All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
/images/2025/04/07/pie_adblock_logo.png){kind=logo}
Free ad blocker with the option to watch ads for money
Blocks YouTube ads on desktop and mobile
All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
If you've been searching for an effective free ad blocker, you've likely come across Pie Adblock. This browser extension, created by the team behind Honey, has generated some controversy. Critics have questioned whether Pie Adblock’s promise to block ads and share profits with users is too good to be true.
To find out, we tested Pie Adblock across multiple browsers and platforms to see if it lives up to the hype. Pie Adblock blocked YouTube ads flawlessly, performed well in independent ad-blocking benchmarks and even offered optional revenue sharing for users who chose to view ads.
In this Pie Adblock review, we’ll cover how it works, what it does best, where it could improve, and whether Pie Adblock is legit or just another browser extension to skip.
| AdBlock Tester score | 100/100 |
| Can You Block It score | 3/3 |
| Does it block YouTube ads? | Yes |
| Whitelisting available | Yes |
| Blacklisting available | No |
| Compatibility | Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari (for iOS), Brave |
| Paid version | Free |
| Learn more | Get Pie Adblock |
Every ad blocker in this guide is hands-on tested by our team using a consistent process. We evaluate each product across six areas:
We test all ad blockers at least twice a year to ensure our recommendations stay current. We test across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS so our results reflect real-world performance on the devices most readers actually use.
To learn more about how we test, read our full ad blocker methodology here.
Pie Adblock received a high star rating of 4.6. It's a surprisingly capable free browser extension that blocks ads effectively across desktop and mobile. It also earned perfect scores with AdBlock Tester and Can You Block It.
However, it struggled in the features category because the ad-block counter behaves inconsistently, disappearing on some sites without explanation. It also lacks a Safari extension for desktop users (it’s only available on iOS), limiting its reach.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 4.5 |
| Value | 21% | 5.0 |
| Features | 18% | 4.0 |
| Test results | 34% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 5% | 4.0 |
| Customer service | 7% | 4.0 |
We last tested Pie Adblock on November 10, 2025.
Instantly blocks distracting ads on millions of websites, including Facebook and YouTube ads
Blocks third-party trackers to protect your privacy and information
Improves page load times and enables faster browsing
Pie Adblock was surprisingly user-friendly and good at what it does. We tested the Pie Adblock Chrome extension.
Pie Adblock asked us a few questions during setup. First, you'll be asked if you want to use Vanish Mode, which shows you the ads being removed from the page. If you prefer a straightforward experience, we could choose Classic Mode.
/images/2025/08/08/pie_adblock_review_0825_refresh_setup_01.png)
We were asked if we wanted to make money from watching ads by viewing "Fair Ads." We've broken down how this feature works in the graphic below.
/images/2025/09/08/pie_adblock_final_for_real.png)
But there’s some controversy over whether Pie is a scam and if it actually pays you.
Ryan Hudson co-created the browser extension Honey via The People's Internet Experiment (pie.org), a startup company. He’s also one of the people responsible for Pie Adblock, and he’s made several posts in Reddit threads explaining how extensions like Honey and Pie work.
He even hosted his own AMA on the platform to help people feel confident trying Pie Adblock. We love transparency, so this move gave Pie some extra validity for us.
Once we had Pie Adblock set up, it was easy to use. The on/off toggle worked seamlessly on both Chrome and Safari for iOS.
During our original review, we didn't spot an ad blocker counter. We still didn't spot a counter while visiting Forbes, but it appeared on other websites.
/images/2025/08/08/pie_adblock_review_0825_refresh_forbes_test.png)
We tried reloading Forbes to see if it would come up, but no counter appeared. We wish there were an explanation for why the ad blocker counter appears on some pages but not others.
/images/2025/04/07/pie_adblocker_test_mobile_setup_complete.png)
We also tried the Pie Shopping extension, which allows users to earn cashback on select purchases automatically. Pie Shopping works a lot like the Pie Adblock Chrome extension in that you can earn and redeem points by using the extension. But with Pie Shopping, coupons are applied to applicable purchases, which can earn you rewards. We found the extension to work as seamlessly as the ad blocker.
Even though Pie Adblock doesn’t require much effort to use, you still have the option to whitelist specific sites. You can also choose to use only the ad blocker and not participate in the incentive program to view "Fair Ads."
We were originally under the impression that Pie Adblock doesn't tally the number of ads it blocks on a page. The extension would only show the number of ads blocked across all the websites we've accessed while using Pie.
However, we noticed a pop-up from Pie would appear on some pages to let us know how many ads have been blocked. It also showed us how much screen space we saved by blocking those intrusive ads.
/images/2025/08/08/pie_adblock_review_0825_refresh_extension.png)
We're not sure why this information doesn't always appear, but we do appreciate having an ad blocker counter when available.
Whitelisting allows you to choose sites where ads will always be allowed. Whether you want to support a specific creator or think that the ad revenue from these sites is worth your time, the whitelisting feature gives you the option to choose.
/images/2025/08/08/pie_adblock_review_0825_refresh_whitelisting.png)
If you’re after an ad blocker to clean up your online experience but don’t want the option to collect rewards, you can toggle this feature off. The nice thing about Pie is that you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to.
/images/2025/08/08/pie_adblocker_test_setup_rewards_hub.png)
Pie Adblock performed well in all the tests we conducted. We started with AdBlock Tester, which presents a variety of ad codes to see if your ad blocker can block them.
The first time we tested Pie, it received a mid-level average score (63/100). Since then, Pie has earned a perfect score every time. This is a huge improvement over just a couple of months.
/images/2025/08/08/pie_adblock_review_0825_refresh_adblock_tester.png)
We also ran Pie through Can You Block It, which tests against a variety of ads, including banner ads and interstitial ads. Pie also received a perfect score here, blocking all the ads.
/images/2025/08/08/pie_adblock_review_0825_refresh_can_you_block_it.png)
| AdBlock Tester | Can You Block It? | |
| Pie Adblock score | 100/100 | 3/3 |
YouTube is where we were definitely impressed with Pie. It blocked everything, didn’t glitch, and allowed us to watch YouTube videos on both browsers we tried seamlessly.
/images/2025/11/10/pie_adblock_review_1125_refresh_youtube_test_enabled.png)
/images/2025/04/07/pie_adblocker_test_mobile_youtube_adblockeron.png)
Pie also allows you to turn off ad blocking, so we could still support YouTube creators while blocking ads on major corporations. It was a win-win.
Although Pie Adblock previously bypassed some paywalls, that wasn't the case this time. We were blocked by The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and The Atlantic during our latest testing.
But this shouldn't be a concern. Most ad blockers we've tested are incapable of bypassing paywalls.
| AdGuard | |
| Google Chrome | |
| Mozilla Firefox | |
| Safari | |
| Microsoft Edge | |
| Other browsers | |
| Android | |
| iOS | |
| Desktop apps |
Pie is vague about the operating systems and browsers it supports, but it confirms it isn’t yet available for Safari on macOS or PC. We've tested it on Chrome and Safari for iOS and found it worked perfectly on both.
| Support type | Pie Adblock |
| Email or live chat | Yes — info@pie.org |
| Phone | |
| Online guides or forums |
Pie Adblock's most extensive support is its knowledge base, which has guides on your account, the mobile Safari extension, rewards, and more. We also found an email address you can contact for help or to report a bug.
Pie Adblock doesn't have any mobile apps, so we turned to Trustpilot to learn about user sentiment toward this ad blocker. Trustpilot deems it excellent, with 94% of reviewers giving it five stars.
The most common review highlights are that Pie Adblock works effectively on multiple types of ads across various platforms, including YouTube and Twitch. But reviewers note that certain websites have detected Pie Adblock, so it may need to be disabled from time to time.
/images/2025/04/07/pie_adblocker_test_setup_welcome.png)
/images/2025/04/07/pie_adblocker_test_ads_not_blocked_blog.png)
Pie Adblock lets you earn money by choosing to watch ads, which is a unique approach in the ad-blocking space. With Pie, you can cash in on the ad revenue companies make from us.
If that’s not something you’re interested in, consider our top recommendation instead. We’ve tested Total Adblock ourselves, and we love how well it works.
Total Adblock is our top choice for an ad blocker because it stops unwanted ads and trackers, and the premium plan includes the award-winning antivirus software TotalAV for ultimate online protection. Plus, it’s compatible with Windows, macOS, Chrome, Safari, Edge, Opera, Android, and iOS, and it has excellent ad-blocking test results across the board.
Instantly blocks distracting ads on millions of websites, including Facebook and YouTube ads
Blocks third-party trackers to protect your privacy and information
Improves page load times and enables faster browsing
Yes, we believe Pie Adblock is legitimate because it’s transparent about how it works. It's also improved significantly since our original review, receiving perfect scores on both ad blocker tests.
The fact that Pie participates in ad revenue sharing is a unique and interesting feature. But if you're still put off by Pie Adblock's rewards program, we've compiled a list of the best ad blockers to consider instead.
Yes, Pie Adblock appears to be legitimate. While online discussions often raise red flags — especially given its connection to the creators of Honey — we found that the team behind Pie has been open about their business model.
In our own testing, Pie worked as promised, effectively blocking ads and trackers without any hidden tricks. That said, we still recommend updating your browser privacy settings and staying cautious with any extension that monetizes through ads, just to keep your data as protected as possible.
Pie Adblock only has some minor downsides because its shown much better performance in recent testing. Some pages show an ad blocker counter and others don't without reason.
It's also limited to Chrome, Firefox, and Brave on desktop.
You won’t get banned from YouTube for using an ad blocker, but Google states it might block your ability to watch videos. You are violating YouTube’s terms of service by using an ad blocker on the site, so be aware of that.
If you want to watch YouTube without ads legally, consider signing up for its Premium service. Or, check out our top ways to watch videos ad-free on the YouTube app, which Pie Adblock can’t do.
Based on our testing, we believe Total Adblock is the safest ad blocker. The paid version gets nearly perfect test scores, starts at a low monthly price, and includes the award-winning antivirus software TotalAV.
Free ad blocker with the option to watch ads for money
Blocks YouTube ads on desktop and mobile
/images/2025/03/17/block_ads_in_the_youtube_app.jpg)
/images/2023/03/03/best_ad_blockers_for_mac_and_safari.jpg)
/images/2025/09/20/total_adblock_vs_aura_ad_blocker.jpg)
/images/2025/08/08/aura_ad_blocker_review.jpg)
/images/2025/06/19/person_holding_phone_with_illustration_of_different_mobile_pop-ups.jpg)
/images/2025/04/22/ublock_origin_lite_vs._ublock_origin.jpg)
/images/2025/04/15/concept_of_google_alerts.jpg)
/images/2025/04/07/pie_adblock_review.jpg)
/authors/mary-james_allaboutcookies-author.jpg){kind=small}
/authors/kate-quinlan-new.jpg){kind=small}
/images/2023/03/01/logo-total-adblock.png){kind=logo}
/authors/mary-james_allaboutcookies-author.jpg)
