An adblocker or ad blocking software is now an essential tool in enjoying your browsing experience. The aim when using this tool is being able to browse faster and freer without annoying ads and popups. Ghostery and uBlock are two of such tools, and if you’re familiar with, or use both, you may be wondering which is better for you, which blocks more ads or if you need both. That’s what this comparison of Ghostery vs uBlock is here to help you.
Also Read: Ghostery vs Adblock Comparison
What are AdBlockers and Why Do We Need them?
Advertising and pop-ups are the bread and butter of many sites on the Internet. They come in the form of images, banners, audio, video, animation, text and pop-up windows. Some of them are even set to auto-download or auto-play. This is however not great for the user because it slows down your browsing experience and page loading, it distorts the aesthetic or plain view (if that’s what you’re into) of the site and it could also possibly contain trackers, information collectors, malware and other potentially unwanted software. It is, therefore, necessary to use an ad blocking software to protect yourself against these.
All browsers can block, remove or alter ads but ad blockers better protect you. Ad blockers or ad blocking software are usually an extension or add-on to your browser which is active while you surf the web. They add new functionality and improve your browsing experience as they specifically target ads, popups better than your browser ordinarily would even if your browser is turned on to block ads and popups on its own.
Adblockers are the more efficient option for removing or altering ad content on websites or a mobile app. They are available for and work on PCs, tablets, and smartphones. The benefits of this software are numerous, and most Internet users are increasingly using them.
Also Read: uBlock Origin vs Adblock Plus
Why you need ad blockers
- Adblockers eliminate the distraction and frustration that come with online ads popping up in your browser when you’re online
- They protect your privacy and against malware and advertising
- They help you save bandwidth and money
- They offer a better user experience as you get faster loading times and cleaner, better-looking pages
- For mobile devices, they save your battery
When choosing an adblocker, be sure to look out for the best option which minimizes performance and privacy issues while also giving you the best browsing experience, so let’s dig into the Ghostery vs uBlock comparison by explaining their details one by one.
Ghostery vs uBlock – Comparison
uBlock
uBlock is an efficient ad blocker. It’s well known for being easy on your computer’s memory and CPU alongside loading and enforcing more filters than other popular blockers.
The features of uBlock include:
- It blocks popups, media elements, cosmetic filtering, etc
- EasyList which automatically removes unwanted content including annoying adverts, banners, and tracking.
- EasyPrivacy which removes all forms of tracking on a website including information gatherers and collectors, bugs, and tracking scripts. This is great as it helps in protecting your data.
- Peter Lowe’s Ad Server list which blocks advertising
- Malware protection which protects you against malware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs)
- More lists are also available for you to select if you want
- It auto updates its filter lists
- You can disable it for particular sites
Ghostery
Ghostery is a privacy and security browser extension and mobile browser application. It is geared towards protecting your privacy and helping you detect anything tracking your online activity.
The features of Ghostery include:
- It can detect the ‘invisible’ trackers, web bugs, pixels, and beacons on web pages which are inserted by ad networks, behavioral data providers, web publishers and other companies interested in your activity.
- It blocks scripts, images, objects, framed documents and other tracking technology thereby speeding up page loads, eliminating clutter and protecting data.
- It shows you tracker URL patterns i.e. information about what’s behind the scenes of the webpages you visit, gives you the opportunity to learn more about each company it identifies, including links to their privacy policy and opt-out options.
- Its use is anonymous as no registrations or sign up is required.
- Ghostery has an optional feature called Ghostrank. When you opt-in, It sends anonymous information about trackers to the Ghostery servers. This includes information on where you encounter those trackers which are aimed at improving Ghostery’s comprehensive list of detectable items and helping to create a more transparent behavioral advertising ecosystem.
- Unless you opt-in, Ghostery never receives your data. The data when you opt-in is also anonymous, never used for advertising targeting and only shared in aggregated, non-personal, statistical formats.
For a user who has tried both Ghostery and uBlock, I find uBlock to be the more powerful adblocker simply because when a site requests that I disable my adblocker, disabling uBlock usually does the trick which means that it is what does most of the heavy lifting or it’s the one that most sites can’t get past.
Ghostery, on the other hand, is more intended to protect your privacy and help you identify the trackers in a site.
The last tip, be careful when installing any extension, especially if they are free, publicly available and unvetted so you don’t find yourself using one that could harm your computer or be dangerous for you while trying to protect yourself.
I hope this Ghostery vs uBlock comparison has helped you in selecting the right adblocker.
Also Read: AdBlock vs AdBlock Plus Comparison