8 BEST Ad Blockers For Chrome In 2023 [Free Pop Up Blockers]

 

We will review and rate the top 8 ad blockers that are available on the market today.

Pop Up Blockers are software products that block internet ads. With many websites and applications using ads as a monetization strategy, the emergence of ad blockers has been somewhat of a natural progression.

 

While there are cases for and against pop-up blockers in general, they can nevertheless help internet users to have a better experience online.

What You Will Learn:

• What is an Ad Blocker?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• List of the Best Ad Blockers
  • Comparison of Top Pop-Up Blockers
  • #1) Total AdBlock
  • #2) AdLock
  • #3) AdGuard
  • #4) Adblock Plus
  • #5) AdBlock
  • #6) Ghostery
  • #7) Opera Browser
  • #8) uBlock Origin
  • #9) AdBlocker Ultimate
• Conclusion
  • Recommended Reading

 

What Is An Ad Blocker?

An Ad Blocker is a software product that blocks internet ads. Whether its a website or your favorite mobile game, Pop Up Blockers can stop ads from showing up.

Uses

Many websites and applications offer their content for free. To make money, the publisher displays adverts as a way to generate revenue. However, in certain cases, these ads can interfere with the usability of the website or the application.

Ad Blockers can restore the user experience of such websites and applications by withholding ads from being displayed.

 

General Features

Due to the competitive market of ad blockers, many come with a lot of added features. Acceptable ads and whitelisting are the features that are worth considering. This allows non-intrusive ads to be displayed.

Content filtering is another useful feature that you might want to look into. This stops inappropriate content from being displayed.

 

Factors To Be Considered

With a number of different products available on the market, competition is too fierce. Price is one thing that should be taken into consideration.

Free versions usually allow some form of acceptable ads, which also allows websites to make money. On the other hand, you can expect to pay a yearly fee if you want to block everything.

Market Trends: According to the research carried out by eMarketer, fewer people are using ad blockers. In the US, one in four people uses an ad blocker which for the most part are installed on the desktop and laptop computers. In fact, research has shown that while internet users continue to increase, the change over the years continues to decline as the graph below illustrates. Furthermore, the research from Statista shows that the loss of revenue due to pop up blockers is expected to reach 12,12 billion USD in 2022.

Expert Advice: If you’re looking for an Ad Blocker for the entire family, then consider choosing one that also provides filtering for inappropriate content.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q #1) How do Ad Blockers work?

Answer: Ad Blockers work in one of two ways:

Script-blocking

Ad Blockers that work as browser extensions typically look at the information that websites send. They compare the incoming information to a list of ad scripts they have. If they find a match, then they simply block that script from loading.

 

DNS blocking

Applications and websites looking to display ads will ask a particular server on the internet as to which ads must be shown. The pop-up blocker blocks such requests and the application or website is not able to receive ads to display.

 

Q #2) What is a DNS Ad Blocker?

Answer: Ad blockers that use DNS to block ads are somewhat of a new breed however they are proving to be quite effective at their job. The way they work is also quite simple.

When a website or an application makes a request to show an ad, then this request has to go through a DNS server. The DNS server essentially tells the website where the advert is located. DNS Adblockers change the DNS to the one that recognizes and blocks these requests.

 

Q #3) What are Acceptable Ads?

Answer: Acceptable ads are adverts that are deemed non-intrusive. With many free websites and apps depending on the revenue generated from ads to stay in business, by allowing acceptable ads you can ensure that these resources continue to remain available without impacting the quality of your experience.

 

Suggested reading =>> Best Web Browsers for PC

=> Contact us to suggest a listing here.

Attention: Protect your online privacy with a good VPN

For targeted advertising, the information is gathered with the help of tracer cookies. This can also be called ad tracking. Websites use IP retargeting tactics for marketing purposes and for this they can keep records of IP addresses. If you don’t like these promotions and think this is a little disturbing then VPNs like Nord VPN and IPVanish can help you with this concern. It gives you secure and private access to the internet.

#1) NordVPN

NordVPN encrypts your internet connection and provides online privacy & security. It masks your IP. It provides double protection by changing the IP twice and covering the web traffic with an extra layer of security. With CyberSec, you can block ads, avoid malware-hosting websites, and control botnets. The price of NordVPN starts at $3.30 per month for a 2-year plan.

#2) IPVanish

IPVanish can stop geo-targeting in its tracks. It helps with preventing online marketers, search engines, and websites from analyzing your IP address and location. Regardless of the network that you are using, IPVanish keeps traffic private and secure. It provides advanced encryption, zero traffic logs, access to censored media, unmetered device connections, etc. Its price starts at $4.00 per month.

 

List Of The Best Ad Blockers

1. TotalAdblock
2. AdLock
3. AdGuard
4. Adblock Plus
5. AdBlock
6. Ghostery
7. Opera Browser
8. uBlock Origin
9. AdBlocker Ultimate

 

Comparison of Top Pop-Up Blockers

AdBlocker	Free Trial	Devices	Supported Browsers	Rating
TotalAdblock	Free	Windows, Mac	Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera
AdLock	No	Android, Windows	Windows, Android, iOS and macOS versions.
AdGuard	Yes	PC, Mac, Android, iOS	Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, Yandex
AdBlock Plus	Free	PC, Mac, Android, iOS	Chrome, IE, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, Yandex
AdBlock	Free	Android, iOS	Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari
Ghostery	Android, iOS	Android, iOS	Cliqz, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Edge

 

Detailed reviews:

 

#1) TotalAdblock

Best for Chrome extension and one-click ad blocking.

Price: Free, $29/ year for a premium upgrade.

 

TotalAdblock is the tool you need to enjoy a completely ad-free browsing experience. The tool is known for blocking all ads and trackers automatically across the internet. It can easily detect and remove ads on popular platforms like YouTube, Facebook, CNN, etc.

 

With its chrome extension, the process of blocking ads is only made considerably simple with adequate automation. TotalAdblock is impeccable at detecting and blocking both ad and tracking server. As such, it has our highest recommendation.

 

Features:

• Ad Blocking
• Optimize page loading speed
• Block trackers
• Chrome extension

 

Cons:

• Does not remove browser notifications unless you’ve subscribed to the premium plan.

 

Verdict: TotalAdblock functions with the same level of finesse that you’d have come to expect from some of the best Ad blockers doing rounds online today.

 

After a simple installation, all you’ll need is a single click to block all ads on the webpages you open. The chrome extension only makes the job of blocking ads easier. In addition to that, TotalAdblock’s service is absolutely free.

 

atOptions = { 'key' : 'c379475892ffdba03c4472ad00c8bdb3', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; document.write('');

DKswWfpBdng9wR3-T6oyjNH4kiIyKKDEYm-zsvftrQeVP-3giAqdHVRvSjwDGnu7vc1g/s271/button_free-download.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">

---

 

#2) AdLock

Best for removing pop-ups and other ads on all major browsers.

 

AdLock offers a free browser extension for Chrome and Safari that blocks all ads. However, these extensions only work on the browser on which they are installed.

 

To block ads on other programs, AdLock also offers AdLock for Windows and Android. For as little as $20 a year, you can forget about ads on your computer or/and smartphone, no matter what application you are using.

 

Features:

• Supported platforms: Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS versions
• Adblocking extension for Chrome and Safari.
• Ad-blocking software for Windows and Android that blocks ads on Skype, YouTube, games, and other applications.
• Protect your personal data.

 

Cons:

• It is not part of Acceptable Ads. You cannot whitelist any websites.
• Android app is not available on Google Play.

 

Verdict: AdLock is a great solution for those who are tired of ads outside the realm of the browser. This does not come free, however, with a 30-day money-back guarantee you can try it out and decide if it’s worth the money or not.

 

#3) AdGuard

Best for getting rid of online trackers and ads while protecting your computer from malware.

 

AdGuard offers a number of different products for adblocking and safe browsing. You can get it as a browser extension or an application. They have products for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS.

 

It also has a home solution that protects all devices in your home as well as AdGuard DNS. This is a free service and does not require any app installation. It works just by simply changing the DNS settings on any device.

 

Features:

• Many products, including browser extensions, AdGuard DNS, AdGuard for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
• Ad blocking, secure browsing, and parental control.
• AdGuard Home protects your entire network by blocking ads and tracking.

 

Cons:

• Not part of the Acceptable Ads.

Verdict: AdGuard offers many ways to block ads on most devices. Users can choose the way to protect their data and get rid of the ads in the way they prefer. AdGuard also has parental controls that allow you to keep your kids from seeing adult content.

 

---

#4) Adblock Plus

Best for Blocking pop-ups and ads on websites.

Price: Free to download and use for everyone.

 

Acceptable Ads:

• Free for smaller entities.
• Large entities: 30% of the additional revenue created by whitelisting their Acceptable Ads.

 

AdBlock Plus is one of the most popular ad blocers available. It works with many desktop and mobile browsers, including Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Opera. With AdBlock Plus it is possible to create additional block lists and custom filters.

 

They also support whitelisting, which allows you to choose websites that the pop up blocker should not work on. The Acceptable Ads feature allows non-intrusive ads to go through, however, it is easy to disable it. Companies that want to be added to the Acceptable Ads whitelist can apply by filling out a form.

 

Features:

• Blocking ads on all desktop and mobile browsers (Samsung Internet, Safari, Firefox).
• Ad-blocking browser for Android and iOS.
• Companies can apply to be listed in the Acceptable Ads whitelist.

 

Cons:

• Acceptable Ads feature is enabled by default.
• It works only on browsers.

 

Verdict: AdBlock Plus allows you to browse the internet faster and without interruptions. It is free and open-source. The Acceptable Ads feature allows you to see only non-intrusive ads and the companies can apply to be whitelisted. This is free for small companies, however, large companies have to pay a fee.

 

---

 

#5) AdBlock

Best for stopping annoying ads, improving browser speed, and protecting yourself.
Price: Free

 

AdBlock is a free and open-source pop-up blocker. It is one of the most popular ad blockers worldwide and is available on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, iOS, and Android.

It uses filter lists that are set as default for all the users, however, there is a possibility to create your own list or whitelist the websites that you wish. AdBlock is part of the Acceptable Ads program, which only allows non-intrusive ads to go through.

 

Features:

• Works on most browsers on desktop (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) and mobile (iOS and Android).
• Blocks ads, pop-ups, malware, YouTube & Facebook ads, and Cryptocurrency Mining.
• Part of the Acceptable Ads program.

 

Cons:

• AdBlock users have to disable Acceptable Ads if they wish to see no ads at all.
• It only works on browsers.

 

Verdict: Adblock is trusted by 65 million users. It is free, open-source, and allows you to customize your filter lists. It blocks all ads and pop-ups, including those on social media.

 

 

#6) Ghostery

Best for Making your web browsing experience faster, cleaner, and safer.
Price: Free

 

Ghostery is an open-source, free ad blocker. It uses smart blocking technology that optimizes your browsing experience by blocking ads and stopping trackers. Their user-friendly interface allows you to customize what you wish to block and it can also provide you with analytics.

 

Ghostery works with Cliqz, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Edge. They also have privacy browsers for Android and iOS smartphones.

Features:

• Customized ad blocking.
• Tracker analysis.
• Privacy Browser for Android and iOS.

 

Cons:

• Not a part of Acceptable Ads.
• It only works for browsers.

 

Verdict: Ghostery is a great free pop up blocker to block ads. It stands out with its ability to stop trackers and keep your data as safe as ever. Their mobile browsers allow you to browse the internet safer than ever before on your smartphone as well.

 

 

#7) Opera Browser

Best for Secure and smooth browsing with VPN and adblocking.
Price: Free

 

Opera is a free internet browser with a built-in VPN and adblocking addons i.e. you don’t need to get any additional extensions and it is completely free for everyone. The browser is available for both desktop and mobile devices.

 

Besides blocking ads, it also gives warnings for malware and fraudulent pages & links. There are also more extensions available if you wish to customize it further.

Features:

• Built-in free VPN.
• Built-in ad blocker.
• Also available for Android and iOS.

 

Cons:

• It only blocks ads in the browser.
• Not part of acceptable ads.

 

Verdict: Opera is a safe and ad-free internet browser. It is probably the easiest way to get rid of ads as all you need to do is download the browser and install it.

 

---

 

#8) uBlock Origin

Best for Content-filtering including ad-blocking on several browsers.
Price: Free

 

 

uBlock Origin is an effective browser extension that works with Chrome and Firefox. It is lightweight, easy on memory, and features thousands of filters.

 

uBlock Origin is open-source, thus you can create new lists and filters from host files. Users can also choose to whitelist the websites that they don’t want to block to work on.

Features:

• Blocks ads and malware.
• Easy on memory, so it doesn’t slow don’t your computer.
• Customizable filters and whitelists.

 

Cons:

• It only works on browsers.

 

Verdict: uBlock Origin is the best option for those who don’t want to slow down their computers while using an ad blocker. It is lightweight but still is powerful enough to block all those pesky ads.

 

 

#9) AdBlocker Ultimate

Best for Removing ads and focusing your attention on the content you want.

Price:

• Free
• Lifetime: $74.95
• Monthly: $4.95
• Free trial: 14 days

 

AdBlocker Ultimate offers both free and paid products. Their free products include an open-source browser extension that is compatible with Chrome, Mozilla, Opera, Safari, and Edge. They also have a free browser for Android called AdBlocker Ultimate Browser and a mobile app for Safari on iOS.

 

Their Android browser features some advanced paid functions. Their paid service is an application for Windows PC that blocks ads throughout the system, and not only on the browser.

 

Features:

• Free browser extensions to block ads and protect privacy.
• Safe and ad-free mobile browsers.
• Windows application that works outside the browser.

 

Cons:

• No application is available for Mac.
• Not a part of Acceptable ads.

 

Verdict: AdBlocker Ultimate blocks all ads, malicious websites, and trackers. Besides their free and open-source browser extensions, AdBlocker also offers a paid Windows application that works independently of the browser.

 

Conclusion

 

Ad Blockers come in all shapes and sizes. With many free and paid versions to choose from, it can be quite difficult to decide which one to go for. When all is said and done, we need to remember why Pop Up Blockers are there, i.e. to give users the experience they deserve back.

However, we also need to strike a balance, by understanding the fact that publishers offering free content need to make money.

 

Overall Winner: AdGuard

Although AdGuard is not part of the acceptable ads program, its suite of products can really help users take control of their online experience. With DNS filtering offering network-wide control, AdGuard takes it a step further by introducing parental controls to filter out inappropriate content for children.

 

Best Compromise: AdBlock Plus

Not only is Adblock Plus free, but it also features acceptable ads. Instead of charging you the user, AdBlock Plus charges large companies who want to be a part of its acceptable ads program, thereby saving you money whilst allowing companies who depend on ad-generated revenue to continue offering you free content for years to come.

 

Review Process:

• Time Taken To Research This Article: 12 hours
• Total Tools Researched: 20
• Top Tools Shortlisted: 8