Ad Blocker Chrome Extensions (2026): 8 Compared by Maker

Most people searching for this want the same thing: fewer ads on YouTube and fewer pop-ups, without installing anything bigger than a browser extension. That's what all eight tools below are, and seven of the eight listings say the basic blocking is free.

They're listed alphabetically, in no particular order, and I've stuck to what each Chrome Web Store listing shows rather than what the makers say elsewhere. If you're also choosing which browser to run these in, my explainer on whether Brave browser is safe looks at one popular alternative to Chrome.

How we picked these eight ad blockers

Each one had to be a Chrome extension that's in the store today, with blocking ads named as its job on the listing. From each listing we took the publisher, the number of users, the rating and how many ratings sit behind it, and the last updated date, all as of Oct 2026. Nobody here has been ranked. The free plan column says Yes only when the listing's own text says the extension is free, and Not stated means it doesn't say either way.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Ad Blocker	Ad blocker by Stands	YouTube, Twitch, pop-up and video ads	Yes
AdBlock	Ad blocker by ADBLOCK, INC.	Blocking ads on YouTube and everyday sites	Yes
AdBlock Max	Permission-less content blocker	Ads, trackers and miners from installation	Not stated
Adblock Plus	Ad blocker by eyeo GmbH	Removing ads on YouTube and across the web	Yes
AdBlocker Ultimate	Ad blocker by AdAvoid Ltd	Ads on YouTube, Facebook and other sites	Yes
AdGuard AdBlocker	Open source ad blocker	Ads and pop-ups on Facebook, YouTube and more	Yes
Pie Adblock	Ad blocker by pie.org	Pre-roll YouTube ads and Twitch video ads	Yes
Total Adblock	Ad blocker with a trial	Ads, pop-ups and trackers, with a trial	Yes

Eight ad blockers you add to the Chrome toolbar

Ad Blocker

Best for: Blocking ads on YouTube and Twitch as well as pop-ups, from Stands, whose listing calls it a free blocker for everywhere you browse.

AdBlock

Best for: People who want one of the most installed blockers in the store, from a maker whose listing also points to an upgrade on top of free blocking.

AdBlock Max

Best for: Trying a smaller blocker that calls itself permission-less and says it starts blocking ads, trackers and miners as soon as it's installed.

Adblock Plus

Best for: Anyone after a big-name blocker whose listing says it's free, from eyeo GmbH, with an upgrade also mentioned on the page.

AdBlocker Ultimate

Best for: One clear purpose, removing ads, from a blocker filed under Privacy & Security on the store and free according to its listing.

AdGuard AdBlocker

Best for: Open source fans, since the listing links to its code and says it's free and open source, from Adguard Software Limited.

Pie Adblock

Best for: Cutting pre-roll ads on YouTube and mid-roll ads on Twitch, from The People's Internet Experiment, which calls it a completely free blocker.

Total Adblock

Best for: Starting on a premium trial first, as the listing says you can keep using the basic blocking for free once the trial ends.

Manifest V3 changed how blockers are built, not whether they work

You'll still see posts saying Chrome has killed ad blockers. Google's Chrome for Developers site keeps a Manifest V2 support timeline, and here's what it says. Manifest V2 was switched off on every Chrome channel with Chrome 138 on July 24, 2025. Then on August 31, 2026, all remaining Manifest V2 extensions were removed from the Chrome Web Store.

So every blocker you can install from the store today is a Manifest V3 extension. If you've still got an old Manifest V2 blocker on Chrome 138 or earlier, it keeps running, but it can't receive updates and you can't reinstall it once it's removed. That's the bit people miss: an old blocker can look fine for months while it stops getting fixes.

What separates the eight below, then, is who makes them, how recently they were updated and what the privacy box on the listing says.

What each ad blocker's listing shows, as of Oct 2026

These numbers come straight from the Chrome Web Store and change every day, so treat them as a snapshot.

• AdBlock from ADBLOCK, INC.: 65,000,000 users, rated 3.9 from 290.3K ratings, last updated October 27, 2026.
• Adblock Plus from eyeo GmbH: 40,000,000 users, rated 3.9 from 188.1K ratings, last updated October 27, 2026.
• Ad Blocker from Stands: 4,000,000 users, rated 4.8 from 159K ratings, last updated October 16, 2026.
• AdBlock Max: 200,000 users, rated 4.3 from 8.3K ratings, last updated June 2, 2026.
• AdBlocker Ultimate from AdAvoid Ltd: 2,000,000 users, rated 4.7 from 63.9K ratings, last updated October 26, 2026.
• AdGuard AdBlocker from Adguard Software Limited: 17,000,000 users, rated 4.4 from 69K ratings, last updated October 25, 2026.
• Pie Adblock from The People's Internet Experiment: 2,000,000 users, rated 4.9 from 31.2K ratings, last updated August 23, 2026.
• Total Adblock from Total Security Limited: 900,000 users, rated 3.4 from 3K ratings, last updated May 31, 2026.

Six of the eight listings carry the line saying the developer will not collect or use your data. The other two don't show that line in their listing text, so open the Privacy practices box on any listing before you install. The store also files these eight under three different category labels, Privacy & Security, Tools and Workflow & Planning, so browsing one category shelf will miss some of them.

Tracking pixels are the same idea turned on your inbox, and our list of email tracking extensions for Chrome covers the tools that use them to show you who opened what.

Which kind of blocker for which job

• You mostly want YouTube ads gone: pick a blocker whose listing names YouTube, which is most of them here.
• You watch a lot of Twitch: pick one that names Twitch video ads on its listing, not just YouTube.
• Privacy matters most to you: pick one that shows the will not collect or use your data line and has been updated in the last few weeks.
• You like to see the code: pick an open source blocker that links to its code from the listing.
• You want the lightest setup: pick a blocker that describes itself as permission-less.
• You might want extra features later: pick one whose listing mentions an upgrade or a trial, and start on the free tier.

Blocking ads is only one job a toolbar can do, so see our roundup of everyday Chrome extensions for the other jobs worth covering.

Three checks before you click Add to Chrome

1. Check the publisher name. Several of these have very similar names, so make sure the maker on the listing is the one you meant.
2. Check the last updated date. A blocker that hasn't been touched for months is falling behind the sites it's meant to block.
3. Open the Privacy practices box and read what the extension says it collects, before you give it access to every page you visit.

Do you make an ad blocker for Chrome? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on choosing an ad blocker

Don't let the Manifest V3 headlines put you off. Every blocker in the store has already made the switch, so choose on maker, update date and the privacy box instead. Start with one from a maker you recognise that's been updated recently, and give it a week on the sites you use most before you swap.

If it's distractions rather than ads that eat your day, my guide to time management tools is the next stop, and if you're curious about a different browser, my piece on Arc browser alternatives is worth a look.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

Do ad blockers still work in Chrome?

Yes. The Chrome Web Store now only lists Manifest V3 extensions, and all eight blockers here show an update dated 2026. What changed is how they're built, not whether they can block ads.

What happened to Manifest V2 ad blockers?

According to Chrome for Developers, all remaining Manifest V2 extensions were removed from the store on August 31, 2026. Existing installs on Chrome 138 or earlier keep running, but they can't get updates or be reinstalled if removed.

Are ad blocker extensions free?

Seven of the eight listings here say the blocking is free. Some also mention an upgrade or a trial, and one doesn't say either way, so check the free plan column.

Is it safe to install an ad blocker extension?

Read the listing first: who publishes it, when it was last updated and what the Privacy practices box says. Six of the eight here show the line saying the developer will not collect or use your data.

Can a Chrome extension block YouTube ads?

Most of the listings here name YouTube ads directly, and a couple also name Twitch video ads. Pick one whose listing names the sites you care about.