Our series on identity theft protection apps will evaluate the features, pricing options, competition, and also the overall value of using each app. However, these are not full hands-on reviews since evaluating identity theft protection apps is almost impossible. It would require several months of testing, purposefully hacking accounts to see if the protection app works, handing over personally identifiable information, performing multiple credit checks, and risking exposure of the reviewer’s personally identifiable information.

McAfee, a leading cybersecurity company, has a rich history dating back to the early days of personal computing being founded in 1987 by a Santa Clara computer programmer that the company is named after. Throughout its history, including being the first to have an antivirus software, McAfee has been at the forefront of the cybersecurity industry, adapting to evolving threats and technologies. Its focus on protecting individuals and organizations from cyberattacks has made it a trusted name in the field.

McAfee Plus is designed to provide comprehensive protection for your digital life, helping you stay safe online and avoid the risks associated with cyber threats. It offers a range of features to safeguard your digital life, including antivirus and malware protection, real-time threat prevention, and firewall protection. Overall, McAfee Plus is a robust security solution that can help you stay safe online and protect your valuable data.

McAfee Plus: Plans and pricing

McAfee Plus pricing, like most of the services in this space, will vary depending on the specific plan you choose, and any ongoing promotions or discounts which can help make this more affordable. Here's a general breakdown of the different plans on offer, which can be broken down by Individual plans and Family plans.

McAfee Plus Individual Core Protection Plan is a comprehensive security software package tailored to safeguard your personal computer against diverse online threats. It encompasses an array of features, including antivirus protection to combat viruses, malware, and malicious software, a firewall to thwart unauthorized access, and web protection to block websites hosting malicious content. To further enhance security, McAfee Plus offers a VPN that encrypts internet traffic, making it harder for hackers to intercept, a password manager to create and organize strong passwords, and identity theft protection that monitors personal information for signs of compromise and promptly alerts you of suspicious activity. Notably, the annual subscription is currently available at a discounted price of $49.99 annually, significantly lower than the listed price of $149.99 annually.

The upgraded McAfee Plus Advanced plan offers heightened security features for an individual for an annual fee of $89.99, discounted from the original price of $199.99 per year. This plan builds upon the features of the prior plan by incorporating comprehensive identity theft coverage up to $1 million. Additionally, it provides identity restoration support, lost wallet protection, bank and credit card transaction monitoring, 1-bureau credit monitoring with monthly score updates, and a security freeze option to prevent unauthorized account openings.

At the pinnacle of McAfee's offerings stands the McAfee Plus Ultimate plan, currently available at a discounted annual rate of $199.99 annually (originally priced at $279.99 annually). This comprehensive plan encompasses the features of both lower-tier plans, adding bank account takeover monitoring, payday loan monitoring, up to $25K ransomware coverage, investment monitoring, and loan transaction monitoring. For enhanced ease of use, the top-tier plan includes a McAfee Assist protection setup session.

McAfee Plus Family Plans offers coverage for two adults and their children with varying feature sets and pricing. Starting at $69.99 annually, the Premium Plan provides basic protection. The mid-tier plan costs $119.99 annually and offers more features. For the most comprehensive coverage, the top plan is available at $249.99 annually.

For those looking for a more affordable solution, there is still the McAfee Basic that starts at a more than affordable $29.99 for a year of antivirus on a single device, VPN, identity monitoring, and a McAfee Protection Score, which is a personalized online safety assessment.

As pricing, and promotional offers change over time, be sure to check the McAfee Plus website for the latest pricing prior to purchase.

McAfee Plus: Features

Experience peace of mind knowing that your entire family is protected online with McAfee+ Family plans. Every member of your family will have access to their own identity monitoring, secure VPN, and unlimited device security. Adult family members are eligible for up to $2 million in identity theft coverage, with a maximum of $4 million per family. Additionally, there is assistance in removing personal information from potentially risky websites.

For every member of your family, there is 24/7 monitoring of your personal information. If something requires your attention, you'll receive alerts promptly. This monitoring helps safeguard your privacy and sensitive data, providing peace of mind knowing that you're protected.

In addition, there is access to a VPN (Virtual Private Network) that enables you to bank, shop, and browse online securely from anywhere. The VPN creates an encrypted connection between your device and the internet, ensuring that your online activities remain private and shielded from potential threats.

Drawing from McAfee’s strength, there’s also the award-winning antivirus security for all your devices, ensuring comprehensive protection against viruses, malware, and other cyber threats. This advanced security solution employs real-time scanning, threat detection, and automatic updates to keep your devices safe from harm.

Furthermore, there is access to the McAfee Protection Score, a unique feature that provides personalized guidance on steps you can take to make staying safer online even easier. The Protection Score assesses your online behavior, security settings, and device status, and provides tailored recommendations to help improve your overall security posture.

With these comprehensive features, users rest assured that their family's personal information, online activities, and devices are guarded against potential risks, allowing them to enjoy a secure and protected digital experience.

Each adult in a family can receive up to $2 million in identity theft coverage, resulting in a maximum of $4 million per family. This comprehensive protection includes the assistance of licensed restoration experts who are readily available to guide you through any unexpected identity theft situations. Additionally, vigilant monitoring of credit reports and financial transactions is provided to detect any unusual activities. Should anything suspicious arise, there is prompt notification.

For families with children, robust parental controls are provided, empowering parents to supervise their kids' online activities, ensuring their safety and well-being in the digital world. The goal is to provide parents with peace of mind, knowing that their personal and financial information is safeguarded with the family protected from the devastating consequences of identity theft.

McAfee Plus: The competition

McAfee Plus competes with several other reputable security suites on the market. Here's a comparison of McAfee Plus to some of its main competitors.

A main competitor is Norton 360, a comprehensive security suite that offers a wide range of features. It includes robust antivirus and anti-malware protection, a reliable firewall, a secure VPN for online privacy, a convenient password manager, parental controls to safeguard your family, and PC tune-up tools to optimize your system's performance.

While Norton 360 is highly regarded for its exceptional virus protection and comprehensive feature set, it can sometimes be resource-intensive, potentially impacting system performance. Additionally, some advanced features may require additional subscriptions.

Another option is Bitdefender Total Security, a comprehensive security suite that offers a range of essential features. It provides robust antivirus and anti-malware protection, a reliable firewall, a secure VPN for online privacy, a convenient password manager, parental controls to safeguard your family, and webcam protection to prevent unauthorized access.

One of the standout features of Bitdefender Total Security is its lightweight and fast performance, ensuring minimal impact on system resources. It also offers strong malware protection and is generally considered good value for the price. However, some users may find the interface less intuitive compared to other security suites, and it may have fewer additional features compared to some competitors.

Trend Micro Maximum Security is a comprehensive security suite that offers a range of essential features. It provides robust antivirus and anti-malware protection, a reliable firewall, a secure VPN for online privacy, a convenient password manager, parental controls to safeguard your family, and PC optimization tools to improve system performance.

One of the standout features of Trend Micro Maximum Security is its strong malware protection and comprehensive feature set, offering a wide range of security tools. It is also generally considered good value for the price. However, some users may find the interface less intuitive compared to other security suites, and it can be resource-intensive, potentially impacting system performance.

When choosing a security suite, it's important to consider multiple features. We suggest to focus on the following factors:

Malware Protection: While all of the mentioned suites offer excellent malware protection, it's recommended to research independent lab tests to compare their performance in detail.

Features: Identify the specific features that are important to you, such as a VPN for online privacy, a password manager for secure credential management, or parental controls to protect your family.

Performance: Some security suites may have a heavier impact on your system's performance than others. Consider how the suite will affect your computer's speed and responsiveness.

Price: Compare the pricing of different plans to find the best value for your needs. Consider the cost of the initial purchase as well as any recurring subscription fees.

Ease of Use: Evaluate how user-friendly the interface is and how easy it is to manage the suite's features. A simple and intuitive interface can make it easier to use and troubleshoot any issues.

While all of the mentioned suites offer excellent malware protection, it's recommended to fully assess your needs, and to read reviews before making a final decision.

McAfee Plus: Support

Need help with McAfee? McAfee offers various support options for its Plus customers. Explore the Support Center to find answers, troubleshooting tips, and articles on common issues. Join the Community to connect with other McAfee users and experts for advice and support. Search the Knowledge Base to access a wealth of information about McAfee products and features.

In addition to the self-help options available online, McAfee also offers direct support for customers who prefer to speak with a representative. This support option is available by calling the McAfee customer support number, which can be found on the McAfee website or in the documentation that came with your McAfee product. When you call, you will be connected with a customer support representative who can assist you with your issue. The representative will be able to troubleshoot common problems, provide technical support, and answer any questions you may have about your McAfee product.

Experience real-time support by initiating a chat with a knowledgeable McAfee agent. Simply click on the chat icon, located conveniently on the website, and you can connect to an agent in no time. There is access to instant answers, guidance, and support through the live chat feature, available 24/7 for your convenience.

For more in-depth assistance, another option is to reach out via email by submitting a support ticket. To help the McAfee Plus team address your issue efficiently, be sure to provide as much detailed information as you can. It is a good idea to include any error messages you've encountered, relevant screenshots, and a step-by-step description of any troubleshooting actions that have been already tried. The more context and specifics that are shared, the better the support team can understand the problem to supply a solution.

Rich media content is offered by exploring the tutorial videos for comprehensive step-by-step guidance on everything from basic setup to leveraging advanced features. These guides teach users how to optimize protection, resolve common issues, and stay ahead of emerging threats.

Finally, users can join the McAfee community through the social media channels. This allows folks to connect with fellow users, receive expert advice, share useful tips, and keep up-to-date on the latest security news and best practices.

McAfee Plus: Final verdict

McAfee Plus is a comprehensive security solution designed to safeguard your digital life from a wide range of online threats. At its core, it features robust antivirus protection that shields your system from viruses, worms, and other malicious programs. The advanced antimalware engine effectively detects and eliminates malware, including spyware, adware, and ransomware, ensuring your devices remain free of unwanted intruders.

Real-time threat prevention is another crucial component of McAfee Plus. It continuously monitors your system for suspicious activities and automatically blocks potential threats before they can cause harm. This proactive approach helps prevent infections and minimizes the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access to your personal information.

McAfee Plus also provides a robust firewall that acts as a barrier between your device and the internet. It analyzes incoming and outgoing network traffic, blocking unauthorized connections and preventing malicious software from infiltrating your system. This layer of defense helps protect against cyberattacks, such as phishing attempts and unauthorized remote access.

In addition to these core security features, McAfee Plus includes a host of other tools to enhance your online safety. It offers secure browsing, which warns you about potentially dangerous websites and blocks malicious downloads. The identity protection feature monitors your personal information online and alerts you to any suspicious activity, such as attempts to steal your passwords or credit card numbers.

Parental controls allow you to manage your children's online activities, ensuring their safety when browsing the internet. You can set limits on screen time, block inappropriate content, and monitor their online interactions.

With McAfee Plus, you can rest assured that your devices and personal data are protected against a wide range of online threats. Its combination of advanced security features and user-friendly interface makes it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a comprehensive and reliable security solution.

We've also featured the best identity theft protection, best antivirus and best VPN

Live Proxies was founded in 2020 to fulfill a growing need for proxy servers and IP addresses. These servers enable individuals and businesses to bypass geo-restrictions and scrape data from websites. They help users defy the increasing barriers on the internet.

This proxy provider offers over 10 million IPs across dozens of countries. Users can choose static or residential IP addresses to enjoy unrestricted access to the web. Our Live Proxies review will help you decide if it’s a good choice. It covers essential factors like pricing, customer support, ease of use, and features. Read on to learn about this proxy provider's features, pros, and cons.

Live Proxies: Plans and Pricing

Live Proxies offers three types of proxies; Rotating Residential, Static Residential, and Rotating Mobile. Each type has custom pricing, and there’s a separate B2B plan for businesses, which we’ll explore.

Users pay based on location, bandwidth, and number of IPs. For example, Live Proxies charges $70 for 200 U.S.A. IPs with a 4 GB bandwidth allocation for 30 days. However, the same allocation for random IPs (rather than the U.S. alone) costs $45. Extending the U.S.A. plan to 60 days costs $85, and doubling the bandwidth to 8 GB costs $100.

Static residential IPs have a similar pricing structure. Live Proxies charges $65 for 50 U.S.A. IPs with a 4 GB allocation for 30 days. Extending the plan to 8 GB for 45 days costs $110. The higher the bandwidth and subscription length, the more you’ll pay.

Rotating mobile proxies have similar pricing structures depending on location, bandwidth, and subscription length. However, the B2B plan has a simple pricing structure: Businesses pay at least $5,000 monthly to access the entire pool of 10 million+ IP addresses, unlike residential and mobile plans restricted by proxy location.

Live Proxies has a complicated pricing structure the average person might struggle to understand. Its plans are also costly compared to many competitors. We think Live Proxies will do users a favor by simplifying its pricing plans.

Live Proxies: Features

Proxy servers are physical internet-connected computers in different locations. You can route your online browsing through them to bypass geo-restrictions and scrape data. Live Proxies offers a broad network of 10 million+ IP addresses, although it’s not as extensive as some rivals. It offers three main types of proxies: rotating, static, and mobile.

Rotating

As the name suggests, rotating IPs “rotate” within specific schedules. You’ll switch to a new proxy IP at a set schedule, e.g., every hour or whenever you start a new browsing session. Live Proxies offers rotating proxies in many regions, although its IP pool is concentrated in the U.S.A., the U.K., and Canada.

Rotating proxies offer better anonymity, as the frequent change makes it difficult for websites to track your online behaviour. Suppose you want to scrape data from a real estate listing site with anti-scraping features. Rotating proxies makes it challenging for the website’s admins to track your usage pattern and detect the proxy. They’ll likely assume the rotating proxies come from different individuals visiting their website.

Better off, Live Proxies offers residential IP addresses from legitimate sources. Device owners around the globe agree to add their IP addresses to Live Proxies’ pool in exchange for benefits. Then, you can use these IP addresses to bypass website restrictions and scrape data.

The drawback is that rotating proxies are slower than static proxies. Frequent rotation increases the likelihood of encountering slow connections, and rotating IPs are more expensive than static IPs.

Static

As the name implies, static proxy IPs don’t change. You can use a static IP for as long as your subscription lasts. Live Proxies offers plans ranging from 30 to 60 days. You can choose a static IP from a specific country to bypass geo-restrictions. Suppose you aim to scrape data from a U.S.A.-centric real estate listing website; your best bet is choosing a domestic IP address.

For unclear reasons, most of Live Proxies' static IPs were listed as "sold out" during our test. Only U.S.A.-based static IP addresses were available, which we tested and observed excellent speed and performance. We think Live Proxies will help users by growing its static IP network to guarantee more availability.

Mobile

Mobile proxies are IPs sourced from mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). They have various use cases, such as managing multiple social media accounts without risking restrictions or verifying whether ads are displayed correctly to mobile users. Live Proxies offers reliable mobile proxies, although they’re costly.

B2B

Live Proxies offers a simplified proxy IP plan for businesses. Companies can access the entire pool of 10 million+ proxy IPs across 55 countries for a monthly fee. This plan best suits companies with large proxy needs, such as a price comparison website scraping data from numerous sources.

Live Proxies: Ease of Use

We didn’t observe any hiccups when testing Live Proxies. Its interface is easy to understand, with features neatly arranged on the left side and the main dashboard on the right. The dashboard sports a white background plus a few shades of blue to highlight features. Everything is set up in a way that a layperson can quickly grasp.

Customer Support

Live Proxies offers decent customer support, starting with a detailed knowledge base with answers to common issues. If you need further help, you can submit a ticket and expect a response within 48 hours. However, there’s no direct live chat or telephone support.

Live Proxies: The Competition

Live Proxies performed on par with most rival proxy tools we’ve tested. Its proxy IPs provide excellent speed and performance. The drawback is its limited pool of 10 million IPs across 55 countries, compared to rivals like Oxylabs, which has 102 million IPs across 195 countries and Bright Data, which has 72 million IPs across 195 countries.

Live Proxies: Final Verdict

Live Proxies is one of the best proxy providers in terms of speed and performance. It’s ideal for large-scale data scraping tasks where speed is paramount. It’s also suitable for individual use cases where speed is crucial, e.g., for downloading files. The drawback is that Live Proxies charges higher prices than most rivals.

• Take a look at our guide to the best proxy services

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.

• We've listed the best adblockers

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.

• We've listed the best adblockers

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.

• We've listed the best adblockers

Advertisements have become a major problem on the internet, and it’s no surprise that many are seeking a solution to this problem. Websites increasingly rely on ads and have focused on monetization over content. It’s now common to find websites with more ads than content, making navigation annoying.

Many people think excessive ads are an inescapable part of the internet, but that’s false. A straightforward solution to this problem is an ad-blocker, a software tool that detects and thwarts ads at their source. The Stands Free AdBlocker is one of the best such tools, and we’re reviewing it to help you decide whether it’s worth adopting. This review will cover its features, pricing, user-friendliness, customer support, and other vital aspects.

Stands Free AdBlocker: Plans and Pricing

The name of this tool already hints that you don’t need to pay to use it. The Stands Free AdBlocker is free to download and use, which is its main selling point. Unlike many rivals, this ad blocker is supported by user donations.

The Stands Free AdBlocker works as a browser extension or Android-only mobile app. With either option, you can enjoy free ad blocking.

Stands Free Adblocker: Features

Downloading and installing the Stands Free AdBlocker is noticeably easy. Head to the official website, select your browser, click the download button, and you're ready. Alternatively, you can search for "Stands Free Adblocker" on your relevant browser extension store and download it there. Stands offers Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, and Brave extensions. There’s also an Android app but no iOS app.

We installed the extension for this review, and it was conveniently added to our browser toolbar. To start, we checked Forbes.com to see how many ads the extension would block. Forbes.com is known for serving many ads and true to form, the Stands AdBlocker blocked 22 elements on the web page. We liked that the extension gave details about the number of elements blocked on each page, making it easy to verify that it’s performing its work.

You’ll see a similar report as above when you visit any website with the Stands AdBlocker activated. Simply click the icon on your toolbar, and you can see this report.

If you find any element that Stands AdBlocker can’t block, you can click the + Block Element button and click on the element you want to block. For example, here’s the Forbes.com homepage at the time of our review:

Below is the homepage after we blocked several elements. What’s the difference? removed several images and text from the homepage. This feature lets you remove any element you’re uncomfortable with and continue surfing a website as usual.

The Stands AdBlocker gives you considerable control over your ad-blocking settings. You might have some trusted websites you want to keep showing ads, e.g., your local news site. In that case, you can add the domain to your list of whitelisted sites, and Stands AdBlocker won’t block ads on it. It’ll keep blocking ads on other domains, but the whitelisted domains are off-limits. This feature is helpful when you have some trusted news sites you want to support by allowing them to keep showing ads.

This ad-blocker also lets you exempt specific domains from popup-blocking. Any domain you add to the "Popup allowed sites" list can keep showing you popups, unlike other websites where the ad-blocker detects and blocks annoying popups.

The Stands AdBlocker doesn't just block display ads and popups. It also blocks sophisticated ads, such as Facebook Ads, Search ads, Webmail ads, and Sponsored Links. You can control what the extension should block and what it shouldn't, and the same goes for the Android app.

This ad blocker offers a “Fair Ads” program that lets you show ads on select sites that have agreed to adhere to strict standards of displaying ads professionally. However, unlike other ad blockers, this feature is optional and switched off by default.

Stands Free AdBlocker: Interface and In-Use

The Stands AdBlocker has a neat interface that’s easy to navigate. Everything from download to installation to continuous use is seamless. The interface employs sufficient color contrast and well-spaced elements that enable easy navigation. You can easily find any feature you want and change your configurations.

The drawback we observed in this area is that the Stands AdBlocker lacks an iOS app even though it has an Android app.

Stands Free AdBlocker: Customer Support

The Stands AdBlocker provides significant support resources despite being a free tool. When facing issues, you can contact a dedicated support email for help. You can also send bug reports, such as incorrect blocking, for the developers to fix.

The official website has a FAQ section that contains detailed answers to common questions. You can use this FAQ section to troubleshoot the app when facing any issues. Stands AdBlocker is a free tool, meaning users aren’t entitled to support, but the developers go a long way in helping users solve their problems.

Stands Free AdBlocker: The Competition

There’s no shortage of competition in the ad blocker software sector. Two competitors we’d like to highlight are uBlock Origin and Ghostery. These are free ad blockers that provide features similar to the Stands AdBlocker.

The Stands AdBlocker shines above these rivals by having an Android app, which you’ll rarely find in a free ad-blocking tool. Apart from the app, the Stands AdBlocker isn’t much different than uBlock Origin and Ghostery.

Stands Free AdBlocker: Final Verdict

We can confidently recommend the Stands AdBlocker to anyone seeking a tool to improve their browsing experience. This tool blocks ads effectively and without charging users a dime, with a user-friendly interface that makes navigation easy. We only found a few drawbacks, such as the lack of an iOS app, but the advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages.

• We've listed the best adblockers

Advertisements have become a thorn in the internet’s flesh. Many websites rely on ads to fund themselves, and ads don’t pay so much except for publishers with big numbers. This factor has led many publishers to focus too much on advertisements over content and inadvertently ruin users’ experience.

Ask an internet user about their everyday problems, and you’ll likely hear about ads. Excessive ads have made many cherished websites challenging to use, angering users. Fortunately, there’s a proven solution to this problem: an ad blocker.

Ad blockers detect and restrict ads from their source, allowing you to surf the web without encountering obnoxious content. AdBlock is one of the best ad blockers available, and it’s free to use. We’re reviewing AdBlock to help you decide whether it’s worth adopting, covering its features, interface, customer support, and other essential aspects.

AdBlock: Plans and Pricing

AdBlock is a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Samsung Internet. It allows you to enjoy ad-free browsing without paying a dime, but there’s a catch. AdBlock is maintained by Eyeo GmbH, a German company that also offers a paid product called AdBlock Plus.

AdBlock Plus offers more advanced features than AdBlock, e.g., a mobile app. One of the main drawbacks we observed when using AdBlock was frequent popups advertising the AdBlock Plus offering. Sure, AdBlock effectively blocks ads, but showing its own ad felt off-putting. However, we could understand that as the small price for enjoying a free ad blocker.

AdBlock: Features

Our test began with downloading the AdBlock extension from the Chrome extension store, and the process was smooth. Downloading and adding the extension took less than a minute, and we began our journey to test every nook and cranny of this app.

AdBlock is a free tool, but after downloading it, we noticed a prompt requesting a possible donation to the development team. This donation is optional, so you don't have to pay any dime, but you're free to chip in a one-off, monthly, or annual contribution if you’re delighted with the app.

Like most ad blockers, AdBlock scans and checks your browser requests against filtering rules. The app has built-in lists of domains known to serve ads and trackers, and it blocks any request to such domains on your browser. Hence, you'll see an empty space in those slots where ads usually appear.

AdBlock gives you details about the advertisements it has detected and blocked. For example, we opened Forbes.com, and AdBlock indicated blocking 8 ads from the browser. You’ll see the stats for every website you visit, helping you verify that AdBlock is doing its job.

Of course, you might not want to block all ads entirely. You may have some trusted sites that you want to permit to show ads. AdBlock lets you customize your configurations, allowing ads to be displayed on specific domains. You can exempt as many domains as you want from ad blocking.

We noticed that AdBlock is one of the few ad blockers we’ve reviewed that allows “Acceptable Ads,” i.e., ads the developers deem non-intrusive. Some publishers participate in the Acceptable Ads program, agreeing to adhere to standards that make their ads non-intrusive. Acceptable Ads are enabled by default, but you can head to the settings page and turn them off if you don’t want to see any ads.

We also observed that the AdBlock extension collects some browsing data, which the developers presumably sell to make money. You can also opt out of this default feature. Despite its effectiveness in blocking ads, we consider the Acceptable Ads program and default data collection drawbacks to using this platform, unlike some free and open-source rivals that have no acceptable ads program or collect any browsing data.

AdBlock is free, but valuable features are hidden behind the AdBlock Plus subscription, such as the cookie consent cutter, custom themes, backup & sync, and image swap (swapping ads with pictures of cats, dogs, and nature). Some ad blockers offer these features for free, but that’s not the case with AdBlock.

AdBlock: Interface and In-Use

AdBlock has a user-friendly interface you’ll likely enjoy using. We didn’t face any noteworthy difficulties downloading and using the extension. It works smoothly, and the settings app is designed to be easy to understand. We liked that we could see detailed stats about the ads blocked over time and switch between different settings without hassles.

The main drawback we observed in this criterion is that AdBlock lacks a mobile app. Only AdBlock Plus subscribers can access a mobile app to block ads while surfing the web on their smartphone.

AdBlock: Customer Support

AdBlock is a free tool, so don’t expect much customer support. There’s no support team to contact as a free user, so you must figure out most issues yourself. However, we appreciate that AdBlock provides a detailed Knowledge Base and FAQ section on its website. The website contains tutorials about AdBlock features and in-depth answers to customers' common questions. You can always consult it for help if you face any issues with the app.

AdBlock: The Competition

AdBlock has competitors you should know about, such as uBlock Origin and Ghostery. These are two effective ad-blockers you can use free of charge, just like AdBlock. They are suitable alternatives but don’t offer much to make them stand out from AdBlock.

AdBlock: Final Verdict

AdBlock is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a free ad blocker to make your browsing experience more enjoyable. It doesn’t offer much outside ad-blocking (except if you’re on the premium AdBlock Plus subscription). However, it does its job very well and significantly improves your browsing experience.

• We've listed the best adblockers