Compare AdGuard AdBlocker and Screencastify: Which Extension is the Best?
AdGuard Adblocker is a browser extension with over 14 million users, designed to block ads, enhance privacy, and protect against online threats. Read our detailed review to see how it performs. | Screencastify is a popular Chrome extension for screen recording. It offers a range of features but has shifted many basic functionalities behind a paywall, affecting its overall value. | |
| Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each extension. |
|
|
| Our Rating Tooltivity's expert review score for each extension, based on hands-on testing and research. | 9.0 Winner in this category | 7.8 |
| Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 26,844,851 Winner in this category | 6,000,000 |
| Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 78,338 Winner in this category | 11,733 |
| Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | 4.3 ⭐ Winner in this category | 4.0 ⭐ |
| Entry Level Price The minimum price required to start using the extension. "Free" means a free tier is available. | Free | Free |
| Chrome User rating and stats for the extension on Chrome browser. |  4.7 4.19 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 14.0M+Users Winner in this category | 4.0 3.63 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 6.0M+Users |
| Edge User rating and stats for the extension on Edge browser. |  4.8 4.23 Average Microsoft Edge Store rating from the last 100 reviews 11.4M+Users Winner in this category | - |
| Firefox User rating and stats for the extension on Firefox browser. |  4.7 4.44 Average Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.5M+Users Winner in this category | - |
| Safari User rating and stats for the extension on Safari browser. | - | - |
| Features Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Features' aspect of each extension. | 9.3 Ad Blocker:In our tests, ad banners and ad videos were blocked on all websites, including YouTube and Twitch. Blocked ads also include social media widgets and pop-ups, among other things.  Privacy and Malware Protection:The extension blocks tracking by blocking third-party trackers on all websites and protects your personal data. It also detects and blocks malicious websites and spyware.  CustomizableAdGuard Adblocker offers the option of activating or deactivating all functions yourself. Winner in this category | 8.8 Screencastify offers a robust set of features, including screen and webcam recording, video editing and interactive questions. Leaving aside the fact that many features are only available for a fee, it's fair to say that it offers a lot of features. While recording, you can easily add spotlights and draw on the screen. The drawing tools offer a nice range of options, so you should have everything you need:  The subsequent editor also offers many functions where you can cut the video to your needs. Here is what the basic editor looks like:  It recently also added an AI feature that automatically adds captions, transcripts, titles, and descriptions. Furthermore, Screencastify offers another video editor when clicking "Edit Video" in the top right corner. This will open up another editor where you can do some more video editing. Here is how it looks like:  In our opinion, this editor isn’t necessary if you already have your own video editing software, but it could be useful for some people. We’re not entirely sure if this is just an older version of the original editor. However, we did discover that you can export videos to MP4 for free, thanks to an "Export" button that lets you do so without any limitations. We’re not certain if this is intentional, but at least it works for us. |
| Performance Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each extension. | 9.0 A recent user complained in a review that it had YouTube problems that affected the performance and speed of the website. In our test, we did not notice any performance problems. The extension generally works quickly and reliably. There are also regular updates, so the problem may already have been solved. Winner in this category | 7.5 The speed has deteriorated considerably with the latest updates. This is probably because more and more functions, such as the AI function, are being added. The tool has become slower, and creating links or accessing older videos takes longer than before. Many users have also complained about the performance in the reviews. |
| Design Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each extension. | 9.2 The design is very clear and well-organized. The display of the settings is significant for adblockers. Here, great importance has been attached to user-friendliness and highlighting the customizable settings. Winner in this category | 9.0 The design is intuitive and user-friendly. We think that navigation is very intuitive despite the many functions. |
| Value for Money Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each extension. | 9.2 The free browser extension offers numerous functions that worked perfectly in the test. Compared to competitors, you get many functions here that others offer for a fee. Winner in this category | 5.0 As already mentioned, we are somewhat shocked by the limitations of the free version. Especially if you have used the app in the past and can export videos for free. In addition, even with the starter package for $7, you are limited to 10 exports. We find that many other providers offer much more for the money. |
| Ease of Use Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each extension. | 9.5 Installation is quick and easy. What impressed us in comparison to other competitors was that AdGuard Adblocker clearly shows which functions it offers and explains them in the introduction, and you can activate them directly if you wish. The extension therefore attaches great importance to ensuring that every user recognizes and uses the options. With competitors, some functions were somewhat hidden in the settings.  Winner in this category | 8.5 Screencastify is easy to use, with a minimal learning curve. Even beginners can quickly get the hang of it. However, we find that recent updates have introduced some complexities that are not absolutely necessary for a screen recorder. |
| Security & Privacy Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each extension. | 8.0 Strong privacy protection by preventing tracking. Also features malware detection and blocking, although public complaints could raise concerns. Winner in this category | 8.0 Unfortunately, an account is required, which in our opinion is not necessary for Screen recorder. However, Screencastify's privacy policy is very comprehensive and complies with standard data protection practices, including compliance with the GDPR and PCI-DSS certification for payment data. Screencastify takes reasonable security measures but, like all online services, cannot guarantee absolute protection. Winner in this category |
| Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each extension. | AdGuard Adblocker is, in our opinion, a very good ad-blocking tool compared to its competitors, offering a range of features in the free extension that you often have to pay for. In our test, all ads were blocked. Other ad blockers currently fail because of YouTube's advertising videos, but AdGuard currently seems to have this fully under control. Overall, it is the choice for a free browser extension with many features. Finally, we would like to point out that our test is about the browser extension. If you work in different browsers and don't want to install a new extension in each one, or if you work a lot in apps that carry out advertising and tracking, AdGuard Adblocker offers an app for comprehensive security outside the browser. The AdGuard app allows you to block advertising in other apps outside of your web browser, for example, and keep your data secure. Here is an overview of the additional functions:  Currently, you have the opportunity to purchase the app as a lifetime plan. Here you can decide whether the app should be installed on 3 or 9 devices.  | Screencastify was a fantastic tool in the past, and we used to use it daily. Unfortunately, recent updates have made it less user-friendly by hiding key features behind a paywall. For people who need a wide range of features, the tool is still an option. For others who just want to make a recording every now and then to export a video, Screencastify is unfortunately no longer an option. |
| Our Recommendation | In our comparison between AdGuard AdBlocker and Screencastify, AdGuard AdBlocker came out on top, scoring 9. AdGuard AdBlocker is the most widely used, with over 27 million users and 78k+ reviews—and it also delivered the strongest performance in our tests. User reviews reflect our findings. Notably, AdGuard AdBlocker has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.28, which supports its strong performance in our review. There are some noticeable differences between these extensions, so it's worth considering your priorities and the details below.
If you want a quick recommendation, AdGuard AdBlocker is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you. | |
