uBlock Origin Review: Is It Still the Best Ad Blocker in 2025? [Full Review]

uBlock Origin is a free, open-source content filtering extension with countless settings to customize your ad blocker experience. Our testing proved it provides near-perfect blocking, but you'll need to find your way around the settings with limited customer support.

We were affected by the Manifest V3 launch and can no longer use this extension on Google Chrome. Of all the ad blockers we’ve tested, it was one of only two options that are now unavailable on Chrome.

Read on to learn how we tested the uBlock Origin browser extension and how it stacks up against the best ad blockers.

Overview

Ads blocked on Forbes	14
AdBlock Tester score	100/100
Can You Block It score	3/3
Does it block YouTube ads?	Yes
Whitelisting available	Yes
Blacklisting available	Yes (dynamic filtering rules)
Compatibility	Edge, Firefox, Opera
Paid version	N/A
Learn more	Get uBlock Origin

Star rating summary

We last tested uBlock Origin on October 24, 2025.

Our experience

We found uBlock Origin to be effective at blocking ads across most websites, but you'll need more technical knowledge to optimize the extension fully. Since it's no longer available on Chrome, we tested uBlock Origin on Firefox.

uBlock Origin functions by filtering out elements on webpages that would otherwise interrupt your viewing experience. When you load a page, it checks it against a database of filters and removes anything that might cause issues, such as ad trackers and other ad placements.

uBlock Origin also doesn’t receive payments to allow what’s known as “acceptable ads.” These are ads deemed not to interfere with your content by other blockers like Adblock Plus.^[1]

You can also whitelist sites by adding them to the list of trusted sites in the settings. This works great if you want to support your favorite creators on sites like YouTube. You can also remove specific buttons and ad placements.

uBlock Origin prices and plans

uBlock Origin is completely free. There are no upgrade options, so you won’t need to worry about having to pay for the ad blocker extension in the future.

Main features

uBlock Origin labels itself as a wide-spectrum content blocker with several features to block ads, tracking, malware, and other annoyances. It was created by Raymond Hill in 2014 and continues to be maintained and actively developed by him as a free and open-source extension.

Ad blocker counter

The ad blocker counter tells you the number of ads and trackers blocked on websites and individual webpages. The counter also shows you the number of ads blocked to date and on the current browser page.

uBlock Origin also provides warnings if you navigate to websites that are malicious, have spyware, or have notable privacy and tracking issues.

Advanced filtering

uBlock Origin offers several filter lists that you can enable, depending on your preferences.

The EasyList is the primary filter list that removes most ads from webpages, including unwanted frames, images, and objects. The EasyPrivacy list focuses on blocking trackers, including web bugs, tracking scripts, and information collectors.

There are also the Online Malicious URL Blocklist, Peter Lowe's ad tracking list, and numerous others.

Customizable blocking modes

The extension offers easy, medium, and hard blocking modes for users of all skill levels. Elevated features for more advanced users include the Element Zapper, which removes specific social media icons and buttons from webpages, and the Element Picker, which can permanently remove these elements.

uBlock Origin user resources

In addition to its features, uBlock Origin also offers several resource libraries. uBlock’s repository of help for installation includes a dedicated GitHub and a subreddit.

Although this ad blocker can work effectively for less tech-savvy users, more advanced users may want to create custom filters or change privacy settings. In addition to the GitHub site, which offers guides on these customizations, the uBlock subreddit is designed to help users connect and share their experiences with this tool.

uBlock Origin's test results

To review uBlock Origin, we used testing websites, including AdBlock Tester and Can You Block It. We also tested how well ad blockers perform against YouTube ads and paywalls.

AdBlock Tester tested uBlock Origin against several types of ads. Contextual advertising collects data about users to find the right ads for you. Traffic analytics tools are used to monitor your actions on a website and collect information about you. Finally, error monitoring is used to track and measure errors on websites.

The last time we tested uBlock Origin on Edge, it received a 96/100 for this test. We're happy to report that this time around, it received a 100/100 score on Firefox.

Can You Block It is an easy-to-use browser test that lets you know which types of advertisements are blocked. These include the "disable adblocker" warning, banner ads, and interstitial ads (or ads that appear before the page loads).

uBlock Origin successfully blocked all the ads. 

uBlock Origin scores

	AdBlock Tester	Can You Block It
uBlock Origin score	100/100	3/3

YouTube ad test

Advertisers and content creators have been able to monetize their content on YouTube through ads and sponsored content. However, it can make the viewing experience annoying for YouTube users. That's why we also review ad blockers based on their ability to block YouTube ads.

uBlock Origin proved effective at blocking banner ads and even many video ads on the YouTube website. This is especially impressive following YouTube's recent crackdown on ad blockers, making uBlock Origin one of the best ad blockers for YouTube.

However, you won’t find as much success while using the YouTube mobile app, as uBlock Origin is currently only available as an extension for web browsers.

Bypassing paywall test

Ad blockers can't typically bypass paywalls, but we always try in case we're surprised. During this round of testing, uBlock Origin was unable to bypass hard paywalls when accessing Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic.

However, uBlock Origin can bypass soft paywalls, such as those common on local news sites. We tested the ad blocker against The Reading Eagle and were able to access all subscriber-only content. We simply navigated to the news site and clicked on the articles of interest while the ad blocker was enabled.

uBlock Origin compatibility

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

uBlock Origin is compatible with multiple popular browsers, but it's being gradually removed from Google Chrome due to the Manifest V3 update. 

uBlock Origin has developed a compliant extension, known as uBlock Origin Lite, but it's not as powerful as the original blocker. (Learn more about how the Lite version compares to uBlock Origin.)

uBlock Origin customer support

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

uBlock Origin doesn't offer any human support, though that makes sense because it's completely free. You can find tutorials and troubleshooting guides on its GitHub Wiki. If you want to troubleshoot with a person, you can post your questions on the uBlock Origin subreddit. 

uBlock Origin user reviews

• Trustpilot rating: 4.0

uBlock Origin also has a 4.0 Trustpilot score, with 64% of ratings being five stars. The positive reviews call out its smooth user experience and its powerful ad-blocking capabilities. 

How to use uBlock Origin

Adding the uBlock Origin extension is easy. Here’s how to get the browser extension for Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge.

For Mozilla Firefox:

1. Head to the uBlock Origin website.
2. Select Get uBlock Origin.
3. From the Firefox Browser Add-Ons page, click Add to Firefox.

For Microsoft Edge:

1. Head to the uBlock Origin website.
2. Select Get uBlock Origin.
3. In the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store, click Get.
4. From the pop-up, click Add extension to Microsoft Edge.

Top alternatives

uBlock Origin is one of our top-rated ad blockers, but it may not be right for you. We've compiled a list of some alternative ad blockers for you to consider. Plus, all of these tested services block YouTube ads as well as ads on major streaming platforms.

Bottom line: Is uBlock Origin good?

Whether you're looking to block ads on YouTube or reduce ad tracking, uBlock Origin is a great selection for a free ad blocker. It can remove ads from YouTube videos and social media sites, as well as website takeover ads. In addition to removing ads on most websites, uBlock Origin also prevents pop-up windows and other distractions from interfering with your web browsing experience.

The only downfall to this ad blocker is that it's not compatible with all browsers and doesn't have a mobile app. It could also require more technical knowledge, depending on what features you want to use. But if you want a good ad blocker for the most widely used browsers, uBlock Origin delivers on its promises.

If you need more advanced security features or are looking for a guaranteed blocker for Chrome, learn more about other top-rated ad blockers we've reviewed. You can also see how uBlock Origin compares to other ad blockers:

• uBlock Origin vs. AdGuard
• uBlock Origin vs. Adblock Plus
• uBlock Origin vs. Ghostery
• uBlock Origin vs. 1Blocker
• uBlock Origin vs. Privacy Badger

FAQs