Adblock Plus

Active

Country: Germany (DE)
Founded: 2005
Developer: Eyeo GmbH
Pricing: Free (open-source) with optional Premium subscription
Open source: Yes
Platforms: Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari, Android, iOS

Indexes

Ad Blockers

Overview

Adblock Plus is a free, open-source browser extension that blocks ads, trackers, and malware by filtering content using filter lists and element hiding rules. It supports major browsers on desktop and mobile, allowing users to customize blocking via optional 'Acceptable Ads' that permit non-intrusive advertising. Targeted at users seeking to reduce ad exposure, enhance privacy, and improve browsing speed, it stands out due to its cross-platform availability and community-maintained filter lists.

Key Features

Ad Blocking - Blocks HTTP/HTTPS requests to ad servers and hides ad elements using filter lists.
Tracker Blocking - Prevents tracking scripts and pixels from collecting user data across sites.
Element Hiding - Uses user stylesheets to hide text ads and other elements as pages load.
Acceptable Ads - Option to allow non-intrusive ads from approved sources.
Malware Protection - Blocks sites known to spread malware and reduces malvertising risks.
Custom Filters - Supports user-defined filter lists for personalized blocking.
Emergency Notifications - Notifies users of issues affecting their installation via periodic checks.
DNS-based Blocking - Opt-in DNS resolution to block ads and trackers device-wide.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	Free	Core ad blocking, tracker blocking, and filter lists for all supported platforms.
Premium	Subscription-based	AdBlock VPN for IP hiding, cookie banner blocking, and enhanced privacy features.

Platforms & Requirements

Adblock Plus runs as a browser extension on Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari for desktop and mobile, plus native apps for Android and iOS. No specific minimum requirements are listed beyond standard browser compatibility; iOS app stores local block counts. DNS-based blocking requires changing device DNS settings and is opt-in.

Integrations & Ecosystem

EasyList filter lists
Acceptable Ads program
DNS-based blocking via Adblock Plus DNS servers
Browser extension APIs for content filtering
Emergency notification system querying adblockplus.org

Alternatives

App	Difference
uBlock Origin	Fully open-source with no 'Acceptable Ads' option and lower resource usage.
AdBlock	Separate extension with different codebase, lacking Acceptable Ads by default.
Privacy Badger	Learns trackers automatically without predefined lists, focused purely on privacy.
Ghostery	Emphasizes tracker visualization and management over broad ad blocking.

Reputation

Adblock Plus is widely recognized as one of the most popular ad blockers due to its broad platform support and ease of use.²⁵ Criticisms include the default 'Acceptable Ads' feature, seen by some as compromising blocking effectiveness, and data collection practices like IP logging for notifications.³⁶ Privacy concerns arise from Eyeo GmbH collecting limited browser data, though it does not track browsing history.³

Sources (7)