Ad blockers are an important way to ensure you can work and play on the internet with your privacy secure. They also allow you to reduce the clutter you see on websites.
If you use a VPN to access the internet, you may want to consider using a VPN that has adblock built into it. You get the privacy of a VPN and the benefit of ad blocking all in one package. And unlike ad-blocking browser extensions, VPNs can block ads before they even reach your device, which speeds up load times.
In this guide, we’ve put together a list of the best VPNs with adblock. If you’re in a rush and don’t have the time to read our detailed reviews, here’s a quick summary of our top picks:
- NordVPN: NordVPN is our top choice VPN, and its ad blocking features are as strong as you’d expect them to be for this high-quality VPN.
- Surfshark: We rank Surfshark highly because it offers a great value for VPN subscribers, and having a strong adblock built into it helps protect you from advertising and malware.
- CyberGhost: We like CyberGhost because it’s so easy to use for those who are new to the world of VPNs. Its ad blocking capabilities are just as easy to use, so novices can take full advantage of them.
- Private Internet Access: We primarily like Private Internet Access because it’s a VPN that offers significant personalization options, and its ad blocker can work with any settings you prefer.
- ProtonVPN: Although ProtonVPN has a higher price than the average VPN, its feature set, including its built-in ad blocker, gives it some nice advantages.
- Bitdefender: After a recent upgrade to its ad blocking capabilities, Bitdefender was a natural choice to add to this list, but it continues to struggle with unblocking streaming services.
- TunnelBear: TunnelBear has highly customizable adblock features that pair nicely with its other privacy protection features, giving you a solid overall package. Its customer service responsiveness lags those at the top of our list, though.
- Windscribe: Windscribe is a nice all-around VPN with features to fit a wide range of planned use cases. Because of its versatility, it’s no surprise that it offers built-in ad blocking. We do wish it had a longer money-back guarantee period.
- Perfect Privacy: Although Perfect Privacy lags behind the top picks on our list in terms of its overall VPN features, its TrackStop ad blocking feature is a very strong performer.
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How does a built-in VPN ad blocker help you?
Blocking advertising on the internet is helpful in a few different ways. The ad blocker makes it more enjoyable to visit websites by reducing clutter. It also removes those popup video ads that catch you off guard. The adblock protects you in a variety of other ways, too, including:
- Prevents spyware-infected ads from reaching your browser
- Protects you from being exposed to malware that you could receive by clicking on some ads
- Blocks ads on your entire device, not just your browser
- Prevents third-party trackers from gaining a foothold through ads
- Improves page load speed
You do not have to pay extra on top of your subscription to use a VPN’s ad-blocking features.
It is important to understand that some companies have ways to work around certain adblock techniques, so you may still see a few ads. However, the techniques the ad blockers deploy are highly effective the majority of the time.
The best VPNs with ad blocking
Here’s our list of the best VPNs with ad blocking:
1. NordVPN
Apps Available:
- PC
- Mac
- IOS
- Android
- Linux
- FireTV
Website: www.NordVPN.com
Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS
NordVPN takes the process of blocking ads very seriously. Whether you want to block all the popup ads on a page or to remove sales banners, NordVPN’s built-in adblock can take care of it.
The ad blocker that’s part of NordVPN works with mobile devices, desktop computers, and browsers like Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox. It’s easy to turn ad blocking on and off by just toggling the Threat Protection switch within the NordVPN interface.
NordVPN is our favorite VPN, even if you aren’t concerned with built-in ad blocking. For starters, NordVPN has one of the strongest and clearest privacy policies available from any VPN, which is an important aspect of building trust among its subscribers.
With servers in more than 60 countries, you can quickly find a server that is near your location, ensuring you receive maximum speeds while using the internet.
Finally, NordVPN never logs your activities or anything about your devices. It’s incorporated in Panama, which means it is not subject to requests from governments in the Five, Nine, and 14 Eyes Alliances.
Pros:
- Easy to toggle ad blocking on and off
- Closely guards your privacy
- Adblock works across a range of devices
- Has servers in more than 60 countries
Cons:
- Slow performance plagues some servers
Our score:
BEST VPN WITH ADBLOCK:NordVPN takes the #1 spot on our list. Because ad blocking plays a role in your ability to securely use the internet, NordVPN’s built-in adblock capabilities are a key component of its overall performance. Take advantage of NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee when signing up for the service.
Check out our full NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark
Apps Available:
- PC
- Mac
- IOS
- Android
- Linux
Website: www.Surfshark.com
Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS
Surfshark’s built-in adblock, called CleanWeb, underwent a recent upgrade to version 2.0. The new version blocks ads like you’d expect it to, keeping potential malware at bay and decluttering your screen.
It goes a step further with its new features, which now include removing video ads when watching streaming TV through a browser. It also warns you of potential data breaches that contain your personal info, and it blocks popup requests that ask you to agree to accept certain cookies on websites.
At this time, CleanWeb version 2.0 is only available for browsers. The original version remains available to use with other operating systems and devices.
Surfshark is one of our favorite VPNs, thanks in large part to the excellent value that it offers to subscribers. It’s one of the best value-priced VPNs on the market.
It doesn’t skimp on features to bring you a low price. Surfshark delivers the high level of privacy you want to see in a VPN, including offering a zero-logs policy. Enhancing its ability to protect your privacy is the fact that it’s incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, away from the reach of governmental security alliances. Its performance speeds remain higher than a typical low-priced VPN, too.
Pros:
- Recently upgraded its ad blocking features
- Can toggle adblock off and on with one switch
- Offers its features at a low price
- Closely guards your privacy
Cons:
- New version of adblock limited to browsers
Our score:
UPGRADED ADBLOCK OPTION:Surfshark is a great price and in addition, has all the features you could want in a security-focused VPN, including a recently upgraded built-in ad blocking service. Try Surfshark risk-free when you sign up for its 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full hands-on Surfshark review.
3. CyberGhost
Apps Available:
- PC
- Mac
- IOS
- Android
- Linux
Website: www.Cyberghost.com
Money-back guarantee: 45 DAYS
CyberGhost will block any domains used to generate advertising, malware, and trackers. Just move the toggle switch for CyberGhost’s Content Blocker feature to turn ad blocking on and off as desired.
CyberGhost offers servers in almost 90 different countries, which greatly simplifies using this VPN and receiving the level of performance you want to see, no matter where you’re located in the world. You can even take advantage of dedicated servers when you want to do torrenting.
By incorporating in Romania, CyberGhost operates outside the reach of the 14 Eyes Alliance. This means intelligence agencies cannot force CyberGhost to give them access to your browsing history. CyberGhost does an excellent job in guarding your privacy, whether it’s through the adblock or through its other security features.
Pros:
- Easy to toggle the adblock switch on and off
- Ad blocker includes a blocker for trackers
- Delivers a high level of privacy protection
- Some servers are dedicated to torrenting
Cons:
- Not many customization options
Our score:
BUILT-IN AD AND TRACKER BLOCKING:CyberGhost is one of the easiest VPNs to use, and its ad blocking features are just as easy to use as the remainder of the service. You can try CyberGhost without risk for up to 45 days, which is a longer money-back guarantee than most VPNs.
Check out our hands-on CyberGhost review.
4. Private Internet Access (PIA)
Apps Available:
- PC
- Mac
- IOS
- Android
- Linux
- FireTV
Website: www.PrivateInternetAccess.com
Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS
Private Internet Access (PIA) delivers excellent speeds, so it doesn’t affect your internet experience. This service’s ad blocking features allow you to load websites faster without having to worry about whether your privacy is in jeopardy. It blocks malware and with phishing sites, keeping you safe while using the internet.
Making use of the MACE adblock feature inside PIA is as easy as moving a toggle switch inside the PIA app and turning on ad blocking.
If you like the idea of being able to customize the settings in your VPN, PIA offers many features that you can set on your own. Novices may find using PIA to be a little more complex than they want, though.
We like the security features found in PIA, as it does not maintain logs or metadata of how you are using the internet. Unfortunately, because PIA is incorporated in the United States, it is subject to requests from national intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies that may want to monitor users’ internet traffic. If this doesn’t worry you, though, PIA has excellent overall features.
Pros:
- Built-in blocker takes care of ads and trackers
- Easily toggle the ad blocker on and off
- Does not maintain logs about users’ actions
- Offers numerous options for personalizing the settings
Cons:
- It is subject to requests from the Five Eyes Alliance
Our score:
ADBLOCK VPN WITH EXTENSIVE CUSTOMIZATION:PIA’s personalization features are strong, which is a significant benefit to users with advanced needs. You also can turn on or off the built-in ad blocking feature through a toggle switch, providing additional personalization. Try PIA risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read through our updated Private Internet Access review.
5. ProtonVPN
Apps Available:
- PC
- Mac
- IOS
- Android
- Linux
Website: www.protonvpn.com
Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS
ProtonVPN as one of the best free VPNs for Windows 11, and its built-in adblock works well. Now, we don’t typically recommend using free VPNs because they tend to use your data in ways that may jeopardize your privacy. Paying for a subscription to a VPN typically gives you and your personal information a higher level of protection.
However, if you simply must use a free VPN, ProtonVPN does a better job than most others.
You can take advantage of the built-in adblock in ProtonVPN, called NetShield, with either the free version or the paid version of the VPN. It keeps most ads from appearing on your screen when you are using the VPN, protecting you from trackers and malware as well. Through the NetShield Privacy Panel, you can even see how many ads the VPN blocked.
Beyond its adblock features, ProtonVPN is an excellent VPN for streaming video, thanks to its fast speeds and its ability to regularly unblock restricted content. It also protects your privacy by using some of the best protocols aimed at security.
Pros:
- Ad blocker works with free and paid versions
- Tracks the number of ads it blocks for you
- Offers excellent performance speeds
- Strong service for streaming video
Cons:
- Prices for its subscription tiers are above average
Our score:
FREE VPN WITH ADBLOCK:ProtonVPN is one of the best free VPNs, and we like how you can use its built-in ad blocker with the free or subscription versions. It uses strong security protocols to protect your privacy, too. You can take advantage of ProtonVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee to try this service without risk.
Read through our full ProtonVPN review.
6. Bitdefender Premium VPN
Apps Available:
- PC
- Mac
- IOS
- Android
Website: www.bitdefender.com
Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS
Bitdefender has excellent security and privacy measures that keep you safe while using its VPN. Recently, the service added new ad blocking and anti-tracking features and enhanced the existing ones in its Bitdefender Premium VPN service.
This revamped adblock feature is able to remove many different kinds of ads, including banner ads, popups, video ads, and general web page ads. This provides a more pleasing online experience for you, while also protecting you from the possibility of inadvertently clicking on ads that contain malware.
Beyond its ad blocking features, we like the privacy policy that Bitdefender Premium VPN provides to its subscribers. With this policy in place, there is no question about the way Bitdefender treats your personal information. It does not store data about your online activity or user location.
If you want to torrent, Bitdefender is a strong choice. It offers more than 4,000 servers in more than 50 countries, which is more than adequate for a quality VPN. Unfortunately, Bitdefender struggles to work with the majority of streaming sites.
Pros:
- Thorough built-in ad blocker
- Recent upgrade enhanced its adblock features
- Provides a clear privacy policy for subscribers
- Has features that made it ideal for torrenting
Cons:
- Doesn’t provide much compatibility with streaming sites
ENHANCED ADBLOCK FEATURES:After a recent upgrade and addition to its built-in ad blocking service, Bitdefender Premium VPN gives you excellent privacy protection features. Bitdefender offers a money-back guarantee for 30 days with both of its pricing options, removing any risk for you.
Read our full Bitdefender review for the latest information.
7. TunnelBear
Apps Available:
- PC
- Mac
- IOS
- Android
Website: www.Tunnelbear.com
Money-back guarantee: None
TunnelBear has multiple customization options to determine how aggressively you want the ad blocker to operate. Some people may want to allow advertising on certain websites they like to help the site owner with revenue, for example.
When choosing to block advertising, TunnelBear can handle almost any kind of ad you would encounter, including banners, popups, and auto-play video and audio ads. It finds ads through the domain name of the site that’s trying to provide the ad, automatically blocking all items coming from that site.
As a general VPN, we like some of the features found with TunnelBear, but we like those VPNs ranked higher on our list better.
TunnelBear delivers a strict zero-logs policy. It uses clear language in its privacy policy, so you know you can trust this VPN to keep your online activity private. It even works from inside China, which is a challenge for many VPNs.
Unfortunately, its customer service responsiveness lags behind average VPNs, and it struggles to work with quite a few streaming services. Additionally, it does not offer a money-back guarantee, although it considers refunds on a case-by-case basis.
Pros:
- Lets you customize your ad blocking features
- Can block almost any kind of ad you’d find on a website
- Protects your privacy with a zero-log policy
- Works from inside China
Cons:
- If you need customer service, this VPN struggles to provide adequate responsiveness
- No money-back guarantee
Our score:
HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE ADBLOCK VPN:If you want to determine which websites should play ads and which shouldn’t, TunnelBear lets you customize your ad blocking settings. If you want to try TunnelBear without any risk, you can use the free version for seven days.
Check out our hands-on TunnelBear review.
8. Windscribe
Apps Available:
- PC
- Mac
- IOS
- Android
- Linux
- FireTV
Website: www.windscribe.com
Money-back guarantee: 3 DAYS
Windscribe has an easy-to-use ad blocker. It offers adblock in its desktop, mobile, and browser clients. Windscribe matches domains you load against a list of known websites that generate advertising.
You can toggle on and off Windscribe’s adblock. This option simplifies using this feature, making it easier for you to allow ads on websites that you want to support with advertising revenue.
We do like the clarity with which Windscribe spells out its privacy policy and its no-logs policy. It makes use of the best security protocols available to VPNs, ensuring you receive the highest level of protection.
However, Windscribe doesn’t have as much success with unblocking streaming sites versus competitors. Compared to VPNs at the top of our list, Windscribe has a far shorter money-back guarantee period of only three days. As another potential drawback, by incorporating in Canada, Windscribe is subject to requests from security alliances regarding users’ online behavior.
Pros:
- Offers a toggle switch to turn ad blocking on and off
- Delivers adblock on mobile, desktop, and browser formats
- Its privacy policy is extremely clear
- Offers both a free plan and a paid plan
Cons:
- Subject to requests from Five Eyes Alliance
Our score:
EASY-TO-USE AD BLOCKING VPN:If you want to have the ability to turn on and off your ad blocker with a simple toggle switch, Windscribe delivers this feature and more. You can try Windscribe for free or with its three-day money-back guarantee.
Learn more through our hands-on Windscribe review.
9. Perfect Privacy
Apps Available:
- PC
- Mac
- IOS
- Android
- Linux
- FireTV
Website: www.perfect-privacy.com
Money-back guarantee: 7 DAYS
Perfect Privacy VPN’s TrackStop adblock feature gives subscribers a wide range of options for protecting themselves and for improving their online experience.
TrackStop blocks ads that contain malware, ads that could lead to phishing, and trackers. You have the ability to customize the way the adblock features work, including determining which filters Perfect Privacy should use.
Having the ability to fully customize TrackStop is not a surprise, as most of Perfect Privacy’s primary features are also highly customizable. However, this VPN does fit better with tech-savvy users and with those who have experience with customizing VPNs. Novices may struggle to make the most of Perfect Privacy’s features.
If you don’t mind tackling the advanced features found with this VPN, you’ll be pleased with the clarity of Perfect Privacy’s privacy policy. Unfortunately, Perfect Privacy’s prices are above average, meaning you’ll have to pay extra if you want to gain access to all its features, including its advanced customization features. It only offers a seven-day money-back guarantee, lagging most of the others on our list.
Pros:
- Allows you to customize how you block ads
- Blocks many dangerous items that can appear in ads
- Contains multiple advanced features for tech-savvy users
- Its privacy policy is clearly written to protect you
Cons:
- Higher prices than average
- Novices may struggle to use this VPN successfully
CUSTOMIZABLE VPN:Perfect Privacy delivers strong ad blocking features that you can customize as needed, all designed to protect you while you are using the internet. You can try Perfect Privacy risk-free with its seven-day money-back guarantee.
Read our hands-on Perfect Privacy review to learn more.
Our VPN testing methodology
At Comparitech, we use first-hand experience and empirical testing methods to create our ratings for VPNs. We strive to put each VPN through the same testing and usage patterns to ensure that we deliver the most accurate results. We try to use the VPN as you might want to use it, giving you a realistic feel for how it works. We test multiple categories, including:
- Privacy
- Security
- Speed
- Access to streaming services
- Censorship
- Number of servers
- Customer support
- Whether it’s subject to the reach of security alliances
For this particular list of the best VPNs with adblock, we also paid particular attention to the ad blocking capabilities of these VPNs.
Best VPNs with adblock: FAQs
How does ad blocking work?
Ad blockers seek to remove all advertising content that displays on a web page, which can include popup ads, banner ads, video ads, audio ads, and other types of advertising.
The ad blocking feature will compare the coding on a web page to a known list of sites that generate advertising. If it finds such sites, the adblock software would stop that code from loading and displaying on the web page.
Some ad blockers use a placeholder in place of the ad, keeping the design of the page intact. Others just remove the ad, which could throw the other design elements out of alignment.
There’s no guarantee that an ad blocker will stop every ad, but VPN adblocks should remove the majority of them.
Is ad blocking legal?
Yes, you legally can block ads from appearing when you are using websites. However, it’s important to mention that if you are using ad blocking on some of your favorite websites, you could be leaving the website’s operators short on revenue. The operator may rely on money from advertising to manage the website.
Is ad blocking free with VPNs?
If your VPN does not offer built-in adblock features, you may have to pay for a third-party ad blocking service, or you can use one of the best free ad blockers as an add-on service. If you stick to the VPNs on this list, all of the built-in adblock features are free to use with your VPN subscription package.
Is it safe to block ads on websites?
Yes, you should not experience problems with online safety and privacy when using ad blockers, as long as you stick with trusted software. The VPNs on our list that offer built-in adblocks are safe to use.
