The Best Ad Blockers for Chrome 2024 (2024)

We've determined that Total Adblock, NordVPN Threat Protection, AdGuard, AdLock, and uBlock Origin are the best ad blockers for Chrome to access your content smoothly and without ads. All of our chosen ad blockers can help block annoying ads, stop slow page load times, and keep your browsing anonymous without trackers.

Total Adblockshines as the best overall, with its perfect ad blocking rates and ease of use. NordVPN Threat Protectionis a great option if you're also looking to scan and block for malware as you surf the web.

We'll go over all five of our top ad blockers for Google Chrome in detail below.

The best ad blockers for Chrome

We've determined that the following popular ad blockers are best for the Chrome browser:

• Total Adblock: Best overall
• NordVPN Threat Protection: Best for blocking malicious ads
• AdGuard: Best for multiple devices
• AdLock: Best freemium ad blocker
• uBlock Origin: Best free, open-source ad blocker

Top 5 ad blockers for Chrome compared

How we tested the best ad blockers for Chrome

Our top Chrome ad blockers were chosen according to their ability to freely block all kinds of ads on contrasting web platforms. News websites, general content sites, social media sites, and multimedia platforms were tested.

Free ad blocking ranks equally as highly as privacy here, with customization features following closely behind.

• The most important consideration was the elimination of intrusive ads.
• This was followed by privacy and tracker stoppage.
• Malicious content belongs here, so no malware code can be run.
• High ad blocking and anti-tracking scores based on our testing.
• Key differences between free versions and subscription models should be made clear.
• Even if it is full of customizable tools, the extension should still be easy to configure.
• With the implementation of Manifest V3, we reviewed how each product plans to handle this transition to the new Google Chrome API.
• Finally, low system overheads go hand-in-hand with the above requirement.

How will Manifest V3 affect Chrome ad blockers?

Manifest V3 is Google Chrome's latest browser extension framework. This new framework will limit extensions to just 30,000 rules.

Although this seems like a high number, it has proven to be incredibly limiting to ad blockers. For instance, uBlock Origin currently has around 300,000 rules so you can block all kinds of ads and trackers.

Thus, extensions created with Manifest V3 will have a more limited feature set and, by extension, less extensive ad-blocking capabilities. Ad blockers with Chrome extensions will either need to create an extension that's compliant with Manifest V3 or develop desktop apps that won't need to work on Chrome. Alternatively, some ad blockers may encourage their users to switch browsers.

We've researched our top five ad blockers for Chrome to learn more about their action plans for the Manifest V3 update.

Manifest-V3 extension test results

We put AdGuard and uBlock Origin's newly compliant extensions to the test. See the results for these extensions below:

AdGuard (MV3 Beta) and uBlock Origin Lite both took some tinkering before they worked at their full potential. Both had AdBlock Tester scores that were about 70/100, but we went into the settings for each and turned on every toggle and checked every filter we could find.

Then, we retested AdGuard (MV3 Beta) and uBlock Origin Lite. Both still maintained perfect AdBlock Tester scores. We were also pleased that both still blocked YouTube ads as well.

When it came to the Cover Your Tracks tests, only AdGuard still blocked trackers. Our browser still had a unique fingerprint, but it succesffuly blocked tracking ads and invisible trackers.

uBlock Origin Lite failed all three Cover Your Tracks tests. Although we hope the extension improves in the future, AdGuard may be the better option if you're looking to stay anonymous online.

Total Adblock: Best overall

We think Total Adblock includes almost everything you'd want from an ad blocker. It's easy to use, works diligently in the background, and keeps tracks of ads blocked, trackers blocked, and data saved.

It offers a limited free version, which still has impressive ad blocking test results, and a worthwhile premium plan with unlimited ad blocking potential and TotalAV antivirus. You can't go wrong with Total Adblock.

What we liked

Total Adblock only took minutes to set up, and it got to blocking ads right away. We didn't have to do anything after installing the extension, but there are options to adjust your trusted websites and ad preferences manually if you desire.

We were impressed by Total Adblock receiving 100/100 test score from Adblock Tester, which is designed to test how effectively an ad blocker can prevent pop-ups, banner ads, Facebook ads, and much more.

It's also a successful YouTube ad blocker, which is handy following YouTube's latest crackdown on ad blockers. All this testing was conducted with the Total Adblock free version, so you can get a quality product at no cost to you.

If you do wish to upgrade, Total Adblock's paid plan is only$1.59/mo (billed annually). The Premium plan blocks all ads, removes browser notifications, and comes with an award-winning antivirus.

What we didn’t like

As far as free ad blocker extensions go, Total Adblock can be limiting; it excludes the top 15,000 websites listed on Alexa.com. We also found that some reviewers had trouble canceling their subscriptions, which is worth noting if you're opting for the premium plan.

We're also waiting to learn about Total Adblock's transition plan once Manifest v3 is fully implemented. With it being such a powerful ad blocker, we hope there will still be a way to use it with Chrome.

Total Adblock pros and cons

Get Total Adblock |Read Our Total Adblock Review

NordVPN Threat Protection: Best for blocking malicious ads

As far as virtual private networks (VPNs) go, NordVPN is one of the top providers on the market. What you may not know is that NordVPN comes with features beyond a VPN to enahnce your cybersecurity. One of those features is NordVPN Threat Protection, formerly known as Cybersec.

Threat Protection is more than just an ad blocker — it also blocks trackers, malware, and phishing scam attempts to keep your device and your personal data safe as you browse online.

What we liked

NordVPN proved that it's a formidable opponent to ads during our testing. It received a 93/100 score with AdBlock Tester, a near-perfect score with only some small misses in the error monitoring category. We were even impressed by its ability to block YouTube ads during the latest ad blocker crackdowns,

Unlike other ad blockers, Threat Protection can also scan for and block malware, like adware, phishing, and more. It offers real-time protection, so you'll receive an alert for any suspicious activity regardless of whether you're browsing on your desktop or scrolling on your phone.

Threat Protection even passed our tests for malware detection and phishing detection, proving that Nord will reliably detect and block cyberthreats.

The NordVPN Chrome extension will not be affected by the rollout of Manifest V3.^[1]So if you're sold on NordVPN's ad blocker, you won't need to worry about your extension being watered down.

What we didn’t like

NordVPN Threat Protection covers a lot of cyberthreats, but it's not the most comprehensive antivirus. Threat Protection doesn't have its own dedicated firewall, although it can be complemented with a firewall or antivirus purchased separately.

Unfortunately, there's no free version of Threat Protection, and it can only be purchased with NordVPN, which has costs ranging from $3.09–$15.99/mo. This might not be ideal if you're on a budget or if you're only looking for an ad blocker.

NordVPN Threat Protection pros and cons

Get NordVPN Threat Protection|Read Our NordVPN Threat Protection Review

AdGuard: Best for multiple devices

If you pay for an ad blocker, they typically only cover one device. AdGuard stands out for its ability to cover three to nine devices, so you can give your entire household an ad-free experience.

With AdGuard you'll get a cleaner, more enjoyable browsing experience. It dismisses pop-ups and banner ads, leaving plenty of resources for smooth page loading.

What we liked

AdGuard has a wide range of compatibility for several operating systems, mobile devices, and browsers. Beyond Chrome, you can use AdGuard on Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, and Yandex.

With AdGuard Personal, you can cover up to three devices. But AdGuard Family is the best deal by far, since you can cover up to nine devices for only$5.49/mo.

We also like that AdGuard provides plenty of details on how well its blockers perform. The extension panel integrates a statistics tab, so you can view a simple graph that shows the number of blocked ads on a website.

Finally, AdGuard has developed a Chrome extension that's compliant with Manifest V3. This beta extensionstill had high performance scores with the AdBlock Tester and Cover Your Tracks tests.^[2]

What we didn’t like

AdGuard isn't the most user-friendly ad blocker. The statistics tab may be overwhelming for users who just want to block ads, but you can just keep AdGuard going in the background if that's the case.

AdGuard Plus pros and cons

Get AdGuard |Read Our AdLock Review

AdLock: Best freemium ad blocker

For a free extension, AdLock proved to be a standout. During our testing, it had a strong Adblock Tester score of 92/100. Although only the Pro plan is supposed to block all types of ads, it looks like the free version comes pretty close.

What we liked

AdLock is another ad blocker we found easy to use. You can easily toggle the app on and off or add exclusions to an "allow list," supporting specific content creators while keeping the rest of your browsing ad-free.

If you opt for a paid plan, AdLock’s extension has an integrated spyware filter with rules that stop websites from tracking your activity. AdLock Pro also comes with a social media filter to protect your data from being tracked as you visit Facebook, Instagram, and other social media networks.

We were also impressed by AdLock's transparent privacy policy. Its written in plain language, making it easy for any to read, and it doesn't sell your data, even if you choose the free plan. AdLock only collects data for analytics and usage purposes.

What we didn’t like

There's not much to complain about when it comes to AdLock. Some features, like the social media blocker, are only available with paid plans, so that's something to keep in mind when picking your plan.

We also noticed AdLock only accepts Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal, which is limiting if you're looking to pay with other credit cards, payment processors, or even cryptocurrency.

Unfortunately, AdLock doesn't seem to be developing an extension for Manifest V3. Instead, it suggests you opt for its desktop apps, which require a paid subscription.^[3]

AdLock Plus pros and cons

Get AdLock |Read Our AdLock Review

uBlock Origin: Best free, open-source ad blocker

Browsers can slow to a crawl when large webpages are accessed. Then, there’s the addition of multiple tabs for the app to manage. uBlock Origin is designed to optimize memory and central processing unit (CPU) power usage. What does this mean for those massive pages? It means faster page loads and smoother scrolling.

uBlock Origin users can also look forward to comprehensive pop-up blocking, tracking prevention, and a slew of customization settings. The extension relieves pressure from struggling browsers, maximizes bandwidth, and passes the benefits straight to the device.

The result? Faster browsing while the ad blocker runs in the background.

What we liked

uBlock Origin is a user-friendly extension; the software favors minimalist interactions but retains plenty of advanced settings. It achieves this by offering four different modes: easy, medium, hard, and nightmare.

As part of that easy-to-operate mandate, uBlock Origin focuses primarily on device optimization, which means its code is optimized so there’s no noticeable lag. Tabs and multipage content may push Chrome to its functioning limits, but the extension won’t incur additional resource usage.

No compromises have been made in return for the low system usage design. The developers have incorporated as much functionality as other leading ad blockers. The software blocks ads and pop-ups, stops YouTube commercials, prevents privacy-jeopardizing tracking, and adds all the latest filtering lists into the mix.

Promoting itself as a “wide-spectrum content blocker,” in the developer’s own cleverly coined terminology, this extension has tons of features to explore. A quick test of the Element Zapper, found again on the extension panel, offered an entertaining and highly functional way to “zap” page elements. When activated, a mouse over a page section highlights it, at which point a single click makes the element vanish.

Plus, uBlock Origin has also prepared for the Manifest V3 update with a compliant extension. Like AdGuard, uBlock Origin's updated extension still fights off ads efficiently.^[4]

What we didn’t like

uBlock Origin’s advanced tools can also be perceived as drawbacks, though that depends on your technical skills. A warning would have been helpful for the advanced settings section. Otherwise, casual app adopters might experience tech-shock if they’re tempted to tinker.

Although this extension is packed with features and can block just about everything (including ads on social media sites), it seems strange that its development team hasn’t chosen to offer a mobile version. That’s a peculiar omission, especially considering the popularity of the mobile device sector.

uBlock Origin pros and cons

Read Our uBlock Origin Review

Honorable mentions

There are lots of ad blockers on the market, especially for Google Chrome. Although these ad blockers didn't make our top three, we can recommend them based on our extensive testing and research.

• Surfshark CleanWeb: Similar to NordVPN Threat Protection, Surfshark CleanWeb is another ad blocker feature you'll get with a secure VPN. Along with encrypting your online activities, you can browse without ads, trackers, and malicious sites.

  Get Surfshark CleanWeb |Read Surfshark CleanWeb Review

• Adblock Plus: From malware contained in troublesome ads to cryptocurrency mining, Adblock Plus can block all kinds of content. It also supports whitelisting natively.

  Get Adblock Plus| Read Adblock Plus Review

• Ghostery: As powerful and customizable as any other ad blocker, Ghostery’s Chrome add-on blocks ads and protects online privacy with satisfactory accuracy.

  Get Ghostery| Read Ghostery Review

Best ad blockers for Chrome FAQs

Bottom line: The best ad blockers for Google Chrome

Total Adblock, NordVPN Threat Protection, AdGuard, AdLock,and uBlock Origin are our five best Chrome ad blockers, and there’s good reason for their lofty positions. Beyond offering compatibility with Chrome, they're user-friendly and come with extensive features where you can customize your ad-blocking experience and protect yourself from malicious ads.

5 best ad blockers for Chrome 2024