Do you get annoyed by pop-ups, auto-playing videos, and banner ads?
These ads aren’t just annoying; they are also harmful. Online ads and trackers can negatively impact your browsing speed, privacy, and security.
This is why ad-blocking solutions are so important for a secure internet experience. In this article, we’ll review some of the top ad-blocking VPN and DNS filtering tools in the market. We hope this will help find the right solution for faster, cleaner, and more private browsing online.
What Benefits Does an Ad-Blocking Solution Offer?
A simple browser extension for ad-blocking isn’t enough to stay safe. You need a system-wide solution for more robust protection. The right ad-blocking tool will help you:
- Enjoy faster browsing: An ad-blocking tool can stop unwanted ad scripts, images, and videos from loading. This will make your webpages lighter, so don’t be surprised if it starts loading faster.
- Get rid of tracking, welcome privacy: Ad-blocking tools block the trackers embedded in websites and ads. This means trackers won’t be able to monitor your online moves, and your data will no longer fall into the wrong hands.
- No more malware: A good ad-blocking tool does much more than just blocking ads; it also blocks phishing websites or any sources that distribute malware. As a result, your device stays healthy and safe.
- Save data and money: Ad-blocking tools save your mobile or home internet data that was previously spent on downloading unwanted content. When you save your data, you also save your money.
Let’s explore some of the best ad-blocking tools together.
5 Top Tools for Ad-Blocking and Fast Browsing
Here are five user-favorite tools. This list includes both comprehensive VPN services with ad-blocking features and a powerful, dedicated DNS filtering solution.
Windscribe
Windscribe is a one-of-a-kind VPN service that stands out with its high-level privacy and security tools. It not only helps you browse the internet more privately but also prevents ads and trackers, making your online experience much more pleasant.
The feature R.O.B.E.R.T. works at the DNS level to filter out unwanted domains. It helps prevent ads and trackers from ever reaching your devices. This approach ensures that all devices connected to your Windscribe-enabled network are protected without needing to install separate software on each one. Windscribe has a free plan if you just need malware and ad blocking, with up to 3 access rules.
Key Features:
Security, Ad-Blocking, and Customization
Windscribe’s filtering capabilities provide the following to enhance your online privacy and browsing speed. Windscribe:
- Blocks trackers to help you enjoy a more private browsing experience.
- Helps you save data by not wasting it on irrelevant, spammy content.
- Blocks annoying ads right at the root.
- Ensures instant setting changes so there is no need to wait or reconnect.
- It is customizable, so you can create a unique set of blocking/whitelisting/spoofing rules for your network.
- Blocks botnet C&C servers, malware distributing, and phishing sites.
NordVPN
While NordVPN is better known for its VPN capabilities, it also offers a Threat Protection feature that acts as an effective ad blocker. NordVPN’s ad blocker removes intrusive ads and blockers while also blocking access to malicious websites.
Key Features:
Security and Ad-Blocking
- Ensures cleaner and faster browsing with no pop-ups, banners, or video ads.
- Prevents third-party trackers from collecting your personal data with Threat Protection Pro.
- Scans downloaded files to block malware and prevents access to malware-hosting sites.
Customization
- Allows you to enable ads on websites or specific pages in case you don’t want to miss out on the latest offers of your favorite creators.
Platform Support
- Blocks ads on both Android and iOS devices with Threat Protection.
- Works with every browser you use.
Customer Guarantee
- NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Surfshark
Surfshark is great for those with tight budgets. It supports unlimited devices, which makes it an ideal choice for families or individuals with many gadgets. Its CleanWeb feature handles ad and malware blocking.
Key Features:
Security, Privacy, and Performance
- Comes with a malware alert feature on extensions that shows you a website’s leak history.
- Lowers your data usage by blocking ads before they load.
- Improves webpage loading by removing resource-hungry ads.
Platform Support
- Blocks ads across major platforms, covering smartphones, smart TVs, etc.
- Enables you to block video ads and even tailor ad blocking by language on browser extensions.
Customer Guarantee
- Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Proton VPN
Proton VPN is developed by the same team behind the encrypted email service Proton Mail. Its famous NetShield feature is a DNS filter that blocks ads, trackers, and malware.
Key Features:
Privacy and Security
- Blocks any ads that threaten your privacy.
- Offers a NetShield Privacy Panel that allows you to see the number of blocked ads and trackers.
Control and Monitoring
- Allows you to control what NetShield blocks. For example, you can choose to block only malware, or block malware along with ads and trackers, or turn NetShield off entirely.
Platform Support
- NetShield can be used on different platforms and devices, including macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS/iPadOS.
Customer Guarantee
- A 30-day money-back guarantee is available.
AdGuard VPN
AdGuard VPN enables users to hide their online identity by routing traffic through a remote VPN server. AdGuard VPN also encrypts your traffic and makes privacy and security a top priority.
With over 16 years of experience in ad-blocking, AdGuard has expanded its expertise into the VPN space, making privacy and security a top priority. The platform also offers a cloud-based DNS service (AdGuard DNS) to block ads and protect users’ privacy.
Key Features:
Ad-Blocking and Privacy
- Blocks any trackers even before the page loads.
- Functions across both browsers and apps.
- Hides empty spaces and other elements to preserve the appearance and functionality of a webpage after removing ads.
Customer Guarantee
- Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee for paid plans.
Conclusion
A good ad-blocking VPN or DNS filter can make a real difference in your browsing experience. It can help you boost not only webpage load times but also your personal privacy and security.
Each of the above solutions provides unique benefits. What matters most is to find the right tool that fits your digital goals and needs. Some important questions to consider include:
- What are my main needs?
- How many devices do I need to protect?
- Is it easy to use?
- What is the cost?
- What do other users say?
But before you make any purchase, do your research: read user reviews, get a demo, or try the tool first to ensure it matches the description. These steps will keep you away from financial troubles in the long term.
