Ads are annoying! Everybody gets that. Even after this consensus about ads, we keep seeing unnecessary banners and notifications throughout the day. For one, most of us don’t pay for the content we see. Every website we visit or application we use has people doing that without directly charging anything to us. Those websites or applications support themselves by ads (and affiliate marketing). And most of us readily understand that: However, some publishers tend to overdo it, resulting in an extremely poor user experience. Personally, I stop using such services and try to find alternatives. But for those who don’t want to switch or can’t afford to pay can go through this list and find a suitable ad blocker for their needs. Without any further ado, let’s get started.
AdLock
AdLock is a premium ad blocker with applications for Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS. In addition, this is one of the best YouTube ad blockers to stream ad-free. In addition to being an excellent ad blocker, AdLock checks for harmful links, protects the data and keeps tabs on any possible spyware. And like many other such applications, it permits allowlisting websites to support the content creators you love. One can use the Adblock to check its efficacy for 14 days before paying for it. All subscriptions can work on five devices at a time.
Avast AntiTrack
Avast AntiTrack is a robust solution for people in search of online privacy. Adblocking can be seen as more of a side hustle for this anti-tracking utility. The primary target of this software is the browser or device fingerprinting to stop the targeted advertising. However, one upside of using Avast AntiTrack is that it doesn’t break websites as some inefficient ad blockers do. Besides, this has a 30-day free trial for you to see if it really fits your bill.
AdGuard
Like AdLock, AdGuard is a dedicated ad blocker to remove ads from the browsers as well as installed applications. Besides, this ensures protection against spyware, phishing, and malware attacks. Moreover, AdGuard lets you exercise parental control on your kid’s devices by blocking adult content. You can, however, allowlist/blocklist specific websites to make this work even better. AdGuard also has a stealth mode that works similar to anti-tracking utilities. It has applications for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and extensions for popular browsers. Finally, you can judge AdGuard’s performance with its 14-day free trial.
AdBlock
AdBlock is the most famous of the lot and a completely free application that works for desktop and mobile browsers. You can also use this as a smart YouTube ad blocker with the option to allowlist select channels to support your favorite creators. Besides the usual ad blocking, AdBlock is focused on safeguarding its users from cryptojacking. As of this writing, AdBlock can be used only as a browser extension.
AdBlock for iOS
AdBlockforiOS is an excellent application capable of blocking system-wide ads on your iPhones and iPads. You can make specific rules and sync them with all your devices through iCloud. This also comes with a Safari content blocker to make sure your web browsing stays ad-free as well. In addition, this takes the responsibility of shielding you from the web trackers to anonymize your online experience. Conclusively, very little can go wrong with the one-time payment subscription of this highly-rated application.
Clario
Clario bundles complete cybersecurity in one simple subscription containing an ad blocker, a virtual private network (VPN), an anti-tracker, an antivirus, and more. Clario subscriptions apply to any three devices (Mac, Android, or iOS) at a time. In addition to these features, Clario makes your real-time browsing safe by flagging malicious websites. Notably, the features vary according to the platform. For instance, antivirus is available on Android and Mac, whereas the ad blocker is there for iOS and Mac. Conclusively, Clario makes it simple with a great line-up of security features and a 7-day free trial.
Magic Lasso
Magic Lasso caters to the Apple ecosystem with its browser-based ad blocker for iPhones, Macs, and iPads. It’s a free application barring a few features which are paid. The paid subscription brings all the premium features like an ad blocker for YouTube on multiple devices using the same Apple ID. Besides preventing the adverts, the paid version removes the cookie notices and increases the efficiency of the adblocking mechanisms. Moreover, Magic Lasso claims to reduce the Safari’s power consumption by half, giving you prolonged uptimes without plugging in.
Avira Prime
Though famous for a privacy-respecting antivirus, Avira Prime combines much-needed products for your everyday online adventures. Avira Prime is a multi-platform cybersecurity package with products such as antivirus, password manager, VPN, junk cleaner, startup manager, etc. However, its AdBlocking features come free as the Avira Browser Safety extension. In addition, these features are also inbuilt in its Avira Safe Shopping which stops phishing attempts, shows the best deals for online shopping, and prevents tracking.
Conclusion 👩💻
The best way to go ad-free is still to pay for the content we consume. But users should protect themselves in case there is no paid subscription, or the advertising goes overboard. In addition to listed ad blockers, we have also summarized a list of some free antivirus to protect your pc.
