Best Adblock Extensions for Google Chrome

4 years ago

Adblockers are becoming increasingly common in a environment where online ads are seen as a necessary evil to keep many websites free to access. Unfortunately, the business models of many websites misuse online advertisements, with intrusive pop-up ads, cookie trackers and scammers causing users tremendous fatigue. Fortunately, Chrome users can prevent irritating advertisements by using an Adblock, and stop marketers from monitoring what they are doing online!

Best Adblockers in Chrome:

1. uBlock Origin-

UBlock Origin is completely free and completely open-source, much like the other extensions on this list. It maintains unparalleled transparency which distinguishes it from the rest, with a statistical overview of how well the ad blocker performed over the current session.

Top-of-the-range filter lists are used to block malicious advertisements, malware, and trackers, including the AdServer List, Advanced Tracking List, EasyPrivacy List, and Malware Domains. UBlock Origin also allows users to select separately whether they are blocking pop-ups, large media elements, cosmetic filtering, remote fonts and JavaScript, all while remaining light. With efficiency as the main focus, uBlock Origin is perfect for a fairly resource-hungry browser like Chrome, since it taxes the machine much less than other low-resource overhead competition.

FEATURES:

  1. Free
  2. Open-source
  3. 10 million+ downloads
  4. 49 languages supported
  5. Lightweight

2. Adblock Plus-

Originally making a name for themselves on Mozilla's Firefox, Adblock Plus has since become one of Chrome's most famous extensions. The open-source strategy inspired a number of prominent rivals, with the similarly called but non-affiliated 'AdBlock' using the source code for Adblock Plus. The company behind it is responsible for setting up the most extensive filter list, including 52 different languages, and one of the most regularly modified is this extension.

Thanks to its 'Acceptable Ads' policy, which whitelists partnered companies and advertising agencies, the company has run into controversy in recent years. By default it is allowed to allow legitimate websites to earn revenue in a more natural way, but at your discretion it can be disabled and customized. It also taxes fairly with several tabs open which is not good because Chrome itself can often be hungry for resource.

FEATURES:

  1. Free
  2. Open-source
  3. 10 million+ downloads
  4. 52 languages supported

3. Ghostery-

Ghostery is developed with a emphasis on privacy, designed to avoid trackers and block publicity. The extension blocks advertising, web tracking, and adult ad trackers by default but depending on your needs this can be profoundly personalized. Unblocked and unknown trackers are also anonymised with switched on improved anti-tracking.

Whilst all extensions collect anonymous Human Web data to enhance their service, Ghostery is one of the few add-ons that will make you aware of this and allow you to opt-out during setup. While some minor features have been locked behind a paywall, the extension is completely safe. Subscribers get access to new themes for the sleek-looking user interface, historical blocking statistics, and priority support for $2 per month but this requires you to create an email account.

FEATURES:

  1. Free
  2. 2.6 million downloads
  3. 14 languages supported

4. AdGuard-

With over 5 million downloads, AdGuard's user base is around half that of uBlock Origin and Adblock Plus, but its impressive 4.7 out of 5 scores speaks for itself across 39,000 users. The claim to be "the world’s most advanced ad blocker" is definitely up for discussion, but AdGuard 's lightweight approach consistently outperforms most of its competitors.

AdGuard 's Tracking Protection filter is designed to disable all tracking forms with a filter list even bigger than Ghostery's. This is a double-edged sword, as the configuration takes more time. This option is particularly good for those sick of Facebook and YouTube video advertisements but AdGuard advises users to choose their desktop and mobile apps to get the most out of their service, as browser extensions have their limitations.

FEATURES:

  1. Free
  2. Open-source
  3. 5.7 million downloads
  4. 46 languages supported
  5. Lightweight
  6. Blocks YouTube ads

5. AdBlocker Ultimate-

AdBlocker Ultimate promises to completely remove all advertisements, trackers and malware, thereby showing no mercy across the board. Whether it's a banner, pop-up, pop-under, overlay or video ad, it doesn't matter, the extension is trying to get them all gone. That leaves your whitelist absolutely in your possession.

It has the highest rating of 4.8 stars on this list, but for the moment its user base sits firmly below 1 million. AdBlocker Ultimate, being a non-profit project, depends on contributions from its user base and thus does not update as often as its competition.

FEATURES:

  1. Free
  2. Open-source
  3. 842,000 downloads
  4. Community-driven localization

Need of an Adblocker:

Every website provides a different experience, but most have one thing in common: by tracking your data or doing their best to coerce clicks on advertisements, they are all trying to build a personal profile of your interests. These ads are sometimes intrusive and can be taxable when trying to load them on your system. Other times they 're misleading and they're used to spread malware that steals data. Some websites also use crypto-jacking code in the background to mine cryptocurrency, at the cost of your hardware and your electricity.

Will Adblocker Protect Your Browser?

The ad blockers on this list are designed with respect to privacy and protection, helping to preserve your online anonymity and keep you protected from malicious code. A broad range of filter lists helps classify hundreds of thousands of suspected online scams, block ads and blacklist trackers. Choosing your ad blocker carefully is crucial, as their one-click accessibility has prompted many copycats and scammers over the years , making research like this list necessary. If our list doesn't do the trick for you, you can help settle your doubts by looking at feedback and seeing just how many people have an extension installed.

Frequently Asked Questions

UBlock Origin is completely free and completely open-source.

Subscribers get access to new themes for the sleek-looking user interface, historical blocking statistics, and priority support for $2 per month but this requires you to create an email account.

The claim to be "the world’s most advanced ad blocker" is definitely up for discussion, but AdGuard 's lightweight approach consistently outperforms most of its competitors.