Firefox, and Safari. Speed up your browsing by getting rid of intrusive ads. Ads. Annoying, frustrating, and just tiring. As much as we recognize the value of these ads to the free content we enjoy on the web, they are frustrating to live with. Even worse are those intrusive popup ads, or the YouTube ads that last almost as long as the original video we came for.
Thinking of it that way, it’s easy to see why we need ad blockers. The best ad blockers keep these ads at bay while allowing us enjoy the content we came for. But there’s an even stronger case to be made for the use of ad blockers.
Display ads have become an integral part of the worldwide web. Originally designed to educate, boost awareness, or keep their message foremost in your mind, ads today are big business. Adware developers today are more concerned about revenue generation than anything else.
To achieve their aim, ads are now designed to capture the user’s attention by hook or crook. But you already knew this. After all, you’ve had the pleasure of sitting through ads on mobile applications where you’re not permitted to exit until after 20 seconds. You may also have enjoyed the brilliance of those in-your-face pop up ads on certain websites that interrupt your browsing.
What you may not know, though, is that adware developers are also watching you closely. They want to ensure that you’re unlikely to exit their ads without taking action. So, they employ trackers and cookies that track your browser activity, gathering data about your location, online behavior, and interests.
The goal? Hit you with specific ads you’re unlikely to resist.
Unfortunately, adware and their display ads may also be used to spread malware. This
Thankfully, ad blockers keep all of these away. The best ad blockers keep out intrusive ads, protect you from spyware, malware, and other phishing attempts, and ultimately lower your bandwidth usage.
We’ve so far established that an ad blocker is your gateway to a zero-ad, intrusion-free, secure (from malware in ads) browsing experience. But did you know that ad blockers come in different shapes and forms? Some of these include:
AdBlock
Tough and to the point. AdBlock is a solid ad blocker that restricts every ad on any website. Interestingly, it doesn’t just target popup ads. AdBlock is able to remove regular banner ads on websites, as well as ads on social media sites, and streaming services like YouTube.
AdBlock is also very much customizable. Its range of options include preset filters, setting up blocks for particular ads while allowing others to show, and whitelisting certain websites. By this measure, you can allow certain ads to show, or allow particular websites to keep displaying ads – or not.
Available as a browser extension, AdBlock is supported by Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari browser, and Mozilla Firefox. It is also completely FREE and funded only by donations.
AdLock
Want to block ads across every app on your device? Enter AdLock. This ad blocker app isn’t just another browser extension. It is an all-encompassing ad blocking software that blocks ad services both on your browser, and on every other app on your device.
The only criteria required for AdLock to swoop in and save the day is that an app connects to the internet. So, whether you’re using Skype, playing a game on mobile, or attempting a torrent downloader, AdLock is ever ready to block out intrusive ads.
AdLock also slightly reconfigures webpage layouts to take full advantage blank spaces from ad removals. As with others, users will be able to filter apps, websites, and ad types they want to appear. Unfortunately, it may sometimes block your internet access altogether.
AdLock isn’t free. You’d get a 14-day free trial after which you’d have to pay $14 or $29 – on Android or Windows PC respectively – to keep enjoying access to the service for the next year.
CyberSec by NordVPN
Developed by CyberSec by NordVPN, CyberSec comes as an optional feature for users of the VPN. This ad blocker blocks requests from a growing list of servers associated with adware, malware, spyware and online tracking. So, except you specifically whitelist a dangerous website, you can’t access it.
CyberSec is particularly interesting because of how it collaborates with the rugged security provided by NordVPN. Even if your PC is already infected by malware, CyberSec blocks communication with the servers, effectively rendering the malware harmless. It also removes DDoS botnets from affected devices.
With its large database, and strong security system, it’s hard to bet against the assuredness CyberSec provides you. However, you’d need to subscribe to the CyberSec by NordVPN payment plan in order to benefit from this ad blocker.
R.O.B.E.R.T. by Windscribe
Not only does Windscribe rank amongst the best free VPNs currently on the market, it also comes with a great ad blocking feature named R.O.B.E.R.T. This feature keeps ads, phishing attempts, malware, and trackers out of your device. It also keeps a list of known malicious websites, and blocks access to them.
As with the VPN, Windscribe offers simultaneous protection on multiple devices – even for free users! The only downside to the topnotch protection offered by R.O.B.E.R.T. is that it limits your monthly bandwidth to 10 GB. If you’re going to be torrenting or streaming a lot, you might want to consider subscribing for the paid plan.
Ghostery
A solid ad blocker on its day, Ghostery takes its protection one step further than simply blocking intrusive and annoying ads. It goes ahead to tell you who is tracking, or attempting to track you, and how to block them.
Ghostery ranks among the best ad blockers for the Safari browser, and is also a popular choice for Chrome and Firefox users with over 7 million active users. Interestingly, Ghostery is one of the completely free ad blockers on this list, making it ideal for most.
Best Ad Blocker for Android
AdGuard
A standalone ad blocker app, AdGuard blocks everything from text ads to pop-ups, rich media advertising, and video ads. The app goes one step further to also block spyware and third-party tracking systems installed by websites.
On both Windows and Mac PC, AdGuard’s protection covers every popular web browser, including Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc. It also provides strong parental controls for restricting adult content, as well as tracker blocking and ad filters.
Users of its mobile app enjoy complete protection from interruptive ads, even on games and other non-browsing apps. While its interactive, sleek interface ensures you enjoy maximum protection with minimal fuss.
Unfortunately, not every ad blocker on the market is reliable. The most harmful of them all pose as ad blockers only to inject malware into your device. Others replace intrusive ads from publishers with intrusive ads of their own. Either way, they do not serve the purpose for which you download them.
AdBlock Plus
Not related in any way to AdBlock. AdBlock Plus is certainly one of the most popular ad blockers on the market. Totally free and open source, AdBlock Plus quickly shot to the Hall of Fame of adblocking extensions and is present on over 100 million devices.
This ad blocker is renowned for its close marking of ads, blocking intrusive ads, and allowing users filter ads they’d love to stay or go. Interestingly, though, the company behind the adblocker – Eyeo has been fingered by many for its quasi-alliance with online advertisers.
Having developed its standards for “acceptable” ads, AdBlock Plus now allows certain ads run despite the block. What’s more, AdBlock Plus has gone on to develop its own automated online advertising service that allows website owners subscribe to letting their ads kick through the firewall.
Ad blockers ultimately aim to improve your browsing experience. They make browsing faster and smoother, by weeding out intrusive adware. They also protect you from malicious adware and crooked web trackers that invade your privacy. torrent surfing, though, with any of your preferred
Thankfully, there are a ton of apps on the web that offer varying levels of protection. Your choice of an ad blocker will come down to your needs and your budget. But this shouldn’t be much of a problem.
For instance, while abrowser extension may be easier to use when surfing with your favorite browser, other standalone and VPN apps provide device-wide protection. Feel free to combine different ad blockers to match your needs.
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