The best Safari ad blockers in 2022

by James · December 16, 2022

Unlike Firefox and Chrome, it is not easy for Mac users to find good ad blockers for Safari. Apple has certain restrictions (like using the Mac App Store to push updates) that drive ad blocker developers away from the browser, and as a result your favorites from Firefox or Chrome may not work well on Safari, if they’re even available on all. There are still some good ad blockers you can use with Safari.

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Adguard

If you want a good free ad blocker for Safari, Adguard is among the best options. It’s fast, free, and works well without extra customization, which is great for most people. If you want the ability to set up custom filter lists, DNS-level ad blocking, and additional security features, check out Adguard Pro ($10).

Wiper

Wipr is also a great ad blocking option for Safari. It costs $2 and lets you block ads, cookies, and includes several custom regional blocklists that may appeal to you. It’s just as good as Adguard, so if you’d rather avoid free ad blockers, Wipr is an affordable alternative that works very well.

1Blocks

1Blocker works with Safari on iPhone, iPad and Mac. The extension has a whole stack of filters that help you block all kinds of ads, trackers and other invasive features on different websites – including a tool to hide any element from a website that you can use to remove pop-ups or annoying widgets . The extension allows you to use any group of ad blocking lists for free, and it costs $15 per year to unlock all the features.

Vinegar

Vinegar is perfect for blocking ads on YouTube. If you use Safari to watch YouTube videos, this extension forces the site to use an HTML5 video player and blocks ads on the site. For a one-time fee of $2, vinegar is well worth the price. It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac with a single purchase.

VPNs and custom DNS ad blockers

Even with the best ad-blocking extensions for Safari, you’ll likely find that a few ads slip through the cracks. The most foolproof ad blocker for Safari is network-level ad blocking that works independently of the browser – meaning they automatically filter ad networks for all apps and browsers on your Mac, which is far more efficient than what happens in Safari. You can try custom DNS services like NextDNS (free for up to 300,000 lookups per month, and $20 per year after that) or set up a Pi-Hole to automatically block ads on your network.

Alternatively, you can use a good VPN like Mullvad, which has a built-in ad blocker. It’s probably the most effective ad-blocking option, but is expensive: Mullvad costs €5 per month, and streaming sites like Netflix don’t work well when using a VPN, so that’s a big trade-off.