Compare protection across browsers, extensions, and AI providers

Many browsers, browser extensions, and AI providers talk about how they protect your privacy, but these claims don’t always match the out-of-the-box privacy protections you actually get.

We made this chart to help you compare the protection you’re getting now and how protected you can be. We’ve outlined which protections browsers, browser extensions, and AI providers offer by default without requiring you to change any settings after onboarding, so you can decide which browser, browser extension, or AI provider is best for you.

Privacy Protection Comparison

Significant Protection Limited Protection Paid Protection No Protection	AdBlock Plus	uBlock Origin
Web Tracking Protection
Blocks 3rd-party trackers Stops 3rd-party trackers from loading in the first place. Learn More
Blocks link tracking Removes tracking parameters in links to prevent 3rd-parties from tracking your behavior across sites. Learn More
Protects against DNS CNAME cloaking Helps block 3rd-party trackers that try to disguise themselves within a website using DNS. Learn More
Protects against referrer tracking Helps block companies from identifying the last website you visited. Learn More
Prevents fingerprint tracking Helps stop tracking companies from obtaining unique identifiers about your browser and device, which they use to follow you around the web. Learn More
Cookie Protection
Blocks 3rd-party tracker cookies Helps block 3rd-party cookies that track you from site to site. Learn More
Expires 1st-party cookies Automatically expires 1st-party cookies so sites themselves can’t track you indefinitely when logged out. Learn More
Private Search
Searches are private by default Search engine default settings are set up to never track you. Learn More
Anonymizes local search results Shows local search results, like restaurants nearby, without accessing your exact location. Learn More
Generates AI answers anonymously Optional feature built into default search engine that can anonymously generate answers to search queries based on relevant web content. Learn More
Provides private access to AI chatbots Optional feature built into default search engine that lets you have private conversations with popular 3rd-party AI chat models. Your chats are not used to train chat models. Learn More
Ad & Pop-Up Blocking
Blocks targeted ads Blocks invasive trackers before they load, effectively eliminating ads that rely on tracking. Learn More
Blocks non-tracking ads Attempts to block all online advertising, including non-intrusive ads.
Blocks cookie pop-ups Detects cookie consent pop-ups and attempts to auto-select the most private cookie options available, then closes the pop-ups. Learn More
Plays YouTube videos without targeted ads Protects you from targeted ads and cookies and incorporates YouTube’s strictest privacy settings for embedded video. Learn More
App Tracking Protection
Blocks app trackers on Android devices Helps block 3rd-party trackers in apps on your Android device. Opt-in required. Learn More	N/A	N/A
Email Tracking Protection
Blocks email trackers Email forwarding service that removes most email trackers before they reach your inbox. Sign-up required. Learn More
Generates private email addresses Lets you create multiple unique private email addresses so you can hide your personal email. Sign-up required. Learn More
Google Tracking Protection
Blocks Google’s AMP Tracking Replaces Google AMP links with the original publisher’s site. Learn More
Blocks Google’s sign-in pop-ups Blocks Google sign-in pop-ups on sites Google doesn’t own. Learn More
Facebook Tracking Protection
Blocks embedded Facebook content tracking you Disables tracking for Facebook content like Facebook comment widgets on non-Facebook sites, unless you choose to unblock it. Learn More
Privacy Control
Deletes browsing data with one button Swiftly deletes your browsing history, cookies, and cache, without the need to dig through menu options, and lets you exclude sites to save data you want to keep. Learn More
Securely manages passwords Stores and encrypts passwords locally on your device for enhanced protection. Learn More	N/A	N/A
Privately syncs bookmarks and passwords Lets you sync bookmarks and passwords across your devices with end-to-end encryption—no account needed. Learn More	N/A	N/A
Global Privacy Control Expresses opt-out rights on your behalf by telling sites not to sell or share your personal info. Learn More
Helps restore your identity If your identity is stolen, a dedicated advisor will help restore your accounts, recover financial losses, and fix credit report mistakes. Learn More
Threat Protection
Protects your connection with a VPN Encrypts your Internet connection across browsers and apps on your entire device and hides your location and IP address. Learn More
Removes personal details from sites that sell them Finds and removes personal details, like your name, email, and home address, from data broker sites that store and sell them. Learn More
Protects against online scams Alerts you on phishing, malware, and scam sites. Learn More	N/A	N/A
Auto-upgrades typed URLs and links to HTTPS When you type a web address or click/tap on a link, connections to those websites will be automatically upgraded to HTTPS whenever possible. Learn More	N/A	N/A
Encrypts DNS queries via HTTPS Helps ensure the request to load a website is encrypted. Learn More	N/A	N/A

Note: Browser, browser extension, and AI comparisons were made with default settings. Protections vary per platform. Click the Learn More links in each row to see where each protection is available in DuckDuckGo.

The chart on this page is verified at least twice a year. Last verified: December 2025. For questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to press@duckduckgo.com.