Compare A Fine Start and AdBlock: Which Extension is the Best?

A Fine Start is a minimalistic new tab page extension for Chrome, offering a clean list of links, customizable themes, and optional syncing for a streamlined browsing experience.
AdBlock is a popular browser extension with over 60 million users, designed to block ads, enhance privacy, and improve browsing speed. Read our detailed review to see how it performs.
Key Features
  • Minimal Text Links: Presents links in a clean, simple list.
  • Groups: Organize links into customizable groups.
  • Drag-and-Drop Sorting: Easily rearrange links and groups.
  • Group Folding: Collapse groups to save space.
  • Dark Mode: Switch to a darker theme for low-light environments.
  • Multiple Themes: Choose from various themes to suit your style.
  • Restore Points: Save and restore your setup.
  • Optional Syncing Account: Sync bookmarks across devices with a premium account.
  • Blocks Ads: Removes pop-ups, banners, and video ads for a cleaner browsing experience.
  • Protects Privacy: Stops websites from tracking you and blocks harmful ads.
  • Sync Across Devices: Premium users can sync settings across multiple browsers.
  • Customizable: Change the look and feel of the extension, even swap ads for cute images.
  • YouTube Limitations: Works great on most sites, but struggles with blocking YouTube ads.
Our Rating
8.7
8.2
Total users
1,602
76,543,424
Total ratings
52
295,546
Average rating
4.3 ⭐
4.2 ⭐
Entry Level PriceFreeFree
Chrome
Chrome Web Store logo
4.9
4.94
19 ratings
1.0K+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.5
2.43
290.5K+ ratings
58.0M+Users
Edge
Microsoft Edge Store logo
3.4
3.4
5 ratings
368Users
Microsoft Edge Store logo
3.8
3.62
1.5K+ ratings
17.3M+Users
Firefox
Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store logo
4.6
4.65
28 ratings
234Users
Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store logo
4.2
3.73
3.5K+ ratings
1.3M+Users
Safari
-
-
Features
8.0

A Fine Start offers features for users looking for a minimalist approach to managing their new tab. Organizing links into groups and sorting them via drag-and-drop allows for a tidy and efficient workspace to stay focused. Some functions must first be activated in the settings. For example, groups can be collapsed to hide sections that are not needed at the moment. In addition, all pages from an entire group can be opened simultaneously with one click.

New Tab


The optional sync account, available with the premium subscription, is a valuable addition for users working with multiple devices and ensures that their bookmarks are always up to date. Overall, the feature set is designed for minimalism. However, we still see potential here for a few more minimalist functions, such as a simple note-taking option.

8.5

Ad blocking:

The free version blocks annoying advertisements on websites. With the premium version, additional functions such as the blocking of cookie banners or pop-ups can also be activated.

Cookie

Privacy and Security:

AdBlock blocks third-party trackers on every Website and protects your privacy. It also blocking malicious ads with malware, scams, and cryptocurrency miners.

security

Sync & Backup:

With the Premium version, whitelists and user-defined rules can be synchronized across Chrome profiles.

Performance
9.7

In terms of performance, we did not notice any problems during the test. No slow loading times or anything similar were detected, even when opening groups with a high number of bookmarks, these were always opened immediately. Overall, A Fine Start offered impressive performance here.

8.0

The ad blocker extension generally works without slowing down the browser on most websites. However, recent changes at YouTube have meant that AdBlock has not yet managed to ban ads from YouTube again.

Design
8.2

The design of A Fine Start is characterized by a clean and minimalist aesthetic that emphasizes focused work. The design is very intuitive and you can choose from basic themes, including dark mode. From our point of view, even though the design is meant to be minimalistic, it could be a little more customizable for the user. For example, it would be handy if you could move the groups around the website flexibly, as they can currently only be moved to certain predefined positions. A very rarely seen and positive aspect is a function in the settings. The extension offers the option of hiding the button for premium advertising and the footer on the New Tab page.

premium hide
8.5

The user interface is clearly laid out. With the premium version, you can also use functions to make individual adjustments. You're in control of the look, feel, and font size of AdBlock with easy-to-use controls. There is also the Image Swap function, which will still block ads, but it will replace some ads with pretty pictures of cats, dogs, and nature.

Value for Money
8.7

A Fine Start offers all functions in the free version, only the cross-device synchronization is an added value of the premium subscription. For most users, the price-performance ratio of the free version is therefore perfect. However, users for whom synchronization is important may wonder whether just this one function is worth the cost of the premium model. There is still potential here to include other minimalist functions such as those offered by competitors to offer even more added value.

7.5

The free version offers good value for money. Compared to other competitors, the premium functions may be somewhat more expensive. Some premium functions are offered free of charge by other providers.

Ease of Use
8.3

A Fine Start offers a straightforward setup process. The drag-and-drop functionality for organizing links is intuitive, allowing users to quickly rearrange their bookmarks to suit their needs. Setting up the required bookmarks initially takes a little time, and a function for transferring bookmarks already in the browser could simplify the whole process. The additional functions that are initially somewhat hidden in the settings may also not be found directly by all users.

settings features

Overall, the existing functions and the setup are easy to use, but there is still room for improvement.

7.8

Installation is done in one click. However, you are immediately redirected to a website that informs you that payment is required to use it. However, this is only a voluntary donation.
Basic functions are used from this point on. Some settings are set to allow non-intrusive ads and special ads on YouTube, for example. This must first be actively switched off in the settings.

allow ads
Security & Privacy
9.5

A Fine Start attaches great importance to security and data protection. The extension collects only minimal personal data and focuses only on what is necessary for the core functions. The privacy policy is transparent and makes it clear that data is not sold to third parties. The optional premium subscription requires an account, otherwise, not even an account is needed.

9.0

Strong privacy protection through the premium feature malware blocking. The privacy policy is transparent without any indication of data being passed on.

Conclusion

A Fine Start is a well-designed tool for anyone who just wants to have their bookmarks sorted on their new tab page. Its focus on privacy and user-friendly features makes it a perfect choice in this area. While the free version offers a wealth of features, the premium subscription adds little value. Overall, A Fine Start is a good choice for users who want to stay focused and have a New Tab page without a lot of distractions.

AdBlock is a reliable tool for blocking basic ads. While it blocks most ads and still protects your privacy by preventing tracking, recent updates have failed to prevent ad videos on YouTube. It's a good choice for anyone looking for a simple and reliable adblock extension.

Our Recommendation

In our comparison between A Fine Start and AdBlock, A Fine Start came out on top, scoring 8.7.

AdBlock is the most widely used, with over 77 million users and 296k+ reviews, but A Fine Start outperformed it in our review. User reviews reflect our findings.

Notably, A Fine Start has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.32, which supports its strong performance in our review.

In the end, the differences between these extensions are minimal, so your choice may come down to personal preference or specific features.


  • Looking for the richest feature set? AdBlock stands out with a rating of 8.5. On the other hand, A Fine Start lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • Need top performance? A Fine Start stands out with a rating of 9.7. On the other hand, AdBlock lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • Design lovers, take note: AdBlock stands out with a rating of 8.5. On the other hand, A Fine Start lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.2.
  • Want to get the most for your money? A Fine Start stands out with a rating of 8.7. On the other hand, AdBlock lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.5.
  • If you hate complicated tools, A Fine Start stands out with a rating of 8.3. On the other hand, AdBlock lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.8.
  • With privacy and security becoming ever more important, A Fine Start stands out with a rating of 9.5. On the other hand, AdBlock lags behind in this area with a rating of 9.

If you want a quick recommendation, A Fine Start is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you.