Apr 8, 2019 - Popular Alternatives to uBlock Origin for Firefox. Explore 21 Firefox apps like uBlock Origin, all suggested and ranked by the AlternativeTo user.
uBlock Origin is a popular cross-browser content blocker that is seen by many as one of the most efficient extensions of its kind.
The browser extension is available for Firefox and Chromium based browsers, as well as Microsoft Edge. Basically, what that means is that you can install it in virtually any browser out there right now -- with the exception of Internet Explorer.
The extension was initially known as uBlock -- originally named with the Greek letter µ instead of u -- and released for Google Chrome. The uBlock project was handed over to Chris Aljoudi in 2015, and Raymond Hill, the creator of uBlock, started work on uBlock Origin.
One of the issues that came out of the split was that Chris Aljoudi, the new owner of uBlock, created the website ublock.org. This website asks for donations to cover 'bandwidth costs' and to support 'the project'.
Raymond Hill confirmed however that the site and the donations that it collects are not related to the official uBlock Origin project, and that the money does not benefit the development of the extension in any way.
BEWARE! uBlock Origin is COMPLETELY UNRELATED to the web site ublock.org
The donations sought by the individual behind ublock.org ('to keeps uBlock development possible', a misrepresentation) are not benefiting any of those who contributed most to create uBlock Origin (developers, translators, and all those who put efforts in opening detailed issues).
The site ranks well in search engines, and it is likely that some users will land on it when they search for uBlock Origin or extensions to block advertisement or content on the Internet.
uBlock Origin: official repository and downloads
This article has been created to provide all users with a list of official resources of the uBlock Origin project.
- uBlock Origin official repository -- This is the official project repository of the uBlock Origin project on GitHub. It lists the code, changes, issues, and informational pages that provide users with information on specific features of uBlock Origin, and more. If you don't know where to start, this is the place to hit first.
- Google Chrome -- The official uBlock Origin Google Chrome Web Store page.
- Google Chrome manual -- You may install the latest version from the GitHub repository as well.
- Opera -- The official uBlock Origin Opera browser story page.
- Firefox -- The official Mozilla AMO listing of the add-on for Firefox.
- Firefox manual -- As is the case for Google Chrome, you may download the latest version of uBlock Origin for Firefox from the GitHub's project website as well.
- Microsoft Edge -- Note: the project is maintained by another developer. Edge users can download the extension fro the Microsoft Store.
- Microsoft Edge manual -- The latest development version of uBlock Origin for Edge can be installed from the project's GitHub page.
- Safari -- Note: the project is maintained by another developer. Safari users can download the development version from the GitHub project page.
Note: If you don't find your web browser listed here, it may still be possible to install the extension. If it is based on Chromium, you may be able to install the Chrome extension, and if it is based on Firefox, the Firefox add-on may work in the browser.
Firefox has become my go-to browser for nearly every situation. It's faster, more stable, and more secure than most of the competition. But even with that added security bump, there is always room for improvement. This is especially true in the realm of protecting your browsing instances against tracking. There are plenty of ways to accomplish this, but one of the most reliable is by way of a one-two punch of Firefox extensions with Ublock Origin and Privacy Badger.
More about Mobility
Why bother with two extensions? Shouldn't one be enough on its own? For some, yes. But for those who take their security very seriously, I will explain why you might want to use both extensions together. This combination of extensions works well with any iteration of Firefox (desktop or mobile device). With that said, let's talk about the extensions.
What they do
While both of the extensions listed below work to block trackers, one also blocks ads. The extensions achieve their specific goal in different ways (I'll explain in a bit). The extension that blocks ads, does a remarkable job at that task (which is why it is added into the mix). To make these extensions even more appealing, both do their jobs in the background, so users don't have to worry about taking action.
Let's look at the extensions.
SEE: BYOD approval form (Tech Pro Research)
Ublock Origin
Ublock Origin blocks both ads and trackers by way of blacklists. When a blacklisted party attempts to track you, Ublock Origin blocks it. The problem with this process is that new trackers pop up all the time, so the list will, at some point, be out of date. Ublock Origin attempts to overcome this by offering an advanced mode, where users can create dynamic filtering rules for resource types, or hostnames according to their origin. For the average user, however, this is too much work (which is why there's a second extension thrown into the mix). For users who want to take control of their browser's ad blocking, Ublock Origin might be an ideal candidate alone. For users who want to set-it-and-forget-it, Ublock Origin is not enough.
To install Ublock Origin, do the following:
- Open Firefox.
- Click on the Menu button.
- Click Add-ons.
- Click Find more add-ons.
- Search for Ublock Origin.
- Click the Add to Firefox button.
- When prompted, click the Add button.
That's it. You don't need to sign up for an account or do anything else. Ublock Origin will immediately start working to block trackers and ads (Figure A).
Figure A
© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. Figure AUblock Origin out-of-the-box blocking.
Although there are a number of features you can tweak with Ublock Origin, the idea here is to simply get the best experience for users who don't want any extra work.
Privacy Badger
The next extension is Privacy Badger. Unlike Ublock Origin, Privacy Badger uses heuristics to locate trackers and then blocks them. Basically, this means that Privacy Badger picks up where Ublock Origin leaves off. Should a tracker not located on the Ublock Origin blacklist find its way to your browser, Privacy Badger's heuristics will catch it and block it.
But why bother with the two? If Privacy Badger is so good at catching trackers, shouldn't that be enough protection? Well, first and foremost, Privacy Badger does not block ads, only trackers. So if you want to include ad blocking, you have to use another extension anyway. So why not double down on the tracker blocking with the one-two punch of blacklists and heuristics? With the added protection, the chances of a tracker finding its way onto your Firefox instance are slim to none.
To install Privacy Badger, do the following:
- Open Firefox.
- Click on the Menu button.
- Click Add-ons.
- Click Find more add-ons.
- Search for Privacy Badger.
- Click the Add to Firefox button.
- When prompted, click the Add button.
Privacy Badger does give the user some control over how it handles each tracker. When you go to a site and click on the Privacy Badger icon (in the browser toolbar), you'll see each tracker listed (Figure B). You can then set how the extension treats each tracker (block it, block only its cookie, or allow it).
Figure B
© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. Figure BUsers are also able to disable Privacy Badger for a site, by clicking the Disable button in the pop-up menu. However, the only time a user might need to actually interact with the Privacy Badger menu is if a site isn't behaving as it should. If that happens, open the Privacy Badger menu and disable the extension for the site. If the site behaves as expected, it might be necessary to enable one of the discovered trackers (a bit of experimentation is in order).
All the tracking protection you need
And that, dear admins, should be all the protection (from trackers) your users need within the confines of the Firefox Browser. Is it perfect? Nothing is. But the combination of Ublock Origin and Privacy Badger goes a very long way to preventing trackers from invading your user's browsing experience.
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