ad blocker for safari extension

The best ad blockers in 2024

Say goodbye to intrusive online advertising with the best ad blockers

Best in-browser ad blockers

Best ad-blocking apps, best ad-blocking mobile apps, other privacy-focused extensions and apps.

The best ad blockers are crucial to survive on the modern internet. Not matter where you go, you're at risk of being harassed by pop-ups, tracker cookies, malvertising and countless other digital nasties that seem hell-bent on ruining your online experience. Even if all your browsing is above board, you're still at risk.

Thankfully there's no shortage of apps and browser extensions that can block ads and keep you safer when you're online. Combined with the best antivirus software and the best VPNs , a good ad-blocker gives you a perfect arsenal of tools to offer as much protection as possible. Even the FBI recommends using an ad-blocker for protection.

The only thing you need to figure out is which ad-blocker is right for you. There are so many to choose from, and whether you are willing to live with the downsides. Most free sites rely on advertising revenue to survive, including Tom's Guide. But if you're happy with the trade-off, we've got a thorough list of the best ad blockers and privacy tools — with options for every browser and platform.

The best ad blockers you can get today

1. adblock plus (chrome, edge, firefox, opera, safari, android, ios).

AdBlock Plus (ABP) is among the most popular ad blockers, with extensions available for Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Edge and Opera. ABP features a quick setup, loading preset filter lists that allow users to quickly block most ads, as well as the option to filter malware and social media buttons. 

Savvy users can chose additional block lists as well as set custom filters or whitelist their favorite sites to keep their ad revenue in the black. AdBlock Plus allows what it calls "non-intrusive advertising" through filters; that may irk some users, though this feature can be disabled in settings. 

On Android, the AdBlock Browser provides a Firefox-based browser that blocks incoming advertising, while on iOS, the AdBlock Plus app integrates with the content blocker system to seamlessly block advertising on Safari with minimal setup.

Download AdBlock Plus: Firefox , Chrome , Safari , Opera , Edge

2. AdBlock (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

AdBlock (no relation to AdBlock Plus) is the other best ad-blocking browser extension of note, available for users of Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. AdBlock uses a series of filter lists to automatically block ad content coming from known ad servers and providers. Users can stick with the default block lists, subscribe to additional ones, or even create their own, as well as whitelist their favorite websites. 

As one of the most downloaded Chrome and Safari extensions, AdBlock has the trust of many users worldwide.

Download AdBlock: Chrome , Firefox , Safari , Edge

3. uBlock Origin (Chrome, Firefox)

Ublock Origin is a browser-based ad blocker that focuses on simple, efficient blocking with a low resource overhead. The extension comes loaded with a number of filter lists for known advertising and malware sources, with extra filter lists available and the option to read and create your own custom filters from hosts files.

Download Ublock Origin: Chrome , Firefox

4. Poper Blocker (Chrome)

Rather than be an all-in one blocking solution, Poper Blocker (aka Pop Up Blocker For Chrome), is designed to complement other adblockers. 

In this case, Poper Blocker focuses on blocking pop-ups, pop-unders, overlays, timed and scroll pop-ups, and other varieties that might slip past other ad-blocking extensions. Small notifications tell you when pop-ups are blocked. You also can view your blocking stats, but otherwise, you can generally just keep Poper Blocker running in the background with minimal impact alongside other adblocker extensions.

Download Poper Blocker: Chrome

5. Stands Fair AdBlocker (Chrome)

For a fast and light ad-blocking plugin, Chrome users can turn to Stands Fair AdBlocker. The extension does precisely what it promises, blocking ads and pop-ups from cluttering up your browser view while also preventing any tracking from going on. 

Stand's Fair AdBlocker gives you control over the type of ads you can block, specifying everything from autoplay video ads, YouTube ads, expanding ads and more. It can even block Facebook ads if you want.

The "Fair" part of AdBlocker comes into play by giving you the ability to allow certain types of ads or even whitelist ad-supported websites you don't want to shortchange of badly needed revenue. This is one ad blocker that doesn't take a scorched earth approach to its stated purpose.

Download Stands Fair AdBlocker: Chrome

6. Ghostery (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge)

Like the other extensions on our list of the best ad blockers, Ghostery can remove ads from webpages, so you can focus on content and browse more efficiently. But the real value in Ghostery lies in its privacy protection features. You can use Ghostery to view trackers, which lets you see who's trying to collect data on you. With Ghostery, you can also stop that tracking from taking place. If you really want to safeguard your privacy, you can turn to Ghostery's Enhanced Anti Tracking to anonymize your data.

Ghostery's a free download that offers basic web protection. More advanced protection starts at $4.99 a month and the $11.99 monthly tier comes with a built-in VPN. There are also versions of Ghostery that work with Android and iOS devices.

Download Ghostery: Chrome , Firefox , Opera , Safari , Edge

7. Adblocker for YouTube (Chrome, Firefox)

YouTube has gotten more aggressive with ads, so the makers of ad-blocking extensions have followed suit. Adblocker for YouTube is a Chrome extension that promises to automatically block YouTube ads, whether we're talking about the pre-roll ad appearing before your video or any text and banner ads that appear on the video itself.

If you prefer Firefox to Chrome, there's also an AdBlocker for YouTube extension that works on that browser. Same name, different developer apparently, but the functionality of stripping out video and display ads remains. This version works on Android devices too.

Download Adblocker for YouTube: Chrome , Firefox

1. AdGuard (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS)

Uses looking for a more robust experience can try out the subscription-based AdGuard, which provides desktop and mobile options to reduce the ads you see when surfing online. 

AdGuard on Windows and Mac covers popular browsers, with highly configurable options for ads, content, and tracker blocking, as well as a parental controls module for restricting adult content. AdGuard for Android is a no-root ad-blocker that blocks advertising on apps and games, though you’ll have to install it from AdGuard’s site instead of through Google Play. AdGuard for iOS works with Safari to effectively filter ads on the default browser.

Download AdGuard: Windows , Mac , Android , iOS

2. AdLock ($33 per year)

AdLock avoids the browser-based route, instead opting to run as a separate program to be able to block not only browser-based ads, but also advertising in other programs like Skype or games. 

The app runs in the background, using filters to block ads, popups, and autoplaying videos, speeding up loading times and applying Safe Browsing features to automatically block sites that are known to be unsafe. 

For obvious reasons, the mobile version is unavailable on the Google Play Store, so you'll need to sideload the app if you want to get AdLock into your Android device. iOS users can download AdLock directly from Apple's App Store.

Download AdLock: Windows , Chrome ,  Android , Mac , iOS

3. Wipr (macOS, iOS; $1.99)

If you’re a Safari fan, Wipr may be the best ad blocker for both your Mac and iPhone. The app is available for both iOS and macOS — costing $1.99 from either Apple App Store — and it promises to work with Safari as well as apps that use Safari for displaying web pages.

You’ll find a full array of features with Wipr, which not only blocks apps and trackers, but cryptocurrency miners, EU cookie and GDPR notices and anything else that gets in your way of surfing the web. Its blocklist gets updated twice a week, and there’s little configuration; the idea is that you load Wipr and forget that it’s there while it does its job in the background.

With Wipr, pages should load faster in Safari, which will be particularly welcome if you’re surfing from an iPhone, where ads and trackers can bog down your browser’s speed.

Download Wipr: macOS , iOS

1. 1Blocker (iOS)

1Blocker was one of the first really good ad blockers on iOS when Apple opened up that functionality on iPhones and iPads; the apps has since been optimized for Safari. 

The app is designed to make browsing faster and more secure by blocking ads, popups, trackers and other online cruft. Rather than blocking content of a downloaded page, 1Blocker works with Safari's content blocker API to tell the browser what to block in advance, saving time and resources. 

1Blocker features more than 115,000 blocker rules, custom regional adblocking settings, and easy-to-use custom rules settings. The app is a free download, with premium features available as in-app purchases.

Download 1Blocker: iOS

2. Firefox Focus (Android, iOS)

Firefox Focus is another addition to Mozilla's family of browsers. This one's a privacy-oriented version of Firefox that bakes in ad-blocking and anti-tracking into a light and functional package. Firefox Focus blocks ads and speeds up browsing, while also working in privacy-friendly features like automatic history and cookie clearing. 

Users can selectively block ads, analytics, content and social trackers with easy toggles, turn on a "stealth" mode, and set a default search engine.

Our look at the best Android browsers has more on the various flavors of Firefox.

Download Firefox Focus: Android , iOS

3. AdClear (Android, iOS)

AdClear — or AdClear Plus if you're searching for the iOS version — offers the kind of mobile ad blocking in browsers that similar apps provide. But AdClear takes it one step farther by also blocking ads in apps. 

AdClear achieves this through a DNS changer feature that routes traffic through a VPN. AdClear doesn't catch everything in all apps, and in our experience, some apps ran a little slower. But this free download can put a stop to ads interrupting what you're trying to do whether in an app or a browser.

Download AdClear: Android , iOS

1. Decentraleyes (Chrome, Firefox)

Some times, blocking ads can also prevent websites fromn pulling needed resoruces and libraries from third-party sources, breaking web pages in the process. Decentraleyes tries to stop that from happening by acting as a local content delivery network emulator to serve up the files that websites need. By doing so, this extension can stop websites from sending out requests to the likes of Google Hosted Libraries.

Think of Decentraleyes as a complement to ad blockers. In fact, the extension specifically says it can work with uBlock Origin and AdBlock Plus, both of which we recommend up above.

Download Decentraleyes: Chrome , Firefox

2. Opera (Desktop, Android, iOS)

The Opera browser bakes in ad-blocking features into the browser without the need for an extra add-on, while also offering privacy-friendly tools such as an unlimited, built-in VPN service, incognito mode, fraud and malware warnings for suspicious links and pages, and more. In addition, you can further customize Opera's capabilities with a wide array of extensions. 

Mobile users need not fret, as the Android version comes with just about everything the desktop version has but built for touch-screen interfaces. On iOS, the mobile version of Opera is listed in Apple's App Store as Opera Touch. (Incidentally, we've got a guide on how you can use Opera to block ads on the iPhone .)

Download Opera: Mac or Windows , Android , iOS

3. Privacy Badger (Chrome, Firefox, Opera)

The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Privacy Badger browser extension was born from the EFF's concerns about the business models of some privacy tools and ad blockers. 

Privacy Badger functions similarly to extensions like AdBlock Plus (on which it was based), observing the various tracking tools that advertisers and other third parties might use to track your online activities and selectively blocking them from executing. Built-in learning algorithms adapt to the sites you visit and take any new tracking tools discovered into account. 

While not explicitly an ad blocker, Privacy Badger does also block some advertising, depending on how aggressively the ads track you across websites.

Download Privacy Badger: Chrome , Firefox , Opera

4. Tor Browser (Desktop, Android)

The Tor network helps anonymize your internet activity by bouncing the data you send and receive through a distributed anonymous network of routers to foil a common online surveillance technique called traffic analysis, which can reveal the sites you visit or who you're communicating with. 

The Tor Browser is an all-in-one package that includes everything you need to surf the net through the Tor network in an easy-to-install portable package. The package includes a modified version of Firefox with privacy aids such as NoScript baked in, and an automatic setup aid that makes it easy to connect to and create new Tor circuits. 

On the desktop, you can grab a version of Tor Browser for Windows, macOS or Linux. There's also a version of Tor Browser for Android, which replaces the previous OrBot + OrFox combination recommended for browsing Tor on Android.

Download Tor Browser: Desktop , Android

5. Onion Browser (iOS)

iOS users aren’t left out when it comes to browsing the Tor anonymizer network, with the Onion Browser among the more popular options on Apple’s mobile OS. 

Previously a premium app, Onion Browser has since moved to a donation model, opening up access to everyone who wants to download the app, without compromising security or features. The usual caveats apply: Browsing through Tor will slow down the web experience, and some features, like video streams and video files won’t work in order to preserve anonymity.

Download Onion Browser: iOS

How to choose the best ad blocker for you

Many of the best ad blockers are available for free, either as extensions or as standalone apps, though a few, like AdLock, charge a fee. Determine if the free services provide enough ad-blocking to meet your needs or whether a paid app delivers more for your money. You should also figure out if a browser extension will take care of your ad-blocking needs or whether you should consider switching browsers to one with more built-in privacy features.

You can narrow down your choice in ad blockers by deciding specifically what you're looking to accomplish with such an app or extension. Do you just want to stop annoying pop-up ads from appearing or do you want the full range of services, including privacy features and an end to ad-tracking? Grab the ad blocker that ticks off all the boxes on your wishlist.

Some ad blockers, such as AdBlock Plus include filters and the ability to let in non-obtrusive advertising. Others, like AdBlocker Ultimate, take a more aggressive approach. Find out which one best suits your needs and comfort level.

As we noted at the outset, there's also an ethical component to ad blockers. Do you feel comfortable keeping ad revenue out of the hands of sites you enjoy and use for free? As good as the best ad blockers are, that's still a trade-off you need to consider when deciding whether to install one as a browser extension or as a standalone app. 

Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.

Upgrade your life with a daily dose of the biggest tech news, lifestyle hacks and our curated analysis. Be the first to know about cutting-edge gadgets and the hottest deals.

Microsoft just patched a ton of Windows security flaws including two dangerous zero-days — update your PC right now

Google just released emergency Chrome fix for zero-day bug being used by hackers — update right now

ChatGPT-4o vs. ChatGPT-4: 5 biggest upgrades you need to know

• kep55 I'm waiting for an ad blocker that will spoof the websites into thinking there is no ad blocker in place. More and more sites are incorporating code that disables the site entirely or many of the features if an adblocker is in use. Reply

kep55 said: I'm waiting for an ad blocker that will spoof the websites into thinking there is no ad blocker in place. More and more sites are incorporating code that disables the site entirely or many of the features if an adblocker is in use.

• View All 2 Comments

Most Popular

• 2 5 best Netflix miniseries with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes
• 3 3 flower seeds to sow in May for beautiful blooms
• 4 GPT-4o just killed the Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin — here’s why
• 5 I swapped AirPods Pro 2 for Nothing Ear at the gym — here's what happened
• 2 3 flower seeds to sow in May for beautiful blooms
• 3 GPT-4o just killed the Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin — here’s why
• 4 I swapped AirPods Pro 2 for Nothing Ear at the gym — here's what happened
• 5 TCL QM8 (2024) vs Hisense U8N: Which Mini-LED TV wins?

• VPN & Privacy
• Ad-blocker for Safari

Best ad-blockers for Safari

Whether it’s an autoplay video covering the button you’re about to click, or a banner ad obscuring the content you’re trying to read – everyone hates adverts. Happily, the best ad-blocker for Safari will stop adverts and other annoyances from ever bothering you again.

Sophisticated ad-blockers remove a whole host of stubborn adverts, as well as trackers and fingerprinting scripts. They’ll also help prevent you from connecting to malicious websites and will neutralize threatening adware code.

Choosing from one of the multitude of ad-blockers available for Safari on the App Store can be daunting, which is why we’ve done the work for you. If you’re in a rush, our findings are summarized below:

• Total Adblock : Our first choice for a Safari ad-blocker. Strong ad-blocking ability and can prevent social media trackers and access to malicious websites.
• AdLock : Best budget option for a Safari ad-blocker. Able to stop ads on video and audio streaming sites. Blocks all ads by default.
• AdGuard : Open-source ad-blocker able to stop all types of ads as well as trackers, malware and phishing websites.
• 1Blocker : Simple to use and great for quickly creating custom rules. Stops trackers, cookies and fingerprinting scripts as well as ads.
• Wipr : Easy installation and great at blocking ads, trackers, and cryptocurrency miners. Can also prevent EU cookie and GDPR notices.

We used the criteria below to help us narrow down the Safari ad-blocker options. If you’re interested, we have a comprehensive section on our testing process later in this article.

• Comprehensive and reliable ad-blocking
• Good value for money
• No acceptable ads
• Plenty of customization
• Security features

Here’s a list of the best ad-blockers for safari:

1. Total Adblock

Total Adblock is a powerful ad-blocker that removes banners, video ads and pop-ups by default from Safari – but only on iPhone and iPad. Mac users will need to use a different browser if they wish to employ Total Adblock.

The software can be configured to block websites known to distribute malware, and can also remove cookie and privacy warnings on trusted websites – thus speeding up page loading times. Alternatively, adding websites to a whitelist enables them to automatically display without any filters.

Using Total Adblock’s custom filters allows you to block any elements on a web page that you’d prefer not to see. A social media tracking blocking filter stops “like” and “share” buttons from appearing on websites.

The basic Total Adblock app is free, but will not block ads on the top 15,000 websites ranked on Alexa – thus making it fairly useless. You will also get access to TotalAV virus protection and PC Tune-Up software.

• Robust ad-blocking with subscription
• Stops ads on streaming sites
• Enables element blocking
• Subscription includes TotalAV antivirus
• Prevents social media tracking
• Annual subscription required for usable app

BEST AD-BLOCKER: Total Adblock is our top  ad-blocker for Safari. It offers rigorous blocking of ads and malware, and the subscription includes TotalAV antivirus.

AdLock for Safari is a free extension that blocks pop-ups, autoplay videos, and banner ads; while also protecting you against trackers, bugs, analytical systems, and scammers.

The UI is immediately approachable, making it easy to get started. Toggle switches help you set preferences, and there’s a whitelist where you can add any sites that you’d rather see unfiltered. There are no acceptable ads, so you don’t need to dig around trying to turn them off. You also don’t need to worry about your data being sold to third parties.

There’s scope for more comprehensive tinkering via the ad filters – AdLock recommends using a maximum of five for peak performance. These filters are mostly drawn from EasyList, which is the most popular option for ad-blockers. You can create custom rules and AdLock also allows the removal of any element from a page, including non-ad-related callback forms and online chat boxes.

AdLock is great for streaming sites. It can remove all pre-rolls, mid-rolls, post-rolls, and otherwise unskippable video commercials. You just need to engage a special one-click script or use the AdLock player. AdLock also stops social media widgets following you from site to site.

• Rigorous blocking
• Good for streaming sites
• Protects privacy
• Extension is free
• Extension not as powerful as app

BEST BUDGET-FRIENDLY OPTION: AdLock’s free Safari browser  extension is a reliable ad-blocker that stops ads in streaming sites.

AdGuard for Safari is a free browser extension that stops all ads, trackers and widgets. You can create custom filtering rules and manually remove any web page element. The software helps with security by issuing warnings if you unintentionally visit malicious or phishing websites.

The AdGuard home screen allows you to set up the basics: notification preferences, update intervals, and which content blockers you’d like to use. Content blockers are thematic clusters of filters. For example, the AdGuard Security Blocker contains filters that stop browser-based cryptominers, domains known to spread malware and spyware, and sites associated with fraudsters.

Alternatively, you can add filters of your choosing in the custom area, or create custom rules that apply specific filtering criteria. For example, you might want a particular element removed when visiting such-and-such website. AdGuard provides instructions on how to master rule syntax.

AdGuard doesn’t collect any user data or allow “acceptable ads”. The software is open-source, with the repository on GitHub available via the AdGuard “About” page.

• Intercepts malicious website connections
• Allows custom rule creation
• Stops social media widgets
• Doesn’t block as much as its app

CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS: AdGuard is a powerful, open-source ad-blocker that encourages the creation of custom filters and rules.

4. 1Blocker

1Blocker uses filters to tell Safari what to stop in advance. It’s effective at removing a range of ads, trackers and fingerprinting scripts. Setup is simple and the app automatically receives cloud updates to the built-in filters.

There is plenty of scope for customization. For example, you can create rules for a defined URL or hide a particular element with a CSS selector. You can also block cookies, or allow ads for a particular site while still blocking trackers and social buttons.

1Blocker doesn’t have access to the pages you visit and doesn’t track you in any way. There are no “acceptable ads,” as funding for the app comes from subscriptions. These cost either $2.99 a month, or $14.99 for a year. There is a free version of the app, but it’s limited in what it can do. For example, you can only block either trackers or ads – not both.

1Blocker is compatible with iPhones running iOS 14.2 or later, iPads running iPadOS 14.2 or later, iPod Touches running iOS 14.2 or later, and Macbooks running macOS 10.15 or later. Any preferences and custom rules are kept in sync across all devices via iCloud.

• Easy to use
• Blocks fingerprinting scripts
• Easy to create custom rules
• Doesn’t block all types of ads
• Best features require subscription

GREAT FOR BEGINNERS: 1Blocker is simple  to set up, with a straightforward interface that makes creating custom rules easy.

Wipr is a relatively simple ad-blocker that can nevertheless block a wide range of trackers and ads, as well as cryptocurrency miners and EU cookie notices. Its blocklist is automatically updated twice a week, ensuring not much gets past it.

If you want to block ads from the likes of YouTube and other streaming sites , you can enable Wipr Extra. This requires full website access, so consider any privacy implications in leaving it turned on long-term.

Wipr is able to block ads in apps that display websites using the Safari View Controller. Note that it is not able to help with blocking scam, phishing or other malicious sites.

If purchased in the App Store, you’ll be able to install Wipr on all the iPhone and iPads with the same Apple ID. If purchased on a Mac, you’ll be able to install it on all the Macs with the same Apple ID. Wipr costs $1.99 in each store, so you’ll have to pay $3.98 if you wish to use it on both an iPhone and a Mac, for example.

The app is compatible with iPhones running iOS 12.0 or later, iPads running iPadOS 12.0 or later, and Macs running macOS 10.15 or later.

• Straightforward ad-blocker
• Doesn’t protect against malicious code
• One purchase won’t cover all devices
• No custom rules

EASY SETUP: Wipr is a straightforward  ad-blocker that keeps itself updated and blocks a decent number of ads and trackers.

Can I use a free ad-blocker for Safari?

You can, and there are many decent free ad-blockers available. However, as with most products that seem free, there’s often a hidden cost. Some ad-blockers make money by allowing some ads through – what are sometimes called “acceptable ads.” Other, less scrupulous, apps may even sell your data to third parties.

More commonly, ad-blocking developers create a free version of the subscription-only service – typically a browser extension. This has less features than the paid-for version, but allows people to become familiar with the service and pay out when they find that they can’t live without a particular feature.

How to install a Safari ad-blocker:

If you want to use a Safari browser extension ad-blocker, follow these instructions:

• Launch the Settings app.
• Scroll down and tap Safari .
• Under General , tap Content Blockers .
• Activate your chosen content blocker by toggling the switch next to it to the green ON position.

If you’ve downloaded an ad-blocker app for Safari, follow these instructions to enable it:

• Click on Safari in the top left-hand corner.
• Select Safari Extensions from the drop-down menu.
• Wait for the App Store to automatically open on the extensions page.
• Search for the ad-blocker you’d like to add.
• Click Get underneath the ad-blocker extension.
• Sign in with your Apple ID if required and start downloading.
• Click install to get the app up and running.
• Open the extension and follow the instructions.
• Click on Safari in the top right corner once more.
• Select Preferences from the drop-down menu.
• Tick the checkbox next to the ad-blocker you downloaded.

Methodology: Finding the best Safari ad-blocker

Most Safari ad-blocking extensions are capable of preventing certain cookies, images, pop-ups and other unwanted content from being downloaded. So what makes one better than the other? The best Safari ad-blockers will perform notably well when tested against the criteria below:

• Comprehensive blocking: We expect ad-blockers to be able to block most types of advert that appears on a web page. This includes pop-ups , banners, and interstitial ads. We also require the removal of autoplay video and audio, as well as the option to stop chat boxes and pre-roll ads.
• Good value: An expensive ad-blocker doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth your money. We only include ad-blockers that can justify what they charge. This normally means they provide superior blocking ability with other privacy and security features.
• No acceptable ads: We know that developers need to make money, but allowing ads on an ad-blocker doesn’t seem like the right way to do it. For this reason, we don’t recommend ad-blockers that allow paid advertising to be displayed.
• Plenty of customization: Ruthless blocking seems great… until it isn’t. Being able to whitelist sites is a good starting point. However, a good ad-blocker allows you to create custom rules for everything from ads to trackers, cookies and notices. We also like to be able to customize blocking on an element-by-element basis.
• Security features: It’s not just ads we want to see blocked, it’s trackers, fingerprinting script and any malicious code whatsoever. Ad-blockers that intercept connections to untrusted sites score points too.
• Compatibility: Safari is available on all Apple devices, including Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Although all of the ad-blockers we looked at worked with Safari, they didn’t all work great across all devices. The mobile Safari app is different to the macOS Safari app, and so we only recommend ad-blockers that have been specifically designed to work across all Apple devices.

FAQs: Best ad-blocker for Safari

Does apple allow ad-blockers.

Apple began allowing ad-blockers on the iPhone and iPad versions of Safari in 2015. Devices running iOS 9 were – for the first time – permitted to add content blocking extensions to Safari. 

Prior to this, the only way to block adverts was to “jailbreak” the devices, which involved replacing – or modifying – key components of the operating system with custom applications. Where subsequent security measures weren’t instigated, this resulted in their becoming easier for attackers to infiltrate. 

Apple allowing ad-blocking Safari extensions negated the need to do this. At the same time, it ensured that the company could still make money from allowing advertising in apps.

Are ad-blockers legal?

Yes, though there were a slew of court cases when Apple first began allowing ad-blockers. These were brought by media companies that were heavily reliant on advertising money. None of them were successful, and the use of ad-blockers has been steadily increasing since – much to the chagrin of the ad industry. 

The problem is that ads are becoming ever more invasive. Many actively prevent us from enjoying a particular website’s content until we’ve interacted with the advert. Meanwhile, ad-blockers are getting more powerful and easier to install. 

Of course, the people who run that website might say that ad-blockers are morally questionable. After all, advertising revenue effectively pays for the website. There is ultimately no easy solution. Some sites try using a paywall to stay ad-free, while others incorporate adverts into their content. A short-term solution involves site owners asking users to whitelist their sites if they like them.  

How do ad-blockers work?

Ad-blockers detect scripts designed to make your browser load content from the servers of ad networks. By blocking these scripts, the adverts aren’t requested or displayed. Ad-blockers can also block scripts that monitor your online behavior or contain malicious code. Ad-blockers are able to detect scripts by comparing them with huge lists of offending domains – often created by the online community. 

Without these additional advertising requests playing out, pages tend to require less bandwidth and are quicker to download. Indeed, research suggests that the execution of third-party scripts can account for more than half of a page’s loading time.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Roundup - best VPNs for

Privacy alert: websites you visit can find out who you are.

The following information is available to any site you visit:

Your IP Address:

Your Location:

Your Internet Provider:

This information can be used to target ads and monitor your internet usage.

Using a VPN will hide these details and protect your privacy.

We recommend using NordVPN - #1 of 72 VPNs in our tests. It offers outstanding privacy features and is currently available at a discounted rate.

Ghostery Tracker & Ad Blocker for Safari

Sets you up for a private, transparent, and fast internet..

100+ million downloads across platforms

15+ years fighting for your privacy

Always open source

We’ve been mentioned in the press

GHOSTERY TRACKER & AD BLOCKER

Puts you back in the driver’s seat.

Ghostery stops trackers, ads, and popups in Safari and keeps your personal data private and off the data brokers’ wallets. Your personal data is your business!

Privacy Protection

Our Safari Ad Blocker & tracking counteragent takes things to the next level. Every ad, popup and tracker carry your personal information across the web. This data can be used to harm you anytime. By using Ghostery you protect your privacy.

Transparency

Behind every website visit or search you make, trackers are recording and transmitting every step you take. Ghostery's tracker blocker extension neutralizes these trackers while also working as a high-level Ad Blocker for Safari, giving you more peace of mind. Over the Tracker Panel, Ghostery displays the trackers that were identified and neutralized.

Speed & Focus

The more resources load on a website, the slower it gets. By decluttering the web, Ghostery's Safari Adblocker extension speeds up pages and avoids draining your internet bandwidth and battery.

Community Powered

Ghostery tracking protection is powered by many. Once a new tracker is detected by one of our users, everyone’s privacy improves. Our code is open source, everyone can investigate it. Browse the internet safer with Ghostery's Tracker & Ad Blocker for Safari that can be used on mobile & desktop!

GHOSTERY FEATURES

Engineered for privacy protection.

Ghostery stops trackers on Safari - blocks ads, cookies and popups - clicks you out of consent dialogues at each website visit.

Tracker Panel

Ghostery x-rays the web to display every tracker lurking behind the websites you visit.

To secure your privacy all trackers are neutralized. Your personal data are detached and replaced by random values, leaving data collectors in the dark about your identity.

Privacy Building Blocks

Anti-tracking.

AI-driven technology neutralizing trackers’ ability to collect your personal data. Replacing it by random values it puts data brokers in the dark about your identity and sends a personal message of tracking being unacceptable.

Ad-Blocking

Removes all advertising and promotional content from the websites you visit, leaving you with a clutter-free, focused view on information. The less resources load on a page, the faster it gets.

Never-Consent

Clicks you out of all consent dialogues in favor of never tracking. This unequaled feature adds convenience to each website visit and acts like your globally active privacy advocate towards content providers.

Over 100+ million Ghostery downloads for privacy protection

Join the ghostery user community and protect your personal data online, faq: tracker & ad blocker for safari, how do i stop safari from tracking me.

By using Ghostery, you can easily stop Safari from tracking you. We use AI-driven technology to stop trackers getting ahold of your personal information, ensuring you can safely browse the web using Safari. 

Does Safari Really Prevent Tracking?

Over the past few years, Apple has really strengthened Intelligent Tracking Prevention on Safari. Safari prevents trackers from accessing cookies and collecting certain types of data, but Safari does not block trackers. If you use Ghostery as well as using Safari as your browser, you will receive a high level of protection.

How Do I Stop Websites From Tracking Me?

You can utilise your privacy settings on Safari, by going onto Safari, choosing Preferences, and selecting Privacy. Then select “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking”. Additionally, add an extra level of protection by using the Ghostery Browser Extension for Safari.

What Does It Mean If Trackers are Profiling You?

Unless you are using anti-tracker software, everyone is being tracked online. Profiling is when your data and information is collected by tech giants such as Facebook and Google or even government agencies. They then use your personal information to create a general profile of your behavior and identity. 

How Do I Stop Trackers From Profiling Me?

There are many ways to stop trackers from profiling you. One of the best ways is to use Ghostery’s free browser extension which will block both ads and trackers. You should also consider using a VPN and a private search engine to stop trackers from profiling you too.

Can Websites Track You On Safari?

You must ask Safari to stop websites from tracking you, but even with this option turned on, Safari will send the website in question a request to stop tracking you, and it’s then up to the website whether they honor this request. At Ghostery, our anti-tracker technology is more robust. 

How Do I Stop Web Trackers?

While you can disable trackers via the privacy settings on Safari, Ghostery tracker blocker really ensures that trackers can’t get hold of your personal details. 

What is the Best Free Ad Blocker for Safari?

Ghostery is a free browser extension that will block ads for you, while keeping your information and data safe and secure as you browse the net. 

Are Safari Ad Blockers Safe?

Ghostery’s Safari Ad Blockers will protect your privacy from trackers and from ads that may steal your personal information. It’s always better to be safe than sorry with an ad blocker.

What is the Safest Ad Blocker?

Ghostery is one of the safest ad blockers, alongside AdBlock, Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome’s ad blockers. Our ad blocker is safe and free and can be easily downloaded as a browser extension for Safari. 

How Do I Block Ads On Apple?

You can block ads on Apple by simply selecting preferences in the Safari menu, and in the websites tab selecting pop-up windows. If there are any websites in the list, highlight them all and click remove. However, if you want to ensure that you don’t have any ads popping up as you search online, we would recommend downloading Ghostery as an extra level of security. 

How Do I Block YouTube Ads on Safari?

You can customize our tracker and ad-blocker however you want, and our ad-blocking removes all advertising and promotional content from the websites you visit. Therefore, once you’ve enabled Ghostery, you’ll be able to block YouTube ads on Safari.

Does Mac have a Built-in Ad Blocker?

Mac does not have a built in ad blocker, and if you want to completely block third party ads, you’ll have to download a browser extension such as Ghostery.

Still have questions?

If there is anything you miss in Ghostery or have any questions, please drop a line to [email protected] . We’re happy to talk to you anytime.

Join 100+ Million Ghostery downloads

Protect your privacy with the web’s most advanced ad and tracker blocker!

uBlock Origin - Free, open-source ad content blocker.

Easy on cpu and memory..

Github (gorhill/uBlock)

uBlock Origin is not just an “ad blocker“, it's a wide-spectrum content blocker with CPU and memory efficiency as a primary feature.

Open-source ad blocker

The uBlock Origin is a free and open-source, cross-platform browser extension for content filtering—primarily aimed at neutralizing privacy invasion in an efficient, user-friendly method.

CPU and memory efficiency

Globally, uBlock Origin could save consumers more than $1.8 billion/year( study ). Open source ad blockers are a potentially effective technology for energy conservation.

Various browsers support

uBlock Origin’s extension is available for several of the most widely used browsers, including: Chrome, Chromium, MS Edge, Opera, Firefox and all Safari releases prior to 13.

About uBlock Origin

In 2014 uBlock Origin’s founder, original author and lead developer, Raymond Hill, created the original uBlock extension, with its development initiated by forking the codebase of HTTP Switchboard with a separate blocking extension, uMatrix, which had been previously designed for advanced users. The initial uBlock was developed by Raymond Hill in order to enable community-maintained block lists while simultaneously adding additional features and upgrading the code quality to proper release standards. First released in June 2014 as an exclusive Chrome and Opera extension, in late 2015 the initial uBlock extension expanded to other browsers under its current name – uBlock Origin. (occasionally represented globally as – uBlock₀).

Following this 2015 introduction, a collaborative comsource and Sourcepoint industry research survey reported an 833% growth rate over a 10-month period ending in August 2016, the most rapid growth among any industry software publicly listed at that time. This report attributed this enormous surge to collective user demand for “pure” blockers with the capacity to operate outside the “acceptable advertising” program used by AdBlock, and other industry extensions.

Quickly gaining traction throughout the entire ad-blocking industry, the uBlock Origin Firefox version collected over 5 million active users, with its Chrome extension subsequently compiling over 10 million active users. Developer Nik Rolls then officially released uBlock Origin for the Microsoft Edge browser in December 2016.

In January 2017, uBlock Origin was added to the repositories for Debian 9 , and Ubuntu (16.04), and the uBlock Origin extension was awarded the prestigious IoT honor of “Pick of the Month” by Mozilla.

As of 2024, uBlock Origin continues to be maintained and actively developed by founder and lead developer Raymond Hill.

The uBlock Origin extension remains an industry leading, open-source, cross-platform browser extension with software developed specifically for multiple platform use, and as of 2024, uBlock Origin’s extension is available for several of the most widely used browsers, including: Chrome, Chromium, Edge, Opera, Firefox and all Safari releases prior to 13.

The uBlock Origin project still specifically refuses donations at this time, and instead advises all of its clients, users and supporters to donate to block list maintainers.

Best Ad Blockers Apps for iOS

• Introduction

Are you ready to say goodbye to intrusive ads and prepare for smoother browsing on your iOS device? Finding the right ad blocker can make a difference in a digital universe crowded with online distractions. Discover the best iOS ad blocker to improve your Internet browsing experience.

What we liked

What we didn't like , how to choose the best adblock for ios, can i use a free ad-block for iphone and ipad, how to enable content blockers on iphone and ipad, does apple allow ad blockers, do ad-blockers slow websites down , best ad blocker ios apps for iphone, ipad, and mac.

If you need to improve your browsing experience and reduce distractions on your Apple devices, selecting the right ad blocker app is a brilliant idea. Discover the best ad blockers for your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, which stand out for their efficiency, performance, and user experience. 

By blocking all kinds of ads in Safari browser and other apps, these solutions could ensure a smoother and more enjoyable browsing session. With features such as customizable blocking, privacy protection, and malware prevention due to effective ad blocking, these top ad blockers provide users with everything they need to enjoy their browsing on iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Eliminate all ads on your iOS devices!

1. 1Blocker – Ad Blocker

1Blocker is an adblocker app designed specifically for iPhones, iPads, and Macs that allows you to block intrusive ads, redirects, and unwanted elements on sites. It seeks to improve the user's browsing experience on iOS. Discover other features offered by 1Blocker.

• Blocks Ads and Trackers Effectively:  The app is able to block ads and pop-ups to enhance your browsing and online privacy.
• Easy to Use:  Setting up 1Blocker is straightforward for every user. 
• Selective and Customizable Blocking:  While it blocks most pop-up ads, you can whitelist websites to allow ads on sites you want to support. Additionally, you can block specific elements on a webpage, like social media buttons. 
• Privacy Focused:  The app doesn't track your browsing activity and claims not to access the content of web pages you visit.
• Fast Performance:  1Blocker is known for its speed and avoids slowing down Safari while browsing.

Here are some additional 1Blocker's bonus:

• 1Blocker app integrates with iCloud , which makes it easy to sync your preferences and rules across all your devices. 
• There's a Safari extension available for 1Blocker  that allows you to manage blocking directly from the browser. 1Blocker could be one of the best adblock browsers in iOS.
• Compatibility Issues:  1Blocker may not work with Safari entirely due to Safari's current ad content-blocking features.
• Paid Subscription Necessary:  It offers basic adblocking features for free, but you must need to pay a subscription to access its premium features.
• Limited to Apple Devices:  It is only compatible with iPhones and iPads running iOS 14.2 or later and is limited to Apple devices.
• Needs Constant Updates:  Blocking effectiveness depends on the quality and updates of 1Blocker's filter lists.

2. AdGuard — Adblock & privacy

If you are searching for one of the best content blockers on iOS, AdGuard definitely should be one of the top content-blocking solutions. AdGuard provides high-quality filtering options, and you can even create custom rules and filters using the user rules module. Let's discover more of AdGuard's features:

• Blocks Ads and Trackers:  Similar to 1Blocker, AdGuard is among the most popular ad blockers. In addition to blocking ads, AdGuard can avoid trackers and phishing websites. 
• Highly ad-blocking capabilities : AdGuard effectively blocks different types of ads, including YouTube, Facebook, and all over the Internet.
• Privacy Protection:  It offers advanced tracking protection to enhance your online security.
• User-Friendly:  The AdGuard app is known for offering a user-friendly interface, making it easy to manage blocking preferences and additional settings where you can define your own blocking rules. 
• Excellent compatibility:  AdGuard is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. 

Here are some additional AdGuard's bonus:

• Content Blocking Filters:   AdGuard offers a variety of filter lists to target different ad types and malicious websites, which you can customize with a bit of technical knowledge.
• DNS Filtering (Paid):  The paid version of AdGuard provides access to custom DNS settings, which can remove ads and trackers system-wide. However, setting it up requires technical knowledge.
• Limited Free Features:  Some more powerful features, like custom DNS settings, are locked behind the paid subscription.
• Blocking Desired Content:   Overly aggressive blocking might unintentionally block essential website elements, requiring adjustments.

3. Standsapp: Best free adblock extension for Safari

Stands AdBlocker is a 100% free ad-blocking extension for Safari with the friendliest interface. It offers highly effective ad-blocking features by eliminating annoying ads all over the Internet while maintaining all site functionalities. Let's discover more about Stands free AdBlock !

• Blocks Ads Across Platforms:  Stands AdBlocker effectively blocks ads not just on websites but also prevents ads on YouTube, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and other ads in apps on iOS.
• Enhanced Browsing:  With its adblocking capabilities, Stands can reduce the risk of malware and trackers appearing in ads.
• Improved Performance and Data Saving:  By blocking ads with Stands, you will get faster loading times and savings on mobile data usage and battery.
• Lightweight adblocker:  Stands consumes minimal system resources while running, mainly designed for mobile devices with limited storage capacity and processing power, and without experiencing lag or slowdowns. 
• High Customization Features:  Stands offers an easy-to-use user interface with which you can block all unwanted elements with one click. In addition, you can easily check the blocking statistics without any hassle. Plus, Stands is very easy to install.

Here are some additional Stands AdBlocker's bonus:

• 100% Free AdBlocker:  Stands is the best free ad blocker extension for Safari and iOS. It provides effective ad-blocking capabilities without requiring a monthly subscription. Additional features, such as advanced filtering and allowing specific websites, are also free. 
• Potential for Blocking Issues:   As with other ad blockers, overly aggressive blocking could unintentionally block essential website elements.
• Basic Ad Blocking Capabilities:  Stands offers basic and effective ad-blocking features only. It does not provide additional features like DNS, best antivirus functionalities, or further online protection capabilities.

4. Total Adblock – Ad Blocker

Total AdBlock is another Safari ad-blocking software that provides protection and ad-blocking features, improving page loading speed. Some features of Total AdBlock for Safari are listed below.

• Blocks Ads and Trackers:  Total Adblock removes ads, pop-ups, and trackers while browsing your iOS device.
• Faster Browsing:  Blocking ads promises to improve page load times, leading to speedier browsing and enhanced user privacy.
• Privacy Protection:  It suggests blocking third-party trackers that follow iPhone users across the web.
• Paid Subscription Required:   According to the app description, a paid subscription seems necessary to access all of Total Adblock's features.
• Payment Issues:  Total Adblock may present issues related to payment and subscription.

5. Ad Block One: Tube Ad Blocker 

Ad Block One for Safari is an ad blocker built specifically for Safari and iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads. Here is a breakdown of its features:

• Blocks Ads and Pop-Ups:   Ad Block One removes intrusive video ads, pop-ups, banner ads, and interstitial ads while browsing the web with Safari.
• Improved Performance:  By blocking ads, Ad Block One can lead to faster loading times and potentially save on data usage and mobile battery.
• Protects Privacy:  Ad Block One claims to block tracking systems and malicious ads to safeguard user privacy.
• Customizable Blocking:  The app allows you to customize its blocking settings without affecting the overall layout and website functionality. You can also whitelist your favorite websites to enable certain types of ads.

Here are some additional    Ad Block One's bonus:

• Free and Paid Version:  Ad Block One provides two different options for users: a free version with essential features and a paid version with advanced features that can enhance the user's experience.
• Available only on Safari:  It primarily serves as an ad blocker for Safari, and there is no information on functionality within other apps.
• Limited Reviews:  Although Trend Micro, a reputable company, launched Ad Block One, there may be limited reviews available specifically for Ad Block One.

Methodology: How we chose the six best iOS adblockers for iPhone and iPad 

To choose the best ad-block apps available for iPhone and iPad, we relied on iOS ad blocker reviews to identify the most top-rated options. We went deep into their features and functionalities, their effectiveness in blocking ads on various apps and websites, compatibility with different iOS versions, user interface design, and additional features such as malware blocking. User feedback and online reviews were used to identify potential issues or limitations.

To choose an effective ad blocker for your iOS device, it is essential to consider the following recommendations:

• Effectiveness:  look for an ad blocker that can effectively block all ads on both apps and websites. 
• Compatibility with iOS:  Make sure the adblocker you choose is compatible with your iOS device and the version of iOS you are running. 
• User interface:  Look for an adblocker that is easy to use and navigate and allows you to customize the settings according to your preferences.
• Impact on performance:  It is essential to check if the adblocker affects the performance or speed of your device, as some may slow down your browsing experience, occupy a large memory space, or even negatively impact your phone's battery usage.
• Reviews and ratings:  We recommend always reading reviews from other users to determine the best alternative for your needs. Install an ad blocker with reliable user reviews online.

What is the best free  adblock for Chrome ?

Looking for an ad blocker to browse smoothly on Safari? With our comprehensive guide, you will find the best ad-blocking solution for Safari to browse ad-free on your iPhone or Mac. After exploring various options, including 1Blocker, AdGuard, Stands AdBlocker, Total Adblock, and Ad Block One, we recommend you consider factors such as effectiveness, compatibility, user interface, performance impact, and user feedback to confidently choose the ad blocker that best suits your needs and preferences.

Ready to browse safe on Android? Discover the best  AdBlock for Android  with Stands.

An ad blocker will always be convenient when using your iPhone or iPad, whether you want to browse without distractions or reduce potential online risks. The App Store offers many other free ad blocker options for iPhone and iPad users. However, we recommend reading reviews to find the best solution for your needs.

To enable content blockers on your iPhone or iPad:

• Go to Settings.
• Scroll down to Safari and look for the Content Blockers option in the Safari menu.
• Enable the Content Blockers option for Safari. Also, remember that if content-blocking applications are installed, you must enable them in Safari settings. 

Safari does not have a built-in ad blocker feature. However, Apple allows ad blockers on iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads. Users can download ad blocker apps from the App Store to block ads and other unwanted content while browsing the web. 

Ad blockers may slow down websites, introducing delays or additional processing overhead as they analyze and filter web page content. In addition, if web pages employ anti-ad blocking techniques, this could cause further delays. For these reasons, we recommend updating your ad blocker, mobile iOS operating system, and browser when necessary to reduce the risk of website malfunction.

Your form has been submitted

• Data Protection Tools /
• Data Privacy Tools /

7 Best Ad Blockers for Chrome in 2024 [Free and Paid]

Table of Contents

Related Posts

• Why Mobile Device Management (MDM) is Important for Organizations
• 7 Best Encryption Software and Tools in 2024
• What is Mobile Device Management (MDM)
• 7 Best SIEM Tools and Software in 2024
• CodeIgniter vs Laravel: Which is the Better & Faster PHP Framework

Summary : Ad Blocker can help in hiding and removing any element identified as advertisement during web browsing. Let’s find out what else you can do with an ad blocker.

Pop up blockers are useful software that can help in blocking advertisements. With so many websites using ad monetization strategies, the chances of fake ads popping up on websites have also increased. However, to avoid any malicious ads or websites popping up on your browsers, you can use an ad blocker.  

In this article, we will review the top ad blockers you can use to get rid of ads and improve your browsing experience.  

Comparison of Top Ad Pop Up Blockers 

Here is a comparison of top ad blockers based on their supported platforms, free trial, and the users’ ratings.  

What is an Ad Blocker?

Ad Blocker is a type of software that helps in blocking and altering online advertising in a browser, application, or a network. By removing ads, they improve your browsing experience so that you can go through the content on any website in a hassle-free manner. 

• Uses: Ad blockers are used to avoid intrusive and repetitive ads and improve the page loading speed because ads and popups can significantly affect the page loading speed. Moreover, these ads might contain malicious links that would lead to data privacy issues. However, with ad blockers, you can eliminate these issues. 
• General Features: Some common features you get with an ad blocker include content filtering, website whitelisting, pop ups and ad blocking, page loading speed improvement, and so on. Identifying the online trackers on a website is also a feature of ad blockers. 
• Factors To Be Considered: Before considering any ad blocker, make sure it falls under your budget and offers a free trial. Moreover, it should have an easy-to-use interface and should offer all the necessary features to improve your browsing experience. 

List of the 7 Best Ad Blockers

Here we are sharing the 7 Best Ad Blockers according to our research and user reviews:-

Adblock: Best for blocking ads and pop ups on websites

Adblock is a popular ad blocker to block video promotions, pop-ups, and distracting ads over popular websites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, etc.  Adblock chrome extension also offers the option to keep seeing ads, whitelist websites, or block advertisements by default. You can use this pop-up blocker in 10+ countries. 

Adblock Features

• Blocks third party trackers.
• Blocks malicious ads of malware and scam.
• Offers filters, themes, and whitelists for customization.
• Syncs all blocking rules across all chrome profiles.
• Removes and blocks video ads. 
• Enhances page loading speed.

Free Trial: Not available

Pricing: Free Ad skipper for chrome

Adblock Pros and Cons

• Offers malware protection for your computer.
• It also supports custom ad blocking.
• The ad blocker only works on web browsers.

Ghostery: Best for faster web browsing experience

Ghostery Ad remover extension for chrome automatically blocks ads and popups, personal data tracking activities, and also boosts the website speed. It is one of the best Ad blockers that you can use for blocking hidden trackers, preventing cookie display, and ensuring ad-free private searching.  

Ghostery Features  

• Blocks ads on multiple websites  
• Anonymizes the personal data to prevent data theft  
• Automatically eliminates intrusive cookie pop-ups 
• Eliminates online tracker apps 
• Ensures customizable browsing options 

Free Trial: 7 days  

Pricing: Free ad blocker

Ghostery Pros and Cons

• Ensures protection against crypto jacking.
• Supports private browsing for android and iOS devices.
• You do not get script blocking function with it.

AdGuard: Best for removing online activities trackers

AdGuard extension for Chrome is designed especially to provide protection against phishing attacks and malicious websites. This free ad blocker is one of the most recommended blockers for Google chrome that helps you get rid of annoying popups, ads, videos, and text. Additionally, it also promotes safer browsing and helps in saving bandwidth.

AdGuard Features  

• Blocks all type of ads  
• Increases page loading speed  
• Offers built in features for enhancing the site appearance  
• Provides protection against phishing and malicious websites  
• Offers parental control to hide inappropriate content 

Free Trial: 14 days 

Pricing: No free plan available | Paid plan starts from INR 35.99/month for 3 devices.

AdGuard Pros and Cons

• It blocks text and video ads
• You can use it in 10+ languages
• It does not provide live chat support.

AdLock: Best for ad-free browsing experience

AdLock is a multiplatform ad blocker that can remove all kinds of popups, ads, and banners from websites. Some popular features that you get with this ad blocker are DNS blocking, direct links ads blocking, social media ads blocking, etc. Moreover, with its safe browsing feature, it also notifies about harmful links before you click on them.

AdLock Features

• Hides browsing data.
• Saves battery power and mobile data.    
• Identifies spyware and bugs.
• Checks harmful links on websites.  
• Blocks popups and banners.

Pricing: No free plan available | Paid plan starts from INR 154.01/month/5 devices

AdLock Pros and Cons

• AdLock can block Cryptocurrency mining and video ads.
• This blocker can filter out online trackers.
• Its website speeding up feature does not function properly.

uBlock Origin: Best for content filtering and ad blocking

uBlock Origin is an open-source blocking software that can be used for blocking video ads, text ads, malicious websites, etc. Its main purpose is to make your browsing experience safe and prevent the loss of personal data while you surf the internet. With this Ad remover extension, you can also permanently disable and enable ads on the current website.

uBlock Features

• Blocks all types of ads and malware.
• Offers customizable whitelists and filters.
• Uses less CPU and memory while browsing.  
• Blocks site trackers.

Free trial: Free to use.

Pricing: Free Ad skipper for chrome.

uBlock Pros and Cons

• You can use it in 51 languages
• It can also be used for blocking URLs.
• It cannot track all the site trackers.

AdBlocker Ultimate: Best for blocking harmful websites and online trackers

AdBlocker Ultimate helps in removing annoying ads, websites, malware webpages, etc. With it, you can also detect online trackers and website analyzers. In addition to that, it can improve browser and page loading speed, minimize the memory usage of the website you visit, and decrease bandwidth. 

AdBlocker Ultimate Features

• Blocks banners, pop ups, and video ads.
• Creates whitelists as per your needs.
• Keeps the data protected against data theft.  
• Automatically blocks malicious websites.

Free Trial: 14 days    

Pricing: No free plan available |Paid plan starts from INR 104.10/month.

AdBlocker Ultimate Pros and Cons

• You can also customize the blocking preferences with it.
• It provides a Filter Log to view all the blocked elements of the website.
• It consumes a lot of memory.

Adblock Plus: Best for improving the site loading speed  

Adblock Plus is one of the most popular free ad blockers that you can use to block various types of advertisements on websites. This Adblock Plus extension for chrome also helps in blocking website trackers and malicious links that are hidden on these websites. Further, with its acceptable ad features, you can enable and disable acceptable ads on your website. 

Adblock Plus Features

• Blocks ads in several browsers and desktop.
• Blocks banners and pop ups.
• Improves site loading speed.
• Offers customizable features.

Free Trial: Free to use.

Pricing: Free pop up and ad blocker.

• Offers more than 20 language filters
• It can also be used for removing third party trackers.
• Script block is not supported by this browser.

With the availability of so many ad blockers, it might be difficult to choose the best out of them. Therefore, it is important to consider all the features it offers before selecting it. Based on the feature comparison like website disabling, website whitelisting, and blocking malware, AdGuard and AdLock have turned out the best ad blockers. If you are looking for a free blocker, then you can consider Adblock and Ghostery.

Reviewing Procedure

• Time Taken to Research This Article: 16 hours 
• Total Tools Researched: 12
• Top Tools Shortlisted: 7

FAQs Related to Ad Blockers

What is a dns ad blocker.

DNS based Ad Blocker uses DNS server to block popups and malicious links on your websites. This blocker is configured to identify and block domain access that displays ads by spoofing the web address. 

Which are the best ad blockers for Chrome?

You can choose from various ad blockers available in the market to block annoying ads on your website. Some of the best options you can consider for ad blocking are TotalAdblock, AdLock, AdGuard, Adblock Plus, and AdBlock.

How to turn on an ad blocker?

You need to open your Google Chrome and go to the settings menu. Next, go to security and privacy and select the site settings. Next, go to additional permissions. From this option, you can easily toggle the ads on or off.

What are the best pop up ad blockers for chrome?

There are several pop up ads blockers that you can use on your Chrome browser. Ghostery, Opera Browser, uBlock Origin, and AdBlocker Ultimate are some of the popular ad removers. 

How to stop pop up blocker chrome?

First, open Chrome on your computer. On the top right, choose more and go to settings. Next go to Privacy and security and open Site Settings. Lastly, open pop ups and redirects and select the option you need as the default settings.

How to block ads on chrome?

To block ads on your chrome browser, you can add a skipper extension in chrome. With it, all the annoying ads and popups will be removed to improve your browsing experience. 

How to stop advertising on Chrome?

To stop advertisements and malicious websites popping up on Chrome, you can use various Ad remover extensions. Some of the popular picks include Opera Browser, uBlock Origin, AdLock, AdGuard, etc. 

Varsha is an experienced content writer at Techjockey. She has been writing since 2021 and has covered several industries in her writing like fashion, technology, automobile, interior design, etc. Over the span of 1 year, she has written 100+ blogs focusing on security, finance, accounts, inventory, human resources,... Read more

Still Have a Question in Mind?

Get answered by real users or software experts

Recommended Products

Tech Bandhu Registration Fees

Defencebyte Computer Opmitizer

Defencebyte

NET protector PC optimizer 2.0

Movavi Video Converter

Microsoft Windows 10 Professional OEM Pack (Box Pack)

Microsoft Corporation

Iobit Driver Booster 6 Pro

VMware vSphere 6

Iobit Protected folder

KeenTools GeoTracker

Smart PC Services Optimizer 3

Smart PC Utilities

Ozerio Pan Card Software

Iobit Uninstaller 8 PRO

Ozerio Aadhar card Software

Iobit Smart Defrag 6

IObit Start Menu 8

PC Startup Master 3

Wise Folder Hider Pro

WiseCleaner

MiniTool Partition Wizard

MiniTool Solution

Trending Posts

21 Best Free Online Typing Software and App in 2024

February 7, 2024

Top 14 Free Bulk SMS Apps for Marketing in 2024

August 29, 2023

10 Best Open Source and Free Library Management Software

March 28, 2024

20 Top Free Bulk WhatsApp Sender Tools Online in India 2024

21 Best Technical Analysis Software for Stock Trading in India 2024

April 18, 2024

Top 27 Gaming Websites for PC, Android & iOS – Download Free Games Online 2024

September 18, 2023

16 Best Stock Screeners in India for Day Trading 2024

January 17, 2024

12 Best Hidden Call Recorder Apps for Android & iPhone in 2024

April 16, 2024

• Español – América Latina
• Português – Brasil
• Tiếng Việt
• Chrome for Developers

Improving content filtering in Manifest V3

Over the past year, we have been actively involved in discussions with the vendors behind several content blocking extensions around ways to improve the MV3 extensions platform. Based on these discussions, many of which took place in the WebExtensions Community Group ( WECG ) in collaboration with other browsers, we have been able to ship significant improvements.

More static rulesets

Sets of filter rules are usually grouped into lists. For example, a more generic list could contain rules applicable to all users while a more specific list may hide location-specific content that only some users wish to block. Until recently, we allowed each extension to offer users a choice of 50 lists (or “static rulesets”), and for 10 of these to be enabled simultaneously. In discussions with the community, extension developers provided convincing evidence showing this was too low for certain use cases. After looking at the performance of the API in Chrome with these discussions in mind, we are now allowing up to 50 to be enabled simultaneously. (Notably, this is significantly higher than the limit of 20 requested in the WECG.) We also allow for 100 rulesets in total. This is shipping in Chrome 120 and increasing the limits is supported by both Firefox and Safari who both provided early input on this proposal.

More dynamic rules

Most rules are “static” and ship with each update to an extension. However, to support more frequent updates and user-defined rules, extensions can add rules dynamically too, without their developers having to upload a new version of the extension to the Chrome Web Store.

When an extension can dynamically modify requests in ways that were not checked during Chrome Web Store review, this exposes users to risks of phishing or data theft. For example a redirect rule could be misused to inject affiliate links without consent.

Consequently, we only allowed extensions to add up to 5,000 rules which encouraged using this functionality sparingly and made it easier for us to detect abuse.

However, developers from extensions including AdGuard and Adblock Plus performed their own analysis and shared data that a higher limit would allow for more up to date rules and for users with a higher number of custom lists to migrate to Manifest V3. In fact, AdGuard reported that more than 2600 changes are made to popular lists each week, and of the five percent of users using custom filter lists, one in four of those users have a combined total of more than 5,000 dynamic rules across them ( source ). AdGuard noted this as a significant challenge for migrating their extension to Manifest V3 and we heard similar feedback from other content blockers.

We determined that some filter rules, such as those with an action of block or allow , are much safer and are less likely to be abused. They also happen to make up the large majority of ad block filter rules. Based on this, I drafted and shared a proposal in the Web Extensions Community Group to define a set of rules that we consider lower risk and allow up to 30,000 of these. We still keep an upper limit to avoid performance regressions.

This proposal was supported in the Web Extensions Community Group so we implemented it. Starting with Chrome 121, the higher limit of 30,000 rules applies to safe DNR rules, which we are defining as rules with an action of block , allow , allowAllRequests or upgradeScheme .

Based on the data shared by AdGuard, between 98 and 99 percent of their rules should benefit from this higher limit. Any remaining rules are still supported and can be added within the existing limit.

This is available in Chrome as the MAX_NUMBER_OF_DYNAMIC_RULES constant. The rule limit for all other dynamic net request rules stays at 5,000.

Reduced ruleset size

In Chrome 118, we changed the default value for the isUrlFilterCaseSensitive field to false based on feedback from the community. This field controls if a rule that filters by URL is case sensitive, and we learned that most developers had a different default in their extension. Consequently, the value had to be set many times over. By making this change developers are able to achieve significant size reductions on their rulesets.

What’s next?

We are committed to continuing to invest in the declarativeNetRequest API so we can support as many use cases as possible, and look forward to continuing to work with the community. In particular, we’d like to thank members of the WECG for their engagement, including AdGuard for sharing a significant amount of the data that drove this work, and all browser vendors who have all been a major part of designing this API.

We will continue to review the limits we have in place to make adjustments where needed. To support this, we plan to share some of the data we collected as part of this work in the near future. Additionally, we are working on adding additional capabilities like the ability to match against response headers, which is a common request we’ve seen from PDF viewer extensions. In all cases, we’ll continue to communicate our work, and use the Web Extensions Community Group regularly as a place to discuss ideas and align on what we’d like to look at next.

Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License , and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License . For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies . Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Last updated 2023-11-15 UTC.

Microsoft seasons Start menu in Windows 11 with ads. How to avoid them?

Microsoft, the tech giant that juggles an impressive portfolio of assets, has apparently decided to squeeze a few more droplets of money out of Windows users by stuffing the Start menu in Windows 11 with ads.

The recommended section of the Start menu will now display some Microsoft Store apps “from a small set of curated developers,” according to the company. Ostensibly, this move is meant to help users discover new and “great” apps, but it risks cluttering the screen with unnecessary distractions.

Source: WindowsLatest

For users who have updated to the latest version of the OS, clicking the Start button will now reveal not only a neat arrangement of their usual pinned apps, but also recommended third-party apps. The new treat, or rather scourge, is only for individual PC users. PCs managed by organizations, classified as commercial devices, are spared from this intrusion of ads.

If you’re one of the many users who find this feature more of a nuisance than a benefit, there’s a way to disable it. You can go to Settings > Personalization > Start and uncheck the Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more checkbox. You can also change the layout at the top of the screen by selecting “More pins” to minimize the space taken up by the recommendations section.

While Microsoft gives users a choice, it’s still unfortunate that they have to resort to such measures to reclaim control over their user experience. By enabling the feature by default and offering a convoluted process to opt out of these recommendations, Microsoft showcases a lack of consideration for user autonomy. It begs the question: why force users to jump through hoops to avoid something they never asked for in the first place?

More ads on the way: Settings home page next

But it’s not only the Start Menu which is slated to be inundated with ads. In the latest build released to the Windows 11 Insider Dev channel, alongside fixes and improvements, Microsoft has introduced a new ad slot on the Settings homepage promoting its Game Pass subscription service . This recommendation card will be displayed for users who actively play games on their PC and are signed into Windows with their Microsoft account.

Source: Ghacks

For now, the ad slot is only rolling for those who have agreed to “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.”

Microsoft’s aggressive approach to advertising

It’s not the first time Microsoft has been caught implementing questionable advertising practices. In March, Windows users reported noticing “malware-like” pop-ups in Google Chrome prompting them to switch to Bing on WIndows 10 and Windows 11 .

Source: Reddit

Last year, in a bid to prevent users from downloading Google Chrome, Microsoft went as far as injecting a compulsory pop-up poll in its Edge browser that prompted users to answer questions about why they were considering an alternative before they could proceed with the download.

In 2020, Microsoft users reported instances where Microsoft’s then new Chromium Edge browser was automatically installed via Windows updates, overriding their preferences and intruding upon their desktops without consent .

So, the aggressive in-your-face advertising tactics regardless of user wishes seems to be Microsoft’s tried and true MO at this point.

AdGuard to block Start Menu ads

As part of our commitment to give users more control over their OS experience, AdGuard will soon release an update to the AdGuard for Windows app that addresses the issue of ads infiltrating the Start menu in Windows 11 . We are also working on approaches to banish ads from Settings home page. These updates, when released, will empower users by effectively blocking these intrusive ads and restoring the tab to a clutter-free state for smoother user experience and navigation.

All done! Something went wrong Subscribe to our news

Subscribe to our news.

Get news about online privacy and ad blocking, AdGuard product releases, upcoming sales, giveaways, and more.

You’re subscribed

News, promos, and special offers: you won’t miss out.

Recommended articles

How to efficiently block youtube ads in safari, how to block ads on youtube: quick insight and things to know, how to block ads on twitch, how to block pop-ups on all platforms, adguard for windows, adguard for mac, adguard for android, adguard for ios, adguard browser extension, adguard for safari, adguard home, adguard content blocker, adguard assistant, adguard temp mail β, adguard for android tv.

Home » Tech Tips » Browsers » 4 Ways to Block Ads in Edge Browser

4 Ways to Block Ads in Edge Browser

Advertisements are the primary source of income for most of the online content creators. However, sometimes you may feel too many ads on a page are distracting your focus. In that case, you can easily block the ads temporarily or permanently and focus on reading the article. In this article, we will explain different options available for blocking ads in Edge browser.

1. Using Immersive Reader Mode

This is an easy option to remove all clutter remove a webpage and read or listen quietly.

• When you are on the page, click the “ Enter Immersive Reader ” icon in Edge’s address bar.
• All distractions like header, footer, sidebar, menu items and advertisements will be removed instantly.
• Any time you can click the “Exit Immersive Reader” icon to reload the page with ads.

Note that you can also use immersive reader by simply pressing F9 key. The reader mode will show a toolbar with additional options for reading aloud and customize the reading.

2. Block Intrusive Ads in Edge

Edge by default blocks intrusive ads which are misleading and resource consuming. You can check this setting is enabled and manually add sites to the blocking list by following the below steps.

• Click the three dots “Settings and more” icon showing on top right corner of Edge screen.
• Select “Settings” from the menu list.
• Go to “Cookies and Site Permissions” section from the left sidebar.
• Scroll down on the right pane and click “Intrusive ads” option under “All permissions” section.
• On the next page, turn on “Blocked on sites that show intrusive or misleading ads” option.
• If needed, you can also manually add exceptions for blocking and allowing ads on specific site.

Though this will not block all advertisements on a page, at least this is useful for blocking few ads.

 3. Using Ad Blocker Extensions

There are plenty of add-ons or extensions available for blocking ads in Edge.

• Go to Microsoft Edge Add-ons store .
• Type “ad blocker” in search box and filter the results.
• Click the “Get” button and install an ad blocker extension like AdBlock or AdBlock Plus.

Generally, ad blocker will be automatically activated once installed. Otherwise, select the extension by clicking on the extension icon showing in the address bar and enable or disable manually. Note that you can also install extensions in Edge from Chrome Web Store .

Caution: Ad blocker extensions can track all your browsing activities including the username/password details you use for logging into websites. So, make sure to install a reliable extension with good customer feedback.

4. Prevent Tracking in Edge

If you are ok with showing ads but do not want to see personalized ads, then you have an option to stop tracking by websites. This will stop websites from tracking you and collecting your browsing history thus prevent personalized ads.

• Open Edge and go to edge://settings/ page.
• Navigate to “Privacy, Search, and Services” section from left sidebar.
• Turn on “Tracking Prevention” option under “Tracking Prevention” heading.
• Select Basic, Balanced or Strict option as per your need.

Scroll down on the same page and turn off “Allow Microsoft to save your browsing activity……” option showing under “Personalization & advertising” section. This will help from sending data to Microsoft and stop showing personalized ads and news in Edge.

Final Words

We recommend using Immersive Reader mode which is in-built in Edge. Though ad blockers can help better, it will completely affect the advertising revenue of publishers. You can also enable blocking intrusive ads and tracking prevention options to work with a balanced experience.

About Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WebNots are team of experts who love to build websites, find tech hacks and share the learning with community.

You also might be interested in

How to Change Default Browser in Windows 11 / 10?

Edge is the default browser in Windows PC. When you[...]

How to Install Chrome Extensions in Edge?

Microsoft basically follows Google’s footpath to make changes to their[...]

Top 5 Safari Browser Alternatives in iPhone

Safari is the default browser in iPhone. It comes with[...]

DOWNLOAD EBOOKS

• SEO Guide for Beginners
• WordPress SEO PDF Guide
• Weebly SEO PDF Guide
• Alt Code Emoji Shortcuts PDF
• Free ALT Code Shortcuts PDF
• View All eBooks

TRENDING TECH ARTICLES

• 600+ Windows Alt Codes for Symbols
• Fix Chrome Resolving Host Problem
• Fix Slow Page Loading Issue in Google Chrome
• View Webpage Source CSS and HTML in Google Chrome
• Fix Safari Slow Loading Pages in macOS
• Fix Windows WiFi Connection Issue
• ROYGBIV or VIBGYOR Rainbow Color Codes
• Fix I’m Not A Robot reCAPTCHA Issue in Google Search
• Structure of HTTP Request and Response

POPULAR WEB TUTORIALS

• Move WordPress Localhost Site to Live Server
• Move Live WordPress Site to Localhost
• Move WordPress Media Folder to Subdomain
• Fix WooCommerce Ajax Loading Issue
• Create a Free Weebly Blog
• Edit Weebly Source Code HTML and CSS
• Add Scroll To Top Button in Weebly
• Add Table in Weebly Site
• How to Add Advanced Data Table Widget in Weebly?
• Up to $500 Free Google Ads Coupon Codes

FREE SEO TOOLS

• Webpage Source Code Viewer
• HTTP Header Checker
• What is My IP Address?
• Google Cache Checker
• Domain Age Checker Tool
• View All Free Web and SEO Tools

© 2024 · WebNots · All Rights Reserved.

Type and press Enter to search