Privoxy vs Zen
Privoxy
privoxy.orgZen
irbis.shSide by side
| Figure | Privoxy | Zen |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Ad blockers | 8.7 (#9) | 8.2 (#19) |
| Browser support | multiple-browsers | major-browsers |
| Device coverage | desktop | desktop |
| Filtering | Privoxy provides web-page filtering, text replacements, banner removal, web-bug removal, and HTML annoyance filtering. | Zen checks requests against filter lists and can hide empty ad slots and run scripts to disable ads and tracking on web pages. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Support | Users can discuss issues on the Privoxy users mailing list, where developers also participate. | Users can report bugs through GitHub and ask for help on Discord. |
Plans
In their own words
Privoxy
Privoxy is free, non-caching web proxy software for privacy controls, access rules, and changes to HTTP headers and web pages. It can modify page text, remove banners and web bugs, filter HTML annoyances, and inspect HTTPS requests and responses. A browser-based configuration and control utility includes rule tracing and remote toggling, and Privoxy can be chained with other proxies. It can serve multiple clients across a network or as a LAN gateway. The software runs on Windows, GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, Haiku, BSD variants, Solaris, and other Unix systems. It is licensed under the GNU GPL version 2 or later, with a free plan listed at free. A basic configuration is included with a new installation, but many advanced features need to be enabled. Privoxy handles HTTP and HTTPS proxying; it does not handle FTP, SMTP, instant messaging, IRC, or ICQ. It is not designed as a malware-removal tool, and the default setup does not filter malware. The project says it lacks trusted build infrastructure; individual project members or external contributors build and upload binary packages.