Google is the world’s largest advertising company. They also own the world’s most frequently used search engine, largest video content platform (which is also the world’s second-most used search engine), and most popular web browser. Almost all their platforms are ad-supported, in one way or another. And given how many people use Chrome to access their other services, it’s very apparent why Google wouldn’t want ad blockers on Chrome.
So, yeah, Surprise surprise! Google hates ad blockers. And it shows. For the last couple of years they have been making it difficult for ad blockers to block YouTube ads. They even started restricting content for users with ad blockers active. Moreover, Google’s search ads and YouTube ads are served through the same domain as the actual results and content. This makes things even difficult for adblockers. Now their newest stand against ad blocker is Chrome’s Manifest v3 platform that outright cripples ad blockers and prevents them from working the way they’re supposed to. We will discuss all this and more, in this article. But first, we’ll talk about the top 5 best ad blockers for Chrome that still work.
A Quick Comparison Between The Top 5 Best Ad Blockers for Chrome
| Ad Blocker | Adblock Tester Score | Starting Price | Where it Works | Why it’s the best? |
| Total Adblock | 100 | $19.99/year | Chrome, Android & iOS | Easy setup, one-click |
| AdGuard | 100 | $39.99/year | Everywhere | Blocks everything |
| Ghostery | 96 | Free | Chrome, Firefox & Safari | Best for privacy |
| Surfshark Cleanweb | 98 | $47.85/year + 3 months | Everywhere | Best VPN ad blocker bundle |
| AdBlocker Ultimate | 92 | $29.95/year | Chrome, Firefox, Windows, Android, iOS | User-friendly |
1. Total Adblock- The Best Ad Blocker for Chrome in 2025
🏆 Adblock Tester Score: 100/100
💵 Starting Price: $19.99/year
Total Adblock offers the best value for Chrome users in 2025. It effectively removes ads and trackers and improves your internet security.
Manifest V3 Compliance
Chrome’s Manifest V3 extension platform update has made it challenging for many ad blockers to cope with the new extension security policies. But Total Adblock has already made their extensions compliant. That means no interruptions, no compatibility issues moving forward and an ad blocker that works as good as ever. By following Chrome’s new extension framework Total Adblock blocks ads and trackers without violating Chrome’s new rules, so you have a long term solution.
Seamless Integration with Chrome
One of the best things about Total Adblock is how easy it integrates with Chrome. Installation is just one click from the Chrome Web Store and once installed it starts removing ads, pop-ups and autoplay videos immediately and runs silently in the background. Unlike some ad blockers that consume a lot of resources, Total Adblock is lightweight so your browser remains fast and responsive. No need to configure anything, it works out of the box.
Perfect Score on AdBlock Tester
Not all ad blockers are the same. They work in their own ways. This is why Adblock Tester’s score matters when you’re trying to pick the right one. Total Adblock’s 100 score proves how good and efficient it is. Unlike many other ad blockers that struggle with certain types of ads, Total Adblock removes all kinds of ads and annoyances from all kinds of sites. And it reflects on that perfect score.
Easy Installation and User-Friendly Experience
For users who just want an ad blocker that works, Total Adblock delivers a completely hassle free experience. Installation takes less than a minute and once added to Chrome, no need to configure anything. Total Adblock is designed to be simple, it runs automatically and blocks ads. If you want to adjust settings, the interface is intuitive to whitelist websites, change blocking levels or enable additional privacy features.
A Privacy and Security Shield
Total Adblock is a complete privacy and security tool. It goes beyond ads removal by blocking tracking scripts, so advertisers can’t collect your browsing data and profile your online behavior. It also blocks malicious pop-ups and phishing attempts so you don’t accidentally click on bad links.
The Ultimate Ad Blocker & Security Bundle
What sets Total Adblock apart from many competitors is that it comes bundled with TotalAV, an award-winning antivirus and security suite. This means that when you subscribe to Total Adblock Premium, you’re not just blocking ads, you’re also protecting your entire system from malware, phishing scams, and other online threats.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Although Total Adblock is optimised for Chrome, it doesn’t stop there. It also works on Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Opera. For those who need ad-free browsing on mobile, it also has dedicated apps for Android and iOS. While some ad blockers only work within the browser, Total Adblock ensures that your entire online experience remains clean, fast, and private.
Why Total Adblock is the Best for Chrome Users
If you’re looking for a powerful, easy-to-use, and Manifest V3-compliant ad blocker, Total Adblock is the best choice for Chrome in 2025. With a flawless 100/100 AdBlock Tester score, instant installation, and security enhancements through TotalAV, Total Adblock delivers the best experience for Chrome users.
2. AdGuard – The Most Comprehensive Ad Blocker
🏆 Adblock Tester Score: 100/100
💵 Starting Price: $39.99/year or $99.99 for a Lifetime License (Promo Code: ADBLOCKTESTER30 for 30% discount)
Powerful, flexible, and highly customisable are the three words I would use to describe AdGuard. It blocks ads, trackers, analytics scripts, and even phishing attempts. It’s a complete internet privacy tool, and it’s as safe as they come.
Future-Proof Ad Blocker for Chrome
Chrome’s Manifest V3 update has left many ad blockers in a bind, with some struggling to keep up. But AdGuard was ready. Unlike ad blockers that lost functionality or slowed down, AdGuard fully adapted to Chrome’s new extension framework. No compatibility issues, no broken functionality, no interruptions. AdGuard remains a reliable solution for the foreseeable future.
Perfect Score on Adblock Tester
If you need proof of AdGuard’s performance, its 100/100 score on AdBlock Tester should do. It passed every category on our website, so we even checked it on other websites to see if any ads go through. AdGuard has remained consistent in blocking all ads everywhere. No social media sponsored ads, no ads on YouTube, Amazon, Forbes, or anywhere else.
Blocking Ads at the DNS Level
Most ad blockers work at the browser level, but AdGuard goes one step further with DNS-level filtering. Ads don’t even load, tracking is reduced, and page speeds are improved. This is especially useful for blocking aggressive tracking scripts that traditional ad blockers sometimes miss.
Easy Installation
Not everyone wants to tweak settings or manually configure blocklists. That’s why AdGuard keeps it simple. The install takes less than a minute and once installed it runs in the background automatically. AdGuard’s default settings are enough for most users, so you don’t need to do anything after installation.
Beyond Ads
AdGuard is an internet security and privacy tool. It doesn’t just remove ads, it stops advertisers from tracking you, blocks third-party analytics and prevents phishing attacks. AdGuard ensures your data is yours by:
- Blocking tracking pixels in web pages
- Stripping tracking parameters from links before you click them
- Preventing websites from fingerprinting your device
Online privacy is getting more important, AdGuard is your first line of defense against data collection and online threats.
Flexible Pricing
AdGuard offers multiple pricing options, making it accessible to both casual and power users. The free browser extension blocks most ads and trackers and is fine for most people.
The premium plan at $39.99/year (or $99.99/lifetime) adds HTTPS filtering, system-wide blocking, and parental controls. Unlike other ad blockers that push yearly subscriptions, AdGuard’s lifetime plan is one of the best values on the market.
Works Everywhere
While optimised for Chrome, AdGuard extends its protection across multiple platforms. It’s available on:
- Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Safari
- Windows and macOS as a standalone app
- Android and iOS for mobile ad blocking
- Even routers, ensuring network-wide ad-blocking
AdGuard is one of the most versatile solutions available.
Why AdGuard is One of the Best Ad Blockers for Chrome
If you’re a Chrome user who wants a fast, reliable, and customisable ad blocker, AdGuard is a top choice in 2025. Unlike other ad blockers that only work at the browser level, AdGuard offers DNS-level filtering, meaning ads don’t even get a chance to load. With a 100/100 AdBlock Tester score, Manifest V3 compliance, and system-wide ad-blocking capabilities, AdGuard is one of the most powerful ad blockers available for Chrome users.
3. Ghostery – Privacy Focused
Ghostery stands out as a privacy-first tool for Chrome users who want to browse safer. With its comprehensive suite of features, Ghostery blocks intrusive ads and safeguards your personal data from trackers and other online threats.
Future-Proof Protection
Ghostery has already integrated with Manifest V3 so you don’t have to worry about any interruptions to your ad-blocking. This means Ghostery will keep working for Chrome users, and block ads and trackers consistently without performance impact.
Great Score on AdBlock Tester
Ghostery scored 96/100 on AdBlock Tester. This is great for blocking all kinds of ads and trackers on various websites, including YouTube, social media, news sites and more. While not perfect yet, it’s still an admirable result.
Easy Installation and Interface
Installing Ghostery on Chrome is a quick and easy task. Just head to the Chrome Web Store and click install. Once installed, it runs in the background and removes ads, pop-ups, and autoplay videos without any required configuration. The interface is intuitive and allows you to customise settings like whitelisting sites or adjusting blocking preferences to have a personalised browsing experience.
Advanced Privacy and Security Features
Other than ad-blocking, Ghostery offers a suite of privacy and security tools designed to protect users from online tracking and data collection:
- Tracker and Ad Blocking: Ghostery and its open-source community maintain an extensive tracker database. This database effectively identifies and blocks tracking scripts that monitor user behaviour.
- Never-Consent Feature: This functionality automatically declines cookie consent pop-ups. This reduces interruptions and enhances user privacy.
- WhoTracks.Me Integration: This service gives users insights into which companies are tracking their online activities. It offers transparency and control over personal data.
These features collectively ensure that users can be on the web without the concern of being monitored or having their data stolen.
All Features for Free
One of the best things about Ghostery is that it provides all this privacy and security features for free. You get all of it, including ad and tracker blocking without any subscription fees. If you want to support the development and get extra perks like historical tracker stats, advanced analytics and priority support, then you can join our contributor program. However, all the core features are available to all users for free.
Why Ghostery is the best for Chrome users
Ghostery seamlessly integrates with Chrome’s latest extension platform, it has an impressive score on Adblock Tester, and it updates its tracker database regularly to keep improving itself. All this makes it a great contender for the best Chrome ad blocker.
4. Surfshark – Best Ad Blocker VPN Bundle
Built into the Surfshark ecosystem, CleanWeb gives Chrome users a powerful ad blocking and online privacy solution
Ad Blocking with or without VPN
CleanWeb is part of Surfshark’s VPN service but stands out by letting you block ads even without an active VPN. This is super useful if you don’t need a VPN all the time but want an ad free browsing experience. By enabling CleanWeb 2.0 in the Surfshark browser extension, ads will be blocked regardless of the VPN status. CleanWeb 2.0 only works on the browser extensions to they have got it covered for Chrome users .
Heavy Focus on Privacy and Security
CleanWeb being a part of the world renowewd privacy-focused VPN, focuses heavily on privacy and security. It blocks video ads, banners, popups and trackers on YouTube, social media and other websites. It also alerts you to phishing attempts and malicious sites and by blocking ads it saves bandwidth, perfect for users with limited data plans.
Proven Performance Across Platforms
In testing, Surfshark CleanWeb scored a 98/100 on AdBlock Tester, blocking a wide range of ads and trackers. Surfshark blocked all contextual ads, banners, analytics, and error monitoring checks. In real-world performance checks, it has blocked pre-roll, mid-roll and banner ads on YouTube, ads on social media sites like Reddit and X and sponsored content on news sites like Forbes and The New York Times.
Affordable Pricing with VPN
CleanWeb is included with every Surfshark VPN subscription so you get ad blocking and VPN for the price of one. $15.45 per month may not sound that appealing, but the good stuff comes when you look at the annual and two year pricing.
- Yearly Plan: $47.85 per year (approximately $3.19 per month) + 3 months extra
- Two-Year Plan: $59.13 for 2 years (approximately $2.19 per month) + 3 months extra
These plans are of great value, especially since you get both VPN and ad blocking. There isn’t a standalone version of CleanWeb, but its inclusion with Surfshark makes it even more attractive. And if you don’t like it, there’s a 30-day money back guarantee that you can avail.
Why CleanWeb is Perfect for Chrome Users
Unlike many modern browsers, Chrome doesn’t come with a built-in VPN. But you may need one. So if you happen to choose Surfshark, CleanWeb comes included. Moreover, for Chrome, you get CleanWeb 2.0, which is significantly better than the basic version of CleanWeb. So you get a lot of added benefits on Surfshark CleanWeb as a Chrome user. And yes, goes without saying, Surfshark is MV3 compliant.
5. Adblocker Ultimate – User-Friendly
AdBlocker Ultimate is an open-source ad blocker for Chrome that gives you an ad-free browsing experience. With its no-whitelist policy, all ads are blocked unless you choose to unblock them. You’re in full control of your online space.
Ad Blocking and Privacy
AdBlocker Ultimate blocks multiple types of online ads, including banners, pop-ups, and video ads, on all websites, including YouTube and Facebook. Its built-in filter also blocks malicious domains that distribute malware and removes third-party trackers and social media widgets that harvest your data for safer and more private browsing.
Performance on Different Platforms
AdBlocker Ultimate scored 92/100 on AdBlock Tester. It blocked ads on YouTube, Reddit and popular news sites. It didn’t block scripts from Yandex.Metrica and error monitoring services like Sentry and Bugsnag but it’s still a solid ad-blocker that improves overall browsing performance.
Works Great On Chrome
AdBlocker Ultimate has already updated to Manifest V3 to ensure users will continue to receive ad blocking without performance or security compromise. By being Manifest V3, AdBlocker Ultimate remains committed to user privacy and fast browsing.
Free vs Paid
The browser extension of AdBlocker Ultimate is free and has all ad-blocking features including customisable whitelisting and blacklisting. The premium version is $29.95 per year for system-wide ad blocking on Windows applications. But you can get similar features for free from other alternatives that may be better for you, depending on your needs.
Why AdBlocker Ultimate for Chrome
If you’re a Chrome user looking for a user-friendly open-source ad blocker that doesn’t allow ads by default, AdBlocker Ultimate is the way to go. It blocks all ads and has already been updated to Manifest V3, so you get continuous and effective ad-blocking. The premium version has extra features for Windows users, but the free browser extension is already a great tool to improve your browsing.
Pricing Comparison – Which One Offers The Best Value?
When it comes to choosing the right ad blocker, you need to understand the pricing and value each offers. Here’s a breakdown of the top contenders:
Total Adblock has a free version that blocks ads in basic mode. For more features, the premium version is $19.99 for the first year. It includes ad blocking on all platforms and integrates with TotalAV antivirus for extra security. However, after the first year, it renews at $99 per year.
AdGuard offers flexible pricing. You can get a $39.99 annual subscription that covers multiple devices and has extensive ad blocking. For a long-term solution, AdGuard offers a lifetime license for $99.99, with no more recurring payments. With the code ADBLOCKTESTER30, you can get 30% off, making it a good value for ad blocking and privacy.
Surfshark’s CleanWeb comes bundled with VPN service, ad blocking, and online privacy. The most affordable is the 2-year plan for $59.13, which breaks down to around $2.19 per month and includes 3 extra months for free. This is a great value, especially if you need both VPN and ad blocking.
AdBlocker Ultimate has a free browser extension that offers complete ad blocking. For system wide ad blocking on Windows there’s a premium version for $29.95 per year. While the free version is enough for most, the premium version gives you protection beyond the browser for those who want full coverage.
Ghostery is a free, open source ad blocker that focuses on privacy. It has full ad and tracker blocking with no subscription fees. If you want to support the development and get extra perks like advanced analytics and priority support, Ghostery has a contributor program with various donation options. But all core features work fully in the free version so it’s a great option for budget conscious users.
Comparison and Value
When it comes to value for money AdGuard and Surfshark’s CleanWeb are the top two. AdGuard’s lifetime license with the discount is a one time payment for ad blocking across multiple devices. Surfshark’s CleanWeb has a full package of ad blocking and premium VPN services for an affordable monthly rate if you opt for the extended plan.
For free solutions AdGuard and Ghostery deliver a lot of features without any cost. Despite having a paid offering AdGuard’s free browser extension does pretty much everything you could want from an ad blocker. Ghostery also provides full ad and tracker blocking and privacy protection.
What’s the Deal with Manifest V3?
Google has changed Chrome extensions with Manifest V3, a new framework for improving security and performance. Sounds good, right? Well, not if you’re an ad blocker. With these new rules, extensions must comply or get the boot from the Chrome Web Store. If an ad blocker isn’t Manifest V3-compliant, it won’t just vanish from the store, it will stop working altogether.
Why It’s a Problem
Software updates are no big deal. Every year, our phones, computers, and apps get major updates, and older software that’s not maintained eventually stops working. That’s normal. But Manifest V3 is different because it specifically affects ad blockers in ways that will limit their effectiveness.
To understand why this is a problem, let’s discuss how ad blockers work. Most operate on a network level, blocking ads before they even load. They rely on blocklists, which are huge databases of ad domains and tracking scripts that are constantly updated. These lists are maintained by dedicated communities that hunt down new types of ads and trackers to keep ad blockers up to date.
Until now, Chrome extensions could update these blocklists in real time to keep up with new ad-serving tricks. But Manifest V3 kills real-time filtering. Instead, ad blockers must predefine what gets blocked, meaning they have to guess what kinds of ads to target ahead of time. Worst of all, MV3 limits the number of blocking rules to 150,000. Sounds like a lot. Until you realise some ad networks use hundreds of thousands of variations to get past blockers.
What This Means for You
The big takeaway is that some ad blockers won’t work as well as they used to. Many older or less maintained ad blockers will disappear, while others will have to adapt and work within Chrome’s new restrictions. Some ad blockers, like AdGuard, Total Adblock, and Surfshark CleanWeb, have already updated their extensions to be MV3-compliant, so they’ll keep working smoothly. Others are still figuring things out.
If you use an ad blocker, now is the time to check if it’s MV3-compliant. If it’s not, it may stop working soon, and with Chrome being the most popular browser in the world, that’s a big deal.
Wrapping Up
Ad blockers are likely to keep doing their thing, whether Google likes it or not. And if you use an ad blocker that has stopped working on Chrome (e.g. uBlock Origin), maybe it’s time to make a switch. While other Chromium-based web browsers are supposed to stop supporting MV2 extensions, they haven’t yet. Both Edge and Opera are still going strong, and their stores still host MV2 extensions.
But if Chrome is your main browser and you have no other choice but to keep using it, we hope our recommendations help you.