Wipr vs. uBlock Origin 2024: The Battle of the Cost-Effective Solutions

Wipr and uBlock Origin both offer unique benefits for in-browser and on-device users.
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Best for apple users

4.1
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Wipr's website

Ad Blocker
Wipr
  • Lightweight ad blocker that doesn't weigh your device down
  • One-time low cost of $1.99
  • Compatible with other ad blockers for max protection
  • Lacks standard ad blocker features like malicious link blocking and ad blocking statistics

Best free ad blocker

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

If you’re an avid Apple user, Wipr may be a great solution since it’s built specifically for macOS and iOS. It’s also a no-frills ad blocker, so there’s not much to fiddle with once you’ve installed it on your device.

uBlock Origin is also limited, but it’s limited to browser extensions, so you cannot install the ad blocker onto a device. However, uBlock Origin is extremely customizable, with plenty of filter lists you can use to block all types of content.

Let’s compare Wipr and uBlock Origin to see which ad blocker may be best for you.

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

Wipr vs. uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin and Wipr are effective ad blockers, but they differ when it comes to compatibility and customization.

Wipr is solely available for macOS and iOS devices and costs $1.99 one-time fee. It’s a low-key app with limited features, so you can set and forget it.

uBlock Origin is a completely free ad blocker, but it’s available only as a browser extension. There are no uBlock Origin apps for mobile or desktop at this time. Unlike Wipr, uBlock Origin provides extensive filter lists to block ads, maintain privacy online, protect against malware, and more.

Best for Apple users Free ad blocker
Price $1.99 one-time fee Free
Ads blocked on Forbes 9 18
Does it block YouTube ads?
Compatibility Safari Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari (prior to version 13), Opera, Chromium
Mobile compatibility iOS, macOS
Learn more Get Wipr

Read Wipr Review

Get uBlock Origin

Read uBlock Origin Review

Wipr pros and cons

Pros
  • Inexpensive, one-time fee
  • 100/100 AdBlock Tester score
  • Blocks YouTube ads
Cons
  • Available only on Apple products
  • Struggled on the Cover Your Tracks test

uBlock Origin pros and cons

Pros
  • Free
  • 96/100 AdBlock Tester score
  • Effective at blocking trackers
Cons
  • No mobile or desktop apps available
  • Doesn’t block paywalls

Wipr vs. uBlock Origin: prices

Our Pick
Price range $1.99 one-time fee Free
Free version available
Money-back guarantee Yes —14 days through Apple
Learn more Get Wipr

Read Wipr Review

Get uBlock Origin

Read uBlock Origin Review

If you’re looking to save money on an ad blocker, uBlock Origin and Wipr are both good solutions. Wipr costs $1.99 one-time fee and you can purchase it from Apple’s App Store.

uBlock Origin is completely free, so you won’t have to worry about the cost.

Although Wipr doesn’t offer a trial or money-back guarantee, you can reach out to Apple support within 14 days for a refund.

Winner: uBlock Origin wins for providing a free, comprehensive content blocker.

Wipr vs uBlock Origin: features

Feature
Our Pick
Whitelisting
Blacklisting
Ads blocked counter
Bypasses paywalls
Blocks pop-up ads
Blocks tracking
Blocks video ads
Blocks banner ads
Blocks push ads
Learn more Get Wipr

Read Wipr Review

Get uBlock Origin

Read uBlock Origin Review

uBlock Origin offers more ad blocking features than Wipr; however, to get the most out of it, uBlock Origin may require some research. If you open the settings, you can find lists filters you can check on or off. These include filters for: blocking multiple types of ads, protecting against tracking, blocking cookie notices, removing annoyances, and more.

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

You can also add trusted sites to whitelist websites or set specific rules. For further information, you can review uBlock Origin’s GitHub. Thus, uBlock Origin provides much more flexibility if you research how to customize it to your needs.

Wipr is a simpler solution, but it doesn’t offer as many opportunities to customize. You can still whitelist sites where you don’t want ads blocked, but you can’t blacklist websites. There’s also no ads blocked counter, so it’s hard to check how well it works.

Wipr is a simple but effective ad blocker for macOS and iOS

Winner: uBlock Origin offers more customization compared to Wipr. Both solutions performed well at blocking most ads, but if you want to set up whitelisting and blacklisting, uBlock Origin should be your choice.

Wipr vs uBlock Origin: test results

To better understand each ad blocker's effectiveness, we ran them through several tests: AdBlock Tester, Cover Your Tracks, and Can You Block It. We also test how well ad blockers can block ads on YouTube and bypass paywalls.

Our Pick
AdBlock Tester score 100/100 96/100
Cover Your Tracks score 1/3 2/3
Can You Block It score 3/3 3/3
YouTube ads blocked
Paywalls bypassed
Learn more Get Wipr

Read Wipr Review

Get uBlock Origin

Read uBlock Origin Review

uBlock Origin and Wipr both received AdBlock Tester scores, which evaluates ad blockers based on factors including contextual advertising, analytic tools, banner advertising, and error monitoring.

We also referenced Can You Block It for each ad blocker’s capabilities. It tests how effective ad blockers are at disabling ad blocker warnings, blocking banner ads, and stopping interstitial ads. Wipr and uBlock Origin both received perfect scores on this test as well.

The Cover Your Tracks test determines how effective your browser is at stopping tracking and fingerprinting.

uBlock Origin passed 2/3 Cover Your Tracks tests, proving it can block tracking ads and invisible trackers. However, our browser had a unique fingerprint, meaning that tracking sites could effectively piece together our user data to form a profile of us.

uBlock Origins' cover your tracks score.

On the other hand, Wipr provided only partial protection against tracking ads and invisible trackers. If you’re more focused on privacy, then Wipr may not be the best blocker.

Cover Your Tracks test results for Wipr.

Winner: uBlock Origin and Wipr were equally effective against ad blockers. However, uBlock Origin outperformed Wipr on the Cover Your Tracks test, so uBlock Origin is the winner of this blocking battle.

Wipr vs uBlock Origin: compatibility and customer support

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

Read Wipr Review

Get uBlock Origin

Read uBlock Origin Review

Wipr and uBlock Origin both have limitations with compatibility and support. Wipr is available only on macOS and iOS operating systems and in-browser on Safari.

uBlock Origin is available on more browsers, but it’s not available as an app you can download on your device. You can use it as a browser extension with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera.

uBlock Origin offers several unique support options including a GitHub, the open-source code, and a Reddit user community. However, there’s no way to contact a person for support. Considering how technical uBlock Origin is, this could be a pain point if you’re not tech savvy.

Wipr has minimal support offerings like a support page, but you can reach out to the developer via email.

Winner: Although both ad blockers have limited compatibility and support, we're going with uBlock Origin here because you can use it on multiple browsers regardless of your operating system.

Wipr vs uBlock Origin FAQs


+

Is Wipr a good ad blocker?

Wipr is a good ad blocker for devices using macOS, iOS, or in Safari. Wipr isn’t available on any other platform or browser.


+

Is there anything better than uBlock Origin?

Yes, there are other ad blockers that are better than uBlock Origin because they may be compatible with more devices or offer more features.


+

Is uBlock Origin still good?

Yes, uBlock Origin is still a good ad blocker. It received top-notch test scores during our latest round of testing against ads, trackers, YouTube ads, and more.


+

Is Wipr worth it?

Yes, Wipr is worth the cost at only $1.99 one-time fee. It’s a good ad blocker for Apple products.

Wipr vs uBlock Origin: Which is better?

It’s a tough decision between Wipr and uBlock Origin because both platforms have unique limitations. If you’re looking for on-device ad blocking, Wipr is a good solution for Apple product users.

But overall, uBlock Origin provides a more robust solution with more flexibility when compared to Wipr. uBlock Origin is completely free and you can use it on most devices with its browser extension options.

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

Wipr vs uBlock Origin alternatives

If you’re looking for an ad blocker that better suits your needs, then you should review the following recommended ad blockers:

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 $2.19/mo (billed biennially) Starts at $3.09/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
Andrew Strom Adams is a freelance writer focused on online privacy and digital security. He writes on various topics to help individuals protect themselves on the internet. Andrew has worked in legal marketing, technology, and startups. He has more than 12 years of experience in marketing and communications. He holds an M.B.A. from Westminster College and a B.A. in journalism from Oklahoma Baptist University. When he’s not writing, he’s playing with his two kids or watching reality TV.