Is uBlock Origin Lite free and made by the same developer?

Yes. Lite is free, open-source software maintained by Raymond Hill, the developer of uBlock Origin. Use the store links from the official uBOL project and check the publisher to avoid similarly named extensions.

Which Lite filtering mode should I use?

Optimal is the intended default and a useful starting point. Complete also applies generic cosmetic filters, which can hide more leftover page elements. Both need website access. Basic uses network filtering without page cleanup; No filtering turns Lite off for the site.

Can Lite use custom filters and imported filter lists?

Current Lite supports custom filters and subscriptions to external filter lists. The element picker can create persistent cosmetic filters, and the dashboard lets you edit or delete them. Support depends on the browser, permissions, and filter syntax; a full uBO configuration is not guaranteed to transfer unchanged.

Does Lite block ads in YouTube, Twitch, or other apps?

Lite only filters supported websites in the browser where it is installed. YouTube website results can change as the site changes. Twitch video ads are not reliably blocked. Lite does not remove ads from the native YouTube or Twitch apps, other apps, or every browser on your device.

Will my old uBlock Origin installation become Lite automatically?

No. Lite is a separate extension that you install yourself. Choose it if it meets your needs, or use full uBlock Origin on Firefox when you want its broader filtering controls.

uBlock Origin Lite: Install, Filtering Modes & Limitations

uBlock Origin Lite (uBOL) is Raymond Hill’s free, open-source content blocker for browsers using Manifest V3. It blocks matching ads and trackers and can hide unwanted page elements. Its results depend on the browser, filtering mode, permissions, and the sites you visit.

Get Lite for your browser

These are the stores linked by the official uBO Lite project. Check the name uBlock Origin Lite and publisher Raymond Hill before installing.

Chrome Web Store for desktop Chrome. See the Chrome setup and migration guide.
Microsoft Edge Add-ons for Edge.
Mozilla Add-ons for Firefox. Firefox also supports full uBlock Origin.
Apple App Store for Safari on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Follow the Safari setup guide to enable it after installation.

Open the matching store in your browser and install Lite.
Read the permissions prompt. Give Lite website access if you want the page filtering described below.
Open an ordinary website, open Lite from the browser’s extensions menu, and check the filtering mode. Reload the page after changing it.

Chrome for Android does not install desktop Chrome extensions. For full uBO on an Android phone, use Firefox for Android.

Choose a filtering mode

Start with Optimal, the intended default in current Lite. Use its popup slider to change the mode for the site you are viewing. The dashboard controls the default used across sites.

No filtering: turns Lite off for that site. Useful when a site needs an exception or you are diagnosing a broken page.
Basic: blocks matching network requests. It does not apply cosmetic or scriptlet filters, so empty ad spaces and other page elements may remain.
Optimal: adds site-specific cosmetic and scriptlet filtering to network blocking. This can hide matching page elements and handle sites that need more than request blocking.
Complete: also applies generic cosmetic filters across sites. Try it when unwanted placeholders remain; the extra page processing can use more resources.

Moving the slider all the way left disables Lite for the current site. To restore blocking, choose the previous mode and reload. You do not need to uninstall the extension to allow one website.

Why Lite asks for website access

Network rules alone cannot perform every kind of filtering. Optimal and Complete need permission to read and change website data to apply their page filters. Allow access on individual sites or across websites according to the coverage you want.

If your default mode returns to Basic, check the browser’s extension permissions: the intended Optimal default needs access across websites. Basic remains an option with reduced access. The permission describes what the extension can do; it is not itself evidence of browsing-data collection.

Custom filtering may also require the browser’s Allow user scripts permission. Availability and wording vary by browser. The developer’s permissions explanation describes what each permission enables.

Custom filters and external lists

Current Lite supports both. To hide an element persistently, open Lite on the page, choose Create a custom filter, select the element, check the preview, and save. Review or remove your rules in the dashboard’s Custom filters pane. The separate Remove an element tool is temporary: reloading brings the element back.

Lite can also subscribe to externally hosted filter lists. Use lists you trust and enable only those you need. Imported rules must be compatible with Lite’s browser APIs; not every full uBO filter can be converted. Scriptlet filters use code packaged with the extension, rather than arbitrary downloaded scripts.

Built-in filtering rules are distributed with extension updates. User-added external subscriptions are a separate mechanism, so claims that Lite can never fetch a filter list are outdated.

Lite vs. full uBlock Origin

Choose Lite when…

You use current Chrome or Safari.
You want filtering modes with relatively little setup.
Its browser-supported filters cover the sites you visit.

Choose full uBO when…

You use Firefox on desktop or Android.
You need dynamic filtering, the request logger, or advanced per-site controls.
You rely on filter syntax that Lite cannot support.

Lite uses the browser’s declarative filtering APIs; full uBO has its own broader filtering engine. The difference is most relevant on sites that need unsupported filters or use anti-blocking techniques. Neither guarantees uninterrupted video-ad blocking. There is no universal performance winner without comparable measurements.

If something is not working

Update your browser and extension. Confirm Lite is enabled and the site is not set to No filtering.
Check website access and try Optimal. For leftover empty spaces, try Complete on that site.
Temporarily disable other content blockers and your custom rules to isolate conflicts. Reload in a new tab.
On Safari, check the separate Content Blockers setting as described in the Safari troubleshooting steps.
If the issue persists, use the chat/report icon in Lite on the affected website to report a filtering problem.

Sources

Reviewed against the developer’s quick guide, troubleshooting guide, Lite FAQ, and permissions documentation. This website is an independent guide; official development and support happen in the linked project.