For an open source ad blocker for browsers, the strongest matches are ublock-llc/ublock (uBlock is a browser extension that provides comprehensive ad), gorhill/ublock (uBlock is the flagship browser-based content blocker and privacy) and adguardteam/adguardbrowserextension (This TypeScript-based browser extension is a purpose-built content blocker). irbis-sh/zen-desktop and ghostery/ghostery-extension round out the shortlist. Each is ranked by relevance to your query, popularity and recent activity.
We curate open-source GitHub repositories matching “open source alternatives to ublock origin”. Results are ranked by relevance to your query — pick filters below to narrow, or refine with AI.
uBlock is a browser content blocker and web privacy tool designed to prevent advertisements and tracking scripts from loading. It functions as a network request filter, a DOM element hider, and a script execution controller to manage how web pages load and render. The project distinguishes itself through a combination of network-level request interception and cosmetic filtering. It uses declarative filter lists and pattern-based matching to block trackers and pop-ups, while employing CSS selectors and wildcard entity matching to remove visual components across multiple regional domain variant
uBlock is a browser extension that provides comprehensive ad and tracker blocking, custom filter list support, element hiding, and script control, perfectly matching this search.
uBlock is a browser-based content blocker that functions as a declarative filtering engine to intercept network requests and modify web page content. It operates by parsing standardized filter lists into optimized data structures, allowing it to block network hosts, enforce security policies, and prevent unauthorized data transmission. The extension provides a comprehensive security layer that monitors outgoing traffic and disables intrusive browser features to enhance user privacy. What distinguishes this project is its granular control over filtering behavior through a dynamic rule orchestr
uBlock is the flagship browser-based content blocker and privacy tool, delivering comprehensive ad blocking, tracker blocking, custom filter lists, and element hiding through high-performance network interception.
This project is an ad-blocking browser extension that filters web requests and page content to remove advertisements and tracking scripts from websites. It functions as a web content filter, a privacy protection tool, and an element hiding utility. The extension distinguishes itself through a combination of a rule-set evaluation engine and a manual element hiding utility, allowing for the removal of visual clutter and the customization of website layouts. It also provides security through malicious site blocking and adult content restriction. The broader capability surface includes web track
This TypeScript-based browser extension is a purpose-built content blocker that supports ad blocking, tracker blocking, custom filter lists, and element hiding, making it a strong fit for the search despite lacking explicit mention of advanced script blocking in its core description.
Zen Desktop is a cross-platform proxy client and network request filter for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It functions as a system-wide ad blocker and privacy protection tool that intercepts network traffic across all operating system applications to block advertisements, trackers, and malware. The software employs a network request filtering system that modifies HTTP headers and prunes JSON data using custom rules and regular expressions. It specifically removes tracking parameters and sanitizes network headers to prevent activity monitoring. The project provides capabilities for blocklist man
Zen Desktop is a system-wide network proxy and request filter that blocks ads, trackers, and malware across desktop applications, though it operates as a standalone desktop app rather than a browser extension.
Ghostery is an open-source browser extension dedicated to ad blocking, tracker protection, and script blocking with support for custom filter lists and element hiding.
Pi-hole is a self-hosted network utility that functions as a DNS sinkhole server to provide network-wide ad blocking. By acting as a dedicated network gateway, it intercepts and discards requests for known advertising, tracking, and malicious domains across an entire local network, preventing unwanted content from loading on any connected device. The software operates through a lightweight background daemon that handles high volumes of concurrent DNS queries with minimal resource overhead. It utilizes a host-file injection mechanism to redirect traffic toward its local filtering engine and ap
Pi-hole is a self-hosted network-level DNS sinkhole that blocks advertisements and trackers across an entire local network, matching the ad blocking intent while operating at the network layer rather than as a browser extension.
uMatrix is a browser network request filter that manages network traffic through a matrix-based interface. It functions as a granular traffic controller and web privacy firewall, allowing users to block or allow traffic based on the source, destination, and request type. The project distinguishes itself through a point-and-click interface for managing first-party and third-party traffic. It provides a layered rule system for content security management and web privacy hardening, including the ability to spoof user-agent strings and control referrers on a per-site basis. The system incorporat
uMatrix is a browser extension providing granular request filtering, tracker blocking, and script control via a matrix interface, though it focuses more on manual traffic management than out-of-the-box ad blocking.
Anti-Adblock Killer is a tool that prevents websites from detecting and disabling ad-blockers, allowing them to remain active without interruption. It combines a userscript and a curated filter list to block the JavaScript functions and scripts that websites use to identify ad-blocking browser extensions, and overrides detection functions at runtime. The project applies targeted filter rules and user scripts on a per-domain basis to handle unique anti-adblock implementations across a curated set of websites, including popular sites and WordPress-based platforms. It also identifies and blocks
Anti-Adblock Killer is a specialized user script and filter list designed to defeat ad-block detection, serving as a complementary building block for your ad-blocking setup rather than a standalone blocker itself.
Content-farm-terminator is a browser extension designed to restrict access to low-quality websites and content farms. It functions as a content blocker and URL filtering tool that intercepts network requests and enforces domain-based access policies to prevent navigation to untrusted online sources. The extension distinguishes itself through proactive visual feedback and flexible access control. It highlights hyperlinks pointing to blacklisted domains directly on webpages, allowing users to identify potentially unreliable content before clicking. Users can manage their filtering preferences t
This repository provides a browser extension designed to block unwanted content and low-quality sites, though its specific focus is content farms rather than a comprehensive general ad blocker.
AdRules is a collection of ad-blocking rule sets and DNS filter lists designed to identify and block malicious domains, trackers, and PCDN services. It functions as a DNS sinkhole filter and a malware domain blocklist used by DNS servers and network proxies to stop advertisements and harmful content from loading. The project provides regional network optimization, utilizing rule sets tailored to specific geographic regions, languages, and mobile device conditions to target local advertising networks. The system covers DNS traffic filtering and malware domain blocking through suffix-based dom
AdRules provides DNS filter lists and blocklaris rather than a browser extension or end-user ad-blocking software, making it a valuable data source for network-level tools rather than a standalone blocker.
uAssets is the curated collection of filter lists that powers uBlock Origin’s ad blocking, anti‑adblock circumvention, and privacy‑tracking protection capabilities. It serves as the upstream repository of rule sets for the uBlock Origin browser extension, storing precompiled filters in the Adblock Plus syntax and organising them into categorized groups for selective activation. The repository distinguishes itself with a maintenance architecture designed for efficiency and reliability. Filter lists are revision‑versioned and delivered via a differential patch mechanism that transmits only chan
This repository provides the curated filter lists and rule sets used by ad blockers rather than functioning as the browser extension itself, making it a necessary asset repository rather than the blocking tool you are looking for.
Portmaster is a host-based network firewall and privacy tool that monitors and controls all system network traffic. It operates by intercepting data packets at the operating system level, allowing it to observe and manage every connection made by local software in real time. The software distinguishes itself through process-aware connection mapping, which correlates active network sockets with specific local applications to provide visibility into data transfers. It utilizes a user-space policy engine to enforce granular security rules, enabling users to restrict internet access, block specif
Portmaster is a network-level firewall and privacy tool rather than a dedicated browser extension or content blocker, though it does offer DNS-based blocking capabilities.
| Repository | Stars | Language | License | Last push |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ublock-llc/ublock | 8.2K | JavaScript | GPL-3.0 | |
| gorhill/ublock | 65.5K | JavaScript | GPL-3.0 | |
| adguardteam/adguardbrowserextension | 4.2K | TypeScript | GPL-3.0 | |
| irbis-sh/zen-desktop | 4.1K | Go | MIT | |
| ghostery/ghostery-extension | 1.6K | JavaScript | gpl-3.0 | |
| pi-hole/pi-hole | 59.3K | Shell | NOASSERTION | |
| gorhill/umatrix | 4.7K | JavaScript | GPL-3.0 | |
| reek/anti-adblock-killer | 6.2K | JavaScript | NOASSERTION | |
| danny0838/content-farm-terminator | 1.4K | JavaScript | GPL-3.0 | |
| cats-team/adrules | 3.5K | Python | wtfpl |