saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

Security & Privacy

Best ad blockers

Stop ads and trackers in your Windows browsers or across the whole PC. 12 ad blockers, ranked by points out of 100.

Facts checked 8 Oct 2026 · How we score ad blockers

In short

  1. 1
    uBlock OriginPeople who want a free, open-source blocker with their own filter rules
    95/100
    $0cheapest paid plan
  2. 2
    GhosteryPeople who want a free, open-source blocker with cookie pop-up handling
    82/100
    $0cheapest paid plan
  3. 3
    AdGuard DNSPeople who want device-wide blocking and a plan with their own rules
    77/100
    $1.67/mocheapest paid plan
  4. 4
    Control DPeople who want to filter every device by DNS and write their own domain rules
    73/100
    $2.50/mocheapest paid plan
  5. 5
    NextDNSPeople who want one blocker for every app and device on the network
    71/100
    $1.86/mocheapest paid plan
  6. 6
    AdLockPeople who want one Windows app for browsers and desktop programs
    70/100
    $3.29/mocheapest paid plan
  7. 7
    AdBlockPeople who want a free blocker in Chrome, Edge or Firefox and may pay to hide cookie pop-ups
    70/100
    $3.33/mocheapest paid plan
  8. 8
    AdGuard for WindowsPeople who want one blocker for all browsers and apps on a Windows PC
    69/100
    $2.49/mocheapest paid plan
  9. 9
    Adblock PlusPeople who want a free blocker in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera and want to write their own filters
    69/100
    $3.33/mocheapest paid plan
  10. 10
    DuckDuckGo Privacy EssentialsPeople who want free tracker blocking without an account
    61/100
    $0cheapest paid plan
  11. 11
    Privacy BadgerPeople who want free tracker blocking that learns on its own
    60/100
    $0cheapest paid plan
  12. 12
    Total AdblockPeople who want a paid blocker with a refund window and mobile apps
    27/100
    $9.23/mocheapest paid plan

How the points add up

Points earned out of the points available in each part of the method.

ProductWhere it blocks
of 23		Blocking
of 26		Privacy and trust
of 20		Price
of 31		Total
uBlock Origin1826203195
Ghostery1813203182
AdGuard DNS2316102877
Control D2316102473
NextDNS2016102571
AdLock232202570
AdBlock1520142170
AdGuard for Windows232661469
Adblock Plus1816142169
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials184201961
Privacy Badger150143160
Total Adblock1554327

Each ad blocker in brief

1. uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin suits people who want a free, open-source blocker with their own filter rules and no data collection. The full add-on runs on Firefox, Edge and Opera, while Chrome users get the Lite edition built for Manifest V3. The catch: Lite is a pared-down version, the full add-on left the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026, and the blocker works only inside browsers.

Best for: People who want a free, open-source blocker with their own filter rules. Prices, facts and sources

2. Ghostery

Ghostery suits people who want a free, open-source blocker that also handles cookie pop-ups and works in most browsers. There is no paid plan, only optional contributions. The catch: it is a browser extension only, so it does not filter other programs, and the vendor's pages do not document custom filter rules.

Best for: People who want a free, open-source blocker with cookie pop-up handling. Prices, facts and sources

3. AdGuard DNS

AdGuard DNS suits people who want ads, trackers and malicious domains blocked on every device by changing a DNS setting, with a free tier to start. The Personal plan adds your own rules and blocklists for $19.99 a year. The catch: custom rules need the paid private service, and DNS filtering cannot hide the blank space where an ad was.

Best for: People who want device-wide blocking and a plan with their own rules. Prices, facts and sources

4. Control D

Control D suits people who want ad, tracker and malware blocking by DNS on every device, plus their own domain rules, at $30 a year. Its free resolvers need no account. The catch: its filter list names no cookie-consent pop-up filter, and a browser that uses its own encrypted DNS can bypass a system setting.

Best for: People who want to filter every device by DNS and write their own domain rules. Prices, facts and sources

5. NextDNS

NextDNS suits people who want ads, trackers and malware blocked in every program on every device, not only in a browser. Pro is about €1.66 a month billed yearly, and the free plan has no time limit but a monthly query cap. The catch: it does not accept uploaded custom blocklists, and the free plan stops filtering after 300,000 queries a month.

Best for: People who want one blocker for every app and device on the network. Prices, facts and sources

6. AdLock

AdLock suits people who want a Windows app that blocks ads outside the browser, with five devices for $39.50 a year. The vendor says it will never join acceptable ads. The catch: the free option is a browser extension, not the system-wide app, the Windows app is a 14-day trial, and the vendor's pages do not describe cookie pop-up blocking or whether browsing history is stored.

Best for: People who want one Windows app for browsers and desktop programs. Prices, facts and sources

7. AdBlock

AdBlock suits people who want a free, open-source blocker in Chrome, Edge or Firefox with a phone app. Premium is $40 a year and adds cookie pop-up blocking. The catch: Acceptable Ads is on by default, the vendor lists no Windows app that filters other programs, and Opera is not named.

Best for: People who want a free blocker in Chrome, Edge or Firefox and may pay to hide cookie pop-ups. Prices, facts and sources

8. AdGuard for Windows

AdGuard for Windows suits people who want one tool to cover every browser and app on the PC, with blocking of cookie notices and unsafe sites. A paid licence covers 3 devices for $29.88 a year and carries a 30-day refund. The catch: there is no free Windows version beyond a 14-day trial, and the code is closed.

Best for: People who want one blocker for all browsers and apps on a Windows PC. Prices, facts and sources

9. Adblock Plus

Adblock Plus suits people who want a free, open-source blocker across four desktop browsers and their own filter rules. It can block sites known to spread malware. The catch: Acceptable Ads is on by default, the Premium page shows two different yearly prices, and its Chrome page does not mention Manifest V3.

Best for: People who want a free blocker in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera and want to write their own filters. Prices, facts and sources

10. DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials

This extension suits people who want free tracker blocking that works straight from a browser store, with open source code and a no-history policy. It costs nothing and the Chrome version uses Manifest V3. The catch: the vendor documents no custom block rules, cookie pop-up handling is unsupported, and its ad-blocking and scam-blocking pages describe only its own browser.

Best for: People who want free tracker blocking without an account. Prices, facts and sources

11. Privacy Badger

Privacy Badger suits people who want free, open-source tracker blocking that needs no setup or account. It learns which third parties track you and blocks them. The catch: the vendor calls it a privacy tool, not an ad blocker, and the vendor's pages show no custom rules or cookie pop-up blocking.

Best for: People who want free tracker blocking that learns on its own. Prices, facts and sources

12. Total Adblock

Total Adblock suits people who want a paid blocker for Chrome, Edge, Opera and phones, with a 30-day refund on annual plans. The only price shown is €99 a year. The catch: no Windows app or Firefox extension is listed, no custom rules are documented, and the privacy policy lists browsing history among data collected.

Best for: People who want a paid blocker with a refund window and mobile apps. Prices, facts and sources

Every fact, side by side

Each row is one rule of the method and the points it is worth. "–" means the vendor does not publish it, which earns nothing.

Rule (points)uBlock OriginGhosteryAdGuard DNSControl DNextDNSAdLockAdBlockAdGuard for WindowsAdblock PlusDuckDuckGo Privacy EssentialsPrivacy BadgerTotal Adblock
Windows browsers (12)4 of 44 of 44 of 44 of 44 of 44 of 43 of 44 of 44 of 44 of 44 of 43 of 4
Blocks outside the browser (5)NoNoYesYesYesYesNoYesNoNoNoNo
Phone protection (6)2 of 22 of 22 of 22 of 21 of 22 of 22 of 22 of 22 of 22 of 21 of 22 of 2
Still works in Chrome after Manifest V2 (4)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes–Yes––
Your own block rules (7)Yes–YesYesYesYesYesYesYes–––
Malicious site blocking (5)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes––Yes
Cookie pop-up blocking (4)YesYes––––YesYesYesNo––
No ad allow-list on by default (6)Yes––––YesNoYesNo–––
Open source (10)YesYes––––YesNoYesYesYes–
No browsing history kept (6)YesYesYesYesYes––Yes–Yes––
Works without an account (4)YesYesYesYesYes–Yes–YesYesYesYes
Free plan (12)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYes–Yes–
Cheapest paid plan (12)$0$0$1.67/mo$2.50/mo$1.86/mo$3.29/mo$3.33/mo$2.49/mo$3.33/mo$0$0$9.23/mo
Devices on one paid plan (4)999920–995–3–9999–
Money-back guarantee (3)YesYesYesYes–YesYesYesYesYesYesYes

Head to head

We read each vendor's own pages, record every fact with its source and date, and score it by the rules on how we score ad blockers. A tie goes to the lower price. Ad and tracker blockers for individuals that run on Windows, as a browser extension, a Windows app or a DNS service. Browser-built-in blockers and Apple-only tools are left out. Prices count one person on the cheapest paid yearly plan; one-time lifetime licences are not counted. Vendor claims about speed or quality are shown on product pages but never scored. Prices are in US dollars before tax.