Unhook alternative: Smart Filter compared with Unhook
Smart Filter is a free Chrome extension that hides YouTube videos, Shorts and comments that match your rules. Unhook removes whole parts of the YouTube page, such as recommendations and the Shorts shelf. They do different jobs.
Smart Filter and Unhook in short
Smart Filter and Unhook are free Chrome extensions for YouTube that do different jobs. Unhook 1.6.9 removes parts of the YouTube page, such as recommendations, the Shorts shelf, end screens and the comments section, each with its own switch, and turns off autoplay; it runs in Chrome, Firefox and Edge. Smart Filter keeps the page and hides the videos, Shorts and comments that match a keyword rule or an AI rule such as clickbait titles, on YouTube and 10 other sites that work out of the box. Unhook has no keyword or channel filter. Smart Filter keyword rules are free; AI rules use credits, up to 10,000 to start, then plans from $5 a month. Facts about Unhook were checked on 13 October 2026.
Smart Filter and Unhook side by side
Unhook switches parts of YouTube off. Smart Filter reads each video and comment and hides the ones that match a rule you wrote.
| Feature | Smart Filter | Unhook |
|---|---|---|
| Sites | Any site; YouTube is one of 11 that work out of the box | YouTube |
| Hide recommendations, the Shorts shelf, end screens, the comments section | No | Yes, each with its own switch |
| Hide videos by keyword | Yes, with * wildcards | No |
| Hide videos by describing them | Yes, with AI rules such as clickbait titles | No |
| Hide one channel | By its name, as a keyword rule | No |
| Comments | Hides the comments that match a rule; replies stay | Hides the whole comments section |
| Turn off autoplay | No | Yes |
| What you see instead | Folded into a Hidden line with a Show button, or blurred or dimmed | The part is removed from the page |
| Browsers | Chrome | Chrome, Firefox, Edge |
| Price | Free. Keyword rules cost nothing; AI rules use credits, up to 10,000 to start, then plans from $5 a month | Free, with optional donations |
| Data sent | Nothing for keyword rules. For AI rules, after you agree: the rule and each item's text, sent to Smart Filter's server | None, according to its privacy policy |
Checked on 13 October 2026 against the Unhook Chrome Web Store listing (version 1.6.9) and unhook.app. Extensions change; if a line here is out of date, write to [email protected].
Which one fits
Unhook is the better pick if
You want YouTube without recommendations, Shorts or comments at all, set once with switches, free, and in Firefox or Edge as well.
Smart Filter is the better pick if
You still want recommendations, just not certain kinds of videos or comments, or you want the same rules on Reddit, X and other sites.
More on what Smart Filter does on YouTube: the YouTube filter page. For keyword and channel blocking on YouTube only, see the BlockTube comparison.
Smart Filter and Unhook: questions
Is Smart Filter a free Unhook alternative?
Smart Filter is free to install and its keyword rules are free. It does a different job than Unhook: instead of removing parts of YouTube, it hides the videos and comments that match your rules.
Can Smart Filter hide YouTube recommendations like Unhook?
No. Smart Filter has no switch that removes the recommendations, the Shorts shelf or the comments section. It checks each video and comment and hides the ones that match a rule.
Can Unhook block videos by keyword?
Unhook's listing names no keyword or channel filter; its options switch parts of the page on and off. Smart Filter hides videos by keyword, by channel name or by a rule you describe.
Does Smart Filter work outside YouTube?
Yes. Reddit, X, Google, Hacker News, Amazon, Airbnb, eBay, Etsy, Bluesky and Indeed work out of the box, and other sites work too. Unhook is for YouTube only.
How much does Smart Filter cost?
Keyword rules are free with no limit. AI rules come with up to 10,000 credits to start; one credit checks one item against one AI rule. After that, plans start at $5 a month, or a one-time top-up adds 75,000 credits for $10.
What does Smart Filter send off my computer?
Nothing for keyword rules, which run in your browser. For AI rules, and only after you agree: the rule and up to 400 characters of each item's text, with a random install ID. AI rules never run on email, chat or banking sites. Details are in the privacy policy.
Keep YouTube. Lose the videos you skip anyway.
Free in the Chrome Web Store.
Add to ChromeSmart Filter is an independent extension, not affiliated with Unhook or YouTube. Product names belong to their owners.