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Best Web Protection
Best Budget-Friendly Bundle
Best Online Security
Total Adblock is our #1 favorite ad blocker because it consistently performs well during repeat in-house testing, its premium plan includes TotalAV antivirus protection at a super low starting rate, and Total Adblock Premium always blocks YouTube video ads. But we can recommend a few Total Adblock alternatives based on price, features, and usability.
NordVPN Threat Protection Pro stands out for its strong blocking features, antivirus security, and VPN included in this ad-blocking suite. Surfshark CleanWeb also comes with a secure VPN, but is a bit more affordable and gives you standout ad-blocking coverage for streaming services.
Aura is another affordable security bundle that goes a step beyond with its inclusion of antivirus software, a VPN, safe browsing tools, and a password manager. But if you don’t need advanced security features, uBlock Origin is a free ad-blocking extension that stops unwanted ads and filters out interruptions.
We’ll give you the details you need to choose the best ad blocker that works for your online browsing needs.
Best Total Adblock alternatives compared
Methodology
NordVPN Threat Protection Pro: Best web protection
Surfshark CleanWeb: Best budget-friendly bundle
Aura Ad Blocker: Best online security
uBlock Origin: Best free ad blocker extension
Bottom line
Best Total Adblock alternatives
FAQs
The best Total Adblock alternatives
Best Total Adblock alternatives compared
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Ad Blocker |
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| Best for | Hands-off adblocker | Web protection | Budget-friendly bundle | Online security | Free ad blocker extension |
| Free version | |||||
| Compatibility | Android, iOS, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera | Threat Protection: Windows, macOS
Threat Protection Lite: |
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, FireTV | Chrome, Edge, Safari | Edge, Firefox, Opera |
| Blocks YouTube ads | Partially | ||||
| AdBlock Tester score | 100/100 | 100/100 | 96/100 | 92/100 | 100/100 |
| Can You Block It score | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 | 2.5/3 | 3/3 |
| Starting price | Free or $1.59/mo | As low as $3.09/mo | As low as $1.78/mo | $1.67/mo | Free |
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get NordVPN Threat Protection | Get Surfshark CleanWeb | Get Aura Ad Blocker | Get uBlock Origin |
How we test and rate ad blockers
Every ad blocker in this guide is hands-on tested by our team using a consistent process. We evaluate each product across six areas:
- Test results (34%): We run each ad blocker through AdBlock Tester and Can You Block It, recording scores for each. We also browse ad-heavy sites in real-world conditions, including watching YouTube videos and visiting Forbes, to verify day-to-day performance.
- Value (21%): We evaluate each product's cost relative to its blocking performance, factoring in starting price, money-back guarantee length, and the number of devices covered under a single subscription.
- Features (18%): We test each ad blocker against a six-point checklist covering its ability to block pop-up ads, trackers, YouTube ads, banner ads, and push ads, as well as whether it includes whitelisting functionality.
- Editor's score (15%): We use each product ourselves across supported platforms, evaluating how intuitive the interface is and anything else that affects day-to-day use that isn't captured by our other criteria.
- Customer support (7%): We evaluate the support options available, prioritizing human support options like live chat and email.
- Compatibility (5%): We review each ad blocker's compatibility across desktop apps, browser extensions, and mobile apps to determine how broad its device and platform coverage is.
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.
NordVPN Threat Protection Pro: Best web protection
What we liked
NordVPN Threat Protection Pro is for users who want more than an ad blocker. It’s best for those who want to protect their online activity from unauthorized access. It offers solid ad-blocking ability, the secure NordVPN virtual private network service, and the option to add more features, like malware protection and a password manager.
We found the setup of NordVPN Threat Protection Pro to be simple, with no hiccups along the way. It’s a user-friendly product that allows anyone to get up and running without needing technical knowledge.
The interface was straightforward, and we had an excellent view of threat detection. The software notified us of potentially harmful files that were removed for our benefit. We also liked the different security features available with this product to keep internet activity safe and private.
What we didn’t like
Although NordVPN Threat Protection Pro doesn’t require technical skills, we found parts of the product confusing, which could cause some users to pause. The whitelisting feature may necessitate some investigation upfront.
When we ran our tests, finding the settings for these features took us longer than expected. After searching, we discovered you can whitelist websites by turning on Threat Protection Pro and viewing the Web tab.
We've also found that Threat Protection Pro can sometimes block YouTube ads, but sometimes we'll catch some pre-roll ads with the function enabled. It may not be the best choice for uninterrupted YouTube viewing.
NordVPN Threat Protection Pro pros and cons
- Cybersecurity suite that includes a secure VPN and malware protection
- Works on multiple systems and covers up to 10 devices
- Includes tracker blocking
- Product features can be difficult to find
- Inconsistently blocks YouTube ads
Test results
NordVPN Threat Protection Pro is a solid ad blocker, but it struggles with YouTube ads at all. However, Threat Protection Pro passed the AdBlock Tester and Can You Block It tests with ease.
Threat Protection
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| AdBlock Tester results | 100/100 |
| Can You Block It results | 3/3 |
| Can NordVPN Threat Protection block ads on YouTube? | No |
| Learn more | Get NordVPN Threat Protection |
Star rating summary
NordVPN Threat Protection received a solid star rating of 4.7 due to its 5/5 scores in the experience, compatibility, and customer service categories.
NordVPN Threat Protection is more expensive than most of the ad blockers on this list because it's only available with a NordVPN subscription. It also can't block YouTube ads.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 5.0 |
| Value | 21% | 4.33 |
| Features | 18% | 4.0 |
| Test results | 34% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 5% | 5.0 |
| Customer service | 7% | 5.0 |
Surfshark CleanWeb: Best budget-friendly bundle
What we liked
Surfshark CleanWeb is an easy-to-use yet powerful ad blocker that covers unlimited devices. It’s best for users who want a more affordable security suite. The Surfshark Starter bundle offers enhanced privacy and security with the inclusion of CleanWeb and Surfshark VPN, which can encrypt your online traffic and hide your IP address to prevent unauthorized access to data. Premium plans include Surfshark Antivirus protection, data breach alerts, and more.
During testing, we found the user interface intuitive, which is good when learning a new product. Even if you aren’t a frequent VPN user, you won’t have any trouble with this design. We also like that one plan covers all devices in a household. Most competitors cap device coverage.
What we didn’t like
A minor drawback is that we found it hard to see when the ad blocker was actually on. Even when testing YouTube ad blocking, we had to check the toggle buttons to show that CleanWeb was running. That isn’t a deal breaker for us, but it’s worth knowing.
CleanWeb hides the VPN settings within the Surfshark app at first, and there’s no signal that lets you know it's up and working. Again, this is not a huge deal to us because the product worked well and did the job of blocking ads.
Surfshark CleanWeb pros and cons
- Budget-friendly security bundle that includes a VPN
- Can be used simultaneously on unlimited devices
- Low cost for high value
- Whitelisting is not available on iOS and macOS
Test results
Surfshark CleanWeb is a high-performing ad blocker that pleasantly surprised us with its latest results. It received either perfect or near-perfect scores on all our ad blocking tests. Plus, it successfully blocked ads on YouTube.
CleanWeb
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| AdBlock Tester results | 96/100 |
| Can You Block It results | 3/3 |
| Can Surfshark CleanWeb block ads on YouTube? | Yes |
| Learn more | Get Surfshark CleanWeb |
Star rating summary
Surfshark CleanWeb received a near-perfect star rating of 4.8 due to its 5/5 scores in the experience, value, test results, compatibility, and customer service categories.
Surfshark CleanWeb received lower marks in the features category because it doesn't block push ads.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 5.0 |
| Value | 21% | 5.0 |
| Features | 18% | 4.0 |
| Test results | 34% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 5% | 5.0 |
| Customer service | 7% | 5.0 |
Aura Ad Blocker: Best online security
What we liked
Aura Ad Blocker is a user-friendly security suite that offers online protection not typically included with ad blocker bundles. While NordVPN Threat Protection and Surfshark CleanWeb come with a VPN and fold in antivirus protection against malicious websites and files, Aura goes beyond. The base ad blocker plan includes a VPN, antivirus software, and a password manager. The online safety tools help block malicious websites, phishing attempts, trackers, and unwanted ads.
Aura Ad Blocker is a browser extension that works really well, and surprisingly so. We expected the bundled ad blocker to be so-so, but were impressed with its performance during in-house tests, including AdBlock Tester and Can You Block It. In fact, Aura outperformed premium competitors in most tests, with the exception of its ability to fully block YouTube video ads.
We also loved that Aura includes a complete suite of online security tools. Most of our top-tested security bundles lack a password manager, and we had a good experience testing Aura Password Manager. We like that all Aura's software is accessible for any skill level (unlike NordVPN Threat Protection), and particularly appreciated how easy to use Aura Antivirus was during testing. Plus, as a bonus, you have the option to add on Aura Data Removal services, which continuously adds more data brokers scanned.
What we didn’t like
Aura offers a good bundle, but its advanced security features aren't as robust as those of standalone providers. For example, the password vault doesn't offer digital legacy or passkey support, which you'd find with most dedicated password managers. Similarly, the real-time antivirus protection doesn't include scheduled scans. During our in-depth comparison, we found TotalAV to be the better antivirus overall.
And while we found Aura Ad Blocker to work surprisingly well during in-house testing, we were disappointed that it only partially blocked YouTube video ads. Either we'd see a "blocked ad" screen in the form of a timer, or the ad would be static but offer the option to "skip." So while Aura did technically block the YouTube ads, our experience wasn't as seamless as when using Total Adblock or CleanWeb.
Aura Ad Blocker pros and cons
- Complete user-friendly security suite
- Bundled with antivirus, VPN, and a password manager
- Performed well during in-house tests against ads and trackers
- Blocks autoplay on YouTube, but not the ad from showing/loading
- Not available on Firefox or Samsung Internet
- Lack of custom ad blocking features
Test results
Aura Ad Blocker showed lots of promise in our test results, especially for being a feature for an identity theft protection service. Aura earned a high score with AdBlock Tester, having only failed some tests in the error monitoring category.
It also passed most of the Can You Block It tests, only failing to completely stop the interstitial ad (though it only showed as a white screen).
Aura Ad Blocker can block ads on YouTube, but sometimes they are just replaced with a black screen. With that in mind, we wouldn't call Aura the most effective ad blocker for YouTube.
Ad Blocker
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| AdBlock Tester results | 92/100 |
| Can You Block It results | 2.5/3 |
| Can Aura Ad Blocker block ads on YouTube? | Yes, mostly |
| Learn more | Get Aura Ad Blocker |
Star rating summary
Aura Ad Blocker received a high star rating of 5.0 due to its 5/5 scores in the experience, value, test results, and customer service categories.
Aura Ad Blocker was docked points in the compatibility category because it doesn't offer any desktop or mobile apps.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 5.0 |
| Value | 21% | 5.0 |
| Features | 18% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 34% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 5% | 3.0 |
| Customer service | 7% | 5.0 |
uBlock Origin: Best free ad blocker extension
What we liked
uBlock Origin is best for people who want a free ad blocker that comes with impressive test scores for blocking capabilities. uBlock Origin is a free, open-source ad blocking extension. It’s also customizable so you can better map out your online experience. It works by filtering out elements on web pages that could interrupt your viewing. You can mark a website as acceptable to use the whitelisting capability, allowing that page to show ads.
We liked that uBlock Origin was easy to install and effective at blocking ads. A standout feature is that uBlock doesn’t have a default “acceptable ads” list. Instead, uBlock lets you decide what’s acceptable. uBlock Origin also provides warnings if you navigate to websites that are malicious, have spyware, or have notable privacy and tracking issues.
The ad-block counter is a good way to know how many ads have been blocked. With uBlock Origin, you can view the number of ads to date.
You’ll also be provided with warnings regarding malicious websites that could have spyware or privacy issues. It’s also one of the best ad blockers for YouTube, which is high praise considering the platform has cracked down on ad-blocking software.
What we didn’t like
If you want to create custom filters, you may need some technical skills. It’s still doable if you aren’t a technical guru, but you might need to visit Github or the uBlock subreddit threads to get help from other users.
Since uBlock Origin is a browser extension only, you won’t have an app for your Android or iPhone. Many users watch streaming videos and other content from their phones, so this can be a letdown.
Google recently removed uBlock Origin from the Chrome Web store during its Manifest V3 update. This means that uBlock Origin no longer works on the Chrome browser. However, uBlock Origin Lite is an MV3 compatible ad-blocking browser extension and one of the best uBlock Origin alternatives for Chrome.
uBlock Origin pros and cons
- Totally free, customizable ad blocking extension
- Works with numerous browsers
- The best free open-source ad blocker available
- Some features are easier if you have technical knowledge
- No app available for smartphones
Test results
uBlock Origin performed well in all of our testing. It received a near-perfect AdBlock Tester score and aced all the Can You Block It tests. It can also block ads on YouTube.
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| AdBlock Tester results | 100/100 |
| Can You Block It results | 3/3 |
| Can uBlock Origin block ads on YouTube? | Yes |
| Learn more | Get uBlock Origin |
Star rating summary
uBlock Origin received a high star rating of 4.7. It received 5/5 scores in the value, features, and test results categories. We also liked our experience with uBlock Origin, but we're disappointed that it's no longer available on Google Chrome.
uBlock Origin is only available as a browser extension, which is why it was marked down in the compatibility category. There's also no option to contact customer support, only forums and guides.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 4.5 |
| Value | 21% | 5.0 |
| Features | 18% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 34% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 5% | 3.0 |
| Customer service | 7% | 3.0 |
Bottom line
Total Adblock is one of the best-performing ad blockers we've tested. Although the limited free version doesn’t block YouTube ads or come with all the bells and whistles, you can upgrade to premium, which comes with the award-winning antivirus software TotalAV and unlimited ad blocking.
But if Total Adblock doesn’t offer the protection you need, we’d also recommend these popular ad blockers due to their unique features: NordVPN Threat Protection, Surfshark CleanWeb, or Aura Ad Blocker.
Both NordVPN Threat Protection and Surfshark CleanWeb come bundled with secure VPN services. NordVPN is arguably the best VPN on the market, but Surfshark offers unlimited device coverage with all plans — at super affordable prices. But if you want total online security, we recommend Aura Ad Blocker, which includes a user-friendly VPN, antivirus software, and a password manager on top of its ad block and anti-track extension.
If you just want a standalone ad blocker without advanced malware, phishing, and tracking protection, then you can’t go wrong with uBlock Origin. It’s a free, open-source ad blocker extension that’s customizable for tech-savvy users.
FAQs
Is Total Adblock the best ad blocker?
The best ad blocker alternative to Total Adblock is Aura Ad Blocker, which offers real-time antivirus software, a secure VPN, a password manager, and even more online safety tools in addition to a solid ad blocker. Aura's suite offers more protection, privacy, and security than typical ad blockers. However, Total Adblock remains one of the best ad blockers for YouTube. See how it compares in our Total Adblock vs. Aura Ad Blocker review.
What are good Total Adblock alternatives?
NordVPN Threat Protection, Surfshark CleanWeb, Aura Ad Blocker, and uBlock Origin are good Total Adblock alternatives. In fact, they’re some of the best ad blockers available. All stop unwanted ads and can help protect you from malicious ads and websites. But only Surfshark CleanWeb can consistently block YouTube video ads like Total Adblock.
Are there any free alternatives to Total Adblock?
There are free alternatives to Total Adblock, like uBlock Origin, AdGuard, and AdLock. uBlock Origin is totally free, whereas AdGuard and AdLock are freemium ad blockers, so you can upgrade to access more advanced ad blocking features.



