adblock vs adguard safari

The best ad blockers in 2024

Say goodbye to intrusive online advertising with the best ad blockers

Best in-browser ad blockers

Best ad-blocking apps, best ad-blocking mobile apps, other privacy-focused extensions and apps.

The best ad blockers unfortunately very necessary yo survive on the modern internet. It doesn't matter where you go, there's the risk of being harassed by pop-ups, tracker cookies, malvertising and countless other digital nasties that seem hell-bent on ruining your online experience. Even if all your browsing is above board.

Thankfully there's no shortage of apps and browser extensions that can block ads and keep you safer when you're online. Combined with the best antivirus software and the best VPNs , a good ad-blocker gives you a perfect arsenal of tools to offer as much protection as possible. Even the FBI recommends using an ad-blocker for protection.

The only thing you need to figure out is which ad-blocker is right for what you need. There are so many to choose from, and whether you are willing to live with the downsides. Most free sites rely on advertising revenue to survive, including Tom's Guide. But if you're happy with the trade-off, we've got a thorough list of the best ad blockers and privacy tools — with options for every browser and platform.

The best ad blockers you can get today

1. adblock plus (chrome, edge, firefox, opera, safari, android, ios).

AdBlock Plus (ABP) is among the most popular ad blockers, with extensions available for Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Edge and Opera. ABP features a quick setup, loading preset filter lists that allow users to quickly block most ads, as well as the option to filter malware and social media buttons. 

Savvy users can chose additional block lists as well as set custom filters or whitelist their favorite sites to keep their ad revenue in the black. AdBlock Plus allows what it calls "non-intrusive advertising" through filters; that may irk some users, though this feature can be disabled in settings. 

On Android, the AdBlock Browser provides a Firefox-based browser that blocks incoming advertising, while on iOS, the AdBlock Plus app integrates with the content blocker system to seamlessly block advertising on Safari with minimal setup.

Download AdBlock Plus: Firefox , Chrome , Safari , Opera , Edge

2. AdBlock (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

AdBlock (no relation to AdBlock Plus) is the other best ad-blocking browser extension of note, available for users of Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. AdBlock uses a series of filter lists to automatically block ad content coming from known ad servers and providers. Users can stick with the default block lists, subscribe to additional ones, or even create their own, as well as whitelist their favorite websites. 

As one of the most downloaded Chrome and Safari extensions, AdBlock has the trust of many users worldwide.

Download AdBlock: Chrome , Firefox , Safari , Edge

3. uBlock Origin (Chrome, Firefox)

Ublock Origin is a browser-based ad blocker that focuses on simple, efficient blocking with a low resource overhead. The extension comes loaded with a number of filter lists for known advertising and malware sources, with extra filter lists available and the option to read and create your own custom filters from hosts files.

Download Ublock Origin: Chrome , Firefox

4. Poper Blocker (Chrome)

Rather than be an all-in one blocking solution, Poper Blocker (aka Pop Up Blocker For Chrome), is designed to complement other adblockers. 

In this case, Poper Blocker focuses on blocking pop-ups, pop-unders, overlays, timed and scroll pop-ups, and other varieties that might slip past other ad-blocking extensions. Small notifications tell you when pop-ups are blocked. You also can view your blocking stats, but otherwise, you can generally just keep Poper Blocker running in the background with minimal impact alongside other adblocker extensions.

Download Poper Blocker: Chrome

5. Stands Fair AdBlocker (Chrome)

For a fast and light ad-blocking plugin, Chrome users can turn to Stands Fair AdBlocker. The extension does precisely what it promises, blocking ads and pop-ups from cluttering up your browser view while also preventing any tracking from going on. 

Stand's Fair AdBlocker gives you control over the type of ads you can block, specifying everything from autoplay video ads, YouTube ads, expanding ads and more. It can even block Facebook ads if you want.

The "Fair" part of AdBlocker comes into play by giving you the ability to allow certain types of ads or even whitelist ad-supported websites you don't want to shortchange of badly needed revenue. This is one ad blocker that doesn't take a scorched earth approach to its stated purpose.

Download Stands Fair AdBlocker: Chrome

6. Ghostery (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge)

Like the other extensions on our list of the best ad blockers, Ghostery can remove ads from webpages, so you can focus on content and browse more efficiently. But the real value in Ghostery lies in its privacy protection features. You can use Ghostery to view trackers, which lets you see who's trying to collect data on you. With Ghostery, you can also stop that tracking from taking place. If you really want to safeguard your privacy, you can turn to Ghostery's Enhanced Anti Tracking to anonymize your data.

Ghostery's a free download that offers basic web protection. More advanced protection starts at $4.99 a month and the $11.99 monthly tier comes with a built-in VPN. There are also versions of Ghostery that work with Android and iOS devices.

Download Ghostery: Chrome , Firefox , Opera , Safari , Edge

7. Adblocker for YouTube (Chrome, Firefox)

YouTube has gotten more aggressive with ads, so the makers of ad-blocking extensions have followed suit. Adblocker for YouTube is a Chrome extension that promises to automatically block YouTube ads, whether we're talking about the pre-roll ad appearing before your video or any text and banner ads that appear on the video itself.

If you prefer Firefox to Chrome, there's also an AdBlocker for YouTube extension that works on that browser. Same name, different developer apparently, but the functionality of stripping out video and display ads remains. This version works on Android devices too.

Download Adblocker for YouTube: Chrome , Firefox

1. AdGuard (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS)

Uses looking for a more robust experience can try out the subscription-based AdGuard, which provides desktop and mobile options to reduce the ads you see when surfing online. 

AdGuard on Windows and Mac covers popular browsers, with highly configurable options for ads, content, and tracker blocking, as well as a parental controls module for restricting adult content. AdGuard for Android is a no-root ad-blocker that blocks advertising on apps and games, though you’ll have to install it from AdGuard’s site instead of through Google Play. AdGuard for iOS works with Safari to effectively filter ads on the default browser.

Download AdGuard: Windows , Mac , Android , iOS

2. AdLock ($33 per year)

AdLock avoids the browser-based route, instead opting to run as a separate program to be able to block not only browser-based ads, but also advertising in other programs like Skype or games. 

The app runs in the background, using filters to block ads, popups, and autoplaying videos, speeding up loading times and applying Safe Browsing features to automatically block sites that are known to be unsafe. 

For obvious reasons, the mobile version is unavailable on the Google Play Store, so you'll need to sideload the app if you want to get AdLock into your Android device. iOS users can download AdLock directly from Apple's App Store.

Download AdLock: Windows , Chrome ,  Android , Mac , iOS

3. Wipr (macOS, iOS; $1.99)

If you’re a Safari fan, Wipr may be the best ad blocker for both your Mac and iPhone. The app is available for both iOS and macOS — costing $1.99 from either Apple App Store — and it promises to work with Safari as well as apps that use Safari for displaying web pages.

You’ll find a full array of features with Wipr, which not only blocks apps and trackers, but cryptocurrency miners, EU cookie and GDPR notices and anything else that gets in your way of surfing the web. Its blocklist gets updated twice a week, and there’s little configuration; the idea is that you load Wipr and forget that it’s there while it does its job in the background.

With Wipr, pages should load faster in Safari, which will be particularly welcome if you’re surfing from an iPhone, where ads and trackers can bog down your browser’s speed.

Download Wipr: macOS , iOS

1. 1Blocker (iOS)

1Blocker was one of the first really good ad blockers on iOS when Apple opened up that functionality on iPhones and iPads; the apps has since been optimized for Safari. 

The app is designed to make browsing faster and more secure by blocking ads, popups, trackers and other online cruft. Rather than blocking content of a downloaded page, 1Blocker works with Safari's content blocker API to tell the browser what to block in advance, saving time and resources. 

1Blocker features more than 115,000 blocker rules, custom regional adblocking settings, and easy-to-use custom rules settings. The app is a free download, with premium features available as in-app purchases.

Download 1Blocker: iOS

2. Firefox Focus (Android, iOS)

Firefox Focus is another addition to Mozilla's family of browsers. This one's a privacy-oriented version of Firefox that bakes in ad-blocking and anti-tracking into a light and functional package. Firefox Focus blocks ads and speeds up browsing, while also working in privacy-friendly features like automatic history and cookie clearing. 

Users can selectively block ads, analytics, content and social trackers with easy toggles, turn on a "stealth" mode, and set a default search engine.

Our look at the best Android browsers has more on the various flavors of Firefox.

Download Firefox Focus: Android , iOS

3. AdClear (Android, iOS)

AdClear — or AdClear Plus if you're searching for the iOS version — offers the kind of mobile ad blocking in browsers that similar apps provide. But AdClear takes it one step farther by also blocking ads in apps. 

AdClear achieves this through a DNS changer feature that routes traffic through a VPN. AdClear doesn't catch everything in all apps, and in our experience, some apps ran a little slower. But this free download can put a stop to ads interrupting what you're trying to do whether in an app or a browser.

Download AdClear: Android , iOS

1. Decentraleyes (Chrome, Firefox)

Some times, blocking ads can also prevent websites fromn pulling needed resoruces and libraries from third-party sources, breaking web pages in the process. Decentraleyes tries to stop that from happening by acting as a local content delivery network emulator to serve up the files that websites need. By doing so, this extension can stop websites from sending out requests to the likes of Google Hosted Libraries.

Think of Decentraleyes as a complement to ad blockers. In fact, the extension specifically says it can work with uBlock Origin and AdBlock Plus, both of which we recommend up above.

Download Decentraleyes: Chrome , Firefox

2. Opera (Desktop, Android, iOS)

The Opera browser bakes in ad-blocking features into the browser without the need for an extra add-on, while also offering privacy-friendly tools such as an unlimited, built-in VPN service, incognito mode, fraud and malware warnings for suspicious links and pages, and more. In addition, you can further customize Opera's capabilities with a wide array of extensions. 

Mobile users need not fret, as the Android version comes with just about everything the desktop version has but built for touch-screen interfaces. On iOS, the mobile version of Opera is listed in Apple's App Store as Opera Touch. (Incidentally, we've got a guide on how you can use Opera to block ads on the iPhone .)

Download Opera: Mac or Windows , Android , iOS

3. Privacy Badger (Chrome, Firefox, Opera)

The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Privacy Badger browser extension was born from the EFF's concerns about the business models of some privacy tools and ad blockers. 

Privacy Badger functions similarly to extensions like AdBlock Plus (on which it was based), observing the various tracking tools that advertisers and other third parties might use to track your online activities and selectively blocking them from executing. Built-in learning algorithms adapt to the sites you visit and take any new tracking tools discovered into account. 

While not explicitly an ad blocker, Privacy Badger does also block some advertising, depending on how aggressively the ads track you across websites.

Download Privacy Badger: Chrome , Firefox , Opera

4. Tor Browser (Desktop, Android)

The Tor network helps anonymize your internet activity by bouncing the data you send and receive through a distributed anonymous network of routers to foil a common online surveillance technique called traffic analysis, which can reveal the sites you visit or who you're communicating with. 

The Tor Browser is an all-in-one package that includes everything you need to surf the net through the Tor network in an easy-to-install portable package. The package includes a modified version of Firefox with privacy aids such as NoScript baked in, and an automatic setup aid that makes it easy to connect to and create new Tor circuits. 

On the desktop, you can grab a version of Tor Browser for Windows, macOS or Linux. There's also a version of Tor Browser for Android, which replaces the previous OrBot + OrFox combination recommended for browsing Tor on Android.

Download Tor Browser: Desktop , Android

5. Onion Browser (iOS)

iOS users aren’t left out when it comes to browsing the Tor anonymizer network, with the Onion Browser among the more popular options on Apple’s mobile OS. 

Previously a premium app, Onion Browser has since moved to a donation model, opening up access to everyone who wants to download the app, without compromising security or features. The usual caveats apply: Browsing through Tor will slow down the web experience, and some features, like video streams and video files won’t work in order to preserve anonymity.

Download Onion Browser: iOS

How to choose the best ad blocker for you

Many of the best ad blockers are available for free, either as extensions or as standalone apps, though a few, like AdLock, charge a fee. Determine if the free services provide enough ad-blocking to meet your needs or whether a paid app delivers more for your money. You should also figure out if a browser extension will take care of your ad-blocking needs or whether you should consider switching browsers to one with more built-in privacy features.

You can narrow down your choice in ad blockers by deciding specifically what you're looking to accomplish with such an app or extension. Do you just want to stop annoying pop-up ads from appearing or do you want the full range of services, including privacy features and an end to ad-tracking? Grab the ad blocker that ticks off all the boxes on your wishlist.

Some ad blockers, such as AdBlock Plus include filters and the ability to let in non-obtrusive advertising. Others, like AdBlocker Ultimate, take a more aggressive approach. Find out which one best suits your needs and comfort level.

As we noted at the outset, there's also an ethical component to ad blockers. Do you feel comfortable keeping ad revenue out of the hands of sites you enjoy and use for free? As good as the best ad blockers are, that's still a trade-off you need to consider when deciding whether to install one as a browser extension or as a standalone app. 

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• kep55 I'm waiting for an ad blocker that will spoof the websites into thinking there is no ad blocker in place. More and more sites are incorporating code that disables the site entirely or many of the features if an adblocker is in use. Reply

kep55 said: I'm waiting for an ad blocker that will spoof the websites into thinking there is no ad blocker in place. More and more sites are incorporating code that disables the site entirely or many of the features if an adblocker is in use.

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Adblock vs Adguard – Which is the Better Ad Blocking Service?

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Don’t you just love it when you’re browsing the web or running an app and an ad pops up, wasting your time, bandwidth, and system performance in order to try to make a quick sale? Of course, you don’t, because you’re a human being. Most people would agree that ads are incredibly annoying, but they are more invasive today than ever before.

AdGuard is the best way to get rid of intrusive ads and online tracking, and to protect your computer from malware. Make your web surfing faster, safer and more comfortable with AdGuard!

What’s the Deal with Adblocking Anyway?

Believe it or not, ads are a security concern and can infringe upon your privacy. Most people use tools like VPNs, proxy servers, cookie managers, and other similar applications to help limit their online footprint and circumvent annoying advertisements.

But the best way to stop ads dead in their tracks, bar none, is to use an adblocker.

One of the great things about adblockers is that they actually help maintain and protect your privacy. Most people aren’t aware that modern digital marketers have become incredibly sophisticated, and can track users’ activities and the websites they visit in order to target them with ads related to their interests.

Usually these techniques revolve around storing cookies in your browser to target you with specific ads, and they can even aggregate demographic information.

They can even make extremely intelligent guesses related to your personal information, such as your identity, age, gender, ethnicity, and a whole host of other types of personal information. The good news is that we all have a right to privacy (for now, at least), and can take advantage of adblockers to stop annoying marketers dead in their tracks.

Two of the most famed and successful adblockers are Adblock and Adguard , but how do you know which to choose? Well, today we’re going to take a closer look at each of these services to see how well they compare.

Pricing Models Compared

When comparing any two digital services, one of the top determinants in most people’s mind is the price.

Free Versions:  First off, note that both Adguard and Adblock have free options. The free version of Adguard , as you might expect, is a little watered down and don’t have as many features as the paid version. Nevertheless, it’s better to use the free versions instead of forgoing adblocking software entirely.

Adblock Plus:  Adblock Plus can be downloaded completely free of charge, and it doesn’t cost a dime to use. For that reason alone, I think most people prefer to use Adblock Plus. After all, why spend money when you don’t have to?

Adguard:  On the other hand, Adgaurd does have free versions, but they also have three different licenses of their software for sale.

The first license is only applicable for Android devices, and costs $9.95 per year . The Standard license costs $19.95 per year , and supports Windows and Mac systems. Finally, the Premium Plan costs $24.95 per year and supports up to two devices, including support for Windows, Mac, and Android.

They also include an option to add additional device licenses in pairs of one computer and one handheld device. The maximum number of devices that can be purchased as a single package includes support for up to 9 computers and 9 mobile devices.

Features to considering and Contrast

The features between these two different adblockers are rather diverse, starting with how the applications actually function and block ads.

Compatibility

First and foremost, be aware that Adblock Plus is a browser extension that supports Firefox, Google Chrome, Android, opera, Internet Explorer, Safari, Yandex, Maxthon, and Microsoft Edge.

Conversely, Adguard is a standalone application that only supports Android, Windows, iOS, and Mac systems. They do have some different versions of their adblocking software that functions as a browser extension as well, but only support Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Yandex, and Opera.

Despite the differences and nuances of being either a standalone application or a browser extension, there are many similarities between the features of these two competing services.

Both Stop Tracking

First off, note that both services will stop ad tracking requests dead in their tracks. They’ll help by disabling invasive banners, scripts, and special types of cookies to make sure that digital marketers aren’t tracking your online activities.

Both Stop Popups

They both also have tools designed to prevent popup ads from spawning new windows. This feature alone can speed up system performance for several reasons.

Ads eat up memory and CPU cycles, and by disabling them, system resources can be spent on processing data and running apps. Furthermore, popup ads can significantly bog down your Internet connection by forcing you to download related images and other data.

Preventing the ads from loading means that your Internet will run better, and you won’t have to waste precious bandwidth downloading irritating images. If you have a weak signal on a mobile device, the difference between browsing the web with ads versus blocking them can be as dramatic as the difference between night and day.

Both Boost Security Overall

Both Adblock and Adguard also help improve system security by blocking attempts from malicious advertising entities. Some ads try to run malicious code or inundate a user with phishing attempts in order to try to get sensitive login credentials.

But, Adguard and Adblock maintain blacklists of websites and domains that are known to be malicious, preventing them from sending malicious advertising to your browser.

The Core Difference?

However, there is one notable advantage to using Adguard over Adblock.

Since Adblock only functions as a browser extension, it doesn’t block ads from other sources as well as Adguard.

Adblock runs independently of your web browser (that is unless you use it’s browser extension version). But advertisers frequently leverage applications, especially freeware, to send ads to users.

Adguard can actually stop ads from being sent to your applications, such as Skype, uTorrent, and others. That’s a handy feature, especially on mobile devices, because it seems that app-advertising is much more prevalent on smartphone and tablet applications.

Lastly, note that both applications have the power to selectively disable ads given certain parameters. You can configure settings for various criteria that will help selectively block certain types of ads, giving you a high degree of control over which ads are blocked.

How does Adblock compare to Others?

• Adblock vs Ublock

Value Versus Cost

Personally, I prefer Adblock over Adguard. I would have to say that Adguard is actually more powerful, and has a more robust set of features. For me, the feature that really made Adguard shine was its ability to stop ads in applications. Adblock can as well, though it isn’t as sophisticated or as powerful.

As such, you might be wondering why I prefer Adblock, and I’ll tell you: it’s free. Both of these services are extremely comparable. Adguard outperforms Adblock by a narrow margin due to some enhanced features, but when it’s all said and done, I’m not sure I would want to spend an extra $10+ dollars a month for such a nominal increase in features.

Plus, Adblock is available on more platforms since it functions as a browser extension. It’s also easier and simpler to install browser extensions than standalone applications, which makes it easier to setup and use.

Final Thoughts

If you’re still not sure, I’d recommend starting with Adblock and seeing how you like it. It’s free to download and use, so there’s absolutely no risk. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, then I’d recommend checking out Adguard . If you opt for a paid license, they do have a 60-day money back guarantee, which gives you two full months to test out their product.

Personally, Adblock does everything I want it to and performs well. Nevertheless, I’ve heard plenty of people say that they use both, though I’m not sure how much better it really is to use both services.

Each service is extremely similar, and they’ll both help improve your privacy, anonymity, system performance, bandwidth, and peace of mind by stopping annoying ads from tracking your online activities.

NOTE: For a full round-up of ALL the top ad blockers, check out my guide here .

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Saturday 14th of July 2018

Thanks! You just saved me twenty bucks!

• VPN & Privacy
• Ad-blocker for Safari

Best ad-blockers for Safari

Whether it’s an autoplay video covering the button you’re about to click, or a banner ad obscuring the content you’re trying to read – everyone hates adverts. Happily, the best ad-blocker for Safari will stop adverts and other annoyances from ever bothering you again.

Sophisticated ad-blockers remove a whole host of stubborn adverts, as well as trackers and fingerprinting scripts. They’ll also help prevent you from connecting to malicious websites and will neutralize threatening adware code.

Choosing from one of the multitude of ad-blockers available for Safari on the App Store can be daunting, which is why we’ve done the work for you. If you’re in a rush, our findings are summarized below:

• Total Adblock : Our first choice for a Safari ad-blocker. Strong ad-blocking ability and can prevent social media trackers and access to malicious websites.
• AdLock : Best budget option for a Safari ad-blocker. Able to stop ads on video and audio streaming sites. Blocks all ads by default.
• AdGuard : Open-source ad-blocker able to stop all types of ads as well as trackers, malware and phishing websites.
• 1Blocker : Simple to use and great for quickly creating custom rules. Stops trackers, cookies and fingerprinting scripts as well as ads.
• Wipr : Easy installation and great at blocking ads, trackers, and cryptocurrency miners. Can also prevent EU cookie and GDPR notices.

We used the criteria below to help us narrow down the Safari ad-blocker options. If you’re interested, we have a comprehensive section on our testing process later in this article.

• Comprehensive and reliable ad-blocking
• Good value for money
• No acceptable ads
• Plenty of customization
• Security features

Here’s a list of the best ad-blockers for safari:

1. Total Adblock

Total Adblock is a powerful ad-blocker that removes banners, video ads and pop-ups by default from Safari – but only on iPhone and iPad. Mac users will need to use a different browser if they wish to employ Total Adblock.

The software can be configured to block websites known to distribute malware, and can also remove cookie and privacy warnings on trusted websites – thus speeding up page loading times. Alternatively, adding websites to a whitelist enables them to automatically display without any filters.

Using Total Adblock’s custom filters allows you to block any elements on a web page that you’d prefer not to see. A social media tracking blocking filter stops “like” and “share” buttons from appearing on websites.

The basic Total Adblock app is free, but will not block ads on the top 15,000 websites ranked on Alexa – thus making it fairly useless. You will also get access to TotalAV virus protection and PC Tune-Up software.

• Robust ad-blocking with subscription
• Stops ads on streaming sites
• Enables element blocking
• Subscription includes TotalAV antivirus
• Prevents social media tracking
• Annual subscription required for usable app

BEST AD-BLOCKER: Total Adblock is our top  ad-blocker for Safari. It offers rigorous blocking of ads and malware, and the subscription includes TotalAV antivirus.

AdLock for Safari is a free extension that blocks pop-ups, autoplay videos, and banner ads; while also protecting you against trackers, bugs, analytical systems, and scammers.

The UI is immediately approachable, making it easy to get started. Toggle switches help you set preferences, and there’s a whitelist where you can add any sites that you’d rather see unfiltered. There are no acceptable ads, so you don’t need to dig around trying to turn them off. You also don’t need to worry about your data being sold to third parties.

There’s scope for more comprehensive tinkering via the ad filters – AdLock recommends using a maximum of five for peak performance. These filters are mostly drawn from EasyList, which is the most popular option for ad-blockers. You can create custom rules and AdLock also allows the removal of any element from a page, including non-ad-related callback forms and online chat boxes.

AdLock is great for streaming sites. It can remove all pre-rolls, mid-rolls, post-rolls, and otherwise unskippable video commercials. You just need to engage a special one-click script or use the AdLock player. AdLock also stops social media widgets following you from site to site.

• Rigorous blocking
• Good for streaming sites
• Protects privacy
• Extension is free
• Extension not as powerful as app

BEST BUDGET-FRIENDLY OPTION: AdLock’s free Safari browser  extension is a reliable ad-blocker that stops ads in streaming sites.

AdGuard for Safari is a free browser extension that stops all ads, trackers and widgets. You can create custom filtering rules and manually remove any web page element. The software helps with security by issuing warnings if you unintentionally visit malicious or phishing websites.

The AdGuard home screen allows you to set up the basics: notification preferences, update intervals, and which content blockers you’d like to use. Content blockers are thematic clusters of filters. For example, the AdGuard Security Blocker contains filters that stop browser-based cryptominers, domains known to spread malware and spyware, and sites associated with fraudsters.

Alternatively, you can add filters of your choosing in the custom area, or create custom rules that apply specific filtering criteria. For example, you might want a particular element removed when visiting such-and-such website. AdGuard provides instructions on how to master rule syntax.

AdGuard doesn’t collect any user data or allow “acceptable ads”. The software is open-source, with the repository on GitHub available via the AdGuard “About” page.

• Intercepts malicious website connections
• Allows custom rule creation
• Stops social media widgets
• Doesn’t block as much as its app

CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS: AdGuard is a powerful, open-source ad-blocker that encourages the creation of custom filters and rules.

4. 1Blocker

1Blocker uses filters to tell Safari what to stop in advance. It’s effective at removing a range of ads, trackers and fingerprinting scripts. Setup is simple and the app automatically receives cloud updates to the built-in filters.

There is plenty of scope for customization. For example, you can create rules for a defined URL or hide a particular element with a CSS selector. You can also block cookies, or allow ads for a particular site while still blocking trackers and social buttons.

1Blocker doesn’t have access to the pages you visit and doesn’t track you in any way. There are no “acceptable ads,” as funding for the app comes from subscriptions. These cost either $2.99 a month, or $14.99 for a year. There is a free version of the app, but it’s limited in what it can do. For example, you can only block either trackers or ads – not both.

1Blocker is compatible with iPhones running iOS 14.2 or later, iPads running iPadOS 14.2 or later, iPod Touches running iOS 14.2 or later, and Macbooks running macOS 10.15 or later. Any preferences and custom rules are kept in sync across all devices via iCloud.

• Easy to use
• Blocks fingerprinting scripts
• Easy to create custom rules
• Doesn’t block all types of ads
• Best features require subscription

GREAT FOR BEGINNERS: 1Blocker is simple  to set up, with a straightforward interface that makes creating custom rules easy.

Wipr is a relatively simple ad-blocker that can nevertheless block a wide range of trackers and ads, as well as cryptocurrency miners and EU cookie notices. Its blocklist is automatically updated twice a week, ensuring not much gets past it.

If you want to block ads from the likes of YouTube and other streaming sites , you can enable Wipr Extra. This requires full website access, so consider any privacy implications in leaving it turned on long-term.

Wipr is able to block ads in apps that display websites using the Safari View Controller. Note that it is not able to help with blocking scam, phishing or other malicious sites.

If purchased in the App Store, you’ll be able to install Wipr on all the iPhone and iPads with the same Apple ID. If purchased on a Mac, you’ll be able to install it on all the Macs with the same Apple ID. Wipr costs $1.99 in each store, so you’ll have to pay $3.98 if you wish to use it on both an iPhone and a Mac, for example.

The app is compatible with iPhones running iOS 12.0 or later, iPads running iPadOS 12.0 or later, and Macs running macOS 10.15 or later.

• Straightforward ad-blocker
• Doesn’t protect against malicious code
• One purchase won’t cover all devices
• No custom rules

EASY SETUP: Wipr is a straightforward  ad-blocker that keeps itself updated and blocks a decent number of ads and trackers.

Can I use a free ad-blocker for Safari?

You can, and there are many decent free ad-blockers available. However, as with most products that seem free, there’s often a hidden cost. Some ad-blockers make money by allowing some ads through – what are sometimes called “acceptable ads.” Other, less scrupulous, apps may even sell your data to third parties.

More commonly, ad-blocking developers create a free version of the subscription-only service – typically a browser extension. This has less features than the paid-for version, but allows people to become familiar with the service and pay out when they find that they can’t live without a particular feature.

How to install a Safari ad-blocker:

If you want to use a Safari browser extension ad-blocker, follow these instructions:

• Launch the Settings app.
• Scroll down and tap Safari .
• Under General , tap Content Blockers .
• Activate your chosen content blocker by toggling the switch next to it to the green ON position.

If you’ve downloaded an ad-blocker app for Safari, follow these instructions to enable it:

• Click on Safari in the top left-hand corner.
• Select Safari Extensions from the drop-down menu.
• Wait for the App Store to automatically open on the extensions page.
• Search for the ad-blocker you’d like to add.
• Click Get underneath the ad-blocker extension.
• Sign in with your Apple ID if required and start downloading.
• Click install to get the app up and running.
• Open the extension and follow the instructions.
• Click on Safari in the top right corner once more.
• Select Preferences from the drop-down menu.
• Tick the checkbox next to the ad-blocker you downloaded.

Methodology: Finding the best Safari ad-blocker

Most Safari ad-blocking extensions are capable of preventing certain cookies, images, pop-ups and other unwanted content from being downloaded. So what makes one better than the other? The best Safari ad-blockers will perform notably well when tested against the criteria below:

• Comprehensive blocking: We expect ad-blockers to be able to block most types of advert that appears on a web page. This includes pop-ups , banners, and interstitial ads. We also require the removal of autoplay video and audio, as well as the option to stop chat boxes and pre-roll ads.
• Good value: An expensive ad-blocker doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth your money. We only include ad-blockers that can justify what they charge. This normally means they provide superior blocking ability with other privacy and security features.
• No acceptable ads: We know that developers need to make money, but allowing ads on an ad-blocker doesn’t seem like the right way to do it. For this reason, we don’t recommend ad-blockers that allow paid advertising to be displayed.
• Plenty of customization: Ruthless blocking seems great… until it isn’t. Being able to whitelist sites is a good starting point. However, a good ad-blocker allows you to create custom rules for everything from ads to trackers, cookies and notices. We also like to be able to customize blocking on an element-by-element basis.
• Security features: It’s not just ads we want to see blocked, it’s trackers, fingerprinting script and any malicious code whatsoever. Ad-blockers that intercept connections to untrusted sites score points too.
• Compatibility: Safari is available on all Apple devices, including Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Although all of the ad-blockers we looked at worked with Safari, they didn’t all work great across all devices. The mobile Safari app is different to the macOS Safari app, and so we only recommend ad-blockers that have been specifically designed to work across all Apple devices.

FAQs: Best ad-blocker for Safari

Does apple allow ad-blockers.

Apple began allowing ad-blockers on the iPhone and iPad versions of Safari in 2015. Devices running iOS 9 were – for the first time – permitted to add content blocking extensions to Safari. 

Prior to this, the only way to block adverts was to “jailbreak” the devices, which involved replacing – or modifying – key components of the operating system with custom applications. Where subsequent security measures weren’t instigated, this resulted in their becoming easier for attackers to infiltrate. 

Apple allowing ad-blocking Safari extensions negated the need to do this. At the same time, it ensured that the company could still make money from allowing advertising in apps.

Are ad-blockers legal?

Yes, though there were a slew of court cases when Apple first began allowing ad-blockers. These were brought by media companies that were heavily reliant on advertising money. None of them were successful, and the use of ad-blockers has been steadily increasing since – much to the chagrin of the ad industry. 

The problem is that ads are becoming ever more invasive. Many actively prevent us from enjoying a particular website’s content until we’ve interacted with the advert. Meanwhile, ad-blockers are getting more powerful and easier to install. 

Of course, the people who run that website might say that ad-blockers are morally questionable. After all, advertising revenue effectively pays for the website. There is ultimately no easy solution. Some sites try using a paywall to stay ad-free, while others incorporate adverts into their content. A short-term solution involves site owners asking users to whitelist their sites if they like them.  

How do ad-blockers work?

Ad-blockers detect scripts designed to make your browser load content from the servers of ad networks. By blocking these scripts, the adverts aren’t requested or displayed. Ad-blockers can also block scripts that monitor your online behavior or contain malicious code. Ad-blockers are able to detect scripts by comparing them with huge lists of offending domains – often created by the online community. 

Without these additional advertising requests playing out, pages tend to require less bandwidth and are quicker to download. Indeed, research suggests that the execution of third-party scripts can account for more than half of a page’s loading time.

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Roundup - best VPNs for

Privacy alert: websites you visit can find out who you are.

The following information is available to any site you visit:

Your IP Address:

Your Location:

Your Internet Provider:

This information can be used to target ads and monitor your internet usage.

Using a VPN will hide these details and protect your privacy.

We recommend using NordVPN - #1 of 72 VPNs in our tests. It offers outstanding privacy features and is currently available at a discounted rate.

Justin Schamotta

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• Software and apps

Our Favorite Ad Blockers and Browser Extensions to Protect Privacy

By Thorin Klosowski

Everything you do online—from browsing to shopping to using social networks—is tracked, typically as behavioral or advertising data. But browser extensions are simple, generally free add-ons that you can use to slow down or break this type of data collection, without completely ruining your experience of using the internet.

Browser extensions, also called add-ons, are tiny bits of software you can download to add new features to your web browser. They are sometimes created by developers as a hobby project to solve a problem for themselves, but are also developed by larger companies as part of their own suite of software.

Not all browsers offer the exact same extensions, but Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are the two most popular browsers, and the ones I focus on here. (Most Chrome extensions will also work with Microsoft Edge , Brave , Opera , and Vivaldi , though we haven’t fully tested them.) Of the two, I recommend Firefox if you prioritize privacy, as it’s much more focused on privacy out of the box compared with Chrome. Regardless of which browser you use, a pack of extensions can increase your privacy by decreasing your exposure to trackers, as well as have the welcome side effect of boosting your security. I’ve included links for both Chrome and Firefox, along with alternatives to our favorites, if they exist.

As for other browsers, Apple’s Safari isn’t bad when it comes to privacy, but it lacks wide support for popular browser extensions. Edge is based on Chromium and will work with the bulk of the Chrome extensions in this article, we haven’t tested it thoroughly. Brave is one of the more popular privacy-first browsers, but even it isn’t free of privacy-related controversies . The Tor Browser is the go-to for anonymity, especially in censored countries, but it’s unusable for most people as a daily browser. Dozens of other lower-profile browsers exist, but few get the security updates and support that most of us need in the software we use all day.

Like apps and desktop software, extensions are useful, but they can be a privacy nightmare . It’s rare for researchers to bother looking closely at extensions to make sure they’re above board. In the last few years, we’ve seen a number of popular extensions turn out to be malware , and one very popular tab management extension was flagged and removed from the Chrome Web Store after the extension’s development changed hands. So, while often useful, it’s best to avoid extensions unless you know exactly what they’re up to. The ones included here are widely scrutinized, or created by reputable companies.

Privacy almost always comes at the cost of usability. Sometimes a browser extension might cause a website to display text strangely, prevent embedded images or tweets from loading on a page, or remove the little social media buttons that make it easy to share an article. But in exchange for the occasional slight headache, companies will have a harder time tracking what you do online.

Ad blocker: uBlock Origin

Chrome / Firefox

Ad blockers are browser extensions that block intrusive pop-ups, invasive trackers, and malicious ads. You have a lot of options for different ad blockers, but I’ve always found that uBlock Origin doesn’t hog system resources (an assumption others have confirmed ), nor does it block so much that it ruins a site’s layout and functionality. I also like how easy it is to disable uBlock Origin on a case-by-case basis, either to allow ads on sites that aren’t annoying or to temporarily enable features uBlock tends to break, like comments sections.

Alternatives: I’ve found that AdBlock , AdBlock Plus , and Ghostery all have steep learning curves or poor performance, but some people prefer them to uBlock Origin. If you want to go hard on ad blockers and kill every ad from every device on your home network, you can build a tiny computer dedicated to just that using Pi-hole software.

Tracking blocker: Privacy Badger

In conjunction with uBlock Origin, consider also running Privacy Badger, an extension designed to block tracking tools , the scripts that tend to record your visits and build profiles based on the websites you view. If you want to learn more about these types of trackers, type an address of a site into The Markup’s Blacklight tool, which lists the trackers it finds on a website and details what that tracking company does.

Alternatives: If you want to learn more about the trackers on the sites you visit, Disconnect can provide more detailed information, but it can be a bit overwhelming. Firefox has a built-in feature (powered by Disconnect) to block trackers, but some may get through, so we still recommend an extra add-on.

Local resources: Decentraleyes

When a website loads resources—such as the sort of JavaScript libraries that add basic animations to a web page, or a date-picker pop-up when you book a hotel room—it often pulls those resources from a third-party host such as Google. Decentraleyes packs a number of the most popular of these libraries so your browser can use them right from your computer instead of fetching them from a third party. It prevents sites from breaking due to settings in an ad or tracking blocker, and works as a useful complement to either.

Alternatives: LocalCDN does the same thing as Decentraleyes, but has less reviews than Decentraleyes.

Login protection: Use a password manager

A password manager is the first step to protecting your online accounts. Password managers are usually accessed through a browser extension that generates, stores, and fills your passwords as you browse the internet. This makes it easier, faster, and more secure to log in to websites. We like 1Password and Bitwarden . Most browsers can also save and fill passwords without a dedicated password manager, but they tend to lock you into that specific browser, or don’t provide tools for password sharing. A dedicated password manager is better at warning you about weak or compromised passwords.

Firefox Multi-Account Containers

As the name suggests, Firefox Multi-Account Containers is a Firefox-only extension, but I’ve found it useful while working from home on my personal computer full time. Essentially, Multi-Account Containers lets you create separate storage containers for different types of browsing—such as work, personal, social media, and shopping—so your web-browsing behavior doesn’t get tracked across sites as easily. In my case, my Google Account for work is siloed off from everything else I do. This prevents me from being accidentally logged in to work email or bombarded by ads for bear canisters because I’m researching the VPN provider TunnelBear. I used to do this by running different browsers—one for work and one for personal stuff—but now I can do it all in Firefox.

Alternatives: Temporary Containers works similarly to Multi-Account Containers but offers more ways to customize how the containers function. Facebook Container is essentially a streamlined version that isolates only Facebook, typically the worst offender for tracking your browsing. If you don’t want to futz around with a bunch of different settings, Facebook Container is a great option for cutting off only your Facebook use.

Extra-credit tools

Regardless of which browser you use, you should enable its HTTPS-preferred mode. This ensures the browser will always attempt to go to the secure version of a web page. You might have to opt into this feature in your browser:

• Chrome : Click the three-dot icon, then Settings > Privacy and security, and enable “Always use secure connections.”
• Firefox : Click the three-line icon, then open Settings > Privacy & Security > Enable HTTPS-Only Mode.
• Safari : Safari automatically updates any site to HTTPS when possible, but doesn’t have an option to block sites that aren’t secure.

There are also a few options that aren’t for everyone:

• Use a VPN: The browser extensions above hide the bulk of your activity while browsing, but a virtual private network (VPN) can add another layer of privacy by routing your traffic through a secure, encrypted connection. This prevents your internet service provider from seeing your online activities. VPNs can also change your location and IP address, making it more difficult for other parties to track you over time (though an untrustworthy company may still leak or monitor that same data ).
• Enable DNS over HTTPS (DoH): Web browsers are rolling out support for DoH, a protocol that increases privacy by encrypting DNS , which makes it much more difficult for someone—your internet service provider included—to snoop on your web browsing. MUO has a guide for enabling DoH in most modern browsers. (Although, if you use a trustworthy VPN, it’s redundant to have DoH enabled in your browser.)
• Change your default search engine: It’s no secret Google tracks everything you do and then uses that information to serve up ads. Alternatives like DuckDuckGo and Startpage work well, and they don’t store your personal information or search data. Here’s how to change your search engine on Chrome or Firefox . You may still need to visit Google for some searches, but the less you use it, the better. If you can’t peel yourself away from Google, Simple Search cuts the advertising cruft from Google search results to show you just the results for what you searched for.

There are many layers of privacy protection, and how deep you want to go with it depends on what’s important to you. If you’re interested in more advanced privacy protections because you want to keep your data out of the hands of government or law enforcement, I recommend reading the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s guide to using the Tor Browser or checking out the Tails operating system . Plenty of other extensions exist if you want to take things further, including NoScript , Cookie AutoDelete , uMatrix , and CanvasBlocker . They tend to make general web browsing a pain, though, so I recommend them only for advanced users.

Meet your guide

Thorin Klosowski

Thorin Klosowski is the former editor of privacy and security topics at Wirecutter. He has been writing about technology for over a decade, with an emphasis on learning by doing—which is to say, breaking things as often as possible to see how they work. For better or worse, he applies that same DIY approach to his reporting.

Mentioned above

• Everyone should use a password manager, and after researching dozens and testing six, we recommend 1Password because it’s secure and easy to use. The Best Password Managers  
• You might not need a VPN, but if you want to add an extra layer of security to your web browsing, Mullvad has been our pick for years. The Best VPN Service  
• A VPN can secure a public Wi-Fi connection and reduce some types of online tracking, but is it reliable to access video sites or limit tracking? Read on to see. What Is a VPN and What Can (and Can’t) It Do?  

Further reading

Step 9 to Simple Online Security: Secure Your Web Browser

by Thorin Klosowski

You can block malicious ads and invasive trackers with a few safe, free add-ons for most web browsers.

Back Up and Secure Your Digital Life

by Haley Perry

From password managers to backup software, here are the apps and services everyone needs to protect themselves from security breaches and data loss.

The Best Internet Security: Layers of Protection, and Good Habits

by Kevin Purdy

Experts told us that to stay safe online, you should keep your OS and software updated, use an anti-malware app, and practice good browsing habits.

7 Simple Ways to Protect Your Digital Privacy

Follow these simple steps to lock down your devices and accounts and take back some control over who has access to your data.

AdGuard for Safari 4+

Adblock and privacy, adguard software limited.

• 4.6 • 21.5K Ratings

Screenshots

Description.

More than 35,000,000 AdGuard users enjoy the better, faster, and safer Internet. The ad blocker extension clears all ads in Safari and fights data tracking to protect privacy. Unlike other major ad blockers, AdGuard provides some extra features you are used to having with the traditional (now deprecated) extensions: ● Manage protection from Safari ● Choose among popular filter lists ● Add custom filter lists ● Create your own filtering rules ● Manual blocking tool ● Whitelist websites in one click AdGuard for Safari is based on the Safari native content blocking API, which makes it lightning fast. KEY FEATURES ◈ Blocking Ads Remove all kinds of ads from Safari browser easily. We have plenty of ad blocking filters and even an ability to manually remove ANY element on the page that you don't like. ◈ Blocking Trackers Make your personal information protected by blocking known trackers. ◈ Blocking Annoyances Tired of all the «Like» buttons and similar widgets infesting all of your frequented web pages? Just enable AdGuard "Social Media filter" and forget about them. ◈ Faster Browsing Speed By preventing ads, annoyances, and trackers from loading when you visit a certain page, AdGuard makes browsing smoother and faster. ◈ Free and Open Source AdGuard for Safari is a free and open source software. The source code is available on Github: https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdguardForSafari

Version 1.11.18

The filter developers said that this version blocks ads more effectively thanks to updated Scriptlets. Should we take their word for it or get the new version and see for ourselves?

Ratings and Reviews

21.5K Ratings

Good Set & Forget Ad Blocker

Clean, simple, and easy to understand. I use on my Mac as well as my iOS devices. Great Apple citizen. Recent updates have made this much easier to use via the built in system controls. Also a big handy feature for me is the ability to quickly, permanently block elements on a webpage just by selecting them, great for navigating poorly designed websites with elements that cover others especially on mobile. However 4 out of 5 times when a website won't work or load it's because this is blocking some linked script or tracking redirect, which is sometimes annoying, especially when you have to do it several times every time such a link is clicked, but the app is just doing its job of blocking sketchy connections that I don't want and that's more a fault of the web at large.

Some annoying bugs, please fix!

This app appears to do a great job and what it sets out to do, but there is an annoying bug that renders this quite frustrating on a fresh boot: when this app is set to open at login, it does NOT honor the "hide" setting checkbox under System Preferences --> Users and Groups --> Current User --> Login Items --> "hide" checkbox next to AdGuard for Safari. Normally, when the system is rebooted and this box is checked, the app can launch, but without the application window opening in front of the user. Please fix this, so that the app can launch at login without popping up its preferences window each time! Finally, as a feature request, please support Catalina auto dark mode, and please allow for iCloud-based settings syncing... thanks!

BEST Ad Blocker for Mojave

After upgrading to Mojave, I found Safari has completely changed its mechanism of extensions. All of my ad block plug-ins now only function in very limited manners (no filter setting, no element inspections etc.). And I feel particularly annoyed -- I browse Chinese websites frequently, yet almost all ad blockers would never succeed in removing ads in foreign languages unless you set up filters manually. Yet as I said before, all most all ad blockers under Mojave are too succinct to offer such advanced features. Thankfully, I finally found this lovely, amazing, elegant, useful, powerful AdGuard. The pre-installed language-specific filer lists are totally incredible. To Mojave users, if you're reading this review, pls stop searching for other ad blockers. AdGuard is THE BEST!

App Privacy

The developer, Adguard Software Limited , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

English, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian Bokmål, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

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• Privacy Policy

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AdGuard for Safari app extension

AdguardTeam/AdGuardForSafari

Folders and files, repository files navigation.

The most advanced ad blocking extension for Safari

Free and open source, highly customizable and lightning fast ad blocking extension.

AdGuard for Safari

Ad blocking extensions for Safari are having hard time since Apple started to force everyone to use the new SDK. AdGuard extension is supposed to bring back the high quality ad blocking back to Safari.

Unlike other major ad blockers, AdGuard provides some extra features you are used to have with the traditional (now deprecated) extensions:

• Managing protection from Safari
• Choose among popular filter subscription
• Custom filters
• Creating your own filtering rules
• Manual blocking tool
• Allowlisting websites

AdGuard for Safari is based on the Safari native content blocking API, which makes it lightning fast, but somewhat limited in capabilities. For instance, Safari limits the number of rules a content blocker can have.

Better yet, there is a full-fledged AdGuard for Mac

With all above said, there is a solution that is even more effective than AG Safari extension. I mean, of course, AdGuard for Mac . It can:

• filter your traffic in all browsers and apps on your Mac
• have an unlimited number of filter rules
• provide a better filtering quality (due to the lack of browser API restrictions)

You can try it out for free .

How to build AdGuard for Safari

AdGuard for Safari consists of three parts:

• An Electron application.
• Safari Content Blocker extension
• Safari Toolbar icon extension

Prerequisites

• MacOS 13.1 or above
• Xcode 14.3 or above
• Xcode Command Line Tools
• Node.js v18.17.1 or higher

Also, you need to install these packages globally:

• electron-packager
• electron-osx-sign

How to build

To run application in development mode.

Install local dependencies by running:

How to debug the app

Debug window.

Launch the application via:

Open menu View -> Toggle Developer Tools

Debug main process

Launch the application via

Open URI chrome://inspect in Chromium

Then add a network target localhost:5858 via button "Configure" and select this target below.

Build and run in production mode

Replace the following line in file ./AdGuard/Config.xcconfig

where <YOUR APPLE DEVELOPER COMMON NAME> is your codesign identity

Make sure your system Nodejs version higher v8.9.4.

Steps to check it: if you use nvm run

Open AdGuard.xcworkspace in Xcode and run building project

How to run tests

Preparing and building adguard., environment requirements.

• MacOS 13.1+
• Xcode 14.3+
• Install Xcode command line tools
• Install the ruby module bundler if it is not in the system
• Fastlane manages development and distribution certificates according to the documentation described in fastlane match . The file ./fastlane/env.default contains variables ( SENSITIVE_VARS_PATH , APP_STORE_CONNECT_API_KEY_PATH ) that define the paths to files with private information necessary for fastlane match to work. Create these files in a hidden location with the appropriate contents and specify their paths in the these variables.
• You need to run the configure.sh dev script, which will install the necessary components and certificates locally.

Check certificates names in Scripts/ExportOptions.plist

SafariConverterLib dependency

For converting rules to content-blocker format we use an external library as a binary built from https://github.com/AdguardTeam/SafariConverterLib/ , that ConverterTool binary should be placed in ./libs/ .

You use ./Scripts/download-lib.sh to download the latest release version of that binary from Github.

Common issues

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/notarizing_your_app_before_distribution/resolving_common_notarization_issues

Use fixed electron-osx-sign

How to release standalone builds

• update version package.json and AdGuard/standalone.xcconfig or AdGuard/standalone-beta.xcconfig
• notarize builds
• publish release on Github
• refresh updates/updates.json and release.json in gh-pages branch

Build application

• mas -- Mac App Store
• beta -- standalone beta
• release -- standalone release
• [--notarize=0] -- optional parameter to skip notarization

Output directory build contains:

• Adguard for Safari.app -- signed and notarized app.
• Adguard for Safari.app.zip -- zip of signed and notarized app.
• Adguard for Safari.xcarchive -- app archive.
• Adguard for Safari.xcarchive.zip -- zip of app archive
• version.txt -- version info (CI requirement).
• updates.json -- json file with updates info.
• release.json -- json file with updates info.

Clean install

• Disable all AdGuard for Safari extensions in Safari browser settings and close browser
• Close AdGuard for Safari
• ~/Library/Application Support/AdGuardSafariApp
• ~/Library/Containers/ - all directories started with com.adguard.safari.AdGuard (if there’s any)
• ~/Library/GroupContainers/TC3Q7MAJXF.com.adguard.safari.AdGuard
• ~/Library/Preferences/com.adguard.safari.AdGuard.plist
• Quit all “AdGuard” and “cfprefsd” processes in Activity monitor
• Reinstall AdGuard for Safari

Releases 91

Contributors 17.

• JavaScript 78.2%
• Objective-C 14.8%
• Objective-C++ 0.8%

What is Web Log Analytics and Why You Should Use It

• June 26, 2024

Can’t use JavaScript tracking on your website? Need a more secure and privacy-friendly way to understand your website visitors? Web log analytics is your answer. This method pulls data directly from your server logs , offering a secure and privacy-respecting alternative.  

In this blog, we cover what web log analytics is, how it compares to JavaScript tracking, who it is best suited for, and why it might be the right choice for you.  

What are server logs?  

Before diving in, let’s start with the basics: What are server logs? Think of your web server as a diary that notes every visit to your website. Each time someone visits, the server records details like:  

• User agent: Information about the visitor’s browser and operating system.  
• Timestamp: The exact time the request was made.  
• Requested URL: The specific page or resource the visitor requested.  

These “diary entries” are called server logs, and they provide a detailed record of all interactions with your website.  

Server log example  

Here’s what a server log looks like:  

192.XXX.X.X  – – [24/Jun/2024:14:32:01 +0000] “GET /index.html HTTP/1.1” 200 1024 “https://www.example.com/referrer.html” “Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/91.0.4472.124 Safari/537.36”  

192.XXX.X.X  – – [24/Jun/2024:14:32:02 +0000] “GET /style.css HTTP/1.1” 200 3456 “https://www.example.com/index.html” “Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/91.0.4472.124 Safari/537.36”  

192.XXX.X.X  – – [24/Jun/2024:14:32:03 +0000] “GET /script.js HTTP/1.1” 200 7890 “https://www.example.com/index.html” “Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/91.0.4472.124 Safari/537.36”  

192.XXX.X.X  – – [24/Jun/2024:14:32:04 +0000] “GET /images/logo.png HTTP/1.1” 200 1234 “https://www.example.com/index.html” “Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/91.0.4472.124 Safari/537.36”  

Breakdown of the log entry  

Each line in the server log represents a single request made by a visitor to your website. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what each part means:  

• This is the IP address of the visitor’s device.  
• These fields are typically used for user identification and authentication, which are not applicable here, hence the hyphens.  
• Timestamp: [24/Jun/2024:14:32:01 +0000]  
• The date and time of the request, including the timezone.  
• The request method (GET), the requested resource (/index.html), and the HTTP version (HTTP/1.1).  
• The HTTP status code indicates the result of the request (200 means OK).  
• The size of the response in bytes.  
• The URL of the referring page that led the visitor to the current page.  
• Information about the visitor’s browser and operating system.  

In the example above, there are multiple log entries for different resources (HTML page, CSS file, JavaScript file, and an image). This shows that when a visitor loads a webpage, multiple requests are made to load all the necessary resources.  

What is web log analytics?  

Web log analytics is one of many methods for tracking visitors to your site.  

Web log analytics is the process of analysing server log files to track and understand website visitors. Unlike traditional methods that use JavaScript tracking codes embedded in web pages, web log analytics pulls data directly from these server logs.  

How it works:  

• Visitor request: A visitor’s browser requests your website.  
• Server logging: The server logs the request details.  
• Analysis: These logs are analysed to extract useful information about your visitors and their activities.  

Web log analytics vs. JavaScript tracking  

Javascript tracking  .

JavaScript tracking is the most common method used to track website visitors. It involves embedding a JavaScript code snippet into your web pages. This code collects data on visitor interactions and sends it to a web analytics platform.  

Differences and benefits:

• Web log analytics: Since it doesn’t require embedding tracking codes, it is considered less intrusive and helps maintain higher privacy standards.  
• JavaScript tracking: Embeds tracking codes directly on your website, which can be more invasive and raise privacy concerns.  

Ease of setup: 

• Web log analytics: No need to modify your website’s code. All you need is access to your server logs.  
• JavaScript tracking:  Requires adding tracking code on your web pages. This is generally an easier setup process.  

Data collection: 

• Web log analytics:  Contain requests of users with adblockers (ghostery, adblock, adblock plus, privacy badger, etc.) sometimes making it more accurate. However, it may miss certain interactive elements like screen resolution or user events. It may also over-report data .  
• JavaScript tracking: Can collect a wide range of data, including Custom dimensions, Ecommerce tracking, Heatmaps, Session recordings, Media and Form analytics, etc.  

Why choose web log analytics?  

Enhanced privacy  .

Avoiding embedded tracking codes means there’s no JavaScript running on your visitors’ browsers. This significantly reduces the risk of data leakage and enhances overall privacy.  

Comprehensive data collection  

It isn’t affected by ad blockers or browser tracking protections, ensuring you capture more complete and accurate data about your visitors.  

Historical data analysis  

You can import and analyse historical log files, giving you insights into long-term visitor behaviour and trends.  

Simple setup  

Since it relies on server logs, there’s no need to alter your website’s code. This makes setup straightforward and minimises potential technical issues.  

Who should use web log analytics?  

Web log analytics is particularly suited for businesses that prioritise data privacy and security.

Organisations that handle sensitive data, such as banks, healthcare providers, and government agencies, can benefit from the enhanced privacy.  

By avoiding JavaScript tracking, these entities minimise data exposure and comply with strict privacy regulations like Sarbanes Oxley and PCI.  

Why use Matomo for web log analytics?  

Matomo stands out as a top choice for web log analytics because it prioritises privacy and data ownership

Here’s why:  

• Complete data control: You own all your data, so you don’t have to worry about third-party access.  
• IP anonymisation: Matomo anonymises IP addresses to further protect user privacy.  
• Bot filtering: Automatically excludes bots from your reports, ensuring you get accurate data.  
• Simple migration: You can easily switch from other tools like AWStats by importing your historical logs into Matomo.  
• Server log recognition: Recognises most server log formats (Apache, Nginx, IIS, etc.).  

Start using web log analytics  

Web log analytics offers a secure, privacy-focused alternative to traditional JavaScript tracking methods. By analysing server logs, you get valuable insights into your website traffic while maintaining high privacy standards.  

If you’re serious about privacy and want reliable data, give Matomo’s web log analytics a try.  

Start your 21-day free trial now . No credit card required.  

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