• By: Allen Brown

Get Your Ad Break: 6 Best Ad Blocking Programs

Annoying ads, pop-ups, banners, and videos disrupt smooth browsing, slow down page loading, cover content, and distract from tasks. Of course, you won’t see ads on sites like the one that offers the Reactoonz game or Netflix. But you will sometimes even face those banners on platforms that are needed for your job. An ad-blocking program can save the day. Here are the best free and paid tools to help you get rid of intrusive ads.

Total Adblock

An effective program for ad protection in browsers, Total Adblock offers extensive features, a user-friendly interface, and flexible settings.

Total Adblock removes banners, pop-ups, and social media ads. It also prevents tracking by blocking trackers and analytics scripts, helping to protect personal data and prevent information collection.

Easy to install and set up, Total Adblock provides ready-made filters and allows exceptions for sites where you wish to allow ads.

Often integrated with the TotalAV antivirus, it adds extra protection from phishing, malware, and other online threats.

However, the downside is that its premium version is only available by subscription.

AdBlock Plus

This app helps remove irritating banners, pop-ups, and video ads.

AdBlock Plus features an intuitive interface, making it easy for even beginners to use. It installs in just a few clicks and immediately starts blocking ads and trackers.

Users can choose which types of ads to block and which to allow. AdBlock Plus supports pre-installed filters and lets users create their own blocklists.

By default, AdBlock Plus permits non-intrusive ads that meet specific criteria to support content creators while protecting users from aggressive marketing. However, this option can be easily disabled in the settings.

Poper Blocker

Unlike most programs that deal with banners and video ads, Poper Blocker is designed to block pop-ups, subscription forms, notifications, and other elements that cover page content.

This free blocker uses algorithms to detect contextual pop-ups and automatically decides which ones to block. The extension runs smoothly without overloading the system, making it suitable even for low-performance devices.

Poper Blocker can be used alongside other blockers like uBlock Origin or AdBlock Plus, providing comprehensive protection by covering gaps in pop-up blocking.

NoScript

This Firefox browser extension is designed to block scripts that may pose security risks or track online activity.

NoScript’s primary function is to block JavaScript, Flash, and other plugins on web pages, significantly enhancing browsing security, especially when visiting unfamiliar or suspicious sites.

It features protection against cross-site scripting (XSS) and code injection attacks, helping to prevent data theft. The extension also protects against phishing attacks by blocking malicious scripts and warning users about suspicious sites.

AdGuard

AdGuard offers a comprehensive approach to ad protection, filtering all internet traffic at the system level, blocking ads and trackers in all apps and browsers on a device.

It removes banners, pop-ups, and video ads in games, social media, and video platforms.

AdGuard prevents data collection by blocking trackers, analytics systems, and malicious websites. It also includes phishing protection and encrypts DNS queries for added security.

The app has a parental control feature, allowing the blocking of access to undesirable content.

AdGuard allows filter customization, the addition of sites to a whitelist, and the creation of custom blocking rules. On Android, it can operate as a VPN, filtering traffic without requiring root access. On iOS, AdGuard also works through VPN, blocking ads and trackers in Safari and other apps.

AdLock

AdLock works at the system level, blocking ads not only in browsers but also in other applications. It automatically blocks access to dangerous websites, protecting users from phishing and other online threats.

The main drawback of AdLock is that it’s paid software.