PrivacyTools.io
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Official website chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm
Screenshot of the uBlock Origin website

uBlock is a lightweight, open-source, and free Chrome privacy browser extension that is used to block ads and other online trackers. It’s designed to be user-friendly and efficient. The extension blocks ads on all websites by default. But it can also be customized to block certain elements from any website that you visit. For example, if you want to block only pop-up advertisements, you can do so by adding the “pop-ups” filter in the uBlock Origin settings panel. Once added, this filter will take precedence over the general ad blocker setting in uBlock Origin.

uBlock has an extensive list of filters that can be enabled or disabled according to your needs. These filters are easily accessible through the settings panel, which is located at the top right.

Our take

If you install one privacy extension, make it this one. uBlock Origin is lightweight, free, open source, and far more capable than the ad blockers that sell your data on the side, and its advanced mode can lock down third-party requests well beyond ads. The one real caveat is Chrome’s Manifest V3 shift, which weakens blockers, so it runs at full strength on Firefox and a reduced Lite version on Chrome. On Firefox it is close to non-negotiable.

GitHub at a glance
gorhill/uBlock
Stars
65,628
+ 260 this week
Last commit
4d ago
healthy
License
GPL-3.0
Latest release
1.71.0
1mo ago
Stars, last 10d

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uBlock Origin alternatives

uBlock Origin license, in plain English
GPL-3.0
Strong copyleft

Free to use and modify, but anything you distribute that is built on it must also be open under the same license.

Permits

  • Commercial use
  • Modification
  • Distribution
  • Patent use
  • Private use

Requires

  • Disclose source
  • Same license
  • State changes
  • License and copyright notice

Does not provide

  • Liability cover
  • Warranty

Why it matters: Strong copyleft keeps every distributed version open. A vendor cannot fold this into a closed product and ship it without releasing their changes.

Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.