Quick Verdict
Unhook is a solid, minimal tool for hiding the YouTube sidebar, comments, and end cards. Clify covers all of that and adds ad blocking, SponsorBlock, Shorts removal, audio EQ, and cross-browser sync. If you want a single extension that does it all, Clify is the stronger pick. If you only need to hide the sidebar and nothing else, Unhook is lighter.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Clify | Unhook |
|---|---|---|
| Remove recommended videos sidebar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hide YouTube comments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remove YouTube Shorts | ✓ | — |
| Block video ads | ✓ | — |
| SponsorBlock integration | ✓ | — |
| Channel blocker | ✓ | — |
| Keyword blocker | ✓ | — |
| Hide related videos | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hide end screen suggestions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dark mode / UI customization | ✓ | Partial |
| Audio equalizer | ✓ | — |
| Subtitle styling | ✓ | — |
| Podcast mode | ✓ | — |
| Cloud sync | ✓ | — |
| Scheduled blocking | ✓ | — |
| Live stream cleaner | ✓ | — |
| Open source | — | ✓ |
| Free | ✓ | ✓ |
| Browser support | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave | Chrome only |
Unhook focuses on a narrow set of distraction-hiding features and does them simply. Clify covers the same ground and adds ad blocking, SponsorBlock, Shorts removal, audio tools, and cross-browser support.
What Is Unhook?
Unhook is a Chrome extension that strips YouTube down to its essentials. When you install it, you can toggle off the recommended videos sidebar, the comments section, the end screen cards, the live chat on streams, and a few other YouTube UI elements. That’s basically the whole pitch: hide the stuff that pulls you away from the video you came to watch.
It’s a clean, focused tool. There are no ad-blocking features, no SponsorBlock integration, no Shorts removal, no audio equalizer, and no settings sync across devices. The extension only works on Chrome, so Firefox, Edge, and Brave users are out of luck. For what it does, Unhook is effective. The limitation is that it only does one thing well.
What Is Clify?
Clify is a full-featured YouTube cleanup extension that does everything Unhook does plus significantly more. Distraction removal is the foundation: sidebar, comments, end cards, related videos, and autoplay can all be hidden with a few clicks. But Clify goes further by blocking video ads, integrating SponsorBlock to skip sponsored segments, removing YouTube Shorts entirely, and adding tools like an audio equalizer, subtitle styling, podcast mode, and scheduled blocking.
You also get cloud sync so your settings travel with you across browsers, and Clify works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Brave. It’s designed as a single extension that replaces a handful of smaller ones. Instead of running Unhook for distraction removal, an ad blocker for ads, and a separate Shorts blocker, Clify handles all of it in one place.
When Unhook Is Enough
Unhook makes sense if your only goal is to remove the visual clutter from YouTube. If you just want to watch a single video without the sidebar pulling you into a rabbit hole, Unhook does that without overhead. It’s a one-toggle solution with no extra features to configure, which is appealing if you prefer minimalism.
If you only use Chrome and you never need ad blocking, SponsorBlock, or Shorts removal, Unhook is a lightweight pick. It won’t slow down your browser, and it won’t ask you to sign in or sync anything. For users who want the simplest possible fix for sidebar distraction, Unhook is a reasonable choice.
When Clify Makes More Sense
If your YouTube sessions involve more than just hiding the sidebar, Clify is the better investment of browser resources. Ad blocking alone is a major upgrade—YouTube ads are longer and more intrusive than ever, and Unhook does nothing about them. SponsorBlock integration means you skip sponsored segments automatically, saving minutes on every video.
Shorts removal is another big differentiator. YouTube aggressively pushes Shorts in the feed, on the homepage, and even in search results. Unhook has no way to block them. Clify removes Shorts entirely so they never load. Beyond that, Clify gives you an audio equalizer for tuning sound quality, subtitle styling for readability, podcast mode for background listening, and scheduled blocking so you can set focus hours.
For power users who want one extension that handles everything, Clify is the practical choice. It replaces Unhook, an ad blocker, and several other niche extensions with a single install.
Did You Know?
The average YouTube session contains at least three distinct distraction triggers: the recommended sidebar, the comments section, and end screen cards. Each one is engineered to keep you watching longer. Extensions like Clify and Unhook remove these triggers, but only Clify also blocks the ads and sponsor reads layered on top of them.
How YouTube’s Algorithm Works
YouTube’s recommendation algorithm is optimized for watch time, not viewer satisfaction. The sidebar, autoplay, and end cards are all designed to chain you from one video to the next. Unhook hides some of these surfaces. Clify removes them and also strips out Shorts, which YouTube uses as a separate engagement loop to keep users scrolling.
Shorts Removal Goes Deeper Than Hiding
Many extensions claim to remove YouTube Shorts, but most just hide the visual elements with CSS. Clify prevents Shorts from loading at all. This means no network requests, no data usage, and no algorithmic push to switch from long-form content to the Shorts feed. The difference matters for both performance and focus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Unhook block YouTube ads?
No. Unhook focuses exclusively on hiding YouTube UI elements like the sidebar, comments, and end cards. It has no ad-blocking capability. To block YouTube ads, you need a separate ad blocker or a comprehensive extension like Clify that includes ad blocking built in.
Can I use both Unhook and Clify at the same time?
It’s not recommended. Both extensions target the same YouTube elements, so running them together causes overlapping features and potential conflicts. Since Clify covers everything Unhook does and adds more, the better approach is to use Clify alone and remove Unhook.
Does Clify hide YouTube comments?
Yes. Clify can hide the comments section along with the sidebar, end cards, related videos, and other distracting elements. Comment hiding is one of the core distraction-removal features, and you can toggle it independently from other settings.
Which extension is lighter on browser resources?
Both are lightweight, but Clify delivers more functionality per extension. Running Unhook plus a separate ad blocker and Shorts blocker uses more total resources than running Clify alone. Consolidating into one extension reduces memory overhead and simplifies your browser.
Does Unhook work on mobile browsers?
No. Unhook is a Chrome desktop extension only. It does not work on Chrome for Android, Safari for iOS, or any mobile browser. Clify also targets desktop browsers, but it supports Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Brave across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Ready for a cleaner YouTube?
Clify gives you everything Unhook does plus ad blocking, SponsorBlock, Shorts removal, and more. One extension, zero distractions.
Download Clify Free