Compare AdBlock, AdGuard AdBlocker, and AdBlock Max: Which Extension is the Best?
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. | 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. | 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. | |
| Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each extension. |
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| Our Rating Tooltivity's expert review score for each extension, based on hands-on testing and research. | 8.2 | 9.0 Winner in this category | 8.6 |
| Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 78,170,412 Winner in this category | 27,252,345 | 200,000 |
| Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 295,419 Winner in this category | 77,965 | 8,244 |
| Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | 4.2 ⭐ | 4.3 ⭐ | 4.8 ⭐ Winner in this category |
| Entry Level Price The minimum price required to start using the extension. "Free" means a free tier is available. | Free | Free | Free |
| Chrome User rating and stats for the extension on Chrome browser. |  4.5 2.33 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 59.0M+Users | 4.7 4.14 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 14.0M+Users | 4.8 3.90 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 200.0K+Users Winner in this category |
| Edge User rating and stats for the extension on Edge browser. |  3.8 3.70 Average Microsoft Edge Store rating from the last 100 reviews 17.9M+Users | 4.8 4.20 Average Microsoft Edge Store rating from the last 100 reviews 11.8M+Users Winner in this category | - |
| Firefox User rating and stats for the extension on Firefox browser. |  4.2 3.76 Average Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.3M+Users | 4.7 4.42 Average Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store rating from the last 100 reviews 1.4M+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. | 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.  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.  Sync & Backup: With the Premium version, whitelists and user-defined rules can be synchronized across Chrome profiles. | 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 | 9.0 AdBlock Max offers comprehensive functions for blocking advertising, including pop-ups, banners, and video ads. Ad blocker 
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.  Privacy Security |
| Performance Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each extension. | 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. | 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 | 8.3 Basically, the extension runs smoothly without any performance problems. Page load times are shortened by blocking advertising. |
| Design Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each extension. | 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. | 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 | 8.8 The user interface is clear and intuitive. In particular, the filter customization options are very clearly displayed in the extension pop-up. |
| Value for Money Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each extension. | 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. | 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 | 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. |
| Ease of Use Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each extension. | 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.  | 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 | 8.0 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. |
| Security & Privacy Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each extension. | 9.0 Strong privacy protection through the premium feature malware blocking. The privacy policy is transparent without any indication of data being passed on. Winner in this category | 8.0 Strong privacy protection by preventing tracking. Also features malware detection and blocking, although public complaints could raise concerns. | 8.5 AdBlock Max offers privacy protection through the additional function to prevent tracking. The extensions' data is protected by industry-standard measures. |
| Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each extension. | 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. | 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.  | 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.
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| Our Recommendation | In our comparison between AdBlock, AdGuard AdBlocker, and AdBlock Max, AdGuard AdBlocker came out on top, scoring 9. AdBlock is the most widely used, with over 78 million users and 295k+ reviews, but AdGuard AdBlocker outperformed it in our review. User reviews for AdBlock and AdGuard AdBlocker 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. 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. | ||
