The best ad blockers are unfortunately very necessary to survive on the modern internet. It doesn't matter which sites you browse, there's the risk of being harassed by pop-ups, tracker cookies, malvertising and countless other digital nasties hell-bent on ruining your online experience.
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 what you need. There are so many to choose from, and whether you're ok with the consequences. 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
Best in-browser ad blockers
1. 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.
The best part about uBlock Origin is that it's been designed to be easy on your computer's CPU and memory. Meaning it shouldn't cause a drain on your system like other ad-blockers might be prone to doing. It's also open-source, with the goal of preserving user privacy, and trends to stay up to date to get around some of the more irritating anti-ad-block techniques employed around the web.
Download Ublock Origin: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera
2. 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
3. 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
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 Free Adblocker (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi)
For a fast and light ad-blocking plugin, Chrome users can turn to Stands Free 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 Free 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.
Stands also gives you the ability to allow certain types of ads or even whitelist ad-supported websites you don't want to shortchange when it comes to badly needed revenue. This is one ad blocker that doesn't take a scorched earth approach to its stated purpose.
Download Stands Free 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
Best ad-blocking apps
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.
Best ad-blocking mobile apps
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
Other privacy-focused extensions and apps
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.
