uBlock Origin
Open-source, wide-spectrum content blocker browser extension for ads, trackers and page elements.
Loved for blocking ads so thoroughly that commenters call the web unusable without it,1234 especially in Firefox on desktop and Android,5678 and for custom filters that hide unwanted page elements.9101112 The most common caveat is that the full extension no longer works in Chrome,131415 pushing users to Firefox, Brave or the more limited uBO Lite.16171819
Why people recommend it
Ad blocking · 3
Commenters say it removes ads so well they rarely see any and find the web unusable without it.
“I use Firefox with uBlock Origin on Linux, and haven't seen an ad in years.”
“The Internet is unusable these days without ublock origin or a pihole.”
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“my benchmark for browser ad blocking and ublock-origin is one of the few (only?) that does it.”
Custom filters · 3
Custom filters and the element picker hide popups, sidebars, headers, keywords and unwanted topics.
“I have a very long list of uBlock Origin filters [2] to hide certain words and topics on Reddit”
“I use a custom filter in uBlock Origin to hide the recommended sidebar in YouTube”
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“When this happens I use uBlock origin to remove that popup and the grey background behind it.”
Firefox on Android · 3
Running it in Firefox on Android is described as a large usability gain for the mobile web.
“the usability gain of the mobile web with ublock Origin is insane”
“Using FF on android with a fully fledged uBlock Origin is so good. Makes the web usable.”
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“I use Firefox on Android with ublock origin, it works great.”
Browser choice driver · 3
Several commenters pick or keep their browser mainly because it supports uBlock Origin.
“It’s also the sole reason I use Firefox as my primary browser.”
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“I got the warning that UBlock Origin won't work, and I immediately ditched Vivaldi.”
YouTube experience · 3
Paired with SponsorBlock, it is said to transform YouTube by removing ads and distractions.
“Sponsorblock and uBlock Origin makes YouTube a whole different experience.”
“Firefox on Android with the UBlock Origin and Sponsorblock extensions is still the gold standard.”
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“Works well for me on Firefox with uBlock origin without any special lists.”
Security and privacy · 3
Valued for blocking trackers and malicious ad-network scripts, with an advanced mode for blocking JavaScript.
“Those are also both excellent for security since the main threat is malicious scripts served up by ad networks.”
“I trust Mozilla + uBlock to filter the invasive trackers”
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“First it was noscript them I switched to ublock origins advanced mode.”
Caveats and dissent
Chrome support · 3
The full extension no longer works in Chrome, and Vivaldi is also dropping Manifest V2 support.
“hopefully the IT department pushes out uBlock Origin”
“since ublock origin got removed from Chrome, the experience is far better on firefox.”
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“I got the warning that UBlock Origin won't work, and I immediately ditched Vivaldi.”
uBO Lite limits · 2
The Lite version has reduced configurability and cannot vary filters per domain.
“I use Firefox with (non-lite) uBlock Origin”
“I mainly use Firefox anyway so I use the real ublock origin.”
iOS availability · 3
Firefox on iOS lacks extensions, so iPhone users rely on uBO Lite in Safari or other browsers.
“I use firefox-based browsers with uBlock Origin installed.”
“Now on desktop, use Firefox and uBlock origin.”
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“I also prefer the custom element removal or uBlock and can reuse my desktop filters.”
Setup effort · 1
Blocking JavaScript by default in advanced mode is clunky while building allow lists.
“First it was noscript them I switched to ublock origins advanced mode.”
Android scrolling · 1
One commenter saw scroll lag in Firefox on Android with only uBO installed, but did not confirm it as the cause.
“I like UBO”
Often compared with
2 moved from uBlock Origin to uBlock Origin Lite
1 moved from uMatrix to uBlock Origin
1 moved from NoScript to uBlock Origin
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin 8 mentions
- Hang on to Your Firefox 6 mentions
- Google Chrome is killing all uBlock Origin bypasses, Edge, Opera to follow 6 mentions
- Google Has Removed MV2 Extensions from the Chrome Web Store, Including UBO 5 mentions
- I switched to Brave 4 mentions
- How I block all online ads 4 mentions
Data: ublock-origin.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 52
“a good browser that can allow usage of uBlock Origin”
“Now on desktop, use Firefox and uBlock origin.”
“hopefully the IT department pushes out uBlock Origin”
“I have disabled Ublock Origin for the site.”
“Firefox on Android with the UBlock Origin and Sponsorblock extensions is still the gold standard.”
“continues to support Manifest V2 for UBlock Origin, which is critical for my use case”
“very restrictive DNS blacklist and uBlock Origin”
“there are some that don't get blocked by uBlock, but then Brave catches them”
“I can have uBlock Origin on it and vertical tabs.”
“Works well for me on Firefox with uBlock origin without any special lists.”
“Firefox with uBlock Origin add-on and Revanced Apps. Because ads are cancer.”
“via content-blockers like uBlock Origin[2]”
“I have a very long list of uBlock Origin filters [2] to hide certain words and topics on Reddit”
“I trust Mozilla + uBlock to filter the invasive trackers”
“The Internet is unusable these days without ublock origin or a pihole.”
“I run UBlock Origin myself.”
“Definitely use uBO.”
“Firefox + uBlock, sponsor block”
“somehow got around my pihole and ublock origin”
“luckily there's ublock origin”
“I used uBO element picker to select the header and nuke it.”
“I use Firefox on Android with ublock origin, it works great.”
“This includes UBO in Firefox. The question is not if but when”
“my other old friends like uBlock Origin”
“I intentionally break every single site by using privacy add-ons like uBO, uMatrix, PrivacyBadger etc”
“I love my uBlock Origin.”
“especially being able to use uBlock Origin”
“the usability gain of the mobile web with ublock Origin is insane”
“my benchmark for browser ad blocking and ublock-origin is one of the few (only?) that does it.”
“he is using Firefox with uBO as his default browser on desktop”
“Those are also both excellent for security since the main threat is malicious scripts served up by ad networks.”
“I like UBO”
“uBlock Origin always worked best in Firefox anyway”
“I recently switched to Zen with Ublock Origin”
“I use a custom filter in uBlock Origin to hide the recommended sidebar in YouTube”
“Tell people to use firefox with ublock origin and privacy badger.”
“First it was noscript them I switched to ublock origins advanced mode.”
“it works for me reasonably well in Firefox on Android with ublock origin.”
“I wish ublock origin did this too”
“a web browser with uBlock Origin and visiting x.com”
“Using FF on android with a fully fledged uBlock Origin is so good. Makes the web usable.”
“Firefox still has Manifest v2 and fully working uBlock.”
“I use Firefox with (non-lite) uBlock Origin”
“Firefox with ublock origin plugin on desktop as well as android.”
“I mainly use Firefox anyway so I use the real ublock origin.”
“I use uBlock Origin on my Windows, macOS, and Android versions of Firefox”
“I got the warning that UBlock Origin won't work, and I immediately ditched Vivaldi.”
“I use Firefox on Android with uBlock Origin and it blocks ads just fine.”
“I use Firefox with uBlock Origin on Linux, and haven't seen an ad in years.”
“pretty shocking once you come off the protection of stuff like uBlock, which is what I use on FF”
“I use uBlock Origin to change the color scheme, remove visibility of my karma and filter out some submissions.”
“since ublock origin got removed from Chrome, the experience is far better on firefox.”