Trustnav Review 2024: A Good Free Ad Blocker

Trustnav is a good product for users on a budget because it has a free plan and stops various kinds of ads, making for a better online experience. 

While it’s not one of the best ad blockers we’ve tested, it’s a reliable, safe tool in your war against irritating ads. Plus, Trustnav won’t slow down your device when viewing your favorite YouTube videos.

In our Trustnav review, we assess product features and our in-house test results to help you decide if this could be your new favorite free ad blocker.

Trustnav overview

Best Basic Adblocker — Including YouTube Video Ads

4.9

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

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On Total Adblock's website

Ad Blocker

Total Adblock

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• Instantly blocks distracting ads on millions of websites, including YouTube video ads
• Blocks third-party trackers to protect your privacy and information
• Improves page load times and enables faster browsing

Our experience

Like most ad blockers, Trustnav was easy to install directly from the website. We tested the free version using a Macbook Air device and experienced no lag times, even with numerous browser tabs opened.

Our internet remained steady while we tested YouTube by running through multiple videos. There were no functionality issues with any websites we checked while using the ad blocker.

We were impressed that Trustnav is such a good ad blocker for YouTube no matter how many videos we streamed. Of course, no blocker is perfect, and Trustnav is no exception. It has limitations, like no whitelisting or blacklisting capabilities, and you need the Pro plan for tracker protection.

During testing, we noted this is more of a set-it-and-forget-it ad blocker.

Main features

Although Trustnav worked seamlessly and there were no issues while using it, the free plan doesn’t offer many extra features. If you want to browse anonymously without concern for trackers, you’ll need to spring for the Pro plan.

The ads blocked counter is a good tool for user engagement because you can see firsthand how many ads were stopped. The interface is pristine since there aren’t many extras, and you don’t have a cluttered dashboard to worry about.

Trustnav is only compatible with Chrome and Firefox browsers, so there’s not much cross-platform coverage. Still, it’s user-friendly and effectively blocks banner ads, video ads, and popups.

Trustnav’s test results

We use standardized testing tools to determine how well an ad blocker will perform in real-world settings. We also run the software through extensive testing services, such as AdBlock Tester, Can You Block It, and Cover Your Tracks.

Once we’ve completed these tests, we use the scores to rate how well the software may perform and what problems you might expect, if any.

AdBlock Tester looks for targeted ads, analytics services, banners, and error tracking. Trustnav stopped contextual ads and banner ads, but it couldn’t block analytics tools or error monitoring. For a free ad blocker, a score of 68/100 isn’t good, and there are plenty of open-source ad blockers — like uBlock Origin — that clock perfect protection for this test.

Cover Your Tracks tests your browsers to see if your ad blocker works well against fingerprinting and tracking. Unfortunately, Trustnav scored 0/3 on the tracking test. However, this isn’t totally surprising since Trustnav anti-tracking features are only available with the Pro plan. Plus, even privacy tools and premium ad blockers tend to fail the fingerprinting test.

Can You Block It runs various tests to see what ad formats get blocked and what goes unnoticed. Specifically, it tests your ad blocker against ad blocker detection, banner ads, and interstitial ads (those ads that appear while a webpage loads). You know the ad blocker works if you don’t see any of these ads during the test, and Trustnav passed with a perfect 3/3.

Trustnav scores

YouTube ad test

Many internet users want to know if ad-blocking software can block YouTube ads. We performed some strenuous testing running various types of videos to see how Trustnav would hold up against different types of content.

We were able to watch our favorite chef prepare a meal without any interruptions. There were no buffering problems, and it made for a much more enjoyable experience not seeing ads for items we didn’t want.

Although they don’t list whitelisting and blacklisting features on the Trustnav website, you can choose to disable the ad blocker for specific sites if you want to support a content creator.

Bypassing paywall test

If there’s one truly frustrating online experience, it’s attempting to read an article only to hit a paywall.

But let’s be real. There aren’t many ad blockers that can bypass paywalls, and Trustnav is no exception. We tested it against articles from Bloomberg, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post, only to get stopped at each one after a few interesting lines.

If you want an online privacy tool that can bypass paywalls, we recommend investing in an ad blocker that comes bundled with a VPN service.

What browsers and software is Trustnav compatible with?

Trustnav is a browser extension and doesn’t offer apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, or iOS devices.

Trustnav is only compatible with the following browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox

How to use Trustnav

Trustnav is free to use, but you can go Pro to get a few more features like tracker blocking and website verification. 

Otherwise, it’s a seamless process to download the Trustnav extension and block unwanted ads. You won’t need to update your privacy settings or go through a complicated setup process.

After downloading the software, here’s what you do to use Trustnav:

1. After downloading, add it to your web browser.
2. You can pin the extension for quick access and set up an account.
3. Now that you have Trustnav pinned on your browser toolbar and are signed in, you can begin using it to block ads.

Top alternatives

We love that Trustnav has a free plan anyone can use to block intrusive and annoying ads for smoother online browsing, especially while watching YouTube. Still, we found Trustnav to be underwhelming.

It offers no protection against trackers without paying for the Pro plan, and Trustnav is only available as a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. Even for a free ad blocker, it underperformed during our testing.

We’d recommend investing in an ad blocker that offers more robust security features at a good price point.

		Threat Protection	CleanWeb
Best for	Best for blocking YouTube ads	Best overall	Best for blocking streaming ads
Price	Starts at $1.59/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $3.99/mo (billed every two years)	Starts at $2.19/mo (billed biennially)
Free version?
Adblock Tester score	100/100	93/100	96/100
Cover Your Tracks score	2/3	2/3	0.5/3
Can You Block It score	3/3	2/3	3/3
Blocks YouTube ads?
Compatibility	Windows, Mac, Chrome, Edge, Opera, Amazon Fire, Safari, Android, iOS	Threat Protection: Windows, macOS Threat Protection Lite: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Edge, Firefox	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, FireTV
Learn more	Get Total Adblock	Get NordVPN Threat Protection	Get Surfshark CleanWeb

Total Adblock has a limited free version, but the premium plan includes TotalAV, an award-winning antivirus software. Total Adblock crushed our performance tests and seamlessly unblocked YouTube video ads.

NordVPN Threat Protection offers the powerhouse combo of a secure VPN with ad blocking and malware protection. It’s compatible with most browsers and protects up to 10 devices. You also have 24/7 customer support while blocking trackers and other potentially malicious ads.

Surfshark CleanWeb may be the best alternative for blocking streaming ads. This top-tier ad blocker also comes bundled with Surfshark VPN to provide advanced security. Although CleanWeb didn’t stop trackers as well as its competitors, it offers unlimited simultaneous connections, making it one of the most affordable options on the market.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is Trustnav good?

Trustnav is a good free ad blocker that can block online ads and even stop YouTube video ads. Any time you can stop intrusive ads from bombarding your screen, it’s a win. Ultimately, Trustnav was easy to download and made our online experience better when viewing videos.

But the Trustnav Security Suite isn’t without issues. Trustnav didn’t perform well in our testing, and it failed to stop any trackers. If you're concerned about getting tracked, this free software isn’t for you. You’d have to opt for the Pro plan in order to get tracking protection.

There are better free alternatives to Trustnav, and we’d recommend investing in a tested ad blocker that comes bundled with more advanced security tools like a VPN or antivirus software.

3.3

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On Trustnav's website

Ad Blocker

Trustnav

• Free plan blocks YouTube video ads
• Easy-to-use ad blocker that doesn't affect device performance
• Performed poorly in anti-tracking tests

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.