uBlock vs. uBlock Origin: What’s the Difference?uBlock and uBlock Origin are two browser extensions that share a name and a goal — blocking unwanted content such as ads, trackers, and malicious scripts — but they are distinct projects with different histories, architectures, features, and community support. This article explains their origins, technical differences, privacy and security implications, performance characteristics, usage patterns, and how to choose between them.
Origins and history
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uBlock was originally created by Raymond Hill (known online as gorhill) in 2014 as a lightweight, efficient blocker. In 2015, due to disagreements with the Mozilla Add-ons policies and later project management changes, the original uBlock was forked.
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uBlock Origin is the continuation of the original project maintained by Raymond Hill after the fork. It preserves the developer’s design decisions, priorities, and approach to filters, performance, and privacy.
Because Raymond Hill maintained uBlock Origin, many in the privacy and developer communities consider uBlock Origin the “true” successor to the initial vision for uBlock.
Project governance and trust
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uBlock Origin is actively maintained by Raymond Hill, a widely respected developer in the ad-blocking community. The project is open-source, with transparent issue tracking and frequent updates.
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The separate uBlock fork has had different maintainers and, over time, less transparent development decisions. Users looking for a project with a long track record of privacy-focused, community-driven development generally prefer uBlock Origin.
Codebase and licensing
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Both projects started from the same codebase, but after the fork their source code diverged. uBlock Origin remains under permissive open-source licensing and receives updates directly from its maintainer.
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The forked uBlock’s code and releases may diverge in features and update cadence; users should inspect the extension page and repository (if available) for licensing and source code links before trusting it.
Browser support and installation
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uBlock Origin supports a wide range of browsers: Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi), Mozilla Firefox (including Firefox for Android), and various other browsers that accept extensions compatible with these platforms. It’s available in the official extension stores and maintains consistent behavior across platforms.
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The forked uBlock has had varying availability depending on the browser store policies and maintainer choices. In some stores it may appear under the same or similar name, which can confuse users.
Always check the developer name and extension details in the store: for uBlock Origin, the developer is typically listed as Raymond Hill (gorhill).
Feature differences
Core similarities:
- Both aim to block ads, trackers, and unwanted content using filter lists (EasyList, EasyPrivacy, etc.).
- Both support custom filters and user-specified lists.
Key distinctions favoring uBlock Origin:
- More granular dynamic filtering and advanced features (element picker, cosmetic filtering, strict script blocking rules) are better implemented in uBlock Origin.
- Performance optimizations in uBlock Origin focus on low memory and CPU usage; it uses efficient rule matching and request blocking strategies.
- Frequent updates and better compatibility with the latest filter syntax and community-maintained lists.
The forked uBlock may lack some advanced features or have different defaults; check the extension’s settings and documentation before expecting parity.
Performance and resource usage
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uBlock Origin is widely praised for being lightweight compared with some other blockers. It emphasizes efficient handling of large filter lists and minimizes memory overhead. Independent benchmarks and user reports consistently place uBlock Origin near the top for low CPU/memory usage among popular blockers.
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The forked uBlock’s performance depends on implementation differences and update frequency. If it diverged from the original optimizations, it may perform differently; however, concrete performance varies by browser, platform, and installed filter lists.
Privacy and telemetry
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uBlock Origin contains no telemetry and is engineered with user privacy in mind. It does not collect browsing data or send usage statistics.
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The forked uBlock’s privacy stance depends on its maintainers. Always review the extension’s permissions, privacy policy, and source code (if available) to verify the absence of telemetry.
Community, support, and updates
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uBlock Origin has an active community, frequent commits, and a clear release cadence. Issues and bugs are usually addressed promptly by the maintainer and contributors.
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The forked uBlock’s community activity and responsiveness will differ; some forks decline in activity over time.
Practical advice: how to choose
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If you want a proven, actively maintained, privacy-focused blocker with advanced features and excellent performance, choose uBlock Origin.
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If you encounter an extension named “uBlock” in a store, check the developer name, source code link, reviews, and update frequency. If it’s not uBlock Origin by Raymond Hill, prefer uBlock Origin unless you have a specific reason and can verify the fork’s trustworthiness.
Installation tips and recommended filter lists
- Install uBlock Origin from your browser’s official extension store. Verify the developer is Raymond Hill (gorhill).
- Recommended filter lists (enable via uBlock Origin dashboard):
- EasyList (ads)
- EasyPrivacy (tracking)
- uBlock filters (additional blocking rules)
- uBlock filters – Privacy
- Malware domains or other security lists
- For stricter control, use the Dynamic Filtering pane to block 3rd-party scripts globally and whitelist required sites.
Common misconceptions
- “uBlock and uBlock Origin are identical” — They share history but are separate projects; uBlock Origin is the maintained continuation of the original author’s work.
- “All ad blockers are the same” — They differ in performance, privacy, feature set, and filter handling.
Conclusion
The primary difference is governance and fidelity to the original project: uBlock Origin is the actively maintained, privacy-focused continuation by the original author and is the recommended choice for most users. The similarly named forked uBlock may differ in features, updates, and trustworthiness; verify before installing.
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