Advertisements are an essential part of any website, but too many of them can be annoying to visitors. To help you deal with them, we looked into some of the best ad blockers you can use to weed them out.
The best ad blockers for multiple browsers
Adblock Plus
Adblock Plus is one of the most recognized ad blockers available for most browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. It works by using filter lists that tell what specific elements of a website to block. There are two default lists available that you can modify to suit your own preferences. The add-on also lets you create your own custom lists.
Another notable feature of Adblock Plus is that it disables trackers found on ads and websites. It even allows you to disable social media buttons present on the site that might be used to map your browsing habits. Adblock Plus can also block domains that are known to spread malware.
AdBlock
AdBlock is the other well-known blocker extension, often confused with AdBlock Plus due to the similar name and logo. It works in the same manner, using filters to block content coming from known ad providers. The filter lists are regularly updated, and you can subscribe to multiple ones as well as create your own custom list.
The extension can also take out the ads that play before YouTube videos. Like the general features, this one automatically works once you install the extension. The tool makes it easy for you to add exceptions to the list of blocked ads and also allows acceptable ads based on your preferences.
AdGuard
Aside from providing general ad blocking features, AdGuard can deal with self-promotion ads. These are the ads websites display on their own pages for promoting their related services. AdGuard gives you the option of completely blocking all self-promotion ads or allowing some of them to be shown.
AdGuard also comes with several security features, including:
- Website security report: AdGuard analyzes the site you are on for malicious elements and gives an easy-to-read status report.
- Privacy protection: The extension blocks a variety of third-party tracking tools from accessing your personal information.
- Adblock circumvention script protection: AdGuard automatically detects these scripts in trustworthy sites and executes them for seamless browsing.
A few of these features are available only in the premium version, priced at $2 per month.
uBlock Origin
uBlock Origin is another multi-browser extension that works similarly to AdBlock and AdBlock Plus. However, the main difference is that it relies on an open source community to create its filter lists. Developers claim this makes the extension more efficient in blocking out many types of ads.
The extension is useful for dealing with pop-under ads that can show up from time to time. uBlock also lets you specify the size of the ad elements to block, which is great for fine-tuning your website viewing experience. The extension even displays the number of ad display requests it has blocked, letting you gauge how effective the tool is.
Ghostery
While most ad blockers have some level of customization, Ghostery offers a greater amount of options for defining your blocking preferences. For instance, you can decide on the specific ad types to block. The extension even gives you a detailed breakdown of a page’s elements to help you determine what to block.
Ghostery is also well-suited for dealing with trackers and analytics tools trying to monitor your browsing activities. The site claims that its anti-tracker function will work better than you opting out of cookies since it completely blocks all communication from these trackers to your browser. You even get a detailed historical view of all the trackers that you encounter while browsing.
The best ad blockers for Chrome
AdBlocker Genesis Plus
AdBlocker Genesis Plus is a Chrome-exclusive extension that claims to block all types of ads on any website, including social media sites. It uses the same basic code as other popular ad blocking plugins like uBlock or AdBlock Plus. This serves as a good guarantee that it works as effectively as these extensions.
One unique feature that distinguishes it from other ad blockers is that it doesn’t have a tracking code. The developer says this provides an added layer of privacy. Adblock Genesis Plus also features a Block Element button for quickly selecting which part of a page not to display.
Trustnav AdBlocker
The makers of the Trustnav AdBlocker extension for Chrome claim to monitor the web for new types of ads constantly. The extension then uses this information to automatically update your filter lists in the background, ensuring continuous protection.
Trustnav also features a simple interface design. You can toggle the ad protection for a page using a single button. There is also an option to block out only the ads that are too intrusive. For greater protection, the extension readily integrates with antivirus programs and SafeSearch.
Video AdBlocker for Chrome
Video AdBlocker is a unique extension for Chrome since it focuses on blocking ads on YouTube videos. It works on almost all forms of YouTube ads, including pre-roll video ads and text banners. The extension is even effective in removing the inserted ads that play in the middle of long videos and YouTube ads embedded on other sites.
While the extension might seem limited to become one of the best ad blockers, know that it also comes with Facebook ad blocking. You can use it to block sponsored content and recommended games, as well as user accounts that post these ads. The simple interface makes it easy to manage both functions.
The best ad blockers for Firefox
NoScript
The NoScript extension for Firefox can be considered as one of the earliest browser ad blocking tools. It isn’t an ad blocker per se; instead, it blocks website elements that use Javascript, Flash, and similar scripts. This makes it effective for removing other obtrusive site elements like pop-ups or embedded objects that might contain malicious code.
The extension is simple to use. Once installed, it automatically disables relevant elements on the site that you are visiting. The tool then lets you disable the block indefinitely, or for a fixed period.
You can customize the settings for each blocked element, which is useful if you want some of the embedded media visible.
Incognito AdBlocker
One of the newer ad blocker extensions for Firefox, Incognito AdBlocker claims to give you a more efficient means of blocking ads. Its makers explain that the extension works by preventing ads from being downloaded for display by your browser. They say this helps speed your loading times and saves your connection bandwidth.
Another useful feature of the extension is the Incognito Mode, which lets you relaunch the site you are viewing in Firefox’s Private Browsing mode.
This gives you a more seamless browsing experience instead of manually launching Private Browsing. Unlike other ad blockers, the developers also claim that their product does not track or store your browsing data, giving you additional anonymity.
Privacy Badger
The biggest selling point for the Privacy Badger Firefox extension is the built-in learning algorithm for blocking ads and trackers. Its developers say the algorithm analyzes the websites you visit to find potential signs of ad trackers and then remembers them. They claim that it’s a more efficient method than using pre-determined filter lists since it adapts better to newer kinds of trackers.
The best ad blockers for other browsers
Opera browser
Opera is unique among popular web browsers as it has its own built-in ad block feature. To turn it on, look for the Easy Setup icon (the one with three horizontal bars) at the top-right corner of the home page. Scroll down to Features, and toggle the Block Ads button. You can then view the ad block statistics for a site by clicking the blue shield icon that appears beside the address bar.
The feature works well, being able to block the same ads that third-party extensions handle. The browser’s development team says it works right at the moment you connect to a webpage, resulting in faster loading times. You are even given a tool to show how fast a page will load with and without ads.
AdBlocker Lite
While Opera’s built-in ad blocker will work well for most purposes, the AdBocker Lite extension will serve as a good complementary tool. Instead of the usual filtering lists, it uses hard-coded rules to define the types of ads to block. This results in a more stringent filtering process that will screen out all ads.
You can switch between two different modes of protection:
- Lite mode: The add-on uses CSS for determining the elements to be blocked.
- Full mode: It adds a web-request function for getting more information about the advertisements to block.
To switch between the two modes, click the button on the top of the blocked elements list. The extension is set to Lite by default, but the developers recommend that you use the Full mode.
The tool even works against invisible trackers by sending a Do Not Track signal to them. If the tracker does not respond, the program will then block it in the future. You can also “teach” the tool by using the dashboard to tell whether it has successfully blocked trackers or made the site unusable.
1Blocker
1Blocker is a comprehensive ad blocking tool for the Safari browser on both Mac and iOS. Aside from blocking almost all ads, it can also remove distracting elements, like recommendation and subscription boxes as well as tracking scripts. The developers say that this cuts down on page load times and will save twice as much battery life.
The tool uses multiple extensions to go around the limitations that Safari has for the number of blocking rules. This has an added advantage of letting you create plenty of custom rules. You can also create country-specific rules for more targeted ad blocking.
Use the best ad blockers and be free of adverts
While there are tons of ad blocking tools available, the ones we listed here are some of the most effective. To recap, the best ad blockers are:
- Multiple browsers: AdBlock and AdBlock Plus are the most popular options, but you can use alternatives like Ghostery and uBlock.
- Chrome: AdBlocker Genesis and Trustnav are great for general use, while Video AdBlocker is perfect for dealing with YouTube ads.
- Firefox: NoScript is still an indispensable tool, while Incognito AdBlocker and Privacy Badger give you additional protection.
- Opera: AdBlocker Lite is a good companion for Opera’s own ad blocking features.
- Safari: 1Blocker is an effective ad blocking option for both Mac and iOS devices.
Check out these tools and use them with other techniques to get away from annoying ads and boost your online privacy.