Top 5 Best Ad Blockers for Chrome in 2024

We can all agree that ads are one of the worst things about the internet. They’re everywhere and they’re very intrusive. Google currently controls both one of the largest advertising networks and the most popular web browser in the world. AdSense and Chrome. This puts Google in a unique position, as it is in Google’s best interest to restrict ad blockers from their platform. While that may not have happened yet, Google has surely made some questionable decisions with their new Manifest V3 extension platform, as it makes the future of ad blockers in Chrome uncertain. 

In this article, we will present the 5 best-performing ad blockers that are currently available and working well on Google Chrome, even after the recent updates. 

Overview of the Top Contenders

We’re laying out some basic details like pricing, compatibility, and other information about our top 5 contenders. 

Total Adblock

AdGuard

Adblocker Ultimate

AdBlock

Ghostery

Our Rating

8.2

9.6

8.7

8.2

8.8

Best For

Security features

Best overall

User-Friendly Interface

Features and Customisation

Online Privacy

Adblock Tester Score

100

95

90

100

98

Cover Your Tracks

2/3

2/3

2/3

0/3

0/3

Compatibility

Chromium Based Browsers,

Android, and iOS

Browsers, Windows, macOS,

Android, and iOS

Browsers, Windows, iOS

Browsers, iOS

Browsers

Open-Source

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Support

Email, Phone, Help Center

Email, Knowledge Base

Email

Yes

Yes

Starts At

$19.99/year

$29.88/year

$29.95/year

Email, Help Center

Email

Top Pick: Total Adblock

Total Adblock is an easy-to-use ad blocker for Chrome that gets the job done without any unnecessary complexity. As a part of Total Security’s suite, Total Adblock Pro comes bundled with the award-winning antivirus TotalAV for enhanced security against malware. Its impressive performance in real-world tests put it on top of our list for Chrome ad blockers. 

Aside from real-world tests, Total Adblock also boasts impressive benchmark scores, with near-perfect scores on the Adblock Tester. It successfully blocks all kinds of ads, and trackers, and makes browsing the internet slightly more pleasant than it usually is. And while Total Adblock Pro comes with an antivirus, even without it, the extension provides some protection against malware and phishing sites. But even with all that, it comes short on one department, customizability. Total Adblock does not have any user-accessible list of filters, no option to add your own rules, and no element blocker. The only features it has in terms of customizability are two allowlists for ads and notifications. 

For Chrome users who prioritise ease, solid ad-blocking performance, and a security-focused approach, Total Adblock offers one of the most straightforward solutions. 

Features

  • All-in-One Ad Blocking: Total Adblock ensures a distraction-free browsing experience by effectively tackling banner ads, video ads, and pop-ups across Chrome.
  • Privacy Protection: With tracker blocking, it keeps your browsing data private, and minimises targeted ads.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Total Adblock also works on other major browsers and mobile devices, giving users flexibility across platforms.
  • Customisable Settings: While streamlined for ease of use, Total Adblock still offers control over whitelist sites, allowing users to choose which websites display ads.
  • Anti-Malware and Phishing Protection: Alongside ads and tracker blocking, it provides an added layer of security by blocking suspicious sites that may contain malware or phishing attempts.

Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Blocks all ads and trackers efficiently​
  • Quick installation, one-click setup, easy to use
  • Blocks malicious sites
  • Offers free trial

Cons

  • Limited ad blocking on YouTube
  • The free version does not block ads on popular websites

Allrounder: AdGuard

AdGuard combines its solid industry-leading ad-blocking capabilities with additional privacy and security perks, all while being highly compatible with a wide range of devices, offering system-wide solutions. As AdGuard is known for its comprehensive DNS-based blocking system, most of its features are reserved for Windows and macOS apps. However, the Chrome extension is not that far behind. With AdGuard, ads, trackers, and even malicious sites are blocked before they reach your network, resulting in faster, safer browsing.

AdGuard is unique in that it offers extensive customisation options, making it suitable for both beginner and advanced users. It allows you to adjust specific filters, add custom rules, and control elements on web pages they find intrusive. Other than ad-blocking, AdGuard also offers additional features like phishing protection, which ensures a safer browsing experience by alerting you of potentially dangerous sites. AdGuard’s versatility and admirable performance make it a dependable choice.

Features

  • DNS-Level Ad Blocking: AdGuard filters ads at the DNS level, blocking them before they can even load, resulting in a much smoother browsing experience.
  • Comprehensive Privacy Features: Stealth Mode blocks third-party trackers and clears cookies to keep browsing sessions private.
  • Customizable Filters: Allows users to add specific filters, choose from community-maintained options, or create unique blocking rules.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Available as a browser extension for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge, and as a system-wide application for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
  • Phishing and Malware Protection: Alerts users of potentially harmful sites, adding an extra layer of security to browsing.

Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Effectively blocks ads on all sites, including YouTube
  • Compatible with a wide range of platforms and devices
  • The free version offers the same ad-blocking
  • Highly customizable

Cons

  • No 24/7 live chat or phone support
  • The desktop app requires a premium subscription

Easy-to-use: AdBlocker Ultimate

AdBlocker Ultimate is an excellent ad blocker that prioritizes simplicity without sacrificing essential features. It shares some similarities with AdGuard and utilizes a lot of open-source filters from uBlock Origin. This allowed AdBlocker Ultimate to provide reliable ad-blocking capabilities alongside privacy protection, all wrapped in a straightforward, user-friendly package. The Chrome extension complies with the new MV3 standards, which is especially convenient for users who may be concerned about the ongoing compatibility of ad blockers on this platform.

AdBlocker Ultimate takes privacy very seriously as it actively intercepts third-party trackers. Its built-in HTTPS filtering feature allows the extension to examine and filter encrypted data, which means it can handle ads and trackers on secure sites without compromising user privacy. 

AdBlocker Ultimate consistently performs well on ad-blocking tests, blocking a wide range of ad types across popular sites like YouTube, Reddit, and news outlets. It maintains a solid performance score while keeping the interface minimal and accessible, making it one of the most intuitive ad blockers available.

Features

  • Comprehensive Ad Blocking: Blocks banners, pop-ups, video ads, social media widgets, and more across all supported platforms.
  • Privacy Protection: Actively prevents trackers and ad scripts from collecting browsing data.
  • HTTPS Filtering: Ensures secure sites remain private while still blocking ads and trackers.
  • No Acceptable Ads: Does not allow whitelisted ads, ensuring a completely ad-free experience.
  • Element Blocking: Lets users manually block elements on a page for a customised ad-free experience.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Available on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and as a desktop app for Windows.

Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Free and open-source
  • Prioritizes ease of use
  • Blocks ads and trackers on secure sites with HTTPS filtering
  • Offers a customizable ad-blocking experience

Cons

  • Limited customer support
  • Premium plan only supports Windows
  • No support for macOS

Most feature-packed: AdBlock

While it comes short in terms of ease and its “acceptable ads” program does not really promote confidence, AdBlock has a lot to offer, especially if you’re a Chrome user. Created in 2009 initially for Chrome, it has grown into a comprehensive ad-blocking tool used by millions worldwide. While AdBlock’s marketing materials consider the “acceptable ads” a feature, we think AdBlock has a few real features that make it stand out. It is one of the few ad blockers that focus on locking unauthorised mining of cryptocurrency using your device’s resources. It also offers advanced customisation features that are absent in many other ad blockers, such as element blocking, custom user rules, and the ability to add your own filters. 

AdBlock’s freemium model makes it accessible to users who need basic ad blocking, but for a low cost, you can unlock premium features like cookie consent blocking, distraction control, and the ability to hide newsletter pop-ups and floating videos. The premium plan also includes options to replace ads with custom images and themes for personalisation, though these are non-essential features for most. 

Features

  • Comprehensive Ad Blocking: Blocks banner ads, video ads, pop-ups, social media widgets, and more across major platforms like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.
  • Cryptomining Protection: Prevents unauthorised cryptomining scripts from using device resources without user consent.
  • Privacy Safeguards: Includes filters to block trackers, helping maintain a private browsing experience without intrusive advertisements.
  • Element Blocking: Allows users to manually remove specific elements on a webpage, giving control over what content appears.
  • “Acceptable Ads” Toggle: While enabled by default, users can disable this feature for a fully ad-free experience.
  • Premium Features: Includes distraction control, cookie consent blocking, and custom themes, available for a low monthly cost.

Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Prevents unauthorized crypto mining
  • Lets you easily add custom rules and filters
  • The premium plan is cost-effective
  • Can sync between different browsers

Cons

  • Acceptable ads are enabled by default
  • The options menu can be a bit cluttered
  • Lower scores on third-party privacy benchmarks

Privacy Focused: Ghostery

Ghostery’s open-source advanced tracker database sets it apart from the competition. It is regularly updated against new tracking threats and supported by an active community of contributors. This database enables Ghostery to identify and block an impressive range of trackers across various categories, including advertising, analytics, and social media trackers. In addition, Ghostery’s “Never-Consent” feature allows you to automatically reject cookie notices that many sites now require, streamlining the browsing experience without those frequent pop-ups.

Ghostery’s interface is designed to be user-friendly.  It offers quick access to privacy settings. You can easily see what Ghostery is blocking in real time, with data displayed in a visual format for transparency and control. If you value your privacy and wish to stay anonymous online, Ghostery is the way to go.

Features

  • Advanced Tracker Blocking: Community-driven tracker database actively blocks an extensive range of trackers to protect privacy.
  • Never-Consent: Automatically declines cookie consent requests on sites, reducing pop-ups.
  • Detailed Privacy Reports: Provides insights through WhoTracks.Me, allowing users to view which companies attempt to track them.
  • AI-Driven Anti-Tracking: Blocks ads and trackers with AI-powered precision, especially useful on sites with sophisticated tracking.
  • Open-Source Transparency: Ghostery’s code is open-source, allowing community oversight for increased trust and reliability.
  • Search Engine Redirect Protection: Prevents search engines from rerouting links through their servers, preserving direct navigation.

Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Community-maintained tracker database
  • Prioritizes tracker blocking and privacy protection
  • User-friendly interface

Cons

  • Only available as a browser extension
  • Underperforms on benchmarks
  • Limited customer support

Did Your Ad Blocker Stop Working on Chrome? 

Chrome has recently launched an extension platform as a part of its ongoing browser security and performance improvements. It has introduced a new set of rules and requirements that all extensions for Chromium-based browsers must follow if they want to be available on the Chrome Web Store. While many extensions have already been updated for the latest platform, a lot of the functionalities of most ad blockers have been restricted. This has led to many ad blockers performing worse, or outright not working. 

We have identified three main ways Manifest V3 affects ad blockers on Chrome. Firstly, MV3 makes it difficult for extensions to manage complex tasks in the background. While it reduces memory usage on Chrome, it makes persistent ad-blocking checks harder. Next, MV3 replaced webRequest API with declarativeNetRequest API. In easier words, what this means is that previously ad blockers could block ads using real-time filtering but now the extensions must predefine what gets blocked. This also means filters and block lists will not be updated automatically anymore. Lastly, extensions are not allowed to use more than 150,000 blocking rules. While this may sound like a lot, many extensions rely on complex lists, and this also limits how much control the user has in adding their own rules. 

While Chrome claims that these rules are in place to enhance security, performance and privacy, it still hasn’t changed the fact that it mostly affects ad blockers. This also aligns with Google’s position on blocking YouTube ads, as the platform has been aggressively cracking down on ad blockers. 

While Manifest V2 extensions are allowed on the Chrome Web Store through early 2024, all new extensions must comply with MV3 standards. This transition period allows the developers to rewrite or adapt their extensions to new standards, but the updated extensions are reportedly worse than their previous versions. Moreover, extensions like uBlock Origin will simply stop working as most of their unique functionalities depend on the flexibility of Manifest V2.

Wrapping Up

While Google’s Manifest V3 update poses significant challenges to ad blockers, the extensions we have highlighted here have been already updated and are working well. While there are some differences in performance, we hope that the developers will continue to work within these constraints to make their services better. 

Now which one is the best for you will depend on your specific use cases. While all of the ad blockers we have recommended should be good for most users, you may require specific features like stealth mode from AdGuard or detailed analytics from Ghostery. Our full reviews contain a more in-depth look into the ad blockers and detailed testing. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google Chrome Have a Built-In Ad Blocker?

Yes, Google Chrome has a built-in ad blocker, but it is not a substitute for traditional ad blockers as it does not block all ads across the web. It only filters out the most annoying, intrusive, and harmful ads Moreover, it does not offer protection against third-party trackers. Chrome’s built-in ad blocker targets ads that don’t meet the standards set by the Better Ads Standards, which were developed by the Coalition for Better Ads. If you want a Chromium-based browser with a built-in ad blocker, you can choose Opera or Brave. 

Are Ad Blockers Legal?

Yes, ad blockers are legal as no legislation in most countries explicitly restricts the use of ad blockers. Consumers have the right to control how content is displayed on their devices, which means most people are well within their rights to use an ad blocker. However, websites also have the right to counter ad blockers. This is why YouTube’s crackdown on ad blockers, or some websites using “ad block walls” to restrict content for people using ad blockers is also legal. Moreover, ad blocking is often confused with piracy, but it is not the same. Piracy refers to the unauthorised reproduction, distribution, or usage of intellectual property. An ad blocker only removes ads, it does not pirate any content.