Compare AdBlock Max and Recall: Which Extension is the Best?

AdBlock Max is a great ad blocker designed to enhance your browsing experience by eliminating intrusive ads. With a user-friendly interface and powerful features, it stands out among competitors.
With Recall, you can capture, summarize, and organize articles, PDFs, and videos with AI, spaced repetition, browser extensions, and strong privacy controls.
Key Features
  • Comprehensive Ad Blocking: Blocks pop-ups, banners, and video ads.
  • Customizable Filters: Allows users to tailor their ad-blocking preferences.
  • Enhanced Browsing Speed: Reduces page load times by eliminating ads.
  • Privacy Protection: Prevents tracking and protects user data.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Easy to navigate and configure.
  • AI Summarization: Instantly summarizes articles, PDFs, YouTube videos, and more.
  • Personal Knowledge Base: Saves and organizes your summaries for easy retrieval.
  • Spaced Repetition & Active Recall: Helps you actually remember what you save, not just store it.
  • Augmented Browsing: Highlights related content as you browse, surfacing connections in your knowledge.
  • Browser Extensions: One-click saving and summarizing directly from Chrome or Firefox.
  • Editable Notebook: Add notes, highlights, and customize your saved content.
  • Tagging & Organization: Automatic and manual tagging, with support for nested tags.
  • Cross-Platform Sync: Works on desktop and mobile, keeping your knowledge base up to date.
Our Rating
8.6
8.9
Total users
200,000
73,229
Total ratings
8,247
95
Average rating
4.8 ⭐
4.1 ⭐
Entry Level PriceFreeFree
Chrome
Chrome Web Store logo
4.8
3.86
8.2K+ ratings
200.0K+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.2
4.14
78 ratings
70.0K+Users
Edge
-
-
Firefox
-
Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store logo
3.9
3.94
17 ratings
3.2K+Users
Safari
-
-
Features
9.0

AdBlock Max offers comprehensive functions for blocking advertising, including pop-ups, banners, and video ads.

Ad blocker
A slider can be used to set how thoroughly websites should be searched for advertisements, etc., to block them. Depending on the filter method, the extension must be granted more permissions.

Filter


In addition to these basic functions, there are other functions such as blocking cookie notifications or increasing Internet security through tracking protection.

These additional functions are hidden at the bottom of the settings and can be activated. There is also a website whitelist on which no advertising should be blocked.

additional settings

Privacy Security
Privacy protection functions automatically prevent tracking and protect user data.

9.2

Recall's range of functions is impressive for a relatively new tool. The AI summary works on a wide range of content, from articles to YouTube videos with a running time of several hours. We particularly liked the personal knowledge base and the way Recall automatically links related content. Spaced Repetition and Active Recall are outstanding features for students. However, some features are still in beta or will be available soon. The functions in the free version are severely limited in the number of users per day, and there is an upper limit for free use.

Performance
8.3

Basically, the extension runs smoothly without any performance problems. Page load times are shortened by blocking advertising.
Only during installation in Chrome did the browser crash once after the end of installation.

9.0

Retrieval is fast and reliable in most cases. The summary is fast, even with very extreme examples such as a 9-hour news show that we had summarized in our test. Occasionally, we encountered errors or slowdowns, especially when asking further questions about the summarized content via the wizard. The team is actively working on performance improvements and there are regular updates. Overall, the tool feels stable and is suitable for everyday use.

Design
8.8

The user interface is clear and intuitive. In particular, the filter customization options are very clearly displayed in the extension pop-up.

9.0

The user interface has a clear and modern design. The focus is on user-friendliness. We found the browser extension intuitive and easy to navigate. The tagging and organization system can be used flexibly, and some users mentioned minor bugs in the user interface, but these were only minimally noticeable in the test.

Value for Money
9.0

If you take a closer look at the extension in addition to the basic functions, you will see how many additional functions are available. As a free web extension, the price/performance ratio is very good.

8.1

The free tariff is suitable for infrequent users who do not need all the functions, as you will quickly reach the map limit. However, if you want to use the extension on a day-to-day basis, you cannot avoid the
extension. The paid plan is competitively priced, especially with the student discount. We appreciate that some features will remain free forever, and the team is open to feedback on pricing. Compared to alternatives, Recall offers good value for money for those who need advanced knowledge management features, but casual users may find the limitations too restrictive and stop using the extension.

Ease of Use
8.0

The tool is uncomplicated and easy to install. Due to the well-designed method of a slider for the strength of the filter mode, preferences are easy to configure for everyone.
The other functions are easy to activate, but some users may find it difficult to understand which function does what. For each function, there is a description with the corresponding filter code on GitHub.

8.0

An account is required to use Recall. However, due to the integration with a Google and Apple login, this should be easy for everyone.
Saving and summarizing content is a one-click process that is well explained at the beginning. However, mastering all functions (e.g., nested tags, links, and spatial repetitions) requires some time and some searching, which can lead to many users not being able to exploit the full potential.

Security & Privacy
8.5

AdBlock Max offers privacy protection through the additional function to prevent tracking. The extensions' data is protected by industry-standard measures.

9.9

Recall is characterized by its privacy-friendly approach. User data is not used by the extension for advertising, profiling, or AI training. All content is stored securely, and users retain full control over their data. Data can be exported for inspection or deleted at any time. The data protection guidelines are transparent, and support is always available to answer questions about data protection. We were unable to identify any uncertainties during our review.

Conclusion

AdBlock Max is a good tool for anyone who wants to block advertising quickly and easily. It also has additional features for those with a little more technical knowledge. Unfortunately, these are somewhat hidden for beginners and are described via external GitHub links.


However, the extension scores well for beginners with the well-designed slider for adjusting the filter method. This is also useful for people who only want to extend a few permissions for tracking, as this authorization must first be assigned if better blocking is desired.

Recall impressed us with its useful intelligent use of AI and its focus on helping users in their everyday lives, especially when learning. The browser extension makes it easy to capture content, and the revision features with auto-generated questions are a real bonus for learners.

For occasional users, the free version may be enough, but if you want to use the extension, you can't avoid the paid version. The extension is not yet perfect and has small bugs, but the team reacts quickly to these and feedback, and many new functions are currently being introduced.

Overall, Recall is a good choice for anyone looking to do more than just bookmark cards and build a personal knowledge base. If you're tired of forgetting what you've read online and want to save time, it's a must!

Our Recommendation

In our comparison between AdBlock Max and Recall, Recall came out on top, scoring 8.9.

AdBlock Max is the most widely used, with over 200k users and 8k+ reviews, but Recall outperformed it in our review. User reviews for Recall reflect our findings, while we rate AdBlock Max lower than users do.

Notably, AdBlock Max has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.83, which is even higher than our rating of 8.6.

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? Recall stands out with a rating of 9.2. On the other hand, AdBlock Max lags behind in this area with a rating of 9.
  • Need top performance? Recall stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, AdBlock Max lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.3.
  • Design lovers, take note: Recall stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, AdBlock Max lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.8.
  • Want to get the most for your money? AdBlock Max stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, Recall lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.1.
  • Ease of use? It's a tie: AdBlock Max and Recall. In the Ease of Use category, AdBlock Max has scored a solid 8. It is relatively easy to use, but may require some time to get fully accustomed to.
  • With privacy and security becoming ever more important, Recall stands out with a rating of 9.9. On the other hand, AdBlock Max lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.5.

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