Top 5 Best Ad Blockers for YouTube in 2024

YouTube is the world’s go-to platform for video content. And while we often don’t realise it, we also treat it like a search engine. YouTube has informational videos, how-to guides, tutorials, online courses, music, movies, reviews and more. There’s very little that isn’t covered on YouTube in one way or the other. 

To make a platform like this freely accessible for everyone, it has to be ad-supported. While YouTube ads in the past were not much of an annoyance, in 2024 YouTube has more ads than ever. And it is only going to get worse from here, as YouTube is testing ads in different places on the site. On top of all this, YouTube’s aggressive stand on ad blockers isn’t making things any easy either.

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the top ad blockers to help you reclaim your YouTube experience.

Overview of the Top Contenders

Let’s cut to the chase, we have our top 5 picks and before we get to the nitty-gritties we’re giving you an overview of them.

Total Adblock

AdBlock

Ghostery

Stands AdBlocker

uBlock Origin

Our Rating

8.2

8.2

8.8

8

9.4

Best For

Security features

Features and Customisation

Online Privacy

Youtube & Facebook ad blocking

Customisability

Adblock Tester Score

100

100

98

53

96

Cover Your Tracks

2/3

0/3

0/3

0/3

2/3

Compatibility

Chromium Based Browsers,

Android, and iOS

Browsers, iOS

Browsers

Browsers

Browsers

Open-Source

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Support

 Email, Phone, Help Center

Email, Help Center

Email

Email

Community

Starts At

 $19.99/
year

 $2/month

Free

Free

Free

Visit Link

Top Pick: AdGuard

AdGuard is one of the most powerful ad blockers in 2024. It easily makes it to the top of our list for every use case. It effectively blocks all YouTube ads whether you are using the browser extension or the app. You can even block YouTube ads on iOS devices using AdGuard. Their recent MV3 update makes the extension more reliable on Chrome, Edge, Opera, Yandex, and many more Chromium-based browsers. We have tested it many times before and after the update, and it blocked all YouTube ads effectively, every time. 

We recommend AdGuard mainly because of its versatility. It is widely compatible with pretty much every device that could potentially show you ads. Maybe not traditional TV channels, but you could use it on some Wi-Fi routers to block ads on a network level. Adding to that versatility is its long list of community-supported filters that are regularly updated. The best part is that with all that in place, it is still one of the most beginner-friendly ad blockers out there. 

Features

  • DNS-Level Ad Blocking: Ads are blocked before they reach your device, ensuring a smoother and faster browsing experience​. 
  • HTTPS Filtering: Secure connections are protected while filtering out ads and trackers, even on HTTPS websites like YouTube and Facebook​. 
  • Customisable Filters: AdGuard allows users to add custom filters or choose from a wide selection of pre-built ones for enhanced control over what gets blocked​. 
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Available on multiple platforms, including Chrome, Firefox, iOS, Android, and even Windows and macOS​. 

Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Effectively blocks all YouTube ads​
  • DNS-level blocking for enhanced performance​
  • Highly customizable with user-specific filter options​
  • Wide device compatibility​
  • Free version packed with features​

Cons

  • Requires a premium license for advanced features​
  • Slow customer support​

Most Feature-packed: AdBlock

AdBlock is the go-to option for millions of users. Now we’re gonna be honest, the name probably does half of the job for them. If you look for an “ad block,” your search results will probably show you this one first. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good option. For YouTube ad blocking, it definitely does the job. We found no ads anywhere on the site. But the reason it is so high up on our list is because it really shines in the features and customizability department.

AdBlock blocks all kinds of ads, trackers, pop-ups, social media widgets, cookie consent prompts, floating videos, malicious sites, notification requests and more. It has an accessible list of filters and the ability to add more. And it also allows you to manually block elements that you may consider annoyances. 

Now, the reason it’s not our favourite is because of the “acceptable ads” program. After being acquired by eyeo GmbH in 2021, AdBlock went hard on pushing acceptable ads by making it the default setting once it is installed. We’re not really the biggest fans of this practice. We think the user should be in charge of whitelisting the sites they want to support. 

Features

  • User Accessible Filters: Uses widely trusted, community-maintained ad-blocking filters​.
  • Wide Range of Features: Checks all the boxes of essential features every ad blocker should have.
  • Cryptomining Protection: AdBlock’s built-in filters prevent shady websites from injecting cryptojackers into your device.

Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Free and open-source​
  • Available on all major browsers​
  • Protects against malware and cryptojackers

Cons

  • Allows “acceptable ads” by default, though this can be disabled​
  • Not the most user-friendly interface

Privacy Focused: Ghostery

YouTube has a lot of ads and all the ad blockers in this list get rid of them. But the way it serves those targeted ads is through trackers. Blocking ads is only half the job. If you want to remain anonymous online and give as little data about you as possible, you need an ad blocker that also provides protection against trackers. That’s where Ghostery comes in. 

But Ghostery’s privacy features don’t end there. Its privacy tools, such as its AI-driven anti-tracking technology and the “Never-Consent” feature, are key highlights, making it a strong contender for users who prioritise security alongside ad-blocking. 

Features:

  • AI-Driven Anti-Tracking: Uses advanced technology to prevent online trackers from gathering your personal data​.
  • Never-Consent: Automatically rejects cookie consent notices, streamlining your browsing without interruption​.
  • Comprehensive Tracker Database: Ghostery maintains an extensive tracker database, constantly updated by its open-source community​.
  • In-Depth Analytics: Provides insights into who is tracking you and what type of data is being collected

Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Strong privacy protection with advanced tracking prevention​
  • Blocks YouTube ads effectively​
  • Easy to use, even for beginners​
  • Automatically rejects cookie consent pop-ups​

Cons

  • Limited customer support
  • Lacks system-wide ad-blocking​

For Streaming and Social Media: Stands AdBlocker

Stands Free AdBlocker, previously known as Fair AdBlocker, particularly excels at blocking ads on social media sites like Facebook, X and streaming platforms like YouTube, and Twitch. It’s pretty straightforward and easy to use. There’s not much in terms of filters and customizability. However, the ad blocker does include a manual element blocker which is nice to have.

Similar to AdBlock and Adblock Plus’ “acceptable ads” program, Stands has its own “fair ads” which allows non-intrusive ads from participating websites. While we’re not big fans of this practice catching on, at least Stands does not enable it by default.

We kept stands on this list as it was one of the early ones to adopt Chrome’s manifest V3 platform and kept blocking YouTube ads consistently before and after. If you frequent Facebook and YouTube on your web browser a lot, Stands is a good option. 

Features:

  • Social Media Ad Blocking: Effective at blocking ads on platforms like Facebook, including sponsored posts​.
  • Blocks Trackers and Adware: Protects users from third-party trackers and malicious adware​.
  • Detailed Stats: Provides reports on how many ads, trackers, and annoyances have been blocked​.

Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Effective at blocking YouTube and social media ads​
  • Free and easy to use​
  • Provides tracker protection and detailed blocking stats​

Cons

  • Limited customization options​
  • Cannot block certain pop-ups and self-promotion banners​
  • Lacks live chat support​

For Firefox Users: uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin is one of the best ad blockers out there that has been crippled by Chrome’s shift to a new extension platform. While uBlock Lite is still available to download from the webstore, it is merely a shadow of the main ad blocker. However, if you are a Firefox user, uBlock Origin is easily the best option for blocking YouTube ads, or any ads for that matter. 

uBlock Origin offers powerful, highly customizable ad-blocking without compromising performance. This is the only ad blocker Firefox users will ever need as it provides an all-in-one solution. Setting it up and navigating through the settings might be a hassle for non-tech-savvy users but once it is set up, it can block ads, trackers, pop-ups, notifications,  and a whole bunch of annoyances. It can even bypass a lot of paywalls.

uBlock is an open-source project that is maintained by a community of developers and enthusiasts. Which means its filters are frequently updated. This is good because if uBlock stops working on YouTube or gets flagged by it, the community can find a fix and patch it up within hours.

Features:

  • Dynamic Filtering: Offers advanced users the ability to block specific elements in real-time, providing fine-grained control over what loads on a webpage​.
  • Lightweight and Efficient: Known for its low CPU and memory usage, uBlock Origin doesn’t slow down your browser while blocking ads​.
  • Highly Customizable Filters: Allows users to easily add or modify filter lists, making it one of the most adaptable ad blockers available​.
  • Privacy Protection: Blocks third-party trackers and malicious sites, enhancing your privacy while browsing​.

Pros & Cons

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Highly customizable, with extensive filter options​
  • Lightweight and resource-efficient, perfect for Firefox users​
  • Free and open-source with no hidden fees​
  • Offers excellent privacy protection​

Cons

  • Advanced features may be overwhelming for non-technical users​
  • No system-wide ad-blocking​

How To Block YouTube Ads on a Phone?

Blocking YouTube ads on a phone is a bit tricky compared to PC and Mac. None of the ad blockers on Android and iOS can block ads directly on the official YouTube app, and most Android and iOS browsers do not support extensions. That being said, it is not impossible. So here are a few ways you can block ads on your Android, iOS, and iPadOS devices. 

Firefox (Android)

Firefox on Android supports extensions. So if you’re comfortable using YouTube from a web browser on mobile, Firefox with uBlock Origin, or AdGuard is the way to go. The main limitation here is that if you are not a Firefox user, this will require you to download yet another browser app just for YouTube. Also YouTube on a mobile browser is not as good as the YouTube app.

Brave (Android, iOS)

Brave is a Chromium-based browser that comes with a built-in ad blocker called Shield. It works the same way as Firefox with an ad-blocking extension and has the same limitations. However, unlike Firefox, you don’t get to choose which ad blocker to use. Brave also comes with some additional features like a crypto wallet and a reward system that many users may consider bloat. But if you are a Chrome user, you should feel right at home with Brave.

Wrappers (Android)

NewPipe, SkyTube, and LibreTube. These are open-source YouTube wrappers that come with built-in ad-blockers. Their UI may not be as user-friendly as YouTube app, or even the web, but they get the job done. Another major downside of using these wrappers is that you cannot sign in. Some of them may allow you to import your subscriptions manually.

AdGuard (iOS)

On iOS, you can block YouTube ads using AdGuard. But it requires a few extra steps. Once you have AdGuard up and running on your iPhone, visit YouTube from Safari, choose the video you want to watch and tap share. You’ll find an option called Block YouTube Ads (by AdGuard). That should do the trick.

ReVanced (Android)

If you want to block YouTube ads, but you also want to keep using the YouTube app, ReVanced may be the only option for you. ReVanced is an open-source project that picks up the work from Vanced, which was banned a couple of years ago. You can use ReVanced to build a custom version of the YouTube app with a few open-source scripts that give you the features of YouTube Premium and more. While this is a cool project that provides a desirable solution for most users, we wouldn’t recommend signing in with your main Google account, as it might not be safe. Also, there are a lot of fake ReVanced APKs out there that might contain malware, so be careful about the source you use. 

YouTube Premium (Android, iOS)

While this may not be the answer you are expecting, if you can afford it, maybe subscribing to YouTube Premium might not be the worst idea. You can get rid of ads, watch videos offline, play videos in the background, or picture-in-picture mode, and you also get YouTube Music with it. 

Is YouTube Premium Worth It?

If you’re reading this article, you’re clearly tired of YouTube ads. And YouTube knows it too! Their solution? YouTube Premium. For a monthly subscription fee, you get access to all YouTube content without ads, along with some exclusive features like offline viewing, background playback, and YouTube Music. So instead of dealing with ad blockers that may or may not work, should you consider subscribing to YouTube Premium? Let’s talk about it.

While we have listed ad blockers that work with YouTube, many users report that they often stop working or get flagged by YouTube. That’s because YouTube is cracking down on ad blockers more aggressively. This means that using them could lead to a frustrating viewing experience. On top of that, YouTube has been testing ads in even more places, including on the pause screen, which is a bit much, right? While we’re not thrilled with how YouTube is handling ads and ad blockers, at some point we just have to accept it and hope our ad blockers hold up. Or we can switch to YouTube Premium.

The main selling point of YouTube Premium is, of course, no ads. If you mainly watch YouTube on your computer, you can probably get by with an ad blocker. However, most of YouTube Premium’s other benefits are specific to the mobile app, where no ad blockers work. So if you use the app frequently and want to get rid of ads, YouTube Premium might be your best option. Plus, features like background playback and offline viewing are only available through the app, which is great for people who like to listen to videos or music on the go.

Speaking of music, YouTube Premium also includes YouTube Music, which has a large music library similar to Apple Music and Spotify. In many regions, the cost of a YouTube Premium subscription is about the same as a Spotify subscription. Since YouTube Music also includes all the independent uploads from YouTube, it could be a solid alternative.

As for pricing, YouTube Premium costs $13.99 per month in the US and £12 in the UK. However, in many other countries, regional pricing can bring that cost down significantly, sometimes as low as $2 a month! Whether or not it’s worth it really depends on how often you use YouTube, what devices you use, and if switching to YouTube Music is practical for you.

Wrapping Up

All ad blockers out there can block YouTube ads, some more than others. And the five on our list definitely stood out to us as the best. So no matter which one you pick, it’s going to do a fine job of blocking ads on YouTube. The comparisons mostly point out which one’s better at certain things. For example, uBlock is the most customizable, AdBlock is the most feature-packed, Ghostery gives privacy more priority than others, Stands is the easiest to use, and AdGuard does a little bit of everything, and strikes the perfect balance between usability and customizability. 

In 2024, YouTube’s ad load is likely only going to increase, but with these ad blockers in your toolkit, you can enjoy a clean, ad-free experience without breaking a sweat. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Blocking YouTube Ads Illegal?

No, blocking YouTube ads is not illegal. While platforms like YouTube rely on ads for revenue, users are within their rights to use software that enhances their personal experience on the internet. However, some websites, including YouTube, may try to detect and restrict access to users who are blocking ads as they attempt to protect their ad revenue. Using an ad blocker also violates YouTube’s Terms of Service. That said, no law currently prohibits the use of ad blockers, and it’s largely considered a personal choice.

Is Ad Blocking Piracy?

No, ad blocking is not considered piracy. Piracy typically refers to the unauthorized distribution or use of copyrighted material, such as downloading movies or music without permission. Ad blocking, on the other hand, simply involves filtering out advertisements and other unwanted content during your web browsing experience. While some argue that blocking ads deprives content creators of revenue, it is not classified as theft or piracy under any legal framework. It’s more about how users choose to interact with content rather than infringing on the creators’ ownership rights.