The Best Ad Blockers for 2024

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Real ads from legitimate companies are annoying on their own, but some online advertisements can be downright dangerous. For example, you may have encountered malicious scareware ads that look like antivirus alerts. Other ads impersonate law enforcement and demand hefty fines.

You should also want advertisers to know less about you. Ad blockers not only drastically reduce the ads you encounter online, but they also prevent advertisers from tracking your online activities. The best news? All of the ad blockers on this list are free. Read on to find out which extensions we recommend, and how to choose the right one.

How We Test Ad Blockers

All of our testing was conducted on a desktop computer running Windows 11 Pro. We tested each ad blocker's Firefox extension.

To test each extension's ad-blocking functionality, we browse PCMag's homepage and watch YouTube videos to see how many pre-roll, mid-roll, and overlay advertisements we encounter while it runs. During the test, we note the aesthetic choices for each extension and give preference to those with attractive and easy-to-use layouts. We also factor in scores from ad block extension testing websites such as AdBlock Tester and the Electronic Frontier Foundation's browser testing site.

Go Beyond Ad Blockers

Ad blockers are useful tools, but you can do more to secure your privacy and security online. Consider exploring your browsers' built-in privacy features. All of the popular browsers have tracker blocking built in. Other browsers, including Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi, include tracking blockers too. Check out our list of the best privacy-focused web browsers.

A VPN is a worthwhile privacy investment, too. VPNs use encryption to hide your online activity, making it a little more difficult for advertisers to track you online. Remember that account takeovers and malware infections are the biggest threat to your security online. Enable multi-factor authentication wherever you can online to keep bad guys from taking over your accounts. Download antivirus software, and use a password manager to create and store unique and complex passwords or passkeys for each app you use. It's a lot to remember, so check out our cybersecurity checklist for help with a list of periodic tasks to protect you and your family's privacy and online safety.