According to Backlinko, “42.7% of internet users worldwide report using an ad blocker.” If you happen to be an individual looking for ad-blocking options, you’re in the right place. This article presents a data-driven list of the best free ad-blocking extensions & plugins. At Doakio, we’ve completed intensive research of more than 60 ad-blocking extensions & plugins. Our analysts have compared all features and company attributes to come up with these top 5.
When comparing ad-blocking options, it is important to keep your own unique needs in mind. It’s possible that you’ll come up with a different selection of free ad-blocking extensions & plugins. Due to different user needs we’ve made it possible to input your own rating for each feature and attribute of these tools. Simply participate in our custom ad-blocking survey and we will promptly email you a report, customized by your input.
We have also collected data for domain authority. This serves as an effective gauge of overall popularity. We found 45 free ad-blocking extensions & plugins. We list the top five applications here, along with three runners up.
Please engage with us in the comments below, if you think of any applications or features that we should have included in our comparison analysis. We love feedback! As of this writing, we are not incentivized in any way by any of these ad-blocking tool companies. Remember to visit our original research publication on Ad-Blocking Extensions and Plugins Compared. We pride ourselves in always keeping this publication up-to-date.
Backed by evidence, here is our ordered listing of the top five free ad-blocking extensions & plugins:
- AdBlock Plus
- AdBlock
- Adaware Ad Block
- Stands Fair AdBlocker
- Hola Ad Remover
- TunnelBear Blocker
- Ghostery
- Comodo AdBlocker
Runners up:
Top Five Free Ad Blocking Extensions & Plugins
AdBlock Plus
AdBlock Plus Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Block YouTube™ ads, pop-ups & fight malware!
Age of Software/Company: 15.1 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 6.18
Software Score: 15
Distinctive features:
- IOS Application
- Android Application
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While the paid version of AdBlock Plus blocks more ads than the free version, users enjoy the time it saves while browsing and the overall improved internet experience.
AdBlock
AdBlock Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Very popular ad blocker with safe browsing and blocks 3rd party tracking. Popular Chrome extension (over 300 million downloads).
Age of Software/Company: 8.8 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 6.02
Software Score: 14
Distinctive features:
- Android Application
AdBlock users enjoy the lack of auto-play ads and irritating pop-ups. Allows worry-free, fast loading of websites. Provides good support people, if needed.
Adaware Ad Block
Adaware Ad Block Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Fast and simple ad blocker. Blocks all ads including video ads and Facebook ads. Added security, guards against online threats.
Age of Software/Company: 21.3 Yrs
Business Score: 5.12
Software Score: 12.75
Adaware Ad Block allows users to whitelist certain sites. It provides reliable, great, features and blocks sites with ransomware.
Stands Fair AdBlocker
Stands Fair AdBlocker Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Turns your browsing into donations for causes that you care about.
Age of Software/Company: 6.7 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 5.44
Software Score: 11
Very few ads get past, simple to use, Stands Fair AdBlocker. Users like the menu item that allows blocking an element of their choice.
Hola Ad Remover
Hola Ad Remover Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Hola Ad Remover blocks pop-ups, bothersome advertising, banners, video ads, and tracking.
Age of Software/Company: 19.2 Yrs
Business Score: 5
Software Score: 11.5
While the Hola virtual private network has lower security, the Hola Ad Remover removes anonymous tracking and adware. Users like it's efficiency and effectiveness.
Top Free Ad Blocking Extensions & Plugins – Runners Up
TunnelBear Blocker
TunnelBear Blocker Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Free, simple and visually appealing, TunnelBear Blocker attacks online tracking. It also works great with other TunnelBear apps to add more privacy.
Age of Software/Company: 10.4 Yrs
Business Score: 5.02
Software Score: 11
Distinctive features:
- Open Source Code
A virtual private network, TunnelBear has great mobile app ratings. Users can have a trial of 500 MB per month to try it out.
Ghostery
Ghostery Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Shows the trackers on each site and lets you control the ones you don’t want.
Age of Software/Company: 12.7 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 6.3
Software Score: 7.5
Distinctive features:
- IOS Application
- Android Application
Though the user interface could be made easier, many users like that the free version takes care of all their needs. It also provides Virtual Private Network protection for internet traffic.
Comodo AdBlocker
Comodo AdBlocker Comparison Details
Free trial: Fully Free
Pricing: Free
Feature summary: Uses open source ad blocker code base but improved upon it by blocking malware, tracking and display ads.
Age of Software/Company: 23.7 Yrs
Industry thought leadership blog: Click to visit blog.
Business Score: 6.32
Software Score: 6
While it had error issues in the past, Comodo has improved and most users enjoy faster browser speeds, blocking of unwanted tracking and prevention of dispay ads.