AdLock vs. AdGuard 2024: Which Has the Edge?

AdGuard is more affordable and has unique features, while AdLock keeps your privacy in mind.

Last updated Jun 12, 2024

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4.8

Editorial Rating

On AdLock's website

Ad Blocker

AdLock

Offers a free extension that's compatible with major browsers and a premium plan with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS compatibility
Effective blocker against follow-along videos, banner ads, YouTube ads, and more
Doesn't share or sell your data with third parties
Social media and spyware blockers only available on paid tier

4.9

Editorial Rating

On AdGuard Ad Blocker's website

Ad Blocker

AdGuard Ad Blocker

User-friendly ad blocker that offers broad coverage across browsers and devices without compromising device speed
The free version provides basic extension-only coverage, while the premium plans boast robust app coverage
App plans include parental controls, browsing security, browser assistant, DNS leak protection, and a VPN
Ad-blocking statistics can be hard to interpret

AdGuard is a free and easy-to-use ad blocker. Its paid version starts at $2.80/mo and is compatible with almost any device or browser. That includes features like parental controls and phishing protection.

AdLock includes impressive transparency regarding how your data is handled and will block YouTube and banner ads. The paid plan starts at $3.50/mo.

Let’s dive in deeper and see which ad blocker is right for you.

In this article

AdLock vs. AdGuard
Prices
Features
Test results
Compatibility and customer support
FAQs
AdLock vs. AdGuard: which is better?

AdLock vs. AdGuard

When reviewing ad blockers, we use a series of tests to see how they hold up in a real-world environment. We also highlight useful features beyond the standard ad and tracker blocking.

AdGuard comes with whitelisting and blacklisting capabilities, allowing you to make exceptions for sites never to block ads or always to block ads, respectively. AdLock only has whitelisting available.

AdGuard is also priced less than AdLock for the paid subscription, but both ad blockers have free plans. Finally, AdLock had a higher tracker blocking score, but AdGuard had a higher ad blocking score during our testing.


Best for	Best for privacy	Best for a budget
Price range	$1.05-$3.50/mo	$2.49-$5.49/mo
Ads blocked on Forbes	7	14
Does it block YouTube ads?
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Safari	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, Yandex
Mobile compatibility
Learn more	Get AdLock Read AdLock Review	Get AdGuard Read AdGuard Review

AdLock pros and cons

Pros

Blocks YouTube ads
Doesn’t share or sell user data to third parties
Blocks banner ads and follow-along videos

Cons

Missed some ads during product testing
You need a paid plan to block social media ads

AdGuard pros and cons

Pros

Easy to install
Simple interface
No lag in browsing time when running

Cons

You’ll need to install the extension on every browser you use
Stats for ad-blocking can be difficult to understand

AdLock vs. AdGuard: prices

		Our Pick
Price range	$1.05-$3.50/mo	$2.49-$5.49/mo
Best value plan	12 month plan for $2.80/mo	Personal yearly plan for $2.49/mo
Free version available
Money-back guarantee	Yes, 30 days	Yes, 60 days
Learn more	Get AdLock Read AdLock Review	Get AdGuard Read AdGuard Review

Both of these products have free versions, which is good if you’re looking to block intrusive ads without paying out of pocket. AdGuard is slightly more affordable than AdLock since the starting price and highest-cost tiers are both lower.

AdGuard has a family plan covering up to nine devices, which can be convenient for families with multiple computers and smartphones.

However, we chose its personal plan as the best value. It protects up to three devices for $2.49/mo. Most of us use a smartphone as well as a computer or laptop. It’s reasonable to think you might want more than one device protected.

AdLock only covers up to five devices. That may only be a deal breaker if you have a family and multiple devices to protect. For this one, we chose the annual paid plan because it offers more features than the free version, including the ability to block spyware and social media ads.

Winner: AdGuard is the winner. It has a longer money-back guarantee, comes with cheaper pricing options, and covers more devices.

AdLock vs. AdGuard: features

		Our Pick
Whitelisting
Blacklisting
Ads blocked counter
Bypasses paywalls
Block pop-up ads
Block tracking
Block video ads
Block banner ads
Block push ads
Learn more	Get AdLock Read AdLock Review	Get AdGuard Read AdGuard Review

If you spend any time online, you know how intrusive ads can be and how much time they can take away from your online experience. Both AdLock and AdGuard have plenty to offer, with AdGuard having a slight edge since it includes a blacklisting feature. This option allows you always to block ads on specific websites.

Neither product was able to bypass a paywall, which isn’t unusual. These websites want you to spend money to view the content, but this is an option that would be nice to have.

Otherwise, these two products are equal, with the included features listed. As far as bonus features, AdGuard includes parental controls and hiding search queries, while AdLock includes blockers for spyware and social media ads.

The AdGuard app Stealth Mode and general options.

AdLock filter list. — *Many languages are available for universal browsing.*

Winner: AdGuard wins this round, having a slight lead over AdLock with the blacklisting feature.

AdLock vs. AdGuard: test results

		Our Pick
Adblock Tester score	92/100	100/100 (macOS) 94/100 (Windows)
Cover Your Tracks score	2.5/3	2/3
Can You Block It score	2/3	3/3
YouTube ads blocked
Paywalls bypassed
Learn more	Get AdLock Read AdLock Review	Get AdGuard Read AdGuard Review

AdLock didn’t score as well as AdGuard in ad blocker tests, but the results were close. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad product, but it could indicate that it isn’t quite as strong an ad blocker as AdGuard.

AdLock showed strong protection against web tracking, resulting in a nearly-unique fingerprint. That isn’t a perfect score, but it’s the closest we’ve found among the ad blockers we’ve tested. Alternatively, AdGuard showed a unique fingerprint.

Fingerprinting creates a list of characteristics that are unique to a single user, their browser, and their hardware setup. AdLock had slightly stronger protection against fingerprinting than AdGuard.

AdLock's Cover Your Tracks test results. — AdLock's Cover Your Tracks results

The Can You Block It test checks for ad blocker warnings, pop-up ads, and banner ads. For this one, AdGuard passed all three tests, but AdLock got two out of three, as it didn’t block the interstitial ads. Although it didn’t show the content of the ad, it was still frustrating dealing with the issue.

Can You Block It? interstial ad from AdLock test.

Winner: AdGuard wins again, outperforming AdLock in most tests.

AdLock vs. AdGuard: compatibility and customer support


Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Linux
Browser extensions	Chrome, Safari, Firefox	Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Yandex
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Email, ticketing system, phone, blogs/FAQs	Email, knowledge base, community forum, FAQ
Learn more	Get AdLock Read AdLock Review	Get AdGuard Read AdGuard Review

AdLock’s interface was simple to navigate once we got the hang of it. It took some investigating to learn that we had to install the browser extension to test the free version.

When we got to the Windows download, we received a 404 error message. After installing the extension, everything was a breeze. We did have some pop-ups along the way, which was surprising.

AdGuard’s installation was easy to set up, and we noticed no interruptions in our online experience. It blocked YouTube ads and even saved us some data for the day.

The AdGuard app statistics chart with numbers for ad blocking and for privacy.

We had trouble deciphering the total number of ads blocked because the Statistics button shows Ad Blocking and Privacy numbers. We aren’t certain how these tie together or if they do.

As far as customer support is concerned, AdLock provides email and phone support, as well as FAQs and a user guide. AdGuard provides email support, a knowledge base, FAQs, and a community forum.

Winner: We will consider this a draw. It was easy sailing once we got over the initial confusion with AdLock’s installation. Both interfaces were easy to navigate, even with the statistics for AdGuard being a bit cumbersome.

FAQs

Is AdLock a good ad blocker?

AdLock is a good ad blocker. It may not be the best ad blocker available, but it keeps most ads at bay, even with the free version.

What’s better than AdGuard?

Although we think AdGuard is a solid ad blocker, others may appeal to you more. You may want a product that includes a secure VPN, like NordVPN Threat Protection.

Are ad blockers illegal?

Ad blockers are not illegal. When social media platforms try to force ad-blocking detection technologies without your consent, that is illegal.

AdLock vs. AdGuard: which is better?

Both of these ad blockers are good products. If you want a free version that blocks most ads without upgrading, AdLock might work well for you. It’s one of the best blockers for social media. If you want an ad blocker that soars through all the tests it’s against and includes phishing, tracking, and browser protection; we recommend going with AdGuard.

AdGuard is the better overall product for our testing. Still, both of these products made our list of the best ad blockers, so choosing either is a win, depending on your specific need.

AdLock vs. AdGuard alternatives

What if neither of these ad blockers floats your boat? That happens sometimes, and we want you to have plenty of options. We’ve included a few alternative products that might better meet your needs.

Ad blocker
Best for	Best for blocking YouTube ads	Best overall	Best for streaming
Price	Paid plan costs $1.59/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $3.39/mo (billed every two years)	Paid plans start at $2.19/mo (billed biennially)
Blocks YouTube ads
Learn more	Get Total Adblock	Get NordVPN Threat Protection	Get Surfshark CleanWeb Ad Blocking

4.8

Editorial Rating

On AdLock's website

Ad Blocker

AdLock

Offers a free extension that's compatible with major browsers and a premium plan with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS compatibility
Effective blocker against follow-along videos, banner ads, YouTube ads, and more
Doesn't share or sell your data with third parties
Social media and spyware blockers only available on paid tier

Author Details

Patti Croft

About the Author

Patti Croft is a seasoned writer specializing in technology, with three years of experience. With a B.S. in Computer Science and a background as a technical analyst and security specialist, she covers a range of topics like data security and parental control software.