Ads are the primary source of income for near-about all publishers across the internet. Viewing, clicking, or interacting with these ads helps the website earn a chunk of income. However, they are also known as a necessary evil, and there’s a concrete reason behind them.
There are many ways of doing so, but the easiest among all these methods is using an extension. Since most users use the Chrome browser, we will list some of the best Chrome Ad Blockers extensions. That being said, these extensions might work with other Chromium browsers as well; if you wish, you could give them a try.
But before we begin with the list, we would like to discuss a pretty important point. Chrome does come with its ad blocker. But it doesn’t work as other ad-blocker software and extensions, nor is it intended to work that way.
The Silicon Valley Giant’s ad-blocking tool integrated into Chrome is part of the Coalition for Better Ads. This mainly focuses on providing “better” and “data-driven ads.” I have always been disturbed by popups and intrusive ads since they deviate my attention from the work that I am doing. I always wanted to look for an alternative to help me eliminate these.
In other words, it aims to provide ads curated and personalized based on your interest. This is the sole motive of this feature and will not “block” all the ads, but only the intrusive and popup ones (to access it, head over to an individual site’s Settings > Permissions > Ads).
Now that we have addressed this point let’s begin with the best AdBlock chrome extensions list.
Install AdBlock Extension
Installing an extension (adblocker or another domain) is accessible in Chrome. Follow the given steps to install an AdBlock Extension in Chrome:
- Click on the desired extension’s download link, which we have provided at the end of their description.
- You will be redirected to its download page.
- Click on the Add to Chrome button.
- Finally, hit the Add Extension option in the popup that appears.
That’s it. You have successfully added your favorite AdBlock chrome extension!
With that being said, let’s now check out the list of best AdBlock for Chrome browsers. You may note that most of these extensions are available for your favorite browser.
Here are the best AdBlock chrome extensions for your browser to block contextual ads, video ads, and popup ads with ease:
Ad Block
Whenever one thinks of an ad blocker, this is the first one. Well, not just because of its naming similarity but because it has established itself as one of the best ad blockers. Since its inception (which has been pretty long), there haven’t been any issues or performance drops. Just install it and leave the rest up to him. It will automatically block all the ads, whether it’s static ads or even video ads.
Similarly, it works on static web pages and efficiently blocks ads on all video streaming services, like Youtube. That’s not all. It also gives you a pretty handy option for customizing your ad experience.
For example, you could tick and untick the types of ads you wish to view or leave all untouched to block all the ads. It also allows blocking those social media links that have now become a norm on most websites. Part of the Acceptable Ads program allows you to display some curated and personalized ads (if you consent to the same).
Features of Ad Block:
- Support any site by adding it to Adblock’s allowlist.
- Receives regular updates.
- It gives the option to allow some curated and personalized ads to be displayed.
- It gives you a pretty handy option for customizing your ad experience.
Furthermore, if you wish to support any site, you could add it to Adblock’s allowlist. The best part about this Adblock chrome extension is that it regularly receives updates, which is crucial considering how new types of malicious ads are coming up now and then.
Although, with Ad-Block, you will experience the apparent browser performance slowdown if you are used to multi-tab browsing.
Adblock Plus
To clarify, it isn’t an upgraded version of the former. Both are separate entities with similar objectives: to provide users with a clean, ad-free experience. Among the earliest ones to make their way over to this domain, the software is still going pretty strong.
For starters, the extension does a pretty handy job blocking all ads. By ads, we mean every type of ad, including static ones, banner ones, video ads, and popups. But this is something that AdBlock also offers, so why go for this?
One reason for this AdBlock chrome extension could be that it has among the easiest of interfaces, making it pretty easy to change or tweak ad settings as per your requirement.
This includes adding your favorite sites to the allowlist and letting the extension display ads on them. You could also make it display non-intrusive and personalized ads based on your online activity. As you might have guessed, AdBlock Plus also belongs to the Acceptable Ads initiative, allowing you to support some content developers.
Features of AdBlock Plus:
- It is easy to install and even easier to use.
- The interface for settings is well-designed, allowing easy navigation and use.
- Adblock Plus is a community-driven, open-source application, and hence it keeps getting updated regularly.
- It is free of cost.
With that said, in its default state, the extension will block all the ads, so if you aren’t interested in this initiative, install this extension and let it do the rest of the work. But Adblock Plus has marked certain advertisements as safe and does not block the rest. All the features are worth it.
uBlock Origin
Another of the power players in this domain of AdBlock chrome extension is uBlock. It can carry out its job in a rather impressive manner. Not only does it block all kinds of ads, it also shows you the complete stats of how many ads it has blocked up to now and for the day.
Talking ad blocking, popup ads, full-screen ads, video, and text ads are all dealt with quite effectively by uBlock Origin.
Likewise, the ability to allowlist your favorite sites is also possible in this application. However, if these default filters don’t meet your requirements, you could create and set up some predefined rules.
Features of uBlock Origin:
- It also offers filters for adware and malware.
- It enables you to block strange videos and creepy tracking on your system, if any.
- It helps the website load content faster since do not require running ads.
- Block all popups, ads, and trackers and Browse.
So if you are looking for an extension that blocks all kinds of pesky ads and gives you complete data about the same, uBlock Origin is the name to remember! It is probably the best AdBlock for Chrome.
Ghostery
This one is slightly different from all the others on this list. While it initially began as an effective tool for blocking malware and web trackers, it has now become a full-grown AdBlock chrome extension. But what makes it unique from others is the kind of customization that it has to offer.
Once you start using it, the application will list all types of ads, blockers, and trackers that a webpage has. It is left up to your discretion as to which components should be blocked and which shouldn’t.
Apart from that, the usual allowlist option is also there, but it’s not used much because you could easily do the same when you define the adblocking rules for the concerned site.
However, some people hate and generally ditch this AdBlock chrome extension for something else because of this Do It Yourself’ component of the extension. With other extensions, you could install it and let the rest be taken care of by the application itself. But with Ghostery, you will first have to get some background knowledge regarding how things work.
Features of Ghostery:
- Supports Adblocker and disables advertisements, teasers, and popups.
- Limiting trackers launch on websites that determine which processes can and cannot be blocked.
- Features a Pause button that you can choose to stop ad blocking for 30 minutes, 1 hour, or one day.
- Loading speed optimization.
With that said, a vast majority of people continue to use this ad-blocker to this day because it lets the user control and tweaks the ads as per their requirements.
Although it’s completely free to try out, yet if you are to throw in a few bucks ($2/month), premium features are waiting for you in the form of tons of new themes and detailed stats about each web page (including the type and number of trackers and ads blocked). Also, it cannot apply its filters.
AdGuard
AdGuard has managed to keep a healthy name for itself in this domain. It does a decent job by blocking all ads, including popups, audio, and video auto-playable ads. It can also block ads on social media sites like Facebook and video streaming sites like Youtube, among others.
Coming to the non-ad category, it claims to deal with many different types of malware, trackers, and warnings in case it detects any malicious programs or software being installed. It promises to provide a rich and clean user experience to everyone out there.
Features of AdGuard:
- It deals with many different types of malware, trackers, and warnings.
- Provides a rich and clean user experience.
- Able to block ads on social media sites and video streaming sites.
On the downside, there have been some complaints that it constantly sends out reminders to purchase its premium version (which ranges from $29.88 – $129.99), which may be a little bit of an annoyance to some users. Apart from this little caveat, everything seems to be well and good.
AdBlocker Ultimate
The next on our list of best adblocker Chrome extensions is AdBlocker Ultimate. It stands at its promise of delivering an ad-free experience and does so in style.
To begin with, it claims to end all kinds of trackers, whether harmful or just for data collection purposes, malware, adware, and other scripts that might conflict with the usability factor.
Features of AdBlocker Ultimate:
- It is entirely open-source.
- Put an end to all kinds of trackers.
- Delivers an ad-free experience and does so in style.
- Eliminates data collection purposes, malware, adware, and other scripts that might conflict with the usability factor.
Still, one shouldn’t take away something that it excels in, blocking nearly all ads. After all, more than 1 million downloads and a 4.8-star rating speaks volume for themselves. Furthermore, it is open-source, meaning anyone could check its underlying structure and codebase. But due to this reason itself, it is somewhat slow in receiving regular updates.
Poper Blocker
As evident from its name, this AdBlock chrome extension can block all kinds of ads, yet its primary target of attention is those popup and banner ads that cover a significant chunk of your screen.
Well, the trackers, adware, and malware aren’t spared either. And while it continues to do this job, it also offers a pretty handy interface with all kinds of stats, including the number and types of ads that a particular web page displays.
Strange as it may sound, it is mainly known as the best compliment app for ad-blockers. Whatever ads or malware sneak through your primary blocker, Poper Blocker will quickly deal with them. Don’t get us wrong, it could still be used as your stand-alone ad blocker, and it works pretty well in that aspect too.
Features of Poper Blocker:
- Blocks all kinds of ads, popups, and banner ads.
- Offers a pretty handy interface.
- Shows stats, including the number and types of ads a particular web page displays.
- It can use as a stand-alone adblocker.
Furthermore, it is known to consume less memory, which will be quite a boon for many users, considering how notorious Chrome is as a memory hogger.
Fair AdBlocker
Part of the Acceptable Ads program allows everyone to treat ads as per their liking. For example, you could make it display some non-intrusive and personalized ads.
This way, it will help the content publishers get their fair trade of reward, and you will only get ads that are curated as per your online activities and, at the same time, won’t interfere with standard website components. However, if you choose, you can still block all the ads, including the trackers and harmful malware.
Furthermore, it allows you to allow your favorite sites, giving you complete control over which sites to block ads on and whatnot.
Features of Fair AdBlocker:
- It provides the option to allowlist your favorite sites.
- Control over the sites that have to be blocked.
- Blocks all the ads, including the trackers and harmful malware.
With that said, by default, Fair Ad blocker might allow these non-intrusive ads. So if you want a completely ad-free experience, you might have to tweak its settings a bit after making it a part of the browser.
Winscribe
This is perhaps the most underrated Adblock chrome extension on this list. Not only does it block all kinds of ads and trackers, but it has also incorporated a useful VPN. One usually doesn’t see this with such types of applications. So an ad blocker combined with an ability to map your physical location, well, what more could one ask for?
For the unaware, the VPN allows you to browse privately without your “actual” location being tracked. Likewise, you can also access geo-restricted content with ease. Then there’s also social blocking that blocks all the ads across all your social media platforms.
Apart from that, there’s also Location API Spoofing, WebRTC blocking, Timezone Spoofing, Notification blocking, User-Agent Spoofing, and Cookie Monitoring feature.
Features of Winscribe:
- Block all kinds of ads and trackers.
- It incorporated a pretty useful VPN within itself.
- Access geo-restricted content with ease.
- Features such as Location API Spoofing, WebRTC blocking, and Timezone Spoofing.
On that note, while Ad blocking functionality is free for life, the VPN gives you 10 GB of data per month that you could work on, whereas the paid plan gives you unlimited data and access to servers of over 62 countries.
uBlocker
uBlocker belongs to the family of ad blockers that gives control to the user regarding whether they would like to allow some non-intrusive ads to get displayed. Or you could add some of your websites to the allowlist and make the extension only display ads on those sites.
If you choose any of the above two options, the extensions will only display ads based on your personalization and interests. In other words, they will be curated based on your web activity.
By default, it will block every type of ad. So to make any tweaks, you must head to its Settings menu. On that note, the extension lists that it could block many different types of ads, including text ads, pre-roll video ads, banners, pop-unders, malware, viruses, and trackers.
Features of uBlocker:
- Support of 20 languages.
- Blocks social media and video streaming.
- Receives regular updates.
- Blocks ads include text ads, pre-roll video ads, text ads, banners, pop-unders, malware, viruses, and trackers.
Likewise, blocking ads on Facebook, YouTube, and other such sites is also within its reach. The icing on the cake is that it gets regularly updated too. With the support of 20 languages, this simple yet effective ad blocker deserves a try.
Easy Ad Blocker
Although not many people know about it, it’s still quite a decent ad blocker. You are blocking all kinds of ads, including video ads, banners, full-screen ads, crypto miners, popups, and phishing websites. At the same time, all these help in speeding up your navigation and save on your time.
Features of Easy Ad Blocker:
- It is a lightweight plugin.
- Blocked ads include video ads, banners, full-screen ads, crypto miners, popups, and phishing websites.
- Speeds up your navigation.
Furthermore, being a lightweight plugin (around 1MB) further adds to its benefits. Although it doesn’t hold any extra functionalities that it could boast of, its sole purpose is to block intrusive ads, and it excels in that with flying colors.
Ad Blocker Professional
Ending the list of best Adblocker Chrome extensions is the Ad Blocker Profession plugin. This could be your go-to plugin if you want a small extension with no extra fuss and functionality. To begin with, it blocks all the different types of ads, dangerous malware, trackers, and other related programs and scripts.
Likewise, it also makes the ad disappear from various social media sites and popular video streaming sites. With a small size, low CPU usage, and bandwidth, it also requires no extra configuration. Just install it and let it do its job.
Features of AdBlocker Professional:
- Small extension with no extra fuss and functionality.
- It makes the ad disappear from various social media sites.
- Low CPU usage and bandwidth.
- Requires no extra configuration.
There’s a slight issue with it: a lack of regular updates. The last time it got updated was in 2018, and one could hope that the developer could have done a slightly better job in this aspect. Anyway, it is still a decent adblocker chrome, nevertheless.
Bottom Line: Chrome AdBlocker Extension
So with this, we conclude this list of the best adblocker Chrome extension. Every one of these has some unique features as well as one or two caveats. It ultimately boils down to your preference, whether you want to try out a relatively newer player in the market or go for the tried and tested formula.
Since I wouldn’t say, I like popup ads or other distractions when browsing, the adblocker chrome extensions help me achieve the same. I prefer using the AdBlock Chrome extension. It suits all my needs.
Whatever your selection from the AdBlocker extensions list above, let us know your choice in the comments below.
Given up on Chrome and FF – both take turns in refusing to load sites that the other will load. Moved to Brave (Privacy version of Chrome). Works fine, a lot less ads (Just FB really). Using it on Linux, cellphone and Windows.
I’ve noticed that ad blockers have dropped the “pick” (i.e., user select ad on the current web page) function. Anyone know the reason for that?
Is there an Ad Blocker that allows your web browser to function normally? I am using Edge and since a reinstall of windows every AdBlocker interferes with the normal function of my back button. Instead of going back to the last place on the previous page I am always taken back to the top of the previous page. It means a lot of scrolling on some sites, for example Daily Mail Online. I tried Firefox same result, also Chrome same result. The only thing that seems to work is clearing the cache before running the browser but this was never needed in the past. Can anyone resolve the problem? I have been trying every AdBlocker out there and so far none seem to work properly, especially since all windows latest updates.