Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

NoScript VS uMatrix

Compare NoScript VS uMatrix and see what are their differences

NoScript logo NoScript

NoScript for Firefox pre-emptively blocks malicious scripts and allows JavaScript, Java and other potentially dangerous content only from sites you trust. Download it now for free! - what is it?

uMatrix logo uMatrix

uMatrix: A point-and-click matrix-based firewall, with many privacy-enhancing tools.
  • NoScript Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-25
  • uMatrix Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26

NoScript features and specs

  • Enhanced Security
    NoScript improves security by preventing potentially malicious scripts from running on websites, reducing the risk of exploits and malware.
  • Privacy Protection
    By blocking trackers and unnecessary scripts, NoScript enhances user privacy and reduces data collection by third parties.
  • Resource Efficiency
    Disabling unnecessary scripts can lead to faster page load times and lower resource consumption, improving overall browsing performance.
  • Customization
    NoScript offers extensive customization options, allowing users to whitelist trusted sites and configure settings based on their needs.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source extension, NoScript's code is publicly available for review, fostering transparency and trust within the community.

Possible disadvantages of NoScript

  • Usability Challenges
    Initial setup and ongoing configuration can be complex for non-technical users, creating a steep learning curve.
  • Website Breakage
    Blocking scripts can lead to broken website functionality, making some websites partially or completely unusable without manual adjustments.
  • Frequent Updates
    Due to the dynamic nature of websites and scripts, NoScript requires frequent updates and adjustments, which can be time-consuming.
  • Reduced Functionality
    By blocking all scripts by default, NoScript can prevent beneficial or essential web features from functioning properly unless manually allowed.
  • User Dependency
    Users have to constantly make decisions about which scripts to allow or block, which can be burdensome and lead to potential security oversights.

uMatrix features and specs

  • Advanced Privacy Control
    uMatrix gives users detailed control over what kind of requests (scripts, iframes, XHR, etc.) are allowed to load on every website they visit, enhancing privacy.
  • Customizability
    Users can create highly specific rules for different sites and types of content, allowing for a tailored browsing experience.
  • Enhanced Security
    By blocking unwanted scripts and other potential attack vectors, uMatrix helps to protect users from malicious content and exploits.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project hosted on GitHub, uMatrix allows for community review, transparency, and contributions to its codebase.

Possible disadvantages of uMatrix

  • Complexity
    The level of granularity and control that uMatrix offers can be overwhelming for non-technical users, making it less accessible to the average user.
  • Configuration Time
    Setting up uMatrix to work optimally for the user's specific needs can be time-consuming, particularly for those who frequent many different websites.
  • Learning Curve
    Understanding how to effectively use all of the features and settings in uMatrix requires a significant investment of time and effort, which might deter some users.
  • Potential Website Breakage
    Due to its aggressive blocking policies, uMatrix can sometimes break website functionality until the user whitelists or configures specific site settings.

NoScript videos

Get MAXIMUM online privacy and security with Noscript | How to use NoScript tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - NoScript | Web Browser Extension | Review | Mozilla Firefox
  • Tutorial - How to use NoScript (2019)

uMatrix videos

How to use uMatrix to protect your online privacy & improve security | uMatrix tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - der.hans: uMatrix for Web Browser Protection
  • Tutorial - How to use uMatrix for Online Privacy

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to NoScript and uMatrix)
Security & Privacy
55 55%
45% 45
Ad Blockers
44 44%
56% 56
Privacy
47 47%
53% 53
Monitoring Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare NoScript and uMatrix

NoScript Reviews

We have no reviews of NoScript yet.
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uMatrix Reviews

22 NextDNS Alternatives
uMatrix is a matrix-based point-and-click firewall with plenty of exciting and secure privacy-enhancing tools. Users can point and click to allow as well as forbid any class of requests made by the browser that you have for exploring the internet. Surf the internet while getting rid of blocking scripts, annoying ads, unhealthy iframes, annoying Facebook sponsors, and other...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, NoScript seems to be a lot more popular than uMatrix. While we know about 56 links to NoScript, we've tracked only 5 mentions of uMatrix. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

NoScript mentions (56)

  • Multiple Russia-Aligned Threat Actors Actively Targeting Signal Messenger
    > In each of the fake group invites, JavaScript code that typically redirects the user to join a Signal group has been replaced by a malicious block containing the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) used by Signal to link a new device to Signal (i.e., "sgnl://linkdevice?uuid="), tricking victims into linking their Signal accounts to a device controlled by UNC5792. Missing from their recommendations: Install No... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • How to use Tor - Part 1 - Motivation
    If you use an adblocker such as uBlock Origin and/or a script blocker such as NoScript, you can probably protect from most advertisers. Combining this with an incognito or private browsing session still leaves you vulnerable to these parties:. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Noscript: Turn off useless scripts
    Https://noscript.net/ The extension that turns off all JavaScript & Media links on the page. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • What It's Like to Use Apple's Lockdown Mode
    You should check out https://noscript.net/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Is javascript always bad?
    Good or bad depends on the intentions of the website you're visiting, and unfortunately also of the many 3rd party script sources it includes. Users should have a chance to decide which sites they trust to run JavaScript and which they do not, and this is the reason why 18 years ago I've created NoScript, and why it is still there and shipped by default inside the Tor Browser. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

uMatrix mentions (5)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing NoScript and uMatrix, you can also consider the following products

Ghostery - Privacy tool for transparency and control

uBlock Origin - Popular and efficient blocker for Chromium, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Thunderbird.

Adblock Plus - AdBlock Plus is a browser extension for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and several other popular browsers that prevents intrusive ads like pop-ups and malicious code from appearing on websites you visit.

AdGuard - Surf the Web Ad-Free and Safely. Shield up!

Privacy Badger - Privacy Badger blocks spying ads and invisible trackers. How is Privacy Badger different from Disconnect, Adblock Plus, Ghostery, and other blocking extensions?

RequestPolicy - RequestPolicy is an extension for Mozilla browsers that improves the privacy and security of your...