uBlock Origin vs AdGuard DNS
Two of the top three ad blockers, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- uBlock Origin has 95 points and AdGuard DNS 77, 18 apart on our ad blockers rules.
- uBlock Origin earns more on blocking, privacy and trust and price; AdGuard DNS earns more on where it blocks.
- Cheapest paid plan: uBlock Origin $0, AdGuard DNS $1.67/mo.
- Only uBlock Origin meets: cookie pop-up blocking, no ad allow-list on by default and open source.
- Only AdGuard DNS meets: blocks outside the browser.
uBlock Origin95/100 #1 of 12
Best for: People who want a free, open-source blocker with their own filter rules.
AdGuard DNS77/100 #3 of 12
Best for: People who want device-wide blocking and a plan with their own rules.
Points by group
| Group | uBlock Origin | AdGuard DNS |
|---|---|---|
| Where it blocks of 23 | 18 | 23 |
| Blocking of 26 | 26 | 16 |
| Privacy and trust of 20 | 20 | 10 |
| Price of 31 | 31 | 28 |
| Total | 95 | 77 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | uBlock Origin | AdGuard DNS |
|---|---|---|
| Windows browsers (12) | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera 12 | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera 12 |
| Blocks outside the browser (5) | No 0 | Yes 5 |
| Phone protection (6) | iOS, Android 6 | iOS, Android 6 |
| Still works in Chrome after Manifest V2 (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Your own block rules (7) | Yes 7 | Yes 7 |
| Malicious site blocking (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Cookie pop-up blocking (4) | Yes 4 | Not published 0 |
| No ad allow-list on by default (6) | Yes 6 | Not published 0 |
| Open source (10) | Yes 10 | Not published 0 |
| No browsing history kept (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| Works without an account (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Free plan (12) | Yes 12 | Yes 12 |
| Cheapest paid plan (12) | $0 12 | $1.67/mo 9 |
| Devices on one paid plan (4) | 99 4 | 20 4 |
| Money-back guarantee (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
uBlock Origin
uBlock Origin suits people who want a free, open-source blocker with their own filter rules and no data collection. The full add-on runs on Firefox, Edge and Opera, while Chrome users get the Lite edition built for Manifest V3. The catch: Lite is a pared-down version, the full add-on left the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026, and the blocker works only inside browsers.
AdGuard DNS
AdGuard DNS suits people who want ads, trackers and malicious domains blocked on every device by changing a DNS setting, with a free tier to start. The Personal plan adds your own rules and blocklists for $19.99 a year. The catch: custom rules need the paid private service, and DNS filtering cannot hide the blank space where an ad was.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score ad blockers.