Mailshade and Gblock compared
Gblock 0.4.0 is a Gmail-focused commercial product with a broader advertised feature set than the previous version of this page acknowledged. Its Chrome Web Store listing says it blocks tracking pixels, strips known tracking parameters, follows tracked links through a proxy to mask the user's IP address, and reports newly detected trackers to its server so future messages can be blocked. The listing offers a 30-day free trial and then requires a paid subscription. Mailshade 1.1.0 instead declares six opt-in webmail integrations, blocks requests to reviewed tracker endpoints through Chrome declarativeNetRequest, handles supported tracking redirects locally with a direct-or-original choice, and keeps detection history locally for sender-level reports. Mailshade also makes AGPL-3.0-or-later source archives and checksums available; reviewers must match an archive to the exact tested package version. These are materially different architectures: Gblock advertises a proxy and server-assisted tracker discovery, while Mailshade emphasizes local processing and broader webmail scope. Neither architecture is automatically superior. Comparative efficacy, latency, false positives and privacy behavior remain pending a shared test and network review.
Comparison record
Facts reviewed on .
- Test date
- Not yet tested; no performance winner is claimed.
- Methodology
- Read the published method
Versions in scope
Method and current result
Each pinned extension must run in a clean Chrome profile against the same versioned pixel, link and benign-content fixtures before comparative performance is stated.
The products' different local, proxy and server-assisted designs are sourced, but protection efficacy and privacy conclusions await a shared observable test.
Claim evidence
- [verified] Gblock 0.4.0 advertises Gmail pixel blocking, link-parameter stripping, proxy resolution and server-assisted tracker discovery. source 1
- [verified] Mailshade 1.1.0 is the current public Chrome Web Store version, confirmed on 2026-08-19, and documents local core history plus opt-in webmail access. Source archives and checksums are available separately and must be matched to the exact tested package version. source 1, source 2
- [pending] Relative efficacy, false positives, proxy latency and observed data flows remain unmeasured under the shared method.
Sources
- Mailshade Chrome Web Store listing, Mailshade; accessed .
- Mailshade source archives and checksums, Mailshade; accessed .
- Gblock Chrome Web Store listing, Gblock; accessed .
What Gblock documents
Gblock's official listing names Gmail, tracking-pixel blocking, known-parameter removal, a proxy for tracked links and automated discovery that reports unknown trackers to its server. It also states that proxy use can be disabled and that the product requires payment after a 30-day trial.
What Mailshade documents
Mailshade declares six opt-in webmail integrations, reviewed endpoint DNR blocking, local link-pattern handling and local sender-level detection history. Mailshade separately makes source archives and checksums available; reviewers must match an archive to the exact tested package version.
The central trade-offs
- Coverage: Gblock is documented for Gmail; Mailshade declares several webmail integrations.
- Link handling: Gblock advertises parameter stripping and proxy resolution; Mailshade advertises local recognition with a user choice.
- Tracker discovery: Gblock advertises server reports for newly detected trackers; Mailshade's core history and matching path are local.
- Price: Gblock's listing requires a subscription after its trial; Mailshade documents a free core tier with optional paid features.
What is not yet known
The same controlled corpus has not yet measured blocking recall, proxy behavior, latency or benign-link breakage. No winner is claimed while that evidence is pending.
FAQ
Does Gblock protect tracking links as well as pixels?
Its official listing says it strips known tracking parameters and can use a proxy to resolve tracked links while masking the user's IP address.
Does Gblock work outside Gmail?
The current listing describes Gblock as a Gmail privacy extension. Mailshade declares opt-in support for six webmail integrations, but comparative tested coverage is pending.
Does Gblock use a server?
Its listing says unknown tracker detections are reported to its server and that a proxy can follow tracked links. Mailshade documents local core history and local handling for supported link patterns.
Is Gblock free?
The official listing states that Gblock has a 30-day free trial with no card and requires a paid subscription afterward.
Which architecture protects privacy better?
No overall conclusion is claimed yet. That requires observable network evidence, documented settings and a clear treatment of the different proxy and local-only paths.