AdGuard vs AdBlock Plus: Which Is Better in 2026?

Disclosure: We make AdLock, which competes with both products reviewed here. We’ve tested both tools thoroughly and aimed to give an accurate, useful comparison. See AdGuard Review and AdBlock Plus Review for full standalone assessments.

AdGuard and AdBlock Plus are both free, widely-used browser-based ad blockers. AdGuard is the strongest direct competitor to AdBlock Plus without the Acceptable Ads commercial compromise. They’ve both been around for over a decade, they both work on Chrome, Firefox, and most major browsers, and they both score 100/100 on AdBlock Tester when properly configured.

The difference is in that last phrase: when properly configured. AdGuard blocks everything by default. AdBlock Plus intentionally lets some ads through by default — specifically, the ads from companies that pay for AdBlock Plus’s “Acceptable Ads” whitelist.

That’s the core of this comparison. Everything else follows from it.

Quick Verdict

AdGuard wins for most users — stronger defaults, more features, no commercial compromise with advertisers.

AdBlock Plus is better if you want the simplest possible free extension with maximum browser compatibility and don’t mind spending 30 seconds disabling one toggle.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The Acceptable Ads Difference — Why It Matters

This is the most consequential difference between the two tools, and it’s worth explaining clearly.

AdBlock Plus runs the “Acceptable Ads” program. Advertisers — including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon — pay eyeo GmbH (ABP’s parent company) to have their ads added to a whitelist. When you install AdBlock Plus with default settings, ads from these paying participants are shown to you. They’re labelled “non-intrusive” by eyeo’s definition, but they’re still ads, and the decision to show them is driven by who paid, not by what you actually want to see.

AdGuard has no equivalent arrangement. Its free extension blocks all ads from all sources equally, with no commercial relationships with advertisers that would create exceptions.

What this means practically:

• AdBlock Plus at default settings scores 77/100 on AdBlock Tester — Google search ads, some display ads, and other Acceptable Ads participants’ content gets through
• AdGuard at default settings scores 87/100 — weaker than it could be because Privacy and Social filters aren’t enabled, but there’s no intentional advertiser whitelist
• Both reach 100/100 when fully configured

You can disable Acceptable Ads in ABP: Settings → General → uncheck “Allow Acceptable Ads.” After that, the blocking performance gap between the two narrows significantly. But AdGuard never required this step in the first place.

Ad Blocking Performance

Default settings (what most users actually experience)

AdGuard out-of-the-box blocks standard banner ads, video ads, and pop-ups reliably across major sites. It misses some tracker categories because Privacy and Social Media filters aren’t enabled by default.

AdBlock Plus out-of-the-box blocks standard ads, but allows Acceptable Ads participants’ content through. In testing, this meant seeing Google-served ads on some sites, promoted search results, and other paid whitelist participants’ ads — even with ABP running.

Winner: AdGuard — no commercial compromises out of the box.

Configured settings (power users)

With AdGuard’s Privacy and Social Media filters enabled, it scores 100/100 and blocks trackers, analytics, social widgets, and fingerprinting scripts comprehensively.

With ABP’s Acceptable Ads disabled and EasyPrivacy enabled, it also scores 100/100 and performs comparably to AdGuard on standard sites.

Winner: Tie — both reach equivalent blocking depth when properly set up.

YouTube specifically

This is where the gap remains even after full configuration. AdGuard blocks YouTube pre-rolls, mid-rolls, and Shorts ads more consistently than AdBlock Plus, particularly when YouTube deploys anti-adblock countermeasures. AdGuard’s filter lists update faster and its Chrome extension handles YouTube’s SSAI attempts better than ABP’s.

In our April 2026 testing, ABP missed mid-roll ads on YouTube in roughly 1 in 5 sessions. AdGuard missed roughly 1 in 20 sessions in browser-based testing.

Winner: AdGuard — meaningfully more reliable on YouTube.

Privacy and Tracker Blocking

AdGuard

AdGuard has a dedicated privacy layer called Stealth Mode (available in the paid desktop app). The free extension supports Privacy Filters (EasyPrivacy + AdGuard’s own lists) — but these must be enabled manually. Once enabled, AdGuard blocks Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, Hotjar, fingerprinting scripts, tracking URL parameters, and most analytics tools reliably.

AdGuard also explicitly states: it has no commercial relationships with data brokers or advertisers of any kind.

AdBlock Plus

ABP’s free extension includes basic tracker blocking via EasyPrivacy filters — again, not enabled by default. The Acceptable Ads program itself represents a structural privacy concern: some of the companies whose ads ABP whitelists are also major data collection platforms. Blocking their ads while allowing their tracking pixels would be inconsistent — and ABP’s default settings don’t block the tracking components of Acceptable Ads.

Advanced users on Reddit and privacy forums note this inconsistency: ABP’s commercial relationships with advertisers create an inherent tension with strong tracker blocking.

Winner: AdGuard — stronger privacy defaults, no commercial conflict with advertiser tracking.

Features Head-to-Head

Custom filters and filter lists

Both support importing custom filter lists and writing user-defined rules. AdGuard’s filter list interface is more polished; ABP’s is simpler. Both support EasyList, EasyPrivacy, and most community-maintained lists. Power users will find comparable flexibility in both — though uBlock Origin (on Firefox) surpasses both for advanced filter management.

Winner: Tie

Element picker

Both include a visual element picker for manually blocking any page element. AdGuard’s picker is slightly more feature-rich; ABP’s is simpler to use for non-technical users. Neither reaches uBlock Origin’s element picker depth.

Winner: Tie (slight AdGuard edge for power users)

Cookie consent popup blocking

Neither free version blocks cookie consent popups automatically. AdGuard’s free extension doesn’t include this. ABP Premium does. Ghostery’s free extension blocks them automatically.

Winner: Neither (for free users)

System-wide blocking

Neither the free AdGuard extension nor any ABP tier provides system-wide blocking — both are browser extensions only. AdGuard’s paid desktop app ($2.49/month) adds this. AdLock’s architecture provides system-wide blocking at $2.99/month. ABP has no system-wide option at any price.

Winner: AdGuard (paid app option exists) — but neither free tier covers this.

Platforms

AdGuard: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari. Android (paid app). iOS (extension + DNS).

AdBlock Plus: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari. Android (browser app). iOS (Safari extension).

Both have comparable browser coverage. ABP has no system-wide Android app; AdGuard does (paid).

Winner: AdGuard (system-wide Android option)

Pricing Comparison

AdGuard is cheaper at the system-wide level and the only one offering a lifetime license. AdBlock Plus Premium at ~$4/month offers features (cookie blocking, floating video removal) that don’t justify the price compared to alternatives. The free AdGuard extension outperforms ABP Premium for core ad blocking in most scenarios.

User Reputation

AdGuard Trustpilot: 4.7/5 (9,600+ reviews, 86% five-star) Users consistently praise YouTube blocking, multi-device coverage, and responsive support. Critical reviews focus on occasional site breakage and interface complexity.

AdBlock Plus Trustpilot: 2.3/5 One of the lowest ratings in the category. The dominant complaints are: ads still appearing (Acceptable Ads), YouTube failures, and persistent upgrade prompts when the extension updates. The company responds to reviews but the structural Acceptable Ads issue can’t be resolved in a comment.

This gap in reputation reflects real user experience — AdGuard delivers what users expect with minimal configuration; AdBlock Plus requires setup most users don’t know about.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose AdGuard if:

• You want an ad blocker that works fully without touching any settings
• YouTube reliability matters — AdGuard is meaningfully more consistent
• You’re concerned about commercial relationships between your ad blocker and advertisers
• You might want to upgrade to system-wide blocking later (AdGuard has a paid app; ABP doesn’t)
• You want a higher-rated, more trusted product based on user reviews

Choose AdBlock Plus if:

• You want the simplest possible interface with no feature complexity
• You’ll disable Acceptable Ads immediately and are comfortable with that first-time setup
• You use Firefox and find AdGuard’s extension heavier than you need
• You want the widest possible browser compatibility with minimal footprint

Consider AdLock if:

• You want system-wide blocking (covers all browsers, apps, and games simultaneously)
• You’re on Chrome and want MV3-proof blocking that doesn’t require any extension
• You need VPN compatibility on Android
• You want zero commercial relationships between your ad blocker and any advertiser

How to Switch from AdBlock Plus to AdGuard

If you’re on AdBlock Plus and want to move to AdGuard’s free extension:

1. Go to the AdGuard browser extension page and add it to your browser
2. Remove AdBlock Plus — running both simultaneously causes filter conflicts
3. Open AdGuard → Filters → enable Privacy Filters and Social Media Filters (both off by default)
4. Optional: enable Annoyances filters for cookie popup blocking on some sites
5. AdGuard will immediately start blocking all ads without any Acceptable Ads exceptions

How to Switch to AdLock (from Either)

If you want system-wide blocking across all browsers and apps:

1. Download AdLock from adlock.com for your platform
2. Enable HTTPS filtering on first launch
3. Remove AdBlock Plus or AdGuard’s extension — AdLock filters at the OS level, extensions aren’t needed
4. Every browser immediately gets ad blocking without any extension management

FAQ

Is AdGuard better than AdBlock Plus?

For most users: yes. AdGuard has stronger defaults (no Acceptable Ads program), more reliable YouTube blocking, stronger tracker protection, and a significantly better user reputation (4.7/5 vs 2.3/5 on Trustpilot). AdBlock Plus is a viable choice if you disable Acceptable Ads immediately and want the simplest possible interface.

Is AdBlock Plus really free?

The core ad-blocking functionality is free. The Acceptable Ads program means the free version intentionally allows some ads from paying advertisers. Disabling this is free but requires knowing to do it. ABP Premium at ~$4/month adds cookie blocking and floating video removal.

Do both block YouTube ads?

AdGuard blocks YouTube ads more consistently than AdBlock Plus, particularly mid-rolls and Shorts. With Acceptable Ads disabled, ABP handles YouTube better but still falls behind AdGuard in our testing.

Can I use AdGuard and AdBlock Plus together?

Not recommended — they’ll apply conflicting filter rules and compete to modify the same page elements, causing breakage. Pick one.

What’s the best free ad blocker overall?

For browser-only use: AdGuard’s free extension (blocks everything by default, no commercial compromises) or uBlock Origin on Firefox (maximum power, fully free). For system-wide blocking: AdLock. For the simplest setup: Brave Browser’s built-in blocker.