Best Ad Blockers Guide – 2023 Edition

To write this guide, we tested 25 ad blockers, but only 7 won our hearts; Total Adblock was the best among all.

Having the aid of an ad blocker is a great relief, as it will keep disturbing and damaging ads at bay. But is it enough?

Go through this crisp guide to find out the answer and enrich your understanding of ad blockers. We included test results and a lot of information about adblockers to guide you about ad blocking.

Ad Blocker – The Basic Understanding

Ad blocker is designed to identify the web requests of an ad and filters the content based on these web requests only. It can help reduce distractions and improve the browsing experience for users, especially on sites that have a high number of intrusive or annoying ads.

Some ad blockers are free to use, while others require a subscription or one-time payment. Free ad blockers can be a pocket-friendly deal. But, they rarely work as they have limited capabilities. Better service delivery is possible using paid ad blockers.

A Quick Guide to the Best Ad Blockers If You’ve Pressed For Time

Want to know about the best ad blockers but don’t have time to go through this elaborative guide? Well, this section will help you know about only the information that matters as it explains the top ad blockers of all the time.

These are the three best ad blockers that our experts find best-of-breed and lacked with the best possible ad-blocking technologies. Now, let’s start knowing how to use these ad blockers.

Here, we will explain the setup using Total Adblock, as this is a user-friendly tool.

Step #1 – Go to the official website of Total Adblock to get started.

 

 

Step #2 – Create the account if you’re a first-time user. If not, log in using the existing account details.

 

 

Step #3 – Once you’re successfully logged in, you will be asked to pay for the subscription.

 

 

The subscription is cost-effective, and you can block unlimited ads. All the leading payment methods like PayPal and cards are accepted.

Step #4 – Install the adblocker on the device or browser of your choice. You can get the Chrome extension from the Google Chrome Extension Store.

 

 

As you will click on Get, the YouTube Chrome extension will be downloaded instantly. Follow the instructions, and the set-up will be finished in no time.

Similarly, you can get the Edge extension.

 

 

The also offers powerful iOS and Android apps to provide ad blocking features on the go.

 

 

The setup and installation for both apps are very simple. It’s just you need to allow Google Play Store to accept downloads from untrusted sources.

Step #5 – Let’s start checking the functionality of the adblocker in real time. We opened YouTube and wanted to see if Total Adblock managed to block YouTube ads.

Before activating it, we saw two pre-roll ads.

 

 

However, when we opened the same video with the adblocker On, we could see that the adblocker became active instantly.

 

 

The video started without ads.

 

 

The same performance and ad blocking abilities were delivered when we tested other ad-heavy websites. The basic ad blocking at zero cost is worth a try. If you want to block unlimited ads, then you can go for its paid subscription, which is not pocket-heavy.

Best Ad Blockers To Use In 2023

Ad blockers, if used in the right manner, can be of great use. But, you must have the aid of the best ad blocker by your side. The market is flooded with options, and it’s not easy to pick one. After extensive research, we managed to find out some of the best adblocker extensions or software for 2023.

Quick Comparison

#1 – TotalAdBlock

TotalAdBlock has to be in first place in this list of best ad blocker browser extensions in 2020. It works on Microsoft Edge. It’s a highly advanced solution that helps you improve the browsing experience by removing annoying ads.

Ads of all sorts, like pop-up ads, banners, and video ads, can be blocked easily with this adblocker extension. You can also disable the notifications and improve a peaceful online browsing experience.

If you’re worried about the trackers disguised as trackers, then there is nothing to worry about, as such ads are also identified early and blocked immediately.

As mentioned above, an ad blocker for Chrome can block useful content as well. But, this is not the case with the TotalAdBlock as it allows you to make a list of acceptable ads. You can select the website and put it on the ‘Acceptable Ads’ list. That’s it. Content from that website won’t be blocked at all.

TotalAdBlock offers a highly intuitive mobile app for Android and iOS platforms. We checked the app rating on Google Play Store and App. Shockingly, the ratings are good. Both apps win people’s hearts because of the easy setup and installation process.

Highlights

Its performance is best in the North American region as it can increase the page load speed up to 57%. The average page load speed in this region is 20819 seconds which goes up to 5458 seconds with TotalAdBlock.

With its premium subscription, you enjoy a little more than standard service. For instance, there is an anti-virus feature as well. In addition, it can help you block malicious websites. Its data encryption feature is highly useful for protecting sensitive data. As it works on all sorts of ads, it’s indeed the best choice to make.

Pros

• Free trial for 7 days
• Instant increase in page load speed and online privacy
• Blocking of all sorts of ads
• Dedicated app
• Responsive customer care support

Cons

• Limited browser support

Pricing

$29 / Year

Test Total AdBlocker here

#2 – AdLock

AdLock is a standalone ad-blocking solution for all your devices. This one solution will help you block annoying and dangerous ads on websites and mobile apps. This is certainly a great feature that most other ad blockers miss out on.

There are dedicated browser extensions for Safari and Chrome that are very easy to set up and start. This Safari ad blocker can block ads, malware, and malicious websites in one go. So, you have to perform different scans. If you’re worried about trackers logging your information, then rejoice, as it is an effective tracker blocker solution as well.

You can stream ad-free on YouTube and streaming platforms like Netflix and download torrent files. This perfection is seen in mobile phone ad blocking as well. If you’re annoyed with ads during gameplay, the mobile version of this ad blocker is superb. You will experience hardly any ad annoyance on your mobile phone.

Highlights

If you’re a hardcore gamer, then this ad blocker is a must-have for you, as you won’t experience lagging and too much bandwidth consumption.

As it’s a lightweight solution, you can easily run it on a mobile data connection. At the same time, it will block ads on websites and on apps that are connected with a single internet connection. If you’re worried about the few websites that will end up blocking the ad blocker, don’t worry. This Firefox ad blocker can surpass these restrictions.

Pros

• Free service for Android and Windows
• The paid version can protect 5 devices at a time
• Risk-free money-back guarantee

Cons

• Customer support isn’t responsive

Pricing

$3.50/month, $2.28/month for the yearly plan, $1.05/month for the 5-yearly plan

#3 – AdGuard Ad Blocker

Our next recommendation is AdGuard. It works on Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac platforms. As far as ad blocker browser extension is concerned, you have adblocker Safari, adblocker Chrome, ad blocker Opera, ad blocker Edge, and ad blocker Yandex.

Along with ad blocking and supporting safe internet browsing, it can easily handle ad-block circumvention scripts. Its assistance goes the extra mile and is delivered in the form of AdGuard Assistance.

AdGuard Ad Blocker is offered for full-fledged program users and keeps them free from the need to download an extension for browsers running on Windows or macOS. This one software is enough to perform various tasks.

Highlights

With the AdGuard protection key, you can protect all sorts of devices with a single solution. This is a great option for those who use a different browser and want uncompromised protection on all of them.

What sets it apart from other browser extensions is its ability to provide only updated software versions. Recently, the AdGuard Browser extension 4.0.181 was released, and it certainly features some impressive improvements.

Pros

• 14-day free trial
• Constant release
• Lightweight
• Capable to remove social media ads

Cons

• Apps become unresponsive at times

Pricing

$0.99/month or $4.99/year or $12.99 for the lifetime

#4 – uBlock Origin

If you’re looking for an ultra-responsive and lightweight Twitch ad blocker, try uBlock Origin. This is one of the most powerful open-source Chrome adblockers that we have presently. Its cross-platform capabilities are impressive and go beyond ad blocking.

With this best free ad blocker, you can enjoy precise content filtering done in a user-friendly method. Its CPU and memory efficiency is the talk of the town, as a recent study revealed that uOrigin customers would help in saving $1.8 billion per year in terms of energy conservation.

While there are pre-configured solutions for browsers like Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Opera, and Firefox, it allows manual configuration as well. This is a great offering for those looking for customized ad blocking ability.

Highlights

The browser extension for Chrome is very popular and features more than 25,000 positive ratings on Google Chrome Store. Its filter list is extensive and features various filtration factors. For instance, you’ve EasyList, which blocks ads, and EasyPrivacy list, which prevents tracking. If you want to block ads and tracking in one go, then you have Peter Lowe’s Ad Server list.

As far as its data logging is concerned, you would be glad to know that it’s a very privacy-friendly adblocker for Chrome. The developer has disclosed that none of the user data is sold or leaked to 3rd party service providers.

All in all, it’s one of the best ad blockers that you can try in 2023 and beyond.

Pros

• Transparent privacy policy
• No logging of customer data
• User-friendly interface
• Block ads on YouTube as well

Cons

• In certain cases, images are not displayed when the ad blocker is active

Pricing

Free

#5 – Threat Protection By NordVPN

We have already mentioned that a VPN can also be used as an effective ad blocker. So, let’s explain a VPN that offers the industry’s best ad blocker, Threat Protection. The ad blocker that NordVPN offers is very powerful. It helps you block adware, malware, trackers, and normal ads with full conviction.

Threat protection is very responsive, as it will help you block the ads before they can reach you. This way, you enjoy fast page loading and browsing speed. This YouTube adblocker works like an antivirus as well. So, you enjoy dual protection. Presently, this ad blocker or antivirus is offered for Windows or Mac users.

Highlights

Its malware scanning is very extensive, as files and scripts are scanned very thoroughly. To reduce the risks, it will stop you from visiting a website that features malicious links or ads. Its assistance doesn’t end here. It carefully scans the pre-downloaded internet files and helps you find out whether they are safe or not.

Pros

• Blocking of all types of ads
• Highly encrypted internet connection
• 30-days money-back guarantee
• Highly responsive customer care support

Cons

• Limited browser compatibility

Pricing

Comes as an embedded feature with NordVPN plans (starting from $3.29/month)

Test the NordVPN app here

#6 – AdBlock Plus

AdBlock Plus of ABP is one of the most famous ad blockers of all time. The reason being is its wide compatibility. This one solution can work on platforms like Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari, and Firefox. Hardly any ad blocker has such impressive compatibility.

Regardless of the platform you choose, its setup and installation are flawless. In no time, it will be at your service. Its response time is also very quick. It features a highly extensive list of filter lists, and it filters web requests on its basis.

If you’re a sound ad blocker user, then you can also add or delete the filters from this list. This makes it one of the best-customized ad blockers for Safari or other browsers. Ads, adware, and malware can be blocked with the same ease and perfection.

Highlights

If you want to use it on an Android device, then you will have to use a Firefox browser extension, as no app support for the Android platform is offered. But, iOS users have the facility of native app support. The iOS ad blocker app, AdBlock Plus. It is highly intuitive and seamlessly integrates with the content blocker system. The set-up hassles are minimum.

But, it does allow certain ads to show up as these are the revenue means for this ad blocker browser extension. However, the permitted ads are of trusted names and brands. Hence, there is no harm to the data/device. This is one of the most preferred free ad blockers.

Pros

• Detailed knowledge base
• Compatibility with all the leading devices
• Transparent policy

Cons

• Not all the ads are blocked

Pricing

Free, $1.99/Year, $19.99/year

#7 – AdBlocker Ultimate

Lastly, we suggest AdBlocker Ultimate as the best ad blocker for Safari, Chrome, and Edge. It protects devices running on Windows, Android, and iOS. It can block ads on Facebook and YouTube as well. People swear by its malware and tracking blocking ability that makes the internet a safe place to be.

Highlights

AdBlocker Ultimate offers separate extensions for all popular browsers. For your devices, it promises to save 40+ percent battery.

Pros

• Free extension
• Privacy protection
• 30 million+ users per month

Cons

• Certain ads can still annoy

Pricing

Starting from $2.49 per 3 devices per month

Benefits of Using an Ad Blocker

With an ad blocker, you will experience benefits like:

Cons of Using Adblockers

An effective adblocker extension will stop ads from disturbing you. But, sometimes, they can be so effective that they can cause other side effects. For instance, the ad’s space will look blank or feature a broken link.

If you’re on an e-commerce website, then an ad blocker can prevent the cart from reloading. Also, the interface can feature missing listings. These are the downsides of using a highly active ad blocker.

That was an overview of ad blocker meaning and their pros/cons. So, you need to make a wise choice accordingly.

6 Ways that You Can Take for Ad Blocking

Ad blocking is an extensive task and can be delivered in multiple ways. So, if you’re planning to use the best ad blockers, you must first learn about the ways by which ad blocking can be done.

1. Via browser extension

There are adblocker extensions for different browsers. For instance, you have AdBlock as adblocker Chrome or uBlock as adblocker Firefox. These extensions feature easy setup and installation. Once the set-up is complete, ads of all sorts will be automatically blocked. A few ad blockers Chrome provides customization features as well.

Google also features an in-build adblocker for Chrome that is useful for blocking only selective ads. It’s being observed that ad blocking via browser extension is beneficial for Google only as many companies were paying Google to play their ads.

As our team found the interface of Total Adblock easiest of all, we’ll explain the process using the browser extension of Total Adblock as an example.

Step #1 – Go to the extension store of the browser you’re using. Total Adblock extension works with leading search engines like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and so on.

Once you access the extension store, type ‘Total Adblock’ in the search bar.

 

 

Step #2 – Click on the ad blocker and tap on ‘Add To Chrome’.

As you will tap, you will see a notification saying that the ad blocker will access the website data and a few other details. We recommend not to panic as the platform uses the best security measures to avoid data theft.

 

 

Step #3 – As the download is finished, you will be asked to finish the set-up manually or automatically. Don’t select manual setup unless you’re confident to fix any errors.

 

 

Step #4 – Click on ‘Continue with the Setup’, and you will see a webpage with a few settings.

 

 

You can customize these settings and decide which action should the ‘Total Adblock’ take while blocking ads. Once you’ve decided on the configurations, tap on ‘Clear & Continue’.

Step #5 – Activate the tool by clicking on ‘Start Blocking Ads Now’. The setup is finished, and the tool is all set to block ads according to your preferences.

 

 

You will be able to see the icon of Total Adblock in the toolbar, suggesting that it’s blocking ads.

 

2. External programs/software

Ad blocking is also done with the help of ad blocking software or external software. Such solutions mostly work by using a customized HTTP proxy that filters the web requests.

They filter the content before it reaches the end user and blocks what seems fishy. This way, ads and various other offensive content is easily blocked. Ad blocker software like Squid, Privoxy, and Netnanny are a few examples of this category.

Ad blocking, done via this method, is advantageous as it sets you free from any implementation or setup requirements. Also, one software can be used by many users. Its content filtration power is very powerful.

But, it’s not always a viable solution. But, it is not a viable solution when it comes to filtering the Transport Layer Security request. Also, full webpage context and JavaScript ads aren’t able to filter.

Here we’re going to explain the process of using Squid:

Install Squid on your server or network. You can use the below-mentioned command to download it.

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade -y

sudo apt install -y squid apache2-utils

You have to authenticate as a new user as well.

sudo touch /etc/squid/passwd

sudo chown proxy: /etc/squid/passwd

sudo htpasswd /etc/squid/passwd demowelt

Here, the new user name is ‘demowelt’.

Next, you need to configure it to block ads. This typically involves editing the squid.conf or “/etc/squid/squid.conf”  file as it contains the Squid configuration settings.

3. Ad blocking via hosts file and DNS manipulation

If you use a device that uses a DNS-based OS, then you can block ads via hosting files and DNS alterations. Such devices feature backward compatibility and limited hostnames or IP address.

With few basic understanding, it’s easy to modify the host file and is a viable method to block the ads. You can also store the black hole entries present in the host and prevent advertisers from displaying ads.

A DNS sinkhole is also useful for modifying the host file. All these options are useful for blocking ads.

4. DNS filtering-based ad blocking

It’s possible to block the ads by using a DNS server that is designed to restrict the domain and hostnames linked with resources that are famous for producing ads. For manipulating the DNS server, you can also use dedicated software like Pi-hole or Raspberry Pi.

5. Using a VPN

VPN is an advanced technology that is designed to filter traffic, block malicious content, and encrypt traffic. Some advanced VPNs come with an ad blocker. When active, these ad blockers of VPNs will help you prevent ads from loading and causing a disturbance. This approach is very much hassle-free and very effective. The only drawback of this method is that you might experience a speed slowdown with a VPN as the traffic passes through an encrypted tunnel before reaching the end users.

Here is how you can use a VPN to block ads. We’re going to explain the process using NordVPN.

Step #1 – Download and install the NordVPN application on the device that you use to connect to the internet.

Step #2 – Launch the NordVPN app and log in to your account.

Step #3 – Go to the “Settings” and select “CyberSec” from the list of options. Activate it.

Step #4 – Toggle the “Block ads” and “Block malicious websites” options to block ads.

6. Ad blocking via external parties and Internet providers

Some internet providers automatically block advertisements. External-party solutions like Mackeeper help you block the ads on Mac devices. They both demand very few efforts to bring into action and are highly viable.

Things To Keep In Mind While Choosing the Best Ad Blocker

While all the above-mentioned ad blockers are the ideal pick in many senses, selecting the best ad blocker demands attention to certain things. So, you need to know about them as well. This crisp table presents every crucial information that you should keep in mind while selecting ad blockers for your devices.

By the way, if you searching for more information about adblockers, the following articles will interest you:

• Hulu Adblocker – Everything That You Should Know
• Your Hunt for the Best Ad Blocker For Edge Completes Here
• Twitch Adblocker – The Must-Have Tool For Uninterrupted Entertainment

Conclusion

Safe online presence is a key priority today, and no excuses are entertained in this regard. Ads, which might seem harmless on the surface, can be highly troublesome. This is why it’s very important to block them early. Ad blocker is a great solution in this regard. This piece of technology is here to make the internet a safe place to be by removing the hidden hazards that are linked with an ad.

However, its intelligent use is the most important aspect. Also, you must try using a viable solution. This guide unfolded every aspect of ad blocking and the best ad blockers of 2023. Make a choice as per your needs, and we guarantee you that you won’t be disheartened.

Other proven ways to protect yourself online:

• 10 Best Proxy Server Service Providers: Free and Paid – 2023 Review
• The best VPNs 2023