Ad Blocking
Compare Chrome ad blockers after the Manifest V3 transition. SuperchargePerformance vs AdGuard, uBlock Origin alternatives, and content filtering guides.
15 articles
The MV2 era ended in mid-2025. Chrome 135-138 progressively disabled MV2 extensions, and by the time Chrome 138 shipped, any extension still on Manifest V2 stopped loading. This forced every major ad blocker to complete their MV3 migrations or disappear.
Most survived. uBlock Origin v1.70.0 launched on MV3 in mid-2025 and is still on the Chrome Web Store as of March 2026. AdGuard, AdBlock Plus, and Brave's Shields all completed migrations. The key technical limitation that the MV3 transition introduced: blocking ad blockers are now limited to 30,000 dynamic rules and up to 330,000 static rules via declarativeNetRequest. The old webRequest blocking allowed unlimited dynamic rules.
In practice, 186,000+ static rules covers the vast majority of ad and tracker blocking. Where MV3 ad blockers still fall short is highly dynamic evasion (some ad networks rotate domains faster than static rules can track) and cosmetic filtering for complex page layouts.
The RAM argument for ad blocking is real: removing heavy ad scripts from pages has been measured at 40-60% reduction in page load time and a consistent 30-50% reduction in per-tab memory usage on ad-heavy news and social sites.
YouTube Premium vs Ad Blockers in 2026: Which Costs Less?
YouTube Premium hit $15.99/mo in the US (June 4, 2026). A free ad blocker costs $0 but charges your time. Real annual math by region, with the trade-offs.
Manifest V2 vs V3 Chrome Extensions: What Changed (2026)
Manifest V2 has been disabled in stable Chrome since October 2024. What MV3 changed, why uBlock Origin split, and what still works as of June 2026.
Brave Shields vs uBlock Origin: Which Do You Need? (2026)
Brave Shields runs uBlock-compatible filter lists natively, so most Brave users don't need uBlock Origin. The 3 cases where adding it pays, June 2026.
Which Chrome Ad Blocker Blocks YouTube? 5 TESTED (2026)
Most Chrome ad blockers miss YouTube and Twitch video ads — including uBlock Origin. We tested 5 on 14 features. One blocks video ads, popups, and cookies.
Twitch Ads Still Playing? 4 TESTED Blockers (2026)
Twitch stitches ads into the video stream itself — uBlock Origin can't see them. 4 extensions that bypass SSAI via M3U8 substitution, verified June 2026.
YouTube Ad Blocker Stopped Working? 5 TESTED Options (2026)
YouTube's anti-adblock pushed 5+ major waves since 2023. Most Chrome blockers failed each one. We tested 5 options on Chrome 149 — one blocks at the source.
Does uBlock Origin Still Work on Chrome in 2026? Yes, Here's How
Yes. uBlock Origin v1.71.0 is live on the Chrome Web Store, still MV2, ~14M users, blocking YouTube ads in June 2026. Long-term MV2 support stays uncertain.
Chrome Privacy Extensions Ranked by Data Collection (2026)
Most "privacy" extensions collect more than they block. We ranked popular extensions by actual telemetry — from zero collection to selling browsing history.
SuperchargePerformance: EVERY Feature Explained (2026)
Tab suspension, ad blocking, script control, video ad stripping, 13 features — one reference. Stats dashboard, whitelist, Safe Mode, PRO tier, and Chrome tips.
uBlock Origin vs Lite: Which Do You Actually Need? (2026)
Both uBlock Origin and uBlock Origin Lite work on Chrome 149. Full uBO blocks more; uBOL uses less CPU. Which fits your setup, and when neither is enough.
YouTube Ads Still Showing With Ad Blocker? 3 TESTED Fixes (2026)
Ad blocker installed but YouTube pre-rolls still play? MV3 can't intercept API responses — the fix targets YouTube's player data before JS loads it.
Is AdGuard for Chrome Good in 2026? Tested Review
AdGuard's Chrome extension is MV3-native and scores 100/100 on AdBlock Tester with all filters on. 17M users, 4.7 stars. Where it's strong and where it stops.
Is uBlock Origin Removed from Chrome? 2026 MV3 Truth
uBlock Origin was disabled by Chrome 138's MV2 sunset, not deleted. It returned (v1.70.0) on March 11, 2026 — still MV2. Status, what changed, what still works.
Tab Suspender + Ad Blocker for Chrome: BEST Combo (2026)
Separate ad blocker and tab suspender means 2 permission grants. One extension covers both: 186K blocking rules plus tab suspension, free tier included.
AdGuard vs SuperchargePerformance: BEST Chrome Pick? (2026)
AdGuard has deeper filter lists. SuperchargePerformance pairs MV3 blocking with tab suspension and RAM tracking. Which Chrome ad blocker fits your setup?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is uBlock Origin still available for Chrome in 2026?
Yes. uBlock Origin completed its Manifest V3 migration with v1.70.0 in mid-2025 and remains on the Chrome Web Store as of March 2026. The MV3 version uses declarativeNetRequest rules and maintains comparable blocking capability for most users, though some advanced filter syntax from MV2 required adaptation.
What happened to ad blockers when Chrome switched to Manifest V3?
MV3 removed the blocking webRequest API that MV2 ad blockers used. Extensions had to migrate to declarativeNetRequest, which uses pre-compiled rule sets with limits of 30,000 dynamic rules and up to 330,000 static rules. MV2 extensions stopped loading in Chrome 135-138 (mid-2025). Extensions that didn't migrate were removed from the Chrome Web Store.
Does ad blocking actually reduce RAM usage in Chrome?
Yes, measurably. Ad and tracking scripts run in the renderer process of each tab. On heavy ad-supported news sites, blocking those scripts reduces per-tab RAM by 100-300MB and reduces ongoing CPU usage from background tracker calls. As of March 2026, the most efficient approach is network-level blocking via declarativeNetRequest, which stops requests before they reach the renderer.
What is the best ad blocker for Chrome after the MV3 transition?
As of March 2026, the main options are: uBlock Origin (MV3, the largest filter list coverage), AdGuard for Chrome (MV3, 750,000+ rules, 8MB filter list), and SuperchargePerformance (MV3, 186,000+ rules from 22 sources, combined with tab suspension). The best choice depends on whether you also need tab management — a combined tool reduces total extension overhead.
SuperchargePerformance
Tab suspension, ad blocking, and script control. Free.