How Do I Choose the Best Ad Blocker?

Ads are seen on many websites, and a good ad blocker will help you navigate the Internet with fewer ads taking up your time and computer memory. Most ad blocker programs are able to block pop-up ads, but blocking pop-under ads also may be important. Ads commonly are seen on a webpage itself, so blocking these ads may be useful. The majority of ad blockers do not work for all browsers, so you'll likely want to ensure that the chosen blocker is compatible with your preferred Internet browser. If you want pop-ups to appear for certain websites, then choosing a blocker with filtering options may be easier than turning the blocker on and off as necessary.

Pop-up ads are the ads that show up to the front of your browser, and most ad blocker programs can block these with little trouble. At the same time, there is a similar type of ad that is not as commonly blocked: the pop-under ad. This is similar to a pop-up, except the ad shows up behind your main browser window. This type of ad is common, especially because many website owners know they are not blocked as often, so getting a blocker that can block pop-under ads may be a good idea.

While pop-up ads are annoying, most online ads are displayed on a webpage itself. If these ads are annoying you or taking up too much memory, then getting an ad blocker that is able to block these ads may be beneficial. These ads normally are blocked based on size, so some images of the same size may accidentally be blocked in the process, and ads that are an uncommon banner size may not be blocked.

Some ad blocker programs work for all Internet browsers, but most are only compatible with one or two browsers. With this in mind, you likely will want to check the blocker’s specifications to see what browser or browsers it can accommodate. If you have a preferred browser, then it usually is best to find a blocker that will work with that browser.

A pop-up window can be a nuisance, but some websites require a pop-up window to load games, forms and other important information. When you come across a website like this, you normally are asked to temporarily shut down your ad blocker. Forgetting to turn it back on later can lead to an onslaught of ads. Filtering tools allow you to make exceptions for certain websites, and this may be easier than turning the blocker off whenever a pop-up is needed.