AdBlock vs Ghostery

AdBlock blocks ads across desktop and mobile devices, with support for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. It works with major browsers and includes custom filter lists, an element picker, and cookie popup blocking. A free plan is available, alongside Premium at $4 a month. Premium includes a 7-day free trial; the subscription starts on day 8 unless cancelled. Listed Premium features are AdBlock VPN, enhanced YouTube blocking, cookie-consent blocking, and distraction controls. Pricing is also described as paid from $40/yr. The maker, AdBlock, was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas, United States. Device coverage is listed as desktop and mobile. The platform list names four operating systems, while browser support is described as covering major browsers.

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.