See mailshade.org

Mailshade vs Gblock

Gblock is a Gmail-only tracker blocker with an IP-proxy feature and a paid, closed-source model, used by under 10,000 people. If your inbox lives entirely in Gmail and you want its proxy approach, it covers that one client. Mailshade is built for the opposite case: it blocks tracker requests at the network layer via declarativeNetRequest across six web clients — Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, Superhuman, Yahoo Mail and ProtonMail — keeps a per-sender reporting dashboard in local IndexedDB, and ships its full source under AGPL-3.0 at github.com/mailshade/mailshade. Where Gblock is closed and single-client, Mailshade is auditable and universal. Both are paid in part, but Mailshade's $19 one-time Founders Lifetime tier and $3.99 monthly plan sit alongside an open codebase you can read before you pay.

What Gblock offers

Gblock blocks tracking pixels in Gmail and adds an IP-proxy layer so the sender does not see your real address on requests it cannot block. For a Gmail-only user that combination has appeal.

Where Gblock falls short

  • Gmail only: no Outlook, Office 365, Superhuman, Yahoo or ProtonMail.
  • Closed source: the blocking logic cannot be audited.
  • No real reporting: a basic indicator rather than a per-sender history.

What Mailshade adds

Coverage across six clients, AGPL-3.0 source on GitHub, network-level blocking via DNR, click-tracking link unwrapping, and a Recharts dashboard of who tried to track you, stored locally in IndexedDB.

When Gblock is the right pick

If you are Gmail-only and specifically want its IP-proxy behaviour, and a closed-source tool does not bother you, Gblock fits that narrow case.

FAQ

Is Gblock free?

No. Gblock is a paid, closed-source extension. Mailshade is also paid, starting at $3.99 per month or $19 one-time for Founders Lifetime, but its source is open under AGPL-3.0 so you can audit it before paying.

Does Gblock work outside Gmail?

No. Gblock is Gmail-only. Mailshade covers Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, Superhuman, Yahoo Mail and ProtonMail — six web clients in total.

How does Mailshade block trackers without an IP proxy?

Mailshade uses chrome.declarativeNetRequest to cancel the tracking-pixel request before it leaves the browser. Because the request never fires, the sender receives nothing — no IP, no device, no open timestamp — without needing to route traffic through a proxy.

Can I see Mailshade's source code?

Yes. The full source is published under AGPL-3.0 at github.com/mailshade/mailshade. You can read exactly what it blocks and confirm that blocked events stay in local IndexedDB.

Does Mailshade keep my data on my device?

Yes. Blocked-events and block-lists live in IndexedDB locally. There are no analytics and no servers handling your inbox. The only network call is the Polar checkout for a license.