Head to head
NovaBlock vs uBlock Origin: An Honest 2026 Comparison
The gold-standard open-source blocker — but the full version no longer works under Chrome's Manifest V3. uBO Lite is the successor on Chrome.
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Key differences
- •The classic uBlock Origin is being deprecated on Chrome as MV2 is phased out.
- •uBO Lite is the MV3 successor and is intentionally minimal — no dynamic filtering, no scriptlet injection.
- •NovaBlock is MV3-native and layers YouTube, cookie banners and per-site controls on top.
- •Both have zero telemetry.
NovaBlock vs uBlock Origin — feature comparison
| Feature | NovaBlock | uBO |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks ads, trackers, pop-ups | Yes | Yes |
| Cookie banner removal | Yes, built-in | Via filter lists |
| YouTube ad blocking | Yes, dedicated module | Via filter lists |
| Manifest V3 native | Yes | uBO Lite only |
| Anti-fingerprinting | Yes (Privacy Shield) | Partial |
| Free core | Free forever | Free |
| Premium tier | €4 / month, 7-day trial | N/A |
| Telemetry | None | Varies — check policy |
Our honest verdict
If you want a minimal, open-source blocker and are willing to configure it, uBO Lite is a fantastic choice. If you want a single extension that handles ads, banners and YouTube out of the box on MV3, NovaBlock is the more practical pick.
FAQ
Is uBlock Origin dead?+
The MV2 version is being deprecated on Chrome. It still works on Firefox. On Chrome, the maintained successor is uBlock Origin Lite (MV3).
Does NovaBlock use uBlock Origin's code?+
No. NovaBlock is an independent MV3 codebase. It uses the same style of filter lists that most modern blockers use.
Which uses less memory?+
Both are lightweight. uBO Lite is slightly smaller because it does less; NovaBlock adds YouTube and cookie-banner modules.
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