Given the internet’s current state, we wouldn’t fault you for seeking a tool to block ads from your browsing experience. Many websites have focused too much on monetization over content and contain obnoxious advertisements. You can encounter web pages with half-ads, half-content or even more ads than content. Let’s not talk about those bizarre, clickbaity ads you’d find on some news sites.
Many people assume that annoying ads are an inescapable part of the internet, but that isn’t true. There’s a simple solution to this problem: an ad blocker. AdBlock Plus is a browser extension that detects and removes ads from your browser and allows you to surf the web seamlessly. It’s one of the most prominent ad blockers, and we’re reviewing it to help you decide whether it’s worth adopting. Our review will cover its features, pricing, user-friendliness, customer support, and other essential aspects.
AdBlock Plus: Plans and Pricing
AdBlock Plus offers a free version that blocks typical display ads. However, you need to upgrade to AdBlock Plus Premium to block additional distractions like newsletter popups, cookie consent popups, and floating videos.
The Premium version can be paid for monthly or annually. The monthly plan costs $4, and the annual plan costs $40, a 17% savings compared to paying monthly. You can start with the free plan to test AdBlock Plus’s features and upgrade to the premium plan if you’re satisfied with what you see.
If you change your mind after paying for a subscription, you can request a full refund within 120 days of payment. 120 days is one of the longest money-back guarantee periods we’ve encountered in any software tool.
AdBlock Plus: Features
You can download AdBlock Plus as a browser extension or download the mobile app (iOS and Android). AdBlock offers extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and the Yandex Browser. Having numerous browser extensions plus iOS and Android apps makes AdBlock Plus one of the most widely compatible ad-blockers we’ve encountered.
Our test began with downloading the AdBlock Plus extension on different browsers. Installation was quick and easy, taking less than a minute. We also downloaded the mobile app from the Play Store and App Store, and the process was seamless.
The first thing we observed was that AdBlock Plus gave details about the advertisements it blocked for each website we visited. To test, we opened “Forbes.com,” and the extension showed that it blocked 12 ads. We checked other domains and got relevant statistics about the number of blocked ads, letting us verify that the extension performs its work effectively.
This platform maintains extensive lists of domains known to serve ads and trackers. It scans and checks your browser requests against these lists, blocking any ad or tracker-serving domain from showing or installing anything on your browser.
AdBlock Plus lets you block specific elements on a website that you don’t want to see. Click on the Block element option and click on the element you want to remove– AdBlock Plus will prevent that element from showing henceforth.
Of course, you might have some trusted websites you want to allow to show ads. For example, you might love your local news site and want it to keep showing you ads as a means of support. AdBlock Plus lets you add websites to your allowlist, permitting ads to show on these sites while blocking the rest.
Our testing showed that AdBlock Plus is very good at blocking display ads to improve your browsing experience. However, this tool doesn’t block popups and floating videos except you upgrade to the Premium plan. With the advent of constant cookie popups from websites, having a tool to block these popups makes your browsing experience much better.
Another drawback we observed is that AdBlock Plus allows “Acceptable Ads” by default, i.e., ads the platform deems non-intrusive. However, you can switch off acceptable ads from the settings page.
The free version of AdBlock Plus gives you access to complementary features, such as blocking all online trackers, push notifications, and social media icons.
AdBlock Plus: Interface and In-Use
AdBlock Plus offers a user-friendly interface we didn’t have any issues navigating. The interface is neatly arranged, with sufficient color contrast and well-placed elements, making it easy to find any feature you want. The configurations page is easy to understand, and you can customize your dashboard to a large extent, e.g., turn off notifications or ad-blocking statistics. You can control AdBlock Plus’s filter lists or add custom filters to block ads effectively. AdBlock scores excellently in the user-friendliness criterion.
AdBlock Plus: Customer Support
AdBlock Plus offers extensive customer support resources. When facing any issues with the app, you can start with the official Help Center, which contains answers to common questions and guides concerning all AdBlock Plus features. If unsatisfied with the Help Center, you can email AdBlock Plus’s support team and await a response. However, understandably, the support team prioritizes paying users over non-paying ones.
AdBlock Plus also has an official support forum where users often exchange solutions to each other’s problems. Free-tier users can visit this forum to file a complaint and get help from fellow users.
AdBlock Plus: The Competition
uBlock Origin and AdGuard are two prominent competitors to AdBlock Plus. uBlock Origin is a free tool offering similar features as AdBlock Plus, and it’s one of the best ad-blockers you can choose. However, uBlock Origin has no mobile app– it only has browser extensions.
AdGuard is a freemium ad-blocking tool that offers extensions and a mobile app. It’s a good and reasonably priced alternative to AdBlock Plus.
AdBlock Plus: Final Verdict
After testing AdBlock Plus, we can confidently recommend it as an ad-blocking solution to any interested user. It effectively blocks ads and helps you enjoy your browsing experience. We observed a few drawbacks, but the pros outweigh the cons by a huge margin.
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