Advertiser Disclosure
All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
Editorial Policy
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
- All About Cookies makes money when you click the links on our site to some of the products and offers that we mention. These partnerships do not influence our opinions or recommendations. Read more about how we make money.
- Partners are not able to review or request changes to our content except for compliance reasons.
- We aim to make sure everything on our site is up-to-date and accurate as of the publishing date, but we cannot guarantee we haven't missed something. It's your responsibility to double-check all information before making any decision. If you spot something that looks wrong, please let us know.
Best Overall
- Lacks a dedicated firewall
Best for Blocking YouTube Ads
Best for Custom Filters
Best for Parental Controls
- Ad-blocking statistics can be hard to interpret
Best for Chrome and Firefox
- Not available on Chrome for Android (only Firefox for Android)
Best for Social Media Trackers
Best Safari Ad Blocker
Ad blockers work by decluttering and making the internet a better place. Whether your goal is to visit a blog without all the ads or to keep yourself safe from malicious scripts and trackers, a good ad blocker should cover you.
We chose seven ad blockers below (plus some bonus ways to block ads) based on features, policies, and strength. NordVPN Threat Protection tops our list with its ability to block almost any ad anywhere combined with VPN and anti-malware protection. Total Adblock is another strong contender that successfully cleared up YouTube ads even after the platform's crackdown on ad blockers.
In addition to ridding you of YouTube ads and having the ability to block pop-ups, ad blockers can keep you safe by blocking malicious scripts hidden in advertisements. Because why have a product that violates your privacy? Let’s take a deeper look at these ad blockers and the features they offer.
NordVPN Threat Protection: Best overall
Total Adblock: Best for blocking YouTube ads
uBlock Origin: Best for custom filters
AdGuard: Best for parental controls
Ghostery: Best for Chrome and Firefox
AdLock: Best for blocking social media trackers
1Blocker: Best Safari ad blocker
5 more ways to block ads
Why should you block ads?
How to choose the best ad blocker
Best ad blockers FAQs
Bottom line: The best ad blockers 2024
How we tested the best ad blockers
The best ad blockers 2024
- NordVPN Threat Protection: Best overall
- Total Adblock: Best for blocking YouTube ads
- uBlock Origin: Best for custom filters
- AdGuard: Best for parental controls
- Ghostery: Best for Chrome and Firefox
- AdLock: Best for blocking social media trackers
- 1Blocker: Best Safari ad blocker
Top 7 ad blockers compared
Ad blocker | Best Overall NordVPN Threat Protection |
Total Adblock |
uBlock Origin |
AdGuard |
Ghostery |
AdLock |
1Blocker |
Price | Starts at $2.99/mo | Paid plan costs $29/first yr | Free | Paid plans cost $2.49-$5.49/mo | Paid plans cost $3.99–$11.99/mo | Paid plans cost $0.81-3.50/mo | Paid plans cost $1.25–$2.99/mo |
Compatibility | Threat Protection: Windows, macOS
Threat Protection Lite: Android, iOS, Linux |
Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, iOS, Android | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari (prior to 13) Opera, Chromium | Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, Yandex, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera (limited efficacy on Safari) | Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | iOS (iPhone and iPad), macOS, Safari |
Ads and trackers blocked on Forbes.com | 89 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 18 |
Blocks YouTube ads | |||||||
AdBlock Tester results | 93/100 | 94/100 | 100/100 | 97/100 | 100/100 | 97/100 | 100/100 |
Cover Your Tracks results | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | 1.5/3 | 2.5/3 |
Learn more | Get NordVPN Threat Protection
Read NordVPN Threat Protection Review |
Get Total Adblock
Read Total Adblock Review | Read uBlock Origin Review | Read AdGuard Review | Read Ghostery Review | Read AdLock Review | Read 1Blocker Review |
How we tested the best ad blockers
We chose these seven ad blockers for their strength and usability. From NordVPN Threat Protection's anti-malware and ad-blocking features to 1Blocker's focus on macOS and iOS, each one has strong and unique properties.
We tested most ad blockers using the Google Chrome extension, but some tools required the use of the Apple Safari extension or web app. From there, we tested each ad blocker’s ability to block YouTube ads and clean up pop-ups, banners, and other ads on Forbes.com.
We also ran AdBlock Tester and Cover Your Tracks tests to get more detailed information on what types of content each ad blocker removes.
When looking at ad blockers, they had to have these features:
- Blocks ads: Banner ads, video ads, pop-up ads, intrusive ads, and in-page ads had to be blocked.
- Blocks trackers: Trackers follow you around the internet, building a profile of you. Blocking them keeps them from logging your data.
- Compatibility: Each ad-blocking extension had to be compatible with several different browsers.
- Ease of use: We looked for ad blockers with either an app that you can set and forget or a browser plugin that allows for quick access.
- Blocks YouTube ads: Too many ads hinder your viewing experience, so our ad blockers had to work with YouTube.
- Doesn’t sell data: A security tool shouldn’t sell your information, so we selected privacy-focused ad blockers.
NordVPN Threat Protection: Best overall
- Threat protection - Block ads, trackers, and malicious downloads
- Works on multiple devices and browsers
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Lacks a dedicated firewall
NordVPN Threat Protection is an online protection service that combines anti-malware and ad-blocking features — augmenting the online privacy and security capabilities of its namesake, NordVPN.
Virtual private networks (VPNs) like NordVPN allow you to access the internet in more secure, private ways by masking your internet protocol (IP) address and traffic. NordVPN is a renowned VPN provider, and Threat Protection extends its security capabilities by scanning files you download, identifying and blocking threats, blocking trackers and ads, and more.
What we liked
Among NordVPN Threat Protection’s features that block malware and other nefarious threats are a few standout ones. Real-time protection monitors online activity from web browsing to emailing to app usage and immediately alerts you if it suspects malicious activity. Threat Protection also offers anti-phishing capabilities that identify and block phishing attempts to neutralize this type of threat.
On top of these security features, Threat Protection is an effective ad- and tracker-blocker. The tool blocks trackers and scans for malware during downloads — identifying threats before they can harm your devices. It blocks intrusive ads to give you a more streamlined web-browsing experience, and you can leverage all these benefits without having to run a VPN in tandem with Threat Protection.
What we didn’t like
Despite Threat Protection’s many upsides, there are a couple of drawbacks to this powerful service. It doesn’t offer a standalone firewall, which is one of the main distinctions between NordVPN Threat Protection and branded antivirus solutions. You’ll need to purchase a firewall separately — which Threat Protection will complement — so those hoping to get a truly all-in-one online protection experience from Threat Protection might find this irksome.
Additionally, Threat Protection Lite — which is option for Android, iOS, and Linux — only works to block some intrusive ads, malicious domains, and phishing domains.
NordVPN Threat Protection pros and cons
- Bridges the online protection gap between VPN and antivirus
- Usable without a VPN connection
- Blocks malware, ads, trackers, and phishing attempts
- May fall short as a full-fledged antivirus
- Threat Protection Lite is only usable with a VPN
Get NordVPN Threat Protection | Read Our NordVPN Threat Protection Review
Total Adblock: Best for blocking YouTube ads
- Remove ads & trackers on YouTube, Facebook, and most websites
- Hands-off ad-blocking experience
- Easy to set up
- Free version excludes top 15,000 websites
Total Adblock is a highly rated ad-blocker that offers protection from malicious websites and delivers tools like whitelisting and third-party tracker-blocking. Its paid version provides unlimited ad-blocking and antivirus protection bundled in with TotalAV — an award-winning antivirus solution.
Total Adblock is easy to use and has received perfect scores in ad-blocking testing. Plus, it blocks YouTube ads.
What we liked
One of the most impressive features of Total Adblock is its ability to block YouTube ads. In testing, we found that Total Adblock successfully blocked all ads for the entire duration of multiple videos that run with multiple ad timestamps. We even tested it after YouTube's recent push to block ad blockers, and Total Adblock still provided us with a smooth, ad-free experience. If you’re a heavy YouTube user who doesn’t want to pay for YouTube Premium in order to block ads, the paid version of Total Adblock is the next best choice as we named it one of the best ad blockers for YouTube.
While only the paid version of Total Adblock offers antivirus protection from TotalAV and the ability to block browser notifications, it’s notable that both paid and free versions provide tracker-blocking and whitelisting capabilities. And our testing experience found Total Adblock to be super easy to use and hands-off.
What we didn’t like
Anyone seriously interested in blocking ads across their web-surfing experience will find it hard to make a case for Total Adblock’s free version. It excludes 15,000 of the most popular websites — significantly limiting ad-blocking capabilities. The free version also doesn't block browser notifications.
Our testing experience produced some irritation as Total Adblock relentlessly prompts you with pop-up ads to upgrade to “premium” in order to block YouTube ads, which is an ironic twist for an ad-blocker.
Total Adblock pros and cons
- Very easy set-up and user experience
- Effective ad-blocking in unlimited capacity with paid version
- Whitelisting allows you to support selected content creators
- Free version excludes top 15,000 websites
- Pop-up banners promoting premium version are constant
Get Total Adblock | Read Our Total Adblock Review
uBlock Origin: Best for custom filters
- Free and open-source
- Compatible with multiple browsers
- Some features require technical knowledge
uBlock Origin is a free, open-source ad blocker that touts its ability to save CPU and memory usage. Also notable, uBlock Origin supports browsers including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, and all Safari releases prior to 13.
More than an ad-blocker, uBlock Origin can be used to filter and block other content like coin miners, anti-blockers, and more.
What we liked
uBlock Origin offers a unique feature that tech-savvy users will find useful: the ability to create custom content filters. Creating custom filter lists enables you to set uBlock Origin to block only media with certain qualifiers such as size or cloud storage sync.
The tool also provides preselected filter lists that block ads, trackers, malware sites, and more by default.
uBlock Origin also passed two out of the three tests on Cover Your Tracks. Cover Your Tracks is a tool that tests how you’re viewed and tracked online. It detects trackers that follow you around the internet, building a profile on you, and your browser fingerprint, which can be used to identify you. And the test results noted that uBlock effectively blocked tracking ads and invisible trackers.
What we didn’t like
It’s pretty technical. If you’re not familiar with some of the features and how to use them, you may not get the most out of it. Also, it's only compatible with Safari up to version 13, which is several versions behind.
uBlock Origin pros and cons
- Blocks almost everything
- Prevents browser fingerprinting
- Open-source
- Safari compatibility is outdated
- Might be too technical for some
AdGuard: Best for parental controls
- Simple interface
- Doesn’t interfere with device speed
- Ad-blocking statistics can be hard to interpret
AdGuard has a user-friendly interface and is easy to download and install. It also gives you options like “blocking adult sites” to help with keeping kids off websites they shouldn’t see. While the free product offers all you could want, the individual and family paid plans give you the option to extend your protection to multiple devices.
What we liked
We were impressed with the effectiveness of a free tool that doesn’t sell your data. Having parental controls is a nice option, especially when you’re trying to keep your kids safe online. There’s also a Stealth Mode feature that allows you to browse the internet with more security. Stealth Mode hides your search queries, asks websites not to track you, and strips tracking parameters from URLs.
Its uncluttered user interface is easy to navigate. While that might not be the most important factor in an ad blocker, ease of use makes it more likely that you'll actually use it.
What we didn’t like
The ad-blocking stats aren’t easy to interpret. If you’re looking for solid statistics, AdGuard may leave you wanting. And while Stealth Mode can help with getting rid of trackers and cookies, it doesn’t hide your IP address.
AdGuard pros and cons
- Friendly interface
- Parental controls
- Doesn’t sell data
- Unclear ad-blocking stats
- Stealth Mode doesn’t hide your IP
Ghostery: Best for Chrome and Firefox
- Regularly updated list of blocked trackers
- Comprehensive free version
- Not available on Chrome for Android (only Firefox for Android)
Ghostery is really committed to blocking ads. It also offers a host of features including private browsing and in-depth analytics about the sites you’re visiting.
What we liked
Ghostery is highly rated and award-winning as well as being free. We also love that it automatically declines cookies. You won’t need to worry about reading cookie policies and toggling off unnecessary cookies again when Ghostery is running.
We also like the ability to become a paying contributor and really dig down deep into the analytics side. (Oh, and you can create custom themes as a paid contributor!)
What we didn’t like
While Ghostery shines on Chrome and Firefox, we found that the efficacy and functionality are greatly reduced when installed on Safari during our testing. Also, your settings don’t sync across browsers and devices. If you’re an iOS and macOS user with multiple devices, there are better options.
Ghostery pros and cons
- Strong and secure
- Works great with Chrome and Firefox
- Offers most features with free version
- Doesn’t work well with Safari
- No synced settings across devices
AdLock: Best for blocking social media trackers
- No ads on YouTube
- Blocks tracking ads
- Social media blocker requires paid tier
You know those cute little social media buttons you see on blogs and other web pages? Yeah, those are tracking you. Even if you never click one, it’s still building a profile of you and sending it to social media sites. Luckily, AdLock isn’t having it. This ad blocker goes to work on those trackers and shuts them down. No one deserves free reign over your browsing data.
What we liked
AdLock blocks the videos that pop up or follow you down the page when you’re trying to read a blog. It also adjusts the space on a website so you don’t see big blocks of empty space while you’re reading.
We also liked that you can whitelist sites in case you have favorite creators you’d still like to support by viewing their ads.
Blocking social media trackers is our favorite AdLock feature by far. Social media loves to follow you around the internet creating profiles of you. You don’t need that, and AdLock keeps that hassle out of your life.
What we didn’t like
AdLock knows what it’s got and while a lot of features are free, the social media tracking and spyware blockers only come with paid tiers.
Also, AdLock only accepts Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. If you were hoping to rack up some American Express points by paying for your security products, you won’t be able to do that with AdLock. This isn’t a deal breaker, but it would be nice to see more payment options.
AdLock pros and cons
- Free plan blocks most ads and trackers
- Customizable
- Hides your data
- Social media tracker blockers require paid tier
- Limited payment options
1Blocker: Best Safari ad blocker
- Works seamlessly on macOS and iOS
- Lots of options, including a firewall
- No smart toggles in iOS Safari
It’s a common misconception that Apple products don’t require additional security features. While these products are more secure than non-Apple products, trackers, ads, spyware, and even malware can find their way into your devices. But 1Blocker was built specifically for iOS and macOS to address these concerns.
What we liked
There are a lot of customization options available on 1Blocker. You decide what types of ads, trackers, widgets, annoyances, and even comments you see when browsing the web.
And yes, you read that right, comments can be blocked on websites where they aren’t the main focus. Because it’s built specifically for Safari, 1Blocker doesn’t get “buggy” the way other products do when you’re browsing.
What we didn’t like
The free tier only allows you to toggle on one protection option, if you want all of them you’ll need to purchase a subscription plan. A yearly plan is $14.99/yr ($1.25/mo) or you can get a lifetime subscription for $38.99.
Also, if you’re using 1Blocker on the iOS version of Safari, there’s no convenient way to toggle the ad blocker off. We had to go into the app and toggle everything off and on as we needed it. Not a deal breaker but still annoying.
1Blocker pros and cons
- Built exclusively for Safari, iOS, and macOS
- Lots of customizable options
- Firewall included
- No easy on/off toggle for iOS Safari
- Only one feature available with free product
5 more ways to block ads
Ad blockers are built to block ads, but there are other ways to achieve an ad-free browsing experience.
From ad-blocking VPNs to antivirus programs to private browsers, there might be an ad blocker built into a product you already use. And if you’re using the product, you can definitely get more out of it by turning on these services to protect your online privacy.
We wanted to look at some of these alternatives below and explore what’s the best route if you’re not interested in adding an ad blocker to your security stack. Maybe you already have one of these and didn’t know about the ad blocker, or maybe you’re shopping for a different product. Either way, these five options are worth a look.
Top 5 ad blocker alternatives compared
Surfshark Cleanweb |
Malwarebytes Browser Guard |
Brave Browser |
Avast Secure Browser |
Privacy Badger |
|
Price | Starts at $1.99/mo | Free | Free | Free | Free, donations accepted |
Compatibility | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, FireTV | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera |
Blocks YouTube ads | |||||
AdBlock Tester results | 100/100 | 71/100 | 78/100 | 86/100 | 72/100 |
Cover Your Tracks results | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 0/3 | 3/3 |
Learn more | Get Surfshark CleanWeb Read Surfshark CleanWeb Review |
Read Malwarebytes Antivirus Review | Get Brave | Get Avast Read Avast Antivirus Review |
Read Privacy Badger Review |
Why should you block ads?
Granted, ads are annoying. They can make a blog downright unreadable. Almost every person using the internet can recall a time their experience was annoyingly interrupted by an ad. Using ad blockers allows you to streamline your browsing experience by avoiding pesky ads.
But the biggest reason for blocking ads is to prevent phishing attempts, malware, spyware, and internet trackers from watching your every move online. Dicey ads can be riddled with infected code just waiting to turn your computer into a botnet soldier of doom.
Ad blockers also improve page load speeds and facilitate a smoother scrolling experience on pages that would otherwise interrupt you with pop-ups.
Additionally, blocking ads and trackers can improve your online privacy. Many websites and advertisers use trackers to gather information about your device, browsing habits, location, and more, then use this data to serve up personalized ads. With an ad blocker, you can browse and click and wander around the internet without having to worry about stolen data, nosy trackers, or nefarious hackers. It’s secure and useful, and really isn’t that what we all want?
How to choose the best ad blocker
Making sure the ad blocker you choose works for your needs means first understanding your personal priorities. But here are some general rules to follow:
- All ad blockers should block ads, provide you with lag-free video streaming, and be compatible with the browser or operating system you use.
- If affordability is important to you, make sure the free ad blocker you choose doesn’t sell your data.
- If you’re looking for more features, like parental controls, make sure your ad blocker of choice offers them before committing to a subscription.
Whatever you decide on, make sure it’s working for you to keep your personal data safe.
Best ad blockers FAQs
What’s the most effective ad blocker?
NordVPN Threat Protection is the most effective ad blocker as it blocks everything, including malware and trackers. During our testing, Threat Protection cleaned up the Forbes homepage and delivered a much more pleasant browsing experience.
Additionally, Threat Protection comes with NordVPN, another security and privacy tool that hides your location, browsing history, and personal data from anyone and anything — including hackers, your internet service provider (ISP), and advertisers.
Which free ad blocker is best?
uBlock Origin is the best free ad blocker, but it may be overly technical for some and doesn't work with the latest versions of Safari.
For a more user-friendly and free ad blocker, we recommend Total Adblock. Both come as easy-to-install web browser extensions and are among some of the most popular ad blocker add-ons available.
Is there anything better than AdBlock?
NordVPN Threat Protection has our vote for best ad blocker, making it better than AdBlock. This ad blocker not only gets rid of pop-ups, banner ads, and more, it also blocks trackers and malware for a safer, cleaner online experience.
Additionally, Threat Protection comes with NordVPN, which provides additional security measures by encrypting your Wi-Fi connection.
What’s the difference between AdBlock and Adblock Plus?
AdBlock and Adblock Plus are two separate extensions made by different companies. Adblock Plus was originally created to support Firefox while AdBlock was created to support the then newly released Chrome browser.
Eventually, the Adblock Plus team decided they would also branch out and support other browsers like Chrome. AdBlock continued to branch out to support additional browsers as well. That’s why we have two similarly named products from two different companies.
What’s a DNS ad blocker?
A domain name system (DNS) ad blocker is a tool that prevents access to websites that display unwanted ads or contain malware or trackers.
Using a DNS blocker is helpful for blocking access to a whole group of IP addresses, which comes in handy for parents who want to block access to entire categories of online content, for example. DNS ad blockers include AdGuard DNS, NextDNS, and Control D, but there are dozens more. NordVPN Threat Protection also includes a DNS filter that strengthens its ad-blocking capabilities.
Bottom line: The best ad blockers 2024
The best ad blocker overall is NordVPN Threat Protection thanks to its highly-effective combo of anti-malware, tracker, and ad blocking capabilities. The added functionality of having NordVPN to mask your IP address and online activities makes this choice a no-brainer.
Second up was Total Adblock, another effective ad blocker that puts YouTube ads in their place, even after the crackdown. We like how easy it is to set up Total Adblock, but you'll likely want to upgrade to the paid version for full functionality.
Using an ad blocker enhances your internet browsing experience. Whether you decide to go with a free option or a paid service, you’ll see a difference from before you began using it.
Ads are not only annoying, they can also be malicious and deposit malware onto your computer or mobile device. We chose these seven ad blockers for their strength, security, and promise not to sell your data. (Data selling is always a deal breaker for us.) Whichever you choose, we hope you’ve found a new and enjoyable way to browse the internet.
7 best ad blockers reviewed
Best for | Compatibility | Learn more | |
NordVPN Threat Protection |
Best overall | Threat Protection: Windows, macOS
Threat Protection Lite: Android, iOS, Linux |
Get NordVPN Threat Protection Read NordVPN Threat Protection Review |
Total Adblock |
Best for blocking YouTube ads | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, iOS, Android | Get Total Adblock Read Total Adblock Review |
uBlock Origin |
Best for custom filters | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, (prior to 13) Opera, Chromium | Read uBlock Origin Review |
AdGuard |
Best for parental controls | Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, Yandex, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Read AdGuard Review |
Ghostery |
Best for Chrome and Firefox | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera (limited efficacy on Safari) | Read Ghostery Review |
AdLock |
Best for blocking social media trackers | Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Read AdLock Review |
1Blocker |
Best Safari ad blocker | iOS for iPhone and iPad, macOS for Macs, Safari | Read 1Blocker Review |
- Threat protection - Block ads, trackers, and malicious downloads
- Works on multiple devices and browsers
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Lacks a dedicated firewall