Compare AdBlock and Web Activity Tracker: 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.
Web Activity Time Tracker is an open-source extension that tracks time on websites, providing insights and customizable alerts to help manage online activities.
Key Features
  • 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.
  • Activity Monitoring: Tracks time spent on different websites.
  • Detailed Reports: Provides insights into daily, weekly, and monthly activity.
  • Limit and Block Distracting Websites: Set daily time limits for specific websites
  • Custom Alerts: Set alerts for excessive time on specific sites.
  • Pomodoro Mode: Use the Pomodoro technique for focus work
  • Export: Export your Data to CSV.
Our Rating
8.2
9.2
Total users
76,543,424
37,399
Total ratings
295,546
814
Average rating
4.2 ⭐
4.7 ⭐
Entry Level PriceFreeFree
Chrome
Chrome Web Store logo
4.5
2.43
290.5K+ ratings
58.0M+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.8
4.66
789 ratings
30.0K+Users
Edge
Microsoft Edge Store logo
3.8
3.62
1.5K+ ratings
17.3M+Users
Microsoft Edge Store logo
4.6
4.41
25 ratings
7.4K+Users
Firefox
Mozilla Firefox Add-ons Store logo
4.2
3.73
3.5K+ ratings
1.3M+Users
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Safari
-
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Features
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.

8.7

The tool offers the option of independently tracking your time on different websites. Compared to its competitors, it stands out because it has thought about which functions are important for effective tracking.

featured

This can be seen, for example, in the function that automatically stops tracking if there is no activity on the website within a certain period. This avoids the problem faced by competitors: if several tabs are open, they all continue to be tracked simultaneously.

settings

The reports are also very clearly presented, but there is still some room for improvement in the evaluation, for example by classifying the websites directly into categories such as social media or similar, so that they can be evaluated later.

Performance
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.

9.7

The tool works reliably, there were no crashes or errors during testing. It tracks and reports data efficiently without you noticing any performance issues during use. A few users wrote in reviews that there were inaccuracies in the tracked time, which we could not reproduce in the test.

Design
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.

9.0

The Design is clear and intuitive. Some design changes such as the dark mode can also be adjusted in the settings. In our opinion, the dashboard is the only area where there is still room for improvement in terms of presenting the evaluations.

Dashboard
Value for Money
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.

9.3

As a free tool, it offers good value for money for users looking for basic tracking features at no cost. In comparison with competitors, many functions are already offered, but other competitors still have useful functions, particularly in the evaluation of data, and there is still room for improvement here.

Ease of Use
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
9.0

Setting up the Web Activity Time Tracker is simple and does not require a great deal of technical skill. The tool is designed to be very user-friendly, including the setup with short instructions. The only thing that is a little confusing is that not all evaluations can be displayed in the dashboard via the icon. Only the evaluation for the current day is displayed here.

Security & Privacy
9.0

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

9.7

Web Activity Time Tracker performs almost perfectly here, as it does not collect or transmit any data. This data is only stored on the local computer. The entire code can be read open source on GitHub.
However, it is also pointed out in the very short privacy policy that this can change; a somewhat more detailed policy would be desirable in this case, in which it is also specified which data is stored locally and where.

Conclusion

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.

Web Activity Time Tracker is a perfect choice for anyone who wants to know how much time is spent on which websites. The user-friendly design and comprehensive reports make it an easy tool to increase productivity. The customizability of various features also stood out. Overall, it offers good added value, especially when you consider that it's free.

Our Recommendation

In our comparison between AdBlock and Web Activity Tracker, Web Activity Tracker came out on top, scoring 9.2.

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

Notably, Web Activity Tracker has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.71, 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.


  • Looking for the richest feature set? Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 8.7. On the other hand, AdBlock lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.5.
  • Need top performance? Web Activity Tracker 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: Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, AdBlock lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.5.
  • Want to get the most for your money? Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9.3. On the other hand, AdBlock lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.5.
  • If you hate complicated tools, Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, AdBlock lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.8.
  • With privacy and security becoming ever more important, Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9.7. On the other hand, AdBlock lags behind in this area with a rating of 9.

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