Ghostery vs uBlock Origin

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.

uBlock Origin is a free, open-source content blocker for desktop and Android versions of Firefox, as well as Chromium and Thunderbird versions. It blocks ads, trackers, coin miners, popups, anti-blockers, and malware sites by default. Several filter lists are built in, and users can add lists and hosts files or create custom rules using EasyList syntax with uBlock Origin extensions. If blocking is too broad, users can disable preselected lists. The basic and advanced popup interfaces include a per-site point-and-click firewall. The project’s stated purpose is to help users neutralize privacy-invading methods in the browser, and it is described as CPU- and memory-efficient, fast, and lean. It works best on Firefox and also supports Chromium-based browsers, including Edge and Opera. In Thunderbird, it affects feeds but not email. The project advises against running it alongside another content blocker. It is licensed under GPL-3.0/GPLv3, and enterprise deployment documentation is available.