Ads are a major problem on the internet today. Many websites have focused too much on ads above content, inadvertently ruining the user experience. For example, you can find websites with half ads and half content, making them annoying to scroll through. You might also encounter a website with poorly placed ads covering valuable content.

Fortunately, there’s a solution to this pressing issue: ad blockers. These tools disable ads from their roots and let you surf the web without encountering obnoxious ads. Wipr is one of the best ad-blocking solutions for iOS and macOS users, and we’re reviewing it to help you decide whether it’s worth using. We’ll dive into its features, pricing, customer support, and other criteria to determine if it’s a suitable solution for you.

Wipr: Plans and Pricing

Wipr is a very cost-effective solution. It has only one pricing structure: a $1.99 one-time fee. There are no upgrade options apart from the one-time purchase, but you can tip the developer if you appreciate the app.

One developer currently maintains this app, and its simple structure means it doesn’t take much funds to run. Wipr does one thing and does it excellently: blocking ads. There’s no free plan, but the low one-time fee saves you a lot in the long run, unlike other competitors that demand monthly or annual fees.

Wipr: Features

Wipr focuses on one thing: blocking ads on the Safari web browser. This app only works for Apple devices (iPhones, iPads and Mac laptops or desktops). Wipr blocks ads and makes your browsing experience less disruptive. We tested it extensively and were pleased to discover it even blocked YouTube ads, allowing us to watch long videos without annoying breaks.

This app also blocks website trackers from monitoring your Safari browsing activity. Likewise, it blocks those repetitive EU cookies and GDPR notices asking for your consent to proceed.

However, Wipr only blocks YouTube ads if you watch videos on the Safari browser. Apple doesn't give apps permission to alter other apps, so Wipr can't block ads if you're using the native YouTube app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac PC.

Wipr blocks third-party cookies, but some websites need these cookies to function correctly. For example, without cookies, you’ll have to log in every time you visit a locked webpage instead of just logging in once and getting remembered for a long time. To solve this issue, you can whitelist specific sites on Safari to accept cookies from despite Wipr being enabled. You should whitelist trusted websites you use frequently, e.g., your email and social media platforms.

Wipr’s ad-blocking technology is based on a frequently updated blocklist. The platform maintains a database of domains that serve ads, which is updated continuously to keep up with rapid changes. Wipr reviews your browsing requests and blocks any request for an ad-linked domain, ensuring you don't see intrusive ads. The company says it updates its database twice a week.

When testing Wipr, we observed that it didn’t slow the browsing experience like many other ad-blockers. It’s normal to expect browsing to become slower when an ad blocker reviews every request. However, Wipr takes advantage of Apple's developer features that let apps dictate content-blocking rules for Safari once you open the browser. The browsing speed is unaffected because Safari knows the rules in advance and doesn't repeatedly consult Wipr during loading.

Besides, ads take considerable bandwidth. Blocking them actually improves your browsing speed, making your experience more enjoyable. Wipr works well for English users and supports many other languages, including French, German, Greek, Korean, and Chinese.

Wipr: Interface and In-Use

Wipr offers an interface that’s noticeably easy to navigate. The app is designed in a way any layperson can understand. It doesn’t have many features, so there’s no complexity to navigate. Just download and install Wipr, and you can toggle its ad-blocking feature on or off anytime.

We found it odd that Wipr doesn’t have a dedicated website for customers to visit. You can only find the app listings on the Apple and Mac App Stores. However, the lack of a website makes sense, given Wipr’s low cost and, consequently, its developer’s need for minimal hosting expenses.

Wipr has a minimal, uncluttered interface you’ll likely enjoy navigating. You can switch the interface between dark and light mode at will.

Wipr: Customer Support

Wipr doesn’t offer much in this criterion. There’s an option to contact the developer, but it might take long to receive a reply, or if at all. With its very low cost, it’s understandable that Wipr doesn’t invest much in customer support. Users are trading affordability for lesser support and help.

However, if you need help with any issue on the Wipr app, you can post on IT forums or IT-related Reddit subs. Wipr has many fans in the technical community, making them willing to help users.

Wipr: The Competition

The ad-blocking sector is intensely competitive. There’s no shortage of free or paid ad-blocking tools for different devices and browsers. We'd like to highlight Adblock Plus and AdLock as the two main alternatives to Wipr.

Like Wipr, these two alternatives remove ads to make your browsing experience smoother. They shine over Wipr by being compatible with many browsers, unlike Wipr, which is limited to Safari. However, Wipr is much more affordable than these alternatives.

Wipr: Final Verdict

Wipr is an effective ad-blocking tool for Apple device users. It detects and removes ads effectively, making your browsing experience faster and more enjoyable. The drawback is that Wipr only works for iOS and macOS users and on the Safari browser. There’s no version for other browsers and operating systems.

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Advertisements have become a significant problem on the web. Many people have had their browsing experiences ruined by ads, including on websites they cherished. For example, YouTube ads have become excessive, with multiple ads playing in a long video. Many other websites now contain display ads that cover valuable content, disrupting the user experience.

Fortunately, there’s a solution to this problem: ad blockers. These software tools detect and thwart ads from their roots, enabling a seamless browsing experience. AdGuard is one of the best-known ad blockers, and we want to review it to help you decide whether it’s worth adopting. This review will cover AdGuard’s features, pricing, interface, customer support, and other essential aspects.

AdGuard: Plans and Pricing

AdGuard is a freemium tool. You can download the app for free, but free users are limited to basic features and protection on just one device. You need a paid plan to enjoy AdGuard with your custom settings on multiple devices.

AdGuard offers two plans, Personal and Family, and you can pay annually or for a lifetime. The Personal plan costs $30 annually, and the Family plan costs $66 annually, plus value-added tax (VAT). The lifetime plans cost $80 for Personal and $170 for Family.

The Personal plan protects up to 3 devices, and the Family plan protects up to 9 devices. AdGuard's free version offers only ad-blocking, but the Personal and Family plans include complementary features like a VPN and parental controls. This platform’s pricing plans are reasonable compared to the competition.

AdGuard: Features

Our test began with downloading AdGuard, both the extension and the mobile app. The installation process was fast and easy, and we started taking note of the features.

AdGuard is good at blocking ads from a web browser, including YouTube ads. We were particularly impressed with how it blocked YouTube ads, which many other blockers struggle with.

This app gives you reports about the ads it blocks, allowing you to verify that it’s doing its job. For example, opening Forbes.com showed that AdGuard blocked 10 elements from appearing on the web page. We tested with other websites, and AdGuard gave detailed results about what it blocked. You can also find charts showing the progress of how many ads it has blocked over time.

You might have websites you trust and want ads on these websites to show, even while AdGuard blocks ads from other sources. Fortunately, this app allows you to add specific domains to the allowlist, exempting them from ad-blocking. Most other ad-blockers offer a similar feature, so we were relieved to discover that AdGuard wasn’t left behind.

We encountered a creative feature called the “Inverse Allowlist,” wherein AdGuard unblocks ads everywhere except for the sites in the list. This feature works if you can tolerate regular ads during your browsing experience and only block the sites serving excessive ads.

Another thing we enjoyed about using AdGuard is its website security feature. Open any website and click the “Check Website Security” button. Adguard will give you a detailed report about that website’s safety. AdGuard uses several sources to determine a URL's safety, including if the URL is included in the Google Safe Browsing or Yandex Safe Browsing blocklist.

The website safety feature is valuable if you interact with a new URL you don’t trust. You can simply check with AdGuard to see if that URL has previously been implicated in malware and other malicious activities.

AdGuard offers Stealth Mode, which protects your browsing identity and personal information from online trackers. You can instruct AdGuard to send Do Not Track signals to all websites you visit to avoid being tracked. You can also enable AdGuard to automatically self-destruct cookies shortly after they're installed on your browser (you’ll set a custom time limit for the cookies).

AdGuard doesn't let you only block ads. You can also block other annoying web elements like cookie notices, mobile app banners, popups, and social widgets. This platform gives you a lot of control over your browsing experience.

AdGuard: Interface and In-Use

AdGuard has a stellar user interface you’ll likely enjoy using. We didn’t encounter UI-related hiccups during our test, which speaks much about the platform. You can easily find any feature you want and toggle the ad blocker on and off anytime.

The browser extension or app employs sufficient color contrast that looks appealing to the eye. You can switch between dark and light modes depending on your environment. We also enjoyed AdGuard’s widespread compatibility, wherein you can use it as a browser extension or download the app on your mobile phone or PC. Many competing tools are only available as browser extensions.

AdGuard: Customer Support

Customer service is a major selling point for AdGuard. It offers excellent customer support resources, beginning with the detailed FAQ section and Knowledge Base on the official website. If you are unsatisfied with the Knowledge Base, you can email AdGuard's support team and expect a response within 24 to 48 hours.

AdGuard also runs a discussion forum where users interact with each other and often exchange solutions to their problems.

AdGuard: The Competition

There’s no shortage of competition in the ad-blocking software segment. Two AdGuard competitors we’d like to highlight are uBlock Origin and AdLock. uBlock Origin is an effective free alternative, but unlike AdGuard, it is only available as an extension.

AdLock is a paid tool with desktop and mobile apps just like AdGuard. It offers similar features, although it is slightly more costly.

AdGuard: Final Verdict

AdGuard is an excellent ad blocker we recommend to anyone who wants to improve their browsing experience. It has a free version, but the paid plan offers more advanced features. With the paid plan, you can access ad-blocking, VPN, and browsing security, killing multiple birds with one stone.

• We've listed the best adblockers

Ask an average internet user about a problem they encounter while surfing the web, and ads will be a common answer. Many websites focus too much on ads over content in the pursuit of revenue, inadvertently ruining the user experience.

Some websites have ads covering content or autoplay video ads at every interval. Interacting with such sites can be annoying, especially when they have valuable information. However, there’s a solution: installing ad-blocking software.

AdLock is one of the most effective ad-blocking tools available. It enables users to surf the web without encountering intensive ads. We tested AdLock so that you don’t have to. After reading this review, you can decide whether to download it on your browser or device.

AdLock: Plans and Pricing

AdLock is a freemium tool. It offers a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Safari. However, you need a premium subscription to download the desktop or mobile app and enjoy more features. For example, the premium plan can block app ads, not just on websites.

AdLock offers subscription plans for 1 month, 1 year, or 5 years, with each subscription covering 5 devices. The 1-month plan costs $3.50. The 1-year plan costs $34, and the 5-year plan costs $63.

AdLock offers a 14-day free trial and a 30-day window to get a refund if you’re unsatisfied with your subscription.

AdLock: Features

You can download AdLock as a browser extension or app. The extension is free, but the mobile or desktop app requires a premium subscription. AdLock uses sophisticated techniques to detect and block ads and trackers. It uses the EasyList filter to remove ads from your browsing experience; this filter looks for any ad stored on third-party servers and prevents it from running on your browser.

The EasyList database is continuously updated, so AdLock can keep up with new types of ads on any website. Ad blocking makes your browsing experience less disruptive and makes websites load faster since they don’t have to import ads from third-party servers.

AdLock has a Secure Surfing feature based on Google's Safe Browsing service. When using AdLock, you can click on any link and scan it against Google's database of unsafe websites. If the link is known for hosting malicious software, you'll be immediately alerted so that you can avoid it.

We like that AdLock works for both browsers and applications. We downloaded the software on a Mac PC and opened the YouTube app during our test. Unlike many other ad-blocking tools, AdLock blocked ads on the YouTube app. Given the numerous complaints about ads ruining the YouTube experience, this feature is invaluable. However, YouTube ad-blocking might not work every time—the only 100% assurance is getting a YouTube Premium subscription.

AdLock offers apps for desktops (macOS and Windows) and smartphones (iOS and Android). For unknown reasons, the Android app is unavailable on the Google Play Store. Instead, you have to download the APK directly from AdLock's website and sideload it on your Android device.

Note that AdLock uses a local VPN to filter and thwart malicious website requests. The VPN server is stored on your device and helps deliver a safe browsing experience. However, the issue is that the filtering feature can’t work simultaneously with other VPN applications.

AdLock lets you adjust blocking rules or add custom filters to your browsing experience. For example, you can allow it to show ads on some websites you trust or block an entire domain from your browser. You can toggle ad blocking on or off anytime if you encounter a website requiring you to disable ad-blocking before accessing its content. If you encounter any ad despite AdLock being turned on, you can escalate the issue to AdLock's team for further review.

AdLock: Interface and In-Use

AdLock has an interface that’s easy to understand and navigate. The features are neatly arranged on the left side, and on the right side lies the main dashboard. You can easily find any feature you want and adjust your filtering settings. There's a visible button to toggle on or off to control the ad blocker. AdLock provides details about the ads it has blocked, and you can view them anytime.

You can switch between dark and light modes, depending on what suits your current environment. AdLock is easy to understand whether you’re using the app or browser extension.

AdLock: Customer Support

AdLock offers adequate customer support. The company has dedicated email and phone lines to contact in case of any issues. For example, you can report a bug with a specific website for AdLock’s team to rectify. Expect an email reply within 24 hours, or use the phone line for urgent issues.

This platform also provides access to complementary support resources, including detailed user guides and manuals. You can consult the guides to resolve an issue before escalating it to AdLock’s team if your problem remains resolved.

AdLock: The Competition

AdLock has many competitors, such as Privacy Badger and AdGuard. Privacy Badger is a free browser extension that blocks advertisements and trackers. Offering full features at no cost gives privacy an edge over AdLock. However, Privacy Badger does not have a mobile or desktop app like AdLock.

AdGuard offers similar features to AdLock. It's a freemium service that offers a great free ad blocker but requires a subscription to access advanced features. AdGuard has mobile and desktop apps just like AdLock.

AdLock: Final Verdict

AdLock is an effective ad blocker that helps you enjoy your browsing experience. It eliminates disruptive ads from your browsers and apps, letting you enjoy content without hassles. However, note that you need a premium subscription to access all the features.

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Many people complain about ads ruining their browser experience, and they’re right.  Websites increasingly rely on advertisements for revenue, and this reliance has caused many to focus on ads over content. Some websites are so filled with ads than content that they might qualify as adware.

However, there’s a solution to the problem of excessive ads. You can install an ad-blocking tool to detect and restrict ads from their roots, enabling you to enjoy your browsing experience. Ghostery is one of the best ad-blocking tools and is famous for being free and open-source.

We’re reviewing Ghostery to help you decide whether it’s worth using. This review will explore its features, pricing, user experience, customer support, and other vital aspects. After reading it, you can decide whether to use Ghostery or an alternative tool.

Ghostery: Plans and Pricing

As mentioned, Ghostery is a free tool you don’t have to pay for. You can download the extension or mobile app anytime without paying anything. Ghostery is an open-source tool maintained by a team of volunteer developers and operated by Cliqz, a privacy-focused browser. Cliqz takes care of Ghostery’s hosting costs as part of goodwill and marketing efforts to promote its privacy-based tools.

However, Ghostery offers optional “contributor” plans ranging from $1.99 to $11.99 monthly to appreciate the developers. The Contributor plans give you access to complementary features like custom teams, historical tracker analysis, and priority customer support. The core ad-blocking tool is not restricted to any plan– you can enjoy it for free.

Ghostery: Features

Ghostery is an excellent tool for blocking ads and improving your browsing experience. The free plan includes the ad and tracker blocker, whitelisting/blacklisting, and a never-consent feature that removes those annoying popups that always ask for cookie consent.

Ghostery blocks HTTP requests from third-party tracking scripts, preventing these scripts from monitoring your browser behavior and serving ads. The company maintains a vast "script library" containing script-serving domains, and this database is continuously updated with new scripts. Any domain in this library is automatically blocked so that it can't serve ads on your browsers.

Ghostery's script library is community-driven, so anyone can find and submit a tracker, making it easier to add trackers that Ghostery might have missed. Ghostery shows an "ad blocks counter" detailing the number of ads blocked on every web page you visit. You can monitor this data to verify that the software is working effectively.

You may have sites that you trust to show you ads. For example, you like a particular blog and want to support it by allowing its ads to show on your browser. In that case, Ghostery lets you whitelist or blacklist specific sites. When you whitelist a site, the ads on that site will show on your browser, while those on other sites remain blocked. Similarly, blacklisting a website removes all ads from that site.

The European Union passed the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, requiring websites to get explicit consent from users before installing cookies and trackers on their browsers. Ever since, the web has been inundated with constant popups asking for cookie and tracker consent.

Ghostery offers a simple feature to avoid this annoyance. It gives an automatic never-consent response, and you won’t see such popups appearing again while you browse.

Ghostery offers complementary features to users who choose to be contributors. Such users can see historical tracker stats, compared to free users who see tracker stats only for their current web page. They can see the number of trackers blocked daily, monthly, or for any custom period. Users also get advanced details on the types of trackers and how frequently they appear.

Ghostery provides priority support for Contributors, ensuring they get timely responses to their queries. Likewise, Contributors can use custom color themes to personalize their Ghostery dashboard.

Ghostery: Interface and In-Use

Ghostery has an intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate. You can download it as an extension or download the iOS app. Unfortunately, Ghostery doesn't have an Android app; it only has an extension that works on the Firefox browser for Android phones.

Ghostery has a minimal and uncluttered interface with good color contrast. Features are neatly arranged on the dashboard, allowing you to turn the ad blocker on/off and blacklist or whitelist sites seamlessly.

You can switch between a Simple and Detailed view to monitor the trackers Ghostery has detected and blocked on your browser.

If user interface were the only criterion for this review, Ghostery would get a perfect score.

Ghostery: Customer Support

Don’t expect much support from Ghostery if you’re a free user. You can contact the company’s support team via its web form. However, Ghostery gives priority support to contributors and not free users. It’s advisable to review the FAQs section before submitting a support ticket.

Ghostery: The Competition

Ghostery has many competitors in the ad-blocking space. Two rivals we’d like to highlight are Privacy Badger and Wipr.

Privacy Badger is a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. Like Ghostery, it blocks ads and tracking scripts effectively to improve your browsing experience. However, unlike Ghostery, it doesn’t have a mobile app.

Wipr is an effective ad-blocker for iOS and macOS users, with a very intuitive interface. It’s not free like Ghostery, but it costs very little: a $1.99 one-time fee.

Ghostery: Final Verdict

Ghostery is an excellent free ad blocker that effectively blocks trackers and gives you details to confirm what has been blocked. You can use it as a browser extension or mobile app, although not for Android, to improve your browsing experience. The main drawback we observed is the limited customer support, but that’s understandable for a free tool.

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