🛡️ Parental controls and family safety · 🏡 School apps, family logistics and safety
uBlock Origin Lite
By Raymond Hill (gorhill). Visit uBlock Origin Lite
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A free, open-source browser extension that blocks ads, trackers and crypto miners as soon as it is installed. Parents add it to Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari on a family computer or Chromebook so kids see fewer ads and pop-ups on free learning and game sites. It uses the newer Manifest V3 system, so filtering is done by the browser itself, and extra rule sets (annoyances, privacy and regional lists) can be switched on in its settings.
Our take: A sensible free add-on for any family computer to cut ads and trackers; parents who need content filtering or screen-time limits still need a separate parental-control tool.
| Ages it suits | all ages (set up by a parent) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Not stated. There is no account and no age rule from the developer; only the browser store's own rules apply. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free and open source (GPL-3.0); about 22 million Chrome users (Oct 2026) |
| Works on | Chromebook, Windows, Mac, iPhone and iPad |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI |
What's good
- Free, no account, collects no data
- Works on Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
- Cuts ads and tracking on kids' free sites
Watch for
- Not a parental filter: it does not block adult content by default
- A child with admin rights can turn it off
- Some sites break or refuse to load with a blocker
- Stronger cosmetic filtering needs the Complete mode
Data and privacy
The uBlock privacy policy says it collects no data of any kind, has no analytics or telemetry, and only contacts servers to update filter lists. The Chrome Web Store listing says the developer declared no data collection. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
The maker's own claims only: blocks ads and trackers using EasyList, EasyPrivacy and other lists while using no CPU or memory during filtering. No independent study found.
In the Big Index
Alternatives to uBlock Origin Lite
Desk researchPaidNo ads
1Password Families
AgileBits Inc. (1Password) · ages whole family; under 16 needs a parent's consent
A good family password plan if you are willing to pay; Bitwarden is the cheaper option with a free tier.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry)
GoHenry Inc. d/b/a Acorns Early (Acorns) · ages 6-18
A fair pick for families who want a kids' card with money lessons; compare the fee with Greenlight and BusyKid first.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Bitwarden Families
Bitwarden, Inc. · ages 13+
The best value for families with teens 13 and up; younger kids are not allowed on their own accounts.
Desk researchPaid
Brightwheel
Brightwheel · ages mostly 0-5, plus school-age kids in camps and afterschool programs
Useful if your child care uses it; check the photo and marketing settings, since the privacy policy reads like a general commercial app's.
Desk researchPaid
BusyKid
BusyKid · ages kids and teens (chores are preset by age)
A good-value chore and card app for families who want a weekly allowance routine; skip it if you only need a chore chart.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Canopy
Netspark Inc. (doing business as Canopy) · ages for parents of kids and teens (about 6-17)
A strong option for parents of a child's first phone who want explicit content filtered; parents of older teens should weigh the trust cost of this much monitoring.
Where these facts come from
- https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ublock-origin-lite/ddkjiahejlhfcafbddmgiahcphecmpfh
- https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uBOL-home
- https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uBOL-home/wiki/Frequently-asked-questions-(FAQ)
- https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Privacy-policy
- https://apps.apple.com/app/ublock-origin-lite/id6745342698
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.