Ad and tracker blocker privacy ratings

Browser extensions, apps and network tools that block ads and trackers.

11 ad and tracker blockers are rated against 7 public criteria, and 11 have enough evidence for a letter grade. Our picks are uBlock Origin or uBlock Origin Lite. Of the 6 with a known jurisdiction, 1 is based in a Five Eyes country, and 4 in the wider Fourteen Eyes.

Open-source ad and tracker blockers only · Criteria for this category · Suggest an addition · Markdown

Ad and tracker blockers privacy ratings, sorted by pick and then by grade
Name	Grade	Score	Data	Jurisdiction	Open source	No trackers or telemetry	No ads or data sales	Independent audit	Effective by default	No browsing data collected	Custom filters
uBlock Origin Our pick Free, open-source content blocker for ads, trackers and malware sites. Efficient, with no "acceptable ads" program.	Grade B	88	100%	–	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
uBlock Origin Lite Our pick Manifest V3 content blocker from the uBlock Origin developer that filters ads and trackers through declarative browser rules, with no background process.	Grade B	88	100%	–	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
AdGuard Home Self-hosted DNS server that blocks ads and trackers for every device on a network. Includes a web dashboard, encrypted DNS support and parental controls.	Grade B	88	100%	Cyprus Outside Eyes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
hBlock POSIX shell script for Unix-like systems that builds a hosts file blocking domains that serve ads, tracking scripts and malware, using several public blocklists.	Grade B	88	100%	–	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Diversion Shell script ad blocker for routers running Asuswrt-Merlin firmware. Blocks ad and tracker domains through dnsmasq and can manage Entware and pixelserv-tls.	Grade B	79	100%	–	Yes	Partial	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ghostery Browser extension from Ghostery that blocks ads, trackers and cookie pop-ups and shows which trackers each site uses.	Grade C	65	100%	Germany Fourteen Eyes	Yes	Partial	Partial	No	Yes	Partial	Yes
Wipr Paid Safari content blocker for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro that blocks ads, trackers, cookie notices and annoyances with no configuration.	Grade C	65	100%	Spain Fourteen Eyes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
AdGuard Ad and tracker blocker from AdGuard, available as a free browser extension and Safari content blocker and as paid system-wide apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.	Grade C	62	100%	Cyprus Outside Eyes	Partial	Partial	Yes	No	Yes	Partial	Yes
1Blocker Safari content blocker for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro with filters for ads, trackers, annoyances and adult content, plus custom rules and an in-app tracker filter.	Grade D	53	100%	–	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
AdBlock Ad blocker for browsers and mobile, owned by eyeo, which shows ads approved under the Acceptable Ads program by default on desktop.	Grade F	24	100%	United States Five Eyes	Partial	No	No	No	No	Partial	Yes
Adblock Plus Ad blocker from eyeo for browsers and mobile, which shows ads approved under the Acceptable Ads program by default.	Grade F	24	100%	Germany Fourteen Eyes	Partial	No	No	No	No	Partial	Yes

Questions

What is the most private option among ad and tracker blockers?

Our picks are uBlock Origin or uBlock Origin Lite. The most effective blocker available, with no data collection, no home server, no acceptable-ads deals and not even a donation page. Install it through the links on its GitHub page to avoid look-alike extensions. For browsers that only allow Manifest V3 extensions, such as Chrome and Edge: uBlock Origin's filter lists with no data collection and no background process.

How are ad and tracker blockers rated?

Each entry answers 7 questions: open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales, independent audit, effective by default, no browsing data collected and custom filters. Answers need links to evidence. See the full criteria.

Does jurisdiction matter?

Jurisdiction decides which laws can compel a provider to hand over data. Each entry shows its country and whether it is in the Five, Nine or Fourteen Eyes. The data a provider can hand over depends mostly on what it stores and who holds the keys. Read about jurisdictions and the CLOUD Act.