Adguard review : Is it the Best Ad Blocking Software 2023?

AdGuard for Mac is a standalone ad blocker program that isn’t a browser extension – it’s far more powerful than that. It’s also available as part of the Setapp suite of Mac apps. Setapp contains over 190 useful apps, all packaged neatly in one place so you never have to go searching for the app you need. AdGuard claims that installing the app will give you:

• Efficient ad blocking – Blocks pop-ups, video adverts, banners, etc.
• Safe web surfing – Protection from phishing and fraudulent websites
• Privacy protection – Protects from all trackers and analytical systems that spy on you
• Filtering inside apps – has an option to filter the ads on any app installed on your Mac
• Works with all browsers – compatible with all browsers from the common ones like Safari and Chrome, to the most obscure ones
• 3-in-1 – You don’t need extra apps or browser extensions

Those are some big claims, but does AdGuard live up to them? We’re going to look at the pros and cons, how to use AdGuard, how much it costs, and answer some frequently asked questions about AdGuard.

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AdGuard for macOS and Windows

One of the key differentiators between AdGuard’s desktop apps is the comprehensive protection they offer.

Unlike a browser extension, which only protects that specific browser from ads, AdGuard’s desktop apps protect any and all applications that access the internet. That means web browsers, email, Skype, torrent clients and much more.

AdGuard for macOS has the distinction of being “the world’s first standalone ad blocker for Mac.” On macOS, in particular, this can be a big selling point since Apple changed how web browser extensions work.

As a result, many popular ad blockers either don’t work anymore, or they don’t work as well as they once did. This has led to a whole slew of ad blockers for Safari shutting down altogether. AdGuard for macOS gets around that because it’s not a browser extension. Instead, it’s a standalone application that operates independently. To make it work in Safari, simply add the browser to the list of applications for AdGuard to protect.

The macOS and Windows versions include features that go beyond basic ad blocking, such as Browsing Security, which is designed to block phishing and other malicious websites. According to the company, AdGuard has cataloged some 15 million websites, flagging 1.5 million of them as malicious or phishing websites. Both versions also include Privacy Protection, which “protects you and your personal info from being tracked by online statistics gathering resources.”

Both desktop clients include Stealth Mode, a feature designed to prevent websites from gathering more detailed information, such as your browser, computer operating system (OS), IP address, the last website you visited, your monitor’s screen resolution and more.

AdGuard: Pros

There’s a lot to like in this app, and here’s why:

• Comprehensive ad and content blocking solution
• A different option for different uses cases
• Reasonable price, including lifetime license option
• A number of open source offerings
• Works with Apple’s latest Safari requirements
• Can be used to protect an entire network
• Abides by the EU’s GDPR

AdGuard: Cons

In a perfect world, AdGuard would be a perfect app. Unfortunately, it’s not a perfect world, and there are a couple of minor issues with AdGuard, but definitely not enough to put us off using it:

• AdGuard teamed with Safari works very well, but sometimes a little too well – on sites like Reddit, it didn’t just block the ads, but parts of the page as well!
• AdGuard consumes up to 120MB of RAM, which is twice as much as the Safari ad blocker extension does. However, we didn’t have any noticeable slowing down of our system while using it.

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AdGuard DNS

For individuals who don’t want to install any applications on their computer, AdGuard DNS is an option. The service is free to use and provides DNS information to replace the DNS addresses provided by your internet provider.

When your device uses AdGuard DNS, the company’s servers respond to any ad requests with an empty response. The DNS service is open source, and completely free to use for personal use.

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AdGuard Home

AdGuard Home is a DNS server designed to protect your entire home network, protecting all your devices from ads and trackers. The server can be installed on a Raspberry Pi or a Virtual Private Server, and works with routers, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

AdGuard Browser Extensions

In addition to all of the above, AdGuard also makes traditional browser extensions. The extension blocks ads, adware installers and spyware installers. It also protects you from malware and phishing websites. As an added bonus, AdGuard works with Safari’s new extension system.

The browser extension works with the following browsers:

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Microsoft Edge
• Opera
• Palemoon
• Safari
• Yandex Browser

Pricing and availability

Family	Personal
$5.49	$2.49
Pricing Model: Flat Rate	Pricing Model: Flat Rate
Payment Frequency: Per Month	Payment Frequency: Per Month
The plan is billed annually and the price is exclusive of VAT. Besides, there is a lifetime subscription option available with one-time fees	The plan is billed annually and the price is exclusive of VAT. Besides, there is a lifetime subscription option available with one-time fees
Family plan includes:	Personal plan includes:
Protect All Your Devices	Protect All Your Devices
Surf the Web Safely	Surf the Web Safely
Up to Any 9 Devices	Up to Any 3 Devices

AdGuard pricing has different tiers for the number of devices you want to use it on,  but alternatively comes as part of the Setapp suite of over 190 Mac apps for a subscription of only $9.99 per month (plus VAT).

Setapp comes with a 7-day free trial, so you can try before you buy.

The AdGuard website offers options for Android, iOS, and Windows, as well as Mac, and they overhauled their licensing system so there’s now only Personal and Family licenses available:

• Personal – Allows you to activate AdGuard on any three devices
• Family – Allows you to activate AdGuard on any nine devices

One great feature of this is that it doesn’t matter what type of devices they are – you can have a mix of Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android versions of AdGuard. You can also choose between the Lifetime one-off payment, or Yearly subscription, and there are often deals to be had on the prices:

• Lifetime – up to three devices: around $78
• Lifetime – up to nine devices: around $182
• Yearly – up to three devices: around $2.60 per year
• Yearly – up to nine devices: around $5.88 per year

AdGuard can be bought on the AdGuard website, and is also available in Apple’s App Store and Google Play for Android versions.

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Support

The company offers email support, with 24 hour turnaround, as well as telephone support. The latter is especially welcome in an age when most internet companies offer email or live chat support only. There is also an extensive knowledge base to educate users on the finer points of how ad and content blocking works, as well as to walk them through installation.

FAQs

Conclusion

AdGuard is a great tool for anyone who uses the internet – but especially those who use it a lot. It will zap all those annoying ads as well as protecting your data and security online by warning you about phishing and fraudulent websites.

The app is easy to download, install, and once set up can be left to happily run in the background until it detects an ad or a problem. The minor flaws are just that – minor – and if you’re looking for a powerful ad blocker then why not give AdGuard a try?

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