There are dozens of ad blockers available, and they are not all equal. Some are genuinely effective tools that block ads comprehensively. Others are products of advertising companies that allow paid "acceptable" ads through, or they collect and sell your browsing data to fund their development. A few are outright scams.
We tested every major ad blocker specifically for streaming site performance: how many ads they block, how they handle pop-ups and redirects, their impact on page load times, memory usage during long streaming sessions, and whether they break video players.
Our Methodology
We tested each ad blocker on the same set of twenty streaming sites, measuring:
- Number of ads blocked vs number of ads shown
- Pop-up and redirect blocking effectiveness
- Video player compatibility (did the player still work?)
- Memory usage after two hours of streaming
- Page load time impact
The Results
uBlock Origin — Winner
uBlock Origin blocked the most ads across our test sites while using the least memory. It handled pop-ups and redirects flawlessly, and we did not encounter a single video player compatibility issue. It is free, open-source, and does not accept payment from advertisers to whitelist their ads.
For a full setup guide, see How to Set Up uBlock Origin.
Brave Browser's Built-In Blocker — Runner Up
Brave's integrated ad blocker performed well out of the box, blocking the majority of ads without any configuration. It is the best option for users who do not want to install extensions. However, it caught fewer ads than uBlock Origin on the most aggressive streaming sites.
AdBlock Plus — Not Recommended
AdBlock Plus participates in the "Acceptable Ads" programme, which means advertisers can pay to have their ads whitelisted. With acceptable ads enabled (the default), it blocked significantly fewer ads than uBlock Origin. You can disable acceptable ads in settings, but at that point, why not use uBlock Origin?
AdBlock — Not Recommended
Similar issues to AdBlock Plus. Also participates in acceptable ads programmes. Used noticeably more memory than uBlock Origin.
AdGuard — Decent
AdGuard performed well in blocking ads and had good compatibility with video players. The free version is capable, and the paid version adds features like parental controls and DNS-level blocking. A solid option if you prefer it over uBlock Origin.
Key Takeaways
- uBlock Origin is the clear winner for streaming. Install it and follow our setup guide.
- Avoid "acceptable ads" programmes. If your ad blocker lets some ads through by default, it is compromised.
- Free ad blockers are better than paid ones. The best ad blocker (uBlock Origin) is free. You do not need to pay for ad blocking.
- Combine with DNS blocking for maximum protection — see our DNS ad blocking guide.
For the full picture on ad blocking for streaming, including mobile and Smart TV options, read The Ultimate Ad Blocking Guide.