Total Adblock vs. Proton VPN NetShield 2025: Which is Better?
Total Adblock is one of the best ad blockers available, so how does Proton VPN NetShield measure up?
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Last updated Aug 21, 2025
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Best overall
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Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Total Adblock's website
Total Adblock
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Instantly blocks distracting ads on millions of websites, including Facebook and YouTube ads
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Blocks third-party trackers to protect your privacy and information
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Improves page load times and enables faster browsing
Best for VPN bundle
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Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Proton VPN NetShield's website
Proton VPN NetShield
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Blocks malicious domains and trackers
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Excellent DNS leak protection
- Doesn't block all ads, including YouTube ads
Total Adblock takes the win against Proton VPN NetShield for its affordable pricing, top-notch test results, and user-friendly interface. Plus, Total Adblock Premium includes TotalAV antivirus protection.
Proton VPN NetShield isn't as powerful as a standalone ad blocker. But it's included with Proton VPN, which is one of our top recommendations for a virtual private network. So if you're seeking a great VPN with some ad blocking capabilities, then Proton VPN NetShield may be the better choice.
We'll put Total Adblock and Proton VPN NetShield head to head in the following comparison.
In this article
Overview comparisonPrices
Features
Test results
Compatibility and customer support
FAQs
TotalAV vs. Proton VPN Netshield: which is better?
Alternatives
Total Adblock vs. Proton VPN NetShield
Where Total Adblock is dedicated to giving you a seamless, ad-free experience, Proton VPN NetShield is more of an add-on to the overall privacy suite offered by a top VPN.
Total Adblock instantly blocks unlimited ads on millions of websites, including video ads on YouTube. It also blocks third-party trackers to help boost your online privacy and information.
To top it off, the premium plan also offers TotalAV antivirus protection, which provides enhanced protection against malware and other cyberthreats.
NetShield is a solid ad blocking tool that comes bundled with Proton VPN plans. Unfortunately, we didn’t feel that this add-on performed extremely well.
If you’re mainly looking for a virtual private network (VPN) that offers ad blocking as an added feature, NetShield may be the right option.
- Total Adblock: Best for overall ad blocking
- Proton VPN NetShield: Best for bundled protection
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Our Pick
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|
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| Best for | Overall ad blocking | VPN bundle |
| Price | Free or $1.59/mo | $2.99–$12.99/mo |
| Ads blocked on Forbes | 12 | 4 |
| Does it block YouTube ads? | ||
| Compatibility | Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile compatibility | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get Proton VPN NetShield |
Total Adblock pros and cons
Pros
Hands-off, effective ad blocking experience
- Blocks third-party trackers, which helps maintain privacy online
- Premium plan offers TotalAV antivirus protection
Cons
- Pop-ups prompt you to upgrade to the premium version
- Free version doesn’t block ads on the top 15,000 websites
Proton VPN NetShield pros and cons
Pros
- Blocks malicious domains and trackers
- Excellent DNS leak protection
- Included with Proton VPN
Cons
- Failed to block YouTube ads
- Subpar ad blocking test results
Total Adblock vs. Proton VPN NetShield: value
|
Our Pick |
| |
| Price range | Free or $1.59/mo | $2.99–$12.99/mo |
| Best value plan | Annual plan for $1.59/mo (billed annually) | 2-year plan for $2.99/mo |
| Free version available | ||
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days | Yes — 30 days |
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get Proton VPN NetShield |
Total Adblock offers two options: a free version and a paid subscription. The free version works well for blocking ads, but there is a downside: 15,000 of the most popular websites are excluded from blocking, meaning that websites you frequent may not be eligible for ad blocking.
Still, at $1.59/mo (billed annually), we believe paying for Total Adblock’s premium plan is well worth the money.
One downside we experienced was irritating pop-ups, which reminded us we were past our free trial, even though we were days away from the expiration. Annoying pop-ups from Total Adblock felt ironic, given that the service is designed to block ads.
Proton VPN NetShield doesn’t offer a free version, but there are a few subscription plans to choose from. The best value comes in a two-year plan for $2.99/mo.
Note that Proton VPN NetShield can only be purchased with Proton VPN. While that may be a marginal price for online security, Proton VPN NetShield lacks some features we deem worth having in an ad blocker, like blocking ads on YouTube.
Both products offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can feel free to take a test drive to make sure it suits your needs.
Winner: Total Adblock is not only cheaper in price every month, but it offers better ad blocking capabilities.
Total Adblock vs. Proton VPN NetShield: features
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Our Pick |
| |
| Whitelisting | ||
| Blacklisting | ||
| Ads blocked counter | ||
| Bypasses paywalls | ||
| Blocks pop-up ads | ||
| Blocks tracking | ||
| Blocks video ads | ||
| Blocks banner ads | ||
| Blocks push ads | ||
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get Proton VPN NetShield |
Total Adblock offers a suite of features we think are necessary for an ad blocker, like:
- Whitelisting
- Ads blocked counter
- Blocking numerous types of ads
- Blocking ads on YouTube
We were impressed by Total Adblock’s “set it and forget it” approach to blocking ads. Once we set everything up, we didn’t have to monitor or babysit at all. We just scrolled the web, which was clear of the visual ad clutter.
There are also filters on Total Adblock if you actually want to customize your experience. The Premium plan adds toggles to block social media tracking and browser notifications.
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On the other hand, Proton VPN NetShield has an ads blocked counter, but it only displays the overall ads and trackers that were blocked. You won't receive a breakdown per page.
Proton VPN NetShield also lacks a lot of standard ad blocking features and, in our experience, lacked the functionality as well. It doesn’t offer whitelisting or blacklisting and it doesn't block video ads on YouTube, nor block pop-ups, banner or push ads.
Proton VPN NetShield uses Domain Name System (DNS) filtering to block domains known to host ads, but some still slipped through the cracks. And although NetShield blocks images, you can still see where the ad was meant to be placed on the website.
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Winner: This win goes to Total Adblock for featuring an extensive feature list of ad blocking essentials, including whitelisting and blocking all types of ads.
Total Adblock vs. Proton VPN NetShield: test results
|
Our Pick
|
|
|
| AdBlock Tester score | 100/100 | 77/100 |
| Cover Your Tracks score | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| Can You Block It score | 3/3 | 2/3 |
| YouTube ads blocked | ||
| Paywalls bypassed | ||
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get Proton VPN NetShield |
Total Adblock blocked pop-ups, banner notifications, trackers, and more, scoring near-perfect marks:
- 100/100 with AdBlock Tester
- 2/3 with Cover Your Tracks
- 3/3 with Can You Block it
/images/2025/02/27/total_adblock_review_0225_refresh_adblock_tester.png)
We are also always pleasantly surprised when we test Total Adblock with YouTube. In spite of YouTube's crackdowns on ad blockers, Total Adblock has always blocked all ads when we test it.
/images/2025/08/20/total_adblock_review_0825_refresh_youtube_test_enabled.png)
Our testing with Proton VPN NetShield was disappointing. With AdBlock Tester, NetShield received a much lower score because it failed all the GIF and static images tests in the banner ads section.
This is a particularly disappointing result because these are the most common and annoying ads you come across while browsing.
Overall, Proton VPN NetShield feels lackluster compared to Total Adblock's near perfect scoring. While Proton VPN NetShield’s ad blocking features are nice additions to its VPN features, it didn’t meet our expectations as a standalone ad blocker.
/images/2025/06/06/proton_vpn_netshield_review_0625_refresh_adblock_tester.png)
Winner: The whole point of an ad blocker is to block ads, and Total Adblock was more effective across the board.
Total Adblock vs. Proton VPN NetShield: compatibility and customer support
|
Our Pick |
| |
| Windows app | ||
| macOS app | ||
| Android app | ||
| iOS app | ||
| Linux app | ||
| Browser extensions | Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari | |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Online guides, email, phone, chat | Live chat, email, online guides |
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get Proton VPN NetShield |
Total Adblock's interface was intuitive and easy to use. Once we installed the extension on Chrome, we enjoyed a hands-off, ads-free experience.
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We didn’t experience any glitching, and we didn’t see any ads (or places where ads should be) while we were browsing.
One downside to Total Adblock is the confusing customer service options. Total Adblock offers online support guides, but finding the email, chat, and phone options is difficult. We eventually found them by searching through the Terms of Service.
Our Proton VPN NetShield experience left a lot to be desired. It's really just a toggle on your dashboard; the only choice is if you want to block ads, malware and trackers or block malware only.
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The extra privacy was a nice addition, but the actual ad blocking was lackluster.
That said, we were happy to see Proton VPN NetShield offered multiple customer service options, such as live chat, email, online guides, and help desk tickets.
Winner: Total Adblock’s customer service might not be the most accessible, but its ability to block ads counts for more than tough-to-reach customer service.
Total Adblock vs. Proton VPN NetShield FAQs
Is Total Adblock the best ad blocker?
There are many factors to consider when choosing an effective ad blocker, and those factors vary from user to user. But we think Total Adblock’s scores speak for themselves. For users looking to block all types of ads, including YouTube ads, it’s one of the best ad blockers on the market.
Why am I paying for Total Adblock?
Total Adblock offers a free version, so why are you paying for its premium plan? Well, Total Adblock’s free plan excludes 15,000 of the most popular websites from ad blocking, so the websites you’re visiting most often may be excluded on Total Adblock’s free plan.
What is NetShield on Proton VPN?
NetShield is an add-on that comes bundled with paid Proton VPN plans. NetShield blocks ads, online trackers, and malware.
Is NetShield good?
NetShield’s ad blocking functionality is a nice addition to Proton VPN, but as a standalone ad blocker, we think there are better services available. In a head-to-head comparison, Total Adblock won hands down.
Total Adblock vs. Proton VPN NetShield: which is better?
Though Proton VPN does offer a suite of other cybersecurity services, Total Adblock comes out on top when focusing specifically on ad blocking capabilities.
| Category |
Our Pick
|
|
| Value | ||
| Features | ||
| Test results | ||
| Compatibility & customer support | ||
| Learn more | Get Total Adblock | Get Proton VPN NetShield |
Total Adblock offers an array of ad blocking features, including tracker blocking, whitelisting, and an ads block counter. We were impressed with its near-perfect testing, successfully blocking 128 trackers on YouTube alone.
We also appreciated its simple interface and effective monitoring as soon as we installed it.
Total Adblock
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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
Total Adblock vs. Proton VPN NetShield alternatives
Total Adblock is a top option if you want to get away from annoying ads, but many factors go into determining which ad blocker is best for you and your needs.
Below, we recommend some alternatives to Total Adblock and Proton VPN NetShield. If you’re still searching for the perfect ad blocker, look at our guide to the best ad blockers for more options.
 Threat Protection |
 CleanWeb |
|
| Best for | Best overall | Best for blocking streaming ads |
| Price | Starts at $4.39/mo (billed every two years) | Starts at $1.99/mo (billed every two years) |
| Adblock Tester score | 96/100 | 96/100 |
| Cover Your Tracks score | 2/3 | 0/3 |
| Can You Block It score | 2/3 | 3/3 |
| Blocks YouTube ads? | ||
| Compatibility | Threat Protection: Windows, macOS
Threat Protection Lite: |
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, FireTV |
| Learn more | Get NordVPN Threat Protection | Get Surfshark CleanWeb |
Author Details
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Courtney Daybell brings over 15 years of experience in print journalism and holds a B.A. in Communications from Brigham Young University. Her focus has shifted to cyber security, where she specializes in topics such as identity theft protection, password managers, antivirus software, and more.
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