Adblock Fast vs Ghostery

Adblock Fast is a free ad blocker for desktop computers and mobile browsers. It uses 12 optimized filtering rules derived from EasyList and Bluhell Firewall; the maker says these rules are intended to speed page loading while using less CPU, memory and storage. On Android it blocks ads in Samsung Internet 4.0 and later, and on iOS it works in Safari. The maker lists support for Windows 7 and later and a Chrome desktop extension; the repository marks Opera support as discontinued. In Chrome, the toolbar button can disable blocking for a site, and the choice is remembered when a user returns. Mobile users can choose the default Fast rules or an experimental Faster mode with more comprehensive, current rules. The maker says Faster mode anonymously crawls common websites using background bandwidth without cookies or other personal information. The blocker intercepts HTTP traffic and injects CSS and JavaScript into visited pages to block requests and hide ad elements. Its code is open source under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later, subject to listed exceptions. The app does not block ads in other Android or iOS apps.

Ghostery is a free, open-source browser extension combining ad blocking, tracker protection, cookie-consent handling, and tracker information tools. It blocks banners, video ads, pop-ups, and sponsored content. The Tracker Panel displays trackers it identifies and neutralizes, while WhoTracks.Me provides information about tracking activity and companies. Ghostery says its protection replaces personal identifiers with random values. Never-Consent rejects tracking cookies and sends opt-out signals on supported sites. Supported browsers include Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari, and Brave, and users can install the extension on as many devices as they like. On iOS and iPadOS, it offers Safari protection; on Android, it supports Edge and Firefox. Chrome on Android is unavailable because Chrome does not allow extensions there. Ghostery says extension telemetry is non-personal, with additional telemetry sent if users opt in. For phishing and malware protection, it says it sends a partial URL checksum to its backend rather than the full URL. Private Search is in closed beta.