Why Ad-Block?
Speed
Adverts can be very resource-heavy; especially on slower computers. Many adverts take advantage of technologies such as Adobe Flash which can use large amounts of memory and CPU-time.
Privacy
Many adverts inject tracking cookies into your browser and are used to track your internet usage and tailor adverts to what you've been browsing. E.g. if you recently browsed a lot of laptop review sites, you'd get adverts advertising laptop deals. These can be useful but also infringe on your privacy.
Annoyance
Many adverts can be extremely annoying. They look out of place on websites, can break the template/structure of a website. Some websites make you watch or interact with them before you can view the main content. Monetized YouTube videos for example require you to watch adverts before you can watch a video, and then have adverts on-top of the video while you're watching which can distract from the main video.
Get started - Choose your desktop browser...
Google Chrome
Google Chrome makes it really easy to install an ad-blocker. We recommend µBlock Origin (That's pronounced micro-block Origin).
To install, just click the '+ Free' button on the Chrome Webstore page linked to by the button below. Chrome will pop-up asking you to confirm permissions. Just click confirm/add and browse like normal. No restart required!
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox makes it really easy to install an ad-blocker. We recommend 'Adblock Edge', which is a copy of 'Adblock Plus' without an 'unobtrusive advert' whitelist.
To install, just click Download on the Firefox Addons website linked to by the button below. A popup window will show asking you to confirm. Confirm and just continue browsing as normal - no restart required!
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer's add-on functionality isn't as seamless as other browsers; however it's still very easy to install an ad-blocker. We recommend 'Adblock Plus'.
To install, just run their set-up tool from the official website linked to by the button below and enable it when you relaunch your browser - you'll be asked to automatically.
Opera
Opera makes it really easy to install an ad-blocker. We recommend µBlock (That's pronounced micro-block).
To install, just click the 'Install' button on the Opera add-ons page linked by the button below, wait for the button to turn green and continue browsing as normal - no restart required!
Safari
Safari makes it really easy to install an ad-blocker. We recommend 'Adblock Plus'.
To install, just click the install button on the Apple Safari Extensions page below. Wait for the install to complete and continue browsing as normal - no restart required!
Not Listed Here?
It's possible your browser does not have a compatible ad-blocking solution. If you know how, you could always try using an ad-blocking hosts file as an alternative. We recommend the MVPS Hosts File.
This is not recommended for the the average user however.
Support your favourite sites!
While ad-blockers can make your user experience much better, it also strips your favourite sites from their revenue. Some sites and their content are wholly
funded by advertisements.
If you find a site and you like it, and it doesn't have obtrusive advertisements (For example, Reddit), unblock the adverts!
© 2014 - Ben Bristow
Browser names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners.