score	96/100
Cover Your Tracks score	1/3
Can You Block It score	3/3
Does it block YouTube ads?	Yes
Whitelisting available	Yes
Blacklisting available	No
Compatibility	Chrome browser on desktop
Paid version	No
Learn more	Get uBlock Origin Lite

We last tested uBlock Origin Lite on March 17th, 2025.

Our experience

Using uBlock Origin Lite wasn’t a time-consuming or difficult experience. We were able to install the extension seamlessly on our Chrome browser, and it worked without issue in less than a minute. We were a little confused about how to adjust the level of blocking, but we quickly found the slider in the actual extension that let us choose.

The only thing we really didn’t like was how small the blocked ad counter was in the extension icon. It’s a little confusing looking at the entire drop-down menu, but we did see that the count was available in small print.

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.

Overall, we thought that uBlock Origin Lite did a great job blocking ads. While we noticed that tracker blocking was almost nonexistent, we expected that. Google’s Manifest V3 update requires extensions to allow tracking, so any tracker-blockers will be removed from the Chrome Web Store. If you want to use the Chrome browser, you may still be open to tracking, but uBlock Origin Lite will protect you from most ads.

uBlock Origin Lite plans

uBlock Origin Lite, like the original uBlock Origin, is a free, open-source extension. There are no upgrade options, so you won’t need to worry about having to pay for the ad blocker extension in the future.

Price	Free	Free
Ad counter
Mobile compatibility
Compatible browsers	Chrome browser on Desktop	Microsoft Edge, Opera, Firefox, and all Safari releases prior to 13
Details	View Plan	View Plan

While uBlock Origin has a broader compatibility, it’s now disabled on the Chrome browser, whereas uBlock Origin Lite is not. uBlock Origin also possessed strong tracker blocking, which isn’t evident in uBlock Origin Lite. On the bright side, uBlock Origin Lite still works in Chrome and blocked every type of ad we tested. 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. Unfortunately, you’ll get uBlock Origin Lite without many features outside of whitelisting.

uBlock Origin Lite does have a simple ad block counter and the ability to block basically any type of ad. It definitely works with YouTube, but you won’t be able to bypass paywalls with it.

uBlock Origin Lite’s test results

We use three tests on ad blockers. 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. With Cover Your Tracks, the website tests to see how effective the ad blocker is at stopping trackers that can follow you online so you can browse anonymously. The Can You Block It test includes even more ad types, like interstitial ads, to see if your ad blocker works as intended.

We ran uBlock Origin Lite through all three. While the ad blocking was impressive, the tracker blocking was nowhere near as powerful as uBlock Origin’s original extension.

uBlock Origin Lite scores

	AdBlock Tester	Cover Your Tracks	Can You Block It?
uBlock Origin Lite score	96/100	1/3	3/3

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 (ad-free) services, 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 on our Chrome browser on our MacBook Pro with an M2 chip. There were no issues with 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 off 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 it on both hard paywalls like The Wall Street Journal and soft paywalls on sites like Reading Eagle. We hit a paywall every time.

What browsers and software is it compatible with?

Unlike uBlock Origin, which can be installed on Microsoft Edge, Opera, Firefox, and all Safari releases prior to 13, uBlock Origin Lite is only available on Chrome for desktops. There are no mobile applications, and it isn’t compatible with any other browser. Considering this extension was built to comply with Google’s Manifest V3 update, it makes sense that it exists only on Chrome.

How to use uBlock Origin Lite

Installation and use is 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.)

Since uBlock Origin Lite doesn’t include robust tracker blocking, you may want to update your privacy settings online to help counteract the trackers that now have to be allowed per Google’s regulations.

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.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is uBlock Origin Lite good?

Yes, despite the necessary removal of tracker blocking 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.

Still, trackers across the web are a huge problem and contribute to increased spam, scams, and even identity theft. If you’re concerned about those things, you may want to consider one of the alternatives we mentioned that has better anti-tracking protection.

While we were impressed with uBlock Origin Lite, some of the best ad blockers include tracker blockers. uBlock Origin Lite is a free must-have for your Chrome browser, but Chrome isn’t the only browser out there. You have options.