Best Open-Source Ad Blockers 2026: 6 Options Compared

An open-source ad blocker comes in three shapes, and the right one depends on where you want ads gone. Browser extensions such as uBlock Origin and Privacy Badger work inside one browser and are the easiest to install. Network-level blockers such as Pi-hole and AdGuard Home run on a small server at home and filter every device on your network, including smart TVs and phones, at the DNS lookup. On Android, AdAway edits how the phone resolves ad domains for all apps. Brave sits apart as a whole browser with blocking built in. The practical trade-off is control against effort. An extension takes a minute and lets you block page elements, but covers only that browser. A DNS blocker covers everything, yet it cannot hide ads that are served from the same domain as the content, so video ads on streaming sites often still appear, and you will occasionally need to allow-list a site that breaks. You also become the person who fixes the network when the blocker's server is down. Many people sensibly run both layers: a DNS blocker for the household and uBlock Origin in the browser for cosmetic cleanup. Privacy Badger differs from the others because it learns to block trackers by their behaviour instead of using fixed lists, so it complements an ad blocker rather than replacing one.

uBlock Origin

GPL-3.0 browser extension with a rich filter-list system and element picker. Free with no donations sought, and the usual first choice for in-browser blocking.

Price: Free (Free, open source, no donations sought) (uBlock Origin pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Firefox, Chromium-based browsers (manual MV2 builds), Firefox for Android. GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 68.9k GitHub stars · latest release 1.75.0 (Sep 16, 2026) · last commit Oct 26, 2026

Best for: Blocking inside your browser.

Pi-hole

Network-level blocker you install on a small server such as a Raspberry Pi, covering every device on your network. Needs a device that stays on and some administration.

Price: Free (Free; optional donations) (Pi-hole pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Linux, Docker. Open source (license named in the repository; not read on the page) (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 61.5k GitHub stars · latest release v6.5 (Oct 17, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Whole-household DNS blocking.

AdGuard Home

GPL-3.0 DNS filtering server with a web interface and no paid tier mentioned. Similar to Pi-hole, and can serve per-device rules.

Price: Free (Free and open source; no paid tier mentioned) (AdGuard Home pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Windows (Chocolatey package), Docker. GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 37.8k GitHub stars · latest release v0.107.79 (Aug 18, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Network blocking with a modern interface.

Privacy Badger

EFF extension that learns to block trackers by behaviour instead of fixed lists. GPLv3+ and free; it targets trackers, not every ad.

Price: Free (Free browser extension from a nonprofit) (Privacy Badger pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, Brave. GPLv3+ (extension); AGPLv3+ (website) (open source) (license source).

Best for: Tracker blocking that needs no list upkeep.

AdAway

GPL-3.0 ad blocker for Android that applies to all apps. Check the repository for setup requirements.

Price: Free (Free open source) (AdAway pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Android. GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 9.6k GitHub stars · latest release v6.1.4 (Oct 27, 2024) · last commit Sep 13, 2026

Best for: Android phones.

Brave

MPL-2.0 browser that blocks ads and trackers by default, so no extension is needed. It replaces your browser rather than adding to it.

Price: Free (Described as a free browser on the download page) (Brave pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. MPL-2.0 (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 24k GitHub stars · latest release v1.98.60 (Oct 21, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Blocking without installing extensions.

Which one to pick

• You want every device in the house covered: Pi-hole
• You want the strongest in-browser blocking: uBlock Origin
• You want a web-managed DNS filter with per-device rules: AdGuard Home
• You are on Android: AdAway