Disconnect vs Ghostery

Disconnect exposes and blocks trackers, data brokers and surveillance networks across websites, apps and email. Its Basic Extension displays and blocks trackers on visited websites. On iOS and Android, Tracker Protection uses encrypted DNS to block trackers across apps and browsers without a VPN. Privacy Pro for iOS adds Smart VPN, custom blocking rules and activity logs. Disconnect Premium can encrypt internet activity and mask the user's IP address in encrypted mode, using AES 256-bit encryption and 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman key exchange. Users can choose Blocking mode, focused on privacy and performance, or Encrypted mode, which may slow connections. Its ad blocking targets privacy-invasive ads that track users or may distribute malvertising, rather than every advertisement. A free plan is available, and the pricing note lists paid plans from $50/yr; Premium is also listed at $5 a month. Website subscriptions cover three unique devices. App Store subscriptions are limited to the purchasing iTunes user and their iPhone or iPad devices.

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.