A Shortlist of Best Ad Blockers for Mac and Safari

Utility • Updated on Aug. 23, 2024

We understand that ads are a crucial part of the Internet. From our viewpoint, we can’t survive without ads on our web pages. However, we always draw a line between acceptable and annoying ads. Many other sites don’t, though.

It means your internet experience could take a hit without a proper ad-blocker. These days, ads and pop-ups have also made it to native macOS apps, also bringing privacy concerns. Thus, using an ad-blocker is not just about having a less annoying internet experience. Instead, it can protect you from many threats.

Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia introduce a new feature called “Distraction Control” in Safari. This tool allows users to manually hide distracting web elements, such as pop-ups, overlays, and ads. While not a full-fledged ad blocker, it provides an additional layer of control over your browsing experience. However, for comprehensive protection, traditional ad blockers remain essential.

Honestly, we have been using ad-blockers even before they became a necessity. Here are some of our favorites.

Best ad blockers for Mac

Based on these ideas, we have split the options into three categories. Rest assured, all these ad-blockers are 100% safe and privacy-friendly. In addition, we tested each of them to check whether they fulfilled all the promises they made.

• System-wide: AdGuard, NordVPN, AdLock, SurfShark
• Safari extensions: Wipr, Ghostery, AdBlock Pro, 1Blocker
• Browsers: Brave, Opera

System-wide ad-blockers

These are some of the best system-wide ad-blockers available for macOS. We have chosen products with a native macOS app. However, within these options, you can focus on multiple aspects like privacy. But rest assured, these ad-blocker utilities will provide a holistic ad-free experience on your Mac.

#1 AdGuard – Best Mac system-wide ad blocker

AdGuard remains one of the most straightforward and efficient ways to block advertisements across your Mac.

We love AdGuard for the comprehensive protection it provides. In addition to blocking almost all kinds of ads, this ad blocker can help you improve traffic speed and security. For instance, because AdGuard gets rid of the HTML container, you will have a smooth page-loading experience.

But what makes AdGuard a fantastic option for Mac is its native macOS app. This app lets you set up many ways to control how ads appear on your device. Through URL blocking, proxy servers, and DNS filtering, the app ensures you are away from trackers and ads. What’s more, AdGuard are incorporating AI into their technology to keep pace with the new wave of AI-generated ads. While not exclusively AI-powered, AdGuard has AI-based filters to enhance its ad-blocking capabilities.

We have been using AdGuard for a couple of years, and it has been effective, even when it comes to YouTube ads. Even at the time of writing, AdGuard does an impressive job of stopping all sorts of YouTube ads. It must be seen how things change, though. It effortlessly blocks pre-roll and mid-roll YouTube ads.

This app also brings privacy protection and browsing security into a single package. You can also use the ad-blocker app to enable parental control over your network. You also get full ad-blocking support on most web browsers and applications. AdGuard does not require a browser extension for that.

Pricing

You can get AdGuard for Mac for as low as $2.49 per month when you get the annual subscription. To see if these features work for your needs, you can try the fully-fledged free trial for 14 days.

Pros

• A balanced set of ad-blocking features and customizability
• It blocks almost all ads at the system level across browsers
• Built-in tracking protection and parental control options

Cons

• Limited free tier

Overall, AdGuard for Mac gets almost everything right when it comes to protecting your Mac from annoying advertisements and problematic trackers.

#2 NordVPN Threat Protection – Best ad blocker + VPN for Mac

Threat Protection Pro from NordVPN is another way to block ads system-wide. This all-in-one cybersecurity suite helps you get rid of trackers and annoying ads in one step.

Of course, we shall focus on the ad blocker element in the NordVPN Threat Protection package. It helps you get rid of pop-ups, banners, and video ads in a single click. It means enjoying your favorite news websites or a YouTube video without any distractions.

The ad-blocker module works great with the tracker-blocking module, giving you protection from both types of threats. More importantly, you get plenty of customization options, including allowlisting and notifications for vulnerability detection.

The best part? All these features are available through the NordVPN app for macOS. However, you must use the side-loaded version—not the one from the Mac App Store. Threat Protection Pro is multiple times better than Threat Protection, its free counterpart.

When you get this all-in-one ad blocker from NordVPN, you also get some additional options like proactive anti-malware protection, tracker prevention, malicious link blocking, and advanced DNS filtering. You get a good security ecosystem with the browser extensions.

Pricing

NordVPN Threat Protection Pro is available with NordVPN Plus and NordVPN Complete plans, which start at $3.99 and $4.99, respectively. With the Complete version, you get 1TB of encrypted cloud storage as well.

Pros

• Advanced protection from all types of advertisements and trackers
• Built-in VPN, password manager, and encrypted cloud storage
• Web-based and proactive protection against malware/phishing

Cons

• Requires a side-loaded version of the macOS app

While some may find it overkill, NordVPN Threat Protection Pro packs everything you need for a secure internet experience. If you don’t think so, you are severely underestimating the digital threats of today.

#3 AdLock for Mac – Best customizable ad blocker for Mac

AdLock for Mac is another system-wide ad-blocker utility we have tried. We came across AdLock when it became a part of the Setapp subscription, and it has been a reliable option since.

Compared to AdGuard for Mac, AdLock for Mac offers a dedicated interface. You can use this UI to toggle ad blocking features as well as other options. It neatly provides statistics about blocked ads and trackers. The numbers might give you a shock, though.

You also get consistent notifications about traffic and protection modules. For instance, you get to choose the apps where you want filtered traffic. By default, AdLock works for most browsers, but you can add more as you wish.

Thanks to its UI design, AdLock makes it easy for beginners to customize their ad-blocking settings on a Mac. For instance, you could set up ad filters and optimize network settings. You can always check out additional controls such as auto-updating filters and HTTPS filtering.

We also like AdLock a bit more because it goes the extra mile. For instance, you can report an incident if you come across an ad when AdLock is active. In our experience, they were quick to make changes to the filter and get the job done.

Pricing

AdLock is available through a subscription, which starts at $1.05 per month. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee, making AdLock something you can try. AdLock is available through Setapp as well.

Pros

• Comprehensive ad-blocking across the macOS system
• Advanced options for customizing filters and ad-blocking
• It has a minimal software footprint and resource consumption

Cons

• It does not have a free trial

Overall, AdLock is a decent choice if you need a customizable ad-blocker for Mac. It may not have many extra security features, but you get sufficient features for the amount you pay.

#4 Surfshark CleanWeb – Affordable ad blocker + VPN for Mac

Surfshark CleanWeb is another ad-blocker you may want to try for system-wide impact. You can get the VPN app from Surfshark and bundle the many features for a peaceful web experience.

You get complete protection from Surfshark Starter, which is the basic plan for the VPN service. In addition to VPN access, the macOS app can block ads and those annoying cookie pop-ups. But if you spend a dollar more and get the Surfshark One package, you get more identity-protection features, too.

If we focus on the ad-blocker utility alone, you may not find anything unique. It looks and works like a typical ad-blocker for Mac and is close to 100% effective. However, you get the best value when you combine those security and privacy-centric features from the package.

However, unlike other ad-blockers, Surfshark CleanWeb claims to block video ads on your smart TVs also. In our experience, the experience on smart TVs was okay. You should remember that Surfshark uses VPN tech to block advertisements, meaning that you may notice a slight impact on speed.

The latest feature set from Surfshark, called CleanWeb 2.0, is available on browsers alone. However, I hope this will soon be available system-wide. For the time being, you need to stick to the basic CleanWeb suite, available on Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, and FireTV.

Pricing

You can get Surfshark CleanWeb with any purchase of Surfshark VPN. The base plan, called Starter, will set you back at $2.19 per month.

Pros

• It offers a comprehensive privacy and security protection plan
• You get some customizable options for a clean web experience
• The pricing structure is nominal, considering that you get a VPN

Cons

• The app may affect the browsing speed

Overall, you can confidently check out Surfshark CleanWeb for most of your ad-blocking needs. Considering that you can get this for less than $40 per year and a VPN, this deal can’t get any sweeter.

Ad-blocker extensions for Safari

If you use Safari instead of third-party apps for most of your needs, you may not need a system-wide blocker. More importantly, you may want to use separate filters on Safari. In that case, you should check out these superb ad-blocker extensions for Safari.

#5 Wipr – Best one-time purchase extension

Wipr is our favorite ad-blocker extension for Safari for two reasons. First, it is 100% effective in blocking web and video ads. It also works on both Mac and iPhone. Like icing on the cake, Wipr is available through a one-time purchase instead of a subscription.

For less than $2, you get an effective way to block ads, trackers, crypto miners, GDPR notices, and cookie-consent banners. Setting up and using Wipr does not take more than a minute, either. It works with a variety of languages as well.

Wipr is also great because you don’t need to worry about VPNs or proxy servers. It lets you control the filter on specific sites as well.

#6 Ghostery – Best free Safari extension

Ghostery, on the other hand, is a free ad blocker extension available for Safari. This open-source solution is a great pick and has been a favorite for years. For those who are wondering, Ghostery Ad Blocker is available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera as well.

Like Wipr, Ghostery also prioritizes a balance between privacy and speed. Therefore, even as the extension gets rid of annoying HTML elements from your page, you won’t have to compromise speed. The tracker and management interface of Ghostery is also excellent.

Once again, since it receives blocklists and allowlists from communities, you don’t have to worry about proxy servers or VPNs.

#7 AdBlock Pro for Safari – Ad blocker with pro controls

AdBlock Pro for Safari is another primarily free way to block advertisements while browsing the web. According to our tests, AdBlock does a decent job and works great in combating YouTube ads, though. You also get to choose between multiple blocking modes.

For instance, you can set up AdBlock Pro for Safari to block all types of ads. You can also ask the AdLocker extension to bypass anti-ad-blocking systems. This extension also offers options to block adult sites, cookie prompts, crypto mining tools, and custom scripts.

However, many of these features are restricted to the paid version. You can also use AdBlock Pro for Safari for basic ad-blocking and tracking prevention.

#8 1Blocker for Safari – Free-to-use ad blocker with upgrades

1Blocker for Safari is another extension we wanted to recommend. Like AdBlock Pro, 1Blocker lets you pick from many filtering options, including the ones to block widgets, annoyances, comments, etc. However, you can enable one of the filters with the free version.

But, yeah, if you just want to stay away from annoying ads on Safari, 1Block should just be fine. Also, when you come across websites where you can survive ads but not something else, you can toggle another filter. In short, it works whether you want to pay or not.

But, if you ultimately decide to go for the paid plan, 1Blocker for Mac does not cost a lot. You can get it for a minimal amount per month.

Mac browsers with ad-blocking

Even though it packs anti-tracking protection, Safari (or Chrome) doesn’t offer built-in ad blocking. But you can use some great browsers with built-in ad-blocking features. Here are some of the options you can try.

#9 Brave – Privacy-centric browser with built-in ad blocker

Brave is one of the best ad-blocking-enabled web browsers available for macOS right now. It is powered by the Chromium engine and has a familiar user interface. However, unlike Chrome, Brave has its entire focus on privacy and security. Doing this includes blocking those annoying advertisements as well.

One significant advantage is that you get built-in control for each website. For instance, if you want to turn off Brave Shields for a specific site, you can do so with a click. It’s also impressive that Brave does not take up a lot of system resources.

In short, this privacy-focused web browser provides you with a peaceful web experience.

#10 Opera – Productivity-based browser with built-in ad blocker

Opera used to be a popular browser in the 2010s and it is now an excellent option for macOS users. Opera goes the extra mile to bring you an annoyance-free web browsing experience. It offers a built-in VPN service in addition to the ad and tracking-blocker utilities.

Rest assured, this AI-powered web browser is packed with features. You get maximum performance and tab management options. You do not have to worry about productivity loss, either. If anything, shifting to Opera from Safari will boost productivity.

Plus, you get to use all these free of cost. So, unless you really love ads and trackers, you won’t find a reason not to shift to something like Opera or Brave.

Understanding ad blockers

For the end-user, ad blockers are as straightforward as they get. When you install an app/extension, almost all ads disappear from your browser and other apps. But, different ad-blockers use different technologies to achieve this objective. Here are a few:

• URL Blocking: The ad blocker will block the URLs of ad servers, preventing ads from loading. It works great in preventing third-party ad services from loading.
• Hiding HTML Elements: The ad blocker will hide HTML elements where ads are put. It works even if the ads are inserted at the rendering stage.
• Script Blocking: This method is used to block ads that are loaded via JavaScript. By blocking the script, ad-blockers will make your internet experience less annoying.
• DNS Filtering: DNS filtering works at the network level by blocking access to ad-serving domains. It is a standard method to block ads across devices.
• AI and ML: Some developers use Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to study ad patterns on websites and block them altogether. AI-powered ad filtering and blockchain-based ad solutions are two promising technologies that could revolutionize the way ad-blocking works.

These days, ad-blockers use multiple methods to enable system-wide or browser-wide ad-blocking on a Mac. Thus, we wanted to consider these aspects while choosing the best ad blockers for Mac and Safari.

How we chose the best?

Like other Mac apps, ad blockers are not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. Therefore, while including a broader variety of options, we wanted to ensure minimum quality. Here are a few things we considered.

• Compatibility with native macOS apps and web browsers like Safari
• Effectiveness in blocking different types of advertisements
• Support for blocking YouTube advertisements
• Customization options for blocklists and allowlists
• Additional features like DNS filtering and tracker blocking

In addition to these, we used some additional criteria while judging each ad-blocker utility. We have specified these points for each pick.

Other questions you may have

TheSweetBits’ final words

With everything covered, get ready for an ad-free experience and download your favorite choice of ad-blocker. Depending on what you expect from an ad-blocker utility, you can choose any of the options we have talked about. They work great and you don’t have to be tech-savvy to enjoy a web free from annoying ads. And if you are still confused, we recommend AdGuard, Adlock, and Wipr as some great options to begin with. So, buckle your seatbelts and go ahead, blocking all the annoying ads you can for a better and safer browsing experience.