Adblock Plus alternatives
Adblock Plus has Acceptable Ads on by default, which lets some ads through. If that is why you are looking around, pick uBlock Origin Lite or AdGuard AdBlocker. If you mostly want tracking stopped, pick Privacy Badger or Ghostery. AdBlock is a sister product from the same company, so it is not a way out.
Why do people look for Adblock Plus alternatives?
Two reasons are on record. Adblock Plus has Acceptable Ads on by default, so some ads still show until you switch it off in the settings. And eyeo, the company behind it, says some larger sites pay to be on the allowlist, while small and medium sites do not.
Read the details in our Is Adblock Plus safe? check.
Adblock Plus and its alternatives at a glance
| Extension | What it does | Open source | Data note | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adblock Plus | Blocks ads using filter lists | Not stated | Acceptable Ads is on by default and lets some ads through | A long-running blocker with filter lists |
| uBlock Origin Lite | Ad blocker built on Manifest V3 | Yes (GPL v3) | Has a published privacy policy; read it first | Open code and no home server |
| AdGuard AdBlocker | Ad blocker with a phishing and malware site check | Not stated | Sharing of usage data is off by default | Blocking plus site-safety checks |
| Privacy Badger | Learns trackers from their behaviour and blocks them | Yes (GPL v3 or later) | Learning stays in your browser, says the EFF | Stopping trackers, not hiding every ad |
| Ghostery | Blocks ads and trackers, shows tracker information for each site | Yes (GPL-3.0) | No account needed; non-personal data only, per its policy | Seeing tracker information for each page |
| AdBlock | Ad blocker from the same company as Adblock Plus | Not stated | Its Acceptable Ads setting is on by default; filter-list usage data is opt-in | People who like the Adblock Plus approach |
What is the best Adblock Plus alternative with no Acceptable Ads?
uBlock Origin Lite. It has no Acceptable Ads program, runs fully on Manifest V3 and uses lists such as uBlock's built-in lists, EasyList, EasyPrivacy and Peter Lowe's list. The trade-off: it loses some features of the original uBlock Origin, such as per-site dynamic filtering, and is less effective on sites that fight blockers. See uBlock Origin Lite vs AdGuard AdBlocker.
What is the best Adblock Plus alternative for safe browsing?
AdGuard AdBlocker. It has been fully on Manifest V3 since version 5.0.91. Its privacy notice says consent to send technical data is asked at first launch and is off by default, and its phishing and malware check uses Safe Browsing with hash prefixes. Those are vendor statements, not our tests.
What is the best Adblock Plus alternative if I mainly want tracking stopped?
Privacy Badger or Ghostery. Privacy Badger is from the EFF. It learns trackers from how they behave and blocks one it sees on three sites. It is not an ad blocker. Ghostery blocks ads and trackers and shows tracker information for each page. Its policy says the extension needs no account.
Is AdBlock a real alternative to Adblock Plus?
Only if you liked Adblock Plus's approach. AdBlock and Adblock Plus are both eyeo products, so AdBlock is not an escape from the company or from Acceptable Ads. Its help center says the setting for some non-intrusive ads is on by default, and you can turn it off in the Filter lists tab. See Adblock Plus vs AdBlock.
What changes for ad blockers on Chrome?
Chrome now runs extensions on Manifest V3. The original uBlock Origin shows as removed from the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026, and uBlock Origin Lite is a separate extension, not an automatic replacement. Our Manifest V3 ad blockers guide explains what this means for you.
FAQ
Can I turn Acceptable Ads off in Adblock Plus?
Adblock Plus's help center says you can: in Chrome, open the gear icon, then the General tab, and clear the Allow Acceptable Ads box. Check the current steps in its help center, because menus change.
Should I run two ad blockers together?
No. Pick one ad blocker. Two do the same job and add permissions without adding much. Privacy Badger is the exception in kind, since it targets trackers and is not an ad blocker, so it can sit beside one.
Does any of these block every ad?
We make no such claim for any of them. We compare what each vendor publishes, not blocking results, and we did not test blocking rates.
Read more
All six are third-party extensions, not built by Xplorekit. We don't show ratings or user counts because we can't verify them.