The Best Safari Ad Blockers of 2022
Unlike Firefox and Chrome, it’s not easy for Mac users to find good ad blockers for Safari. Apple has certain restrictions (such as using the Mac App Store to deliver updates) that repel ad blockers from their browser, and as a result, your favorite apps from Firefox or Chrome may not work well in Safari, even if they are available for everyone. However, there are some good ad blockers that you can use with Safari.
Adgard
If you need a good free ad blocker for Safari, Adguard is one of the best options. It’s fast, free, and works well with no extra setup, which is great for most people. If you want the ability to customize your own filter lists, DNS-level ad blocking, and additional security features, you can check out Adguard Pro ($10).
Wipr
Wipr is also a great ad blocking option for Safari. It costs $2 and allows you to block ads, cookie notifications and includes several customizable regional block lists that you might like. It’s just as good as Adguard, so if you’d rather avoid free ad blockers, Wipr is an affordable option that works really well.
1Blocker
1Blocker works with Safari on iPhone, iPad and Mac. The extension has a whole set of filters to help block all kinds of ads, trackers and other intrusive features on various websites, including a tool to hide any element from a web page, which can be used to remove pop-ups or annoying widgets. The extension lets you use any group of ad blocking lists for free, and it costs $15 per year to unlock all of its features.
Vinegar
Vinegar is perfect for blocking ads on YouTube . If you use Safari to watch YouTube videos, this extension forces the site to use the HTML5 video player and blocks ads on the site. For a one-time fee of $2, the vinegar is worth the money. It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac with one purchase.
VPNs and custom DNS ad blockers
Even with the best ad blocking extensions for Safari, you’ll still find some ads slipping away. The most reliable ad blocker for Safari is network-level ad blockers that work independently of the browser. This means that they automatically filter ad networks for all apps and browsers on your Mac, which is much more efficient than what happens in Safari. You can try native DNS services like NextDNS (free for up to 300,000 queries per month and $20 per year after that) or set up Pi-Hole to automatically block ads on your network.
Alternatively, you can use a good VPN like Mullvad , which has a built-in ad blocker. This is probably the most effective ad-blocking option, but it’s pricey: Mullvad costs €5 a month, and streaming sites like Netflix don’t work well when you use a VPN, so it’s a big trade-off.