All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
- All About Cookies makes money when you click the links on our site to some of the products and offers that we mention. These partnerships do not influence our opinions or recommendations. Read more about how we make money.
- Partners are not able to review or request changes to our content except for compliance reasons.
- We aim to make sure everything on our site is up-to-date and accurate as of the publishing date, but we cannot guarantee we haven't missed something. It's your responsibility to double-check all information before making any decision. If you spot something that looks wrong, please let us know.
-
User-friendly ad blocker that offers broad coverage across browsers and devices without compromising device speed
-
The free version provides basic extension-only coverage, while the premium plans boast robust app coverage
-
App plans include parental controls, browsing security, browser assistant, DNS leak protection, and a VPN
- Ad-blocking statistics can be hard to interpret
All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
- All About Cookies makes money when you click the links on our site to some of the products and offers that we mention. These partnerships do not influence our opinions or recommendations. Read more about how we make money.
- Partners are not able to review or request changes to our content except for compliance reasons.
- We aim to make sure everything on our site is up-to-date and accurate as of the publishing date, but we cannot guarantee we haven't missed something. It's your responsibility to double-check all information before making any decision. If you spot something that looks wrong, please let us know.
AdGuard efficiently blocks ads without being intrusive. While opening various browser tabs, we noticed the number of blocked items steadily increased. That’s impressive, but we also had a bit of trouble navigating the interface, which we’ll discuss in further detail.
AdGuard is still a good ad blocker, and we tested it thoroughly to see how it performs with our Macbook Air and PC while using two web browsers. Keep reading to learn how this ad blocker works and discover if AdGuard is the best ad-blocking software for your needs.
- Easy to download
- Simple interface
- Doesn’t interfere with device speed
- If using multiple browsers, you must install the extension on each one
- Ad-blocking statistics can be hard to interpret
Our experience
Paid plan
Eigenschaften
Test results
Compatibility
How to use
Alternatives
FAQs
Bottom line: Is AdGuard good?
AdGuard overview
Ads blocked on Forbes homepage | 14 |
AdBlock Tester score | 94/100 |
Cover Your Tracks score | 2/3 |
Can You Block It score | 3/3 |
Does it block YouTube ads? | Yes |
Whitelisting available | Yes |
Blacklisting available | Yes |
Compatibility | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Android TV, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Yandex |
Paid version | Starts at $2.49/mo |
Mehr erfahren | Get AdGuard |
How we test and rate ad blockers
Each ad blocker we review goes through a standardized test designed to push the limits of what the software is capable of. This includes vigorous third-party testing using websites like adblock-tester.com, coveryourtracks.eff.org, and canyoublockit.com. We also visit popular websites to test the ad blocker’s day-to-day capabilities, including watching YouTube videos and browsing Forbes.
Once we’ve completed the testing, we calculate our editorial rating by taking into account key features you’d expect from a good product. We score each ad blocker in the following categories and use a weighted average to calculate the final rating out of 5 stars:
- Price
- Test scores
- Eigenschaften
- Browser support
- Editorial score
To learn more about how we test, read our full ad blocker methodology here.
Our experience
Downloading and installing the ad blocker was no problem. The installation was quick and easy to set up. You may need to update your privacy settings to allow AdGuard access, but that’s simple to do.
In our testing, all the websites functioned properly, and we didn’t notice any hiccups along the way. We were especially impressed with how it blocked ads while watching YouTube videos, as this is where tons of ads seem to populate. Having an ad blocker has allowed our internet usage to be more streamlined without the constant worry of trackers and ads getting through.
We downloaded AdGuard for our Mac and our PC and installed the AdGuard browser extension. To us, one of the best features is the data it saves. Since installation on our device, AdGuard has saved over 18 MB of data for the day.
![The AdGuard interface indicating how many ads, trackers, and threats have been blocked, as well as how much data has been saved.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/02/10/adguard_2023_2.png)
As we mentioned, the one feature that can be confusing is the total number under AdGuard’s Ads blocked section. When you click on the Statistics option, you’ll see the number for Ad Blocking and then the number for Privacy. We aren’t sure how these numbers stack up or what they mean together.
![The AdGuard app statistics chart with numbers for ad blocking and for privacy.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/02/10/adguard_2023_3.png)
However, we do like the phishing and malware protection functions that come with AdGuard. It’s a simple matter of turning the protection on, and you’re good to go.
You can also activate and remove context-based ads and websites that use self-promotion, which is a huge plus for ridding those internet interruptions. Also, Stealth Mode protects your identity and personal information from online trackers. We like the added bonus of being able to hide search queries, too.
![The AdGuard app Stealth Mode and general options.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/02/10/adguard_2023_5.png)
AdGuard paid plan
AdGuard is available for free or with paid subscriptions. The paid versions allow protection across multiple platforms. The Personal plan covers up to three devices, and the Family option covers up to nine devices.
There isn’t a lot of information on the website that shows any other differences in the paid vs. free plan. If you only want coverage for one device, we recommend choosing the free option, but the paid plans are also reasonably priced.
AdGuard Free Extension | AdGuard Personal App | AdGuard Family App | |
Price | Free | $2.49/mo | $5.49/mo |
Devices | 1 device | up to 3 devices | up to 9 devices |
Block ads and pop-ups | |||
Block trackers | |||
Block site notifications | |||
Block floating videos | |||
Stealth Mode | |||
Parental controls | |||
Browsing security | |||
Browser assistant | |||
DNS protection | |||
VPN | |||
Mehr erfahren | View Plan | View Plan | View Plan |
It also has a 60-day money-back guarantee.
![AdGuard 3-day free trial pop-up](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/04/24/adguard_3-day_free_trial_pop-up.png)
Main features
The AdGuard app has impressive features, and here's an overview:
- Ad blocker
- Browsing security
- Browser assistant
- Parental controls
- Phishing protection
- Stealth mode
- Allowlist
- Virtual private network
- Cloud-based DNS service
- Network traffic filtering
![AdGuard Settings dashboard on PC](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/04/24/adguard_features_dashboard_pc.png)
With allowlist, AdGuard’s whitelist function, you can add specific websites that you don’t want AdGuard to filter. We were able to test the parental controls, which are only compatible with Windows, on our PC. The parental security features include the ability to conduct safe searches, implement password protection, and block users from downloading files or installing new apps.
If you want more than just an ad blocker, AdGuard also offers a virtual private network and a cloud-based DNS service. These services can also be bundled at a discounted price. The DNS service is also great for parents because you can schedule screen time for your kids and block undesired content.
AdGuard doesn’t display warnings, but it does show the number of ads blocked. You can also check a website’s security to ensure you’re on a safe site. That’s a great feature for when you’re using multiple websites and want to be secure.
One of the features that can be a bit confusing is the ad blocking and privacy section. You get a total number, but it’s not clear what that means. Even after thorough reading from AdGuard’s site, we couldn’t find an example that matched our extension window.
AdGuard test results
To test AdGuard, we used AdBlock Tester, Cover Your Tracks, and Can You Block It. These websites are dedicated to testing browser protection and ad blockers.
AdBlock Tester uses advertiser analytics to test the blocker’s effectiveness against contextual advertising, analytics tools, banner advertising, and error monitoring. When we first tested AdGuard with AdBlock Tester on macOS, it received a 68/100 score. After we toggled on every filter related to content blocking in the settings, the score increased to 100/100.
However, when we retested the AdGuard Chrome extension on our PC, it failed to pass the error monitoring test with a total score of 88/100.
![AdGuard AdBlocker Tester results on Chrome with the browser extension](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/04/24/adguard_adblock_tester_results.png)
But when we switched to the Windows app, AdGuard scored 94/100. The difference is that the app was able to block the sentry scripts, whereas the Chrome extension couldn't. Even still, the error monitoring test isn't as important as the ad blocking tests.
![AdGuard AdBlocker Test results on Windows PC with the app](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/04/24/adguard_adblock_tester_results_pc.png)
While we're glad that AdGuard is an effective ad blocker, it may not be the best option for someone looking to just set and forget their ad blocker from the moment they download it.
Cover Your Tracks illustrates how visible you are to online trackers. It tests for tracking ads, invisible trackers, and whether you have an identifiable digital "fingerprint."
AdGuard received a 2/3 with Cover Your Tracks on both macOS and Windows, having blocked ads and invisible trackers. Our browser still has a unique fingerprint, but we found that to be a common result among most ad blockers.
![AdGuard's Cover Your Tracks results](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/04/24/cover_your_tracks_results.png)
AdGuard's Cover Your Tracks results
Can You Block It tests for ad blocker warnings, banner ads, and interstitial ads (or those pesky ads that pop up while the webpage loads), and AdGuard passed 3/3. How do we know? Because we didn't see any ads during the browser test.
AdGuard test scores
AdBlock Tester | Cover Your Tracks | Can You Block It | |
AdGuard score | 100/100 (macOS) 94/100 (Windows) |
2/3 | 3/3 |
YouTube ad test
If you want to block YouTube ads, you’ll love AdGuard’s blocking capabilities here. We tested numerous channels and videos and were pleasantly surprised when all the ads we normally see were blocked. AdGuard was effective at halting all advertisements while we watched the content of various videos.
We had no ads get through while watching, although we expected a few to slip through the cracks. That didn’t happen with our testing. Using AdGuard also didn’t change our user experience while watching YouTube videos. There were no speed disruptions or slowdowns noted.
![The YouTube homepage alongside the AdGuard interface indicated how many ads were blocked on YouTube.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/02/10/adguard_2023_1.png)
We were also relieved to find that AdGuard has persisted against YouTube's recent actions against ad blockers. No need for a YouTube Premium subscription here.
Bypassing paywall test
Most ad blockers, free or premium, can't bypass hard paywalls, and AdGuard is no exception. Paywalled content means that the user is required to subscribe in order to access the "premium" content. However, AdGuard is able to bypass soft paywalls, like those you'd typically see in local news sites. So you can probably use the extension to access regional news stories and catch up on local happenings.
What browsers and software is AdGuard compatible with?
If you’re looking for an ad blocker that’s compatible with almost any browser, you likely find that in AdGuard. The ad blocker works with the most popular web browsers. It also works on both Android and iOS devices. You can use Windows and macOS and enjoy AdGuard features.
These are the browsers and systems that have AdGuard ad-blocking extension capabilities:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Oper
- Yandex
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
- Android TV
How to use AdGuard
The AdGuard extension is easy to install on macOS or Windows. Simply navigate to the website, select download, and allow the extension to install. Once the fast installation is complete, you can access the extension using the browser icon. For quick access, pin the icon to your toolbar.
To use the more premium features, you'll need to download the AdGuard app. When downloading the extension, AdGuard prompts you to also download the app for the most comprehensive coverage. You can customize a lot more with the app by navigating to Settings.
![AdGuard PC app dashboard with Settings highlighted](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/04/24/adguard_pc_app_settings.png)
From there, you can access AdGuard's advanced security features — which, comparatively, you won't see in the extension Settings because premium features like parental controls, DNS protection, VPN services, and more are only available with the app.
AdGuard alternatives
AdGuard is a standout in the ad blocker realm, but it's not the only option available. We've gathered a list of some of the best ad blockers that we've tested and can recommend as trustworthy alternatives. Plus, all of these top-rated ad blockers stop YouTube video ads.
![]() |
![]() Threat Protection |
![]() CleanWeb |
|
Best for | Best for blocking YouTube ads | Best overall | Best for blocking streaming ads |
Price | Starts at $1.59/mo (billed annually) | Starts at $3.09/mo (billed every two years) | Starts at $2.19/mo (billed biennially) |
Free version? | |||
Adblock Tester score | 100/100 | 93/100 | 96/100 |
Cover Your Tracks score | 2/3 | 2/3 | 0.5/3 |
Can You Block It score | 3/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 |
Blocks YouTube ads? | |||
Compatibility | Windows, Mac, Chrome, Edge, Opera, Amazon Fire, Safari, Android, iOS | Threat Protection: Windows, macOS
Threat Protection Lite: |
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, FireTV |
Mehr erfahren | Get Total Adblock | Get NordVPN Threat Protection | Get Surfshark CleanWeb |
Total Adblock is a user-friendly and effective ad blocker. It's even consistently thwarted YouTube ads following its crackdown, so you can rest assured that you're using a quality product.
NordVPN Threat Protection is from the makers of NordVPN. Threat Protection is a VPN feature that can block ads, trackers, and malware. Its real-time protection ensures vigilant monitoring of any cyberthreats on the sites you visit and files you download.
AdLock is a standout among free extensions for multiple web browsers. It blocks most ads with its free plan and doesn't sell your data to third parties.
FAQs
Is AdGuard free?
AdGuard is a free download, but there are also paid plans offered that cover multiple platforms and devices.
Is AdGuard safe?
AdGuard is a safe third-party software, designed to block ads and improve your browsing experience. Since it’s open-source software, users can look at the coding to see if there are any security vulnerabilities.
AdGuard vs. AdBlock: Which is better?
AdGuard is better at blocking pages before they are loaded into the browser, thereby removing the ad elements. That may be due to AdGuard having an extension and stand-alone application. Since AdBlock is only an extension, it may not remove all the ads.
Does AdGuard sell your data?
According to its privacy policy, AdGuard does not sell your data.
What type of ads does AdGuard block?
AdGuard blocks all ads, including video ads, floating ads, pop-ups, banners, text ads, and interstitial ads.
Bottom line: Is AdGuard good?
AdGuard is a good ad blocker with plenty of features like phishing, tracking, and browser protection. When testing the product on our Macbook Air running Big Sur 11.3 and Windows PC, we loved having multiple webpages open with no interruption in speed performance. Another standout feature is viewing YouTube videos with no ads invading while watching our favorite content creators.
AdGuard is best for the user who wants to get rid of online ads and likes to delve into all the functionality of the product interface. There are different options you can set up, like custom filters, an allowlist, and user rules. If you want to add your preferred filtering rules, you can do that with this ad blocker. It’s also a good product if you don’t want to pay a lot or anything at all for a solid ad blocker that takes care of annoyances in the background while you are web browsing.
If you’re still looking for the best ad blocker for you, check out the best ad blockers on the market, which we've researched and tested.
Featured ad blockers
Ad blocker | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Best for | Best for blocking YouTube ads | Best overall | Best for streaming |
Price | Paid plan costs $1.59/mo (billed annually) | Starts at $3.09/mo (billed every two years) | Paid plans start at $2.19/mo (billed biennially) |
Blocks YouTube ads | |||
Mehr erfahren | Get Total Adblock | Get NordVPN Threat Protection | Get Surfshark CleanWeb Ad Blocking |
![A blue background with images of locks and shields with the text "Ad Blocker Review Best Ad Blockers for Chrome" and the All About Cookies logo.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/03/24/best_ad_blockers_for_chrome.jpg)
![A blue background with images of locks and shields with the text "Ad Blocker Review Best Ad Blockers for Android" and the All About Cookies logo.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/04/19/best_ad_blockers_for_android.jpg)
![Back view of a family sitting on the couch and facing their TV.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/29/block_paramount_plus_ads_featured_image.jpg)
![An older woman sits on the sofa and flips through the TV channels with a remote.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/29/how_to_block_ads_on_peacock_featured_image.png)
![A woman uses her computer at night.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/12/why_you_should_avoid_adblock_360_featured_image.png)
![A blue background with images of locks and shields with the text "Ad Blocker Review Wipr vs. Adblock Plus" and the All About Cookies logo.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/07/03/wipr_vs._adblock_plus_featured_image.jpg)
![A blue background with images of locks and shields with the text "Ad Blocker Review Wipr vs. uBlock Origin" and the All About Cookies logo.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/06/28/wipr_vs._ublock_origin_featured_image.jpg)
![A blue background with images of locks and shields with the text "Ad Blocker Review Wipr vs. AdGuard" and the All About Cookies logo.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/06/28/wipr_vs._adguard_featured_image.jpg)