--- title: "Is there an app that blocks ads?" url: https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-blocks-ads/ answer: "yes" summary: "Yes. Brave, uBlock Origin and Blokada 5 are free, and AdGuard and NextDNS have free tiers with paid upgrades. YouTube says blocking its ads breaks its Terms of Service and points to YouTube Premium instead." category: "Safety & privacy" published: 2026-10-07 updated: 2026-10-07 author: "Jack Stovell" publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" language: en-GB --- # Is there an app that blocks ads? **Answer: yes.** Yes. Brave, uBlock Origin and Blokada 5 are free, and AdGuard and NextDNS have free tiers with paid upgrades. YouTube says blocking its ads breaks its Terms of Service and points to YouTube Premium instead. (Source: [YouTube Help: ad blockers and YouTube](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/14129599?hl=en-GB)) Yes. Brave, uBlock Origin and Blokada 5 are free, and AdGuard and NextDNS have free tiers with paid upgrades. Which one suits you depends mostly on where the ads are: in a browser, inside other apps, or on every device in the house. ## The shortlist ### AdGuard Ad blocking apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux and browsers. - Link: https://adguard.com/en/welcome.html - Free tier: yes. iOS: free forever for Safari ad blocking and basic privacy protection, no account needed (UK App Store); Pro has a 7-day free trial. - Paid from: £2.99 per month (AdGuard: Personal Monthly, UK App Store) (checked 2026-10-02; Personal Annual £29.99 on the UK App Store, which also lists other in-app purchases without saying which plan each is; AdGuard's own site showed us euro prices (Personal licence covers 3 devices, Family 9)) - Best at: Blocking ads inside other apps: AdGuard says its Android app blocks ads across browsers, games and other apps without root access. - The catch: Blocking ads in other apps needs the paid version: AdGuard says its free Android version can't filter apps, and the full Android app (14-day trial) is installed as an APK from its site. On iOS the free version covers Safari; Pro is needed for app protection and advanced YouTube blocking. - Platforms: windows, mac, android, ios, linux, chrome - Source: [AdGuard on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/adguard-adblock-privacy/id1047223162) ### Brave A free web browser with a built-in ad and tracker blocker called Shields. - Link: https://brave.com/shields/ - Free tier: yes. Free with in-app purchases (UK App Store); Brave calls itself free and open source. - Paid from: not checked (free; optional Firewall + VPN is £9.99 per month on the UK App Store) - Best at: Blocking ads on websites with nothing to set up: Shields is on by default for every site. - The catch: It blocks ads in the Brave browser, not inside your other apps. Paid extras (Firewall + VPN, a paid Leo AI tier) are in-app purchases. - Platforms: windows, mac, linux, android, ios - Source: [Brave Shields](https://brave.com/shields/) ### uBlock Origin A free, open-source browser extension that blocks ads and other unwanted content using community filter lists. - Link: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock - Free tier: yes. Free and open source; its README says no donations are sought. - Paid from: not checked (free) - Best at: Free blocking in Firefox, including Firefox for Android; its developer says it works best on Firefox. - The catch: Its README says Manifest V2 extensions were removed from the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026 and Edge is moving away from them. It is still listed for Firefox, Edge and Opera, and the README points to a separate uBlock Origin Lite. - Platforms: firefox, android, edge - Source: [uBlock Origin README (GitHub)](https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock) ### NextDNS A DNS service that blocks ads and trackers on websites and in apps, on any device you point at it. - Link: https://nextdns.io/ - Free tier: yes. Free: 300,000 queries per month, unlimited devices, all features (NextDNS pricing page). - Paid from: €1.99 per month (Pro) (checked 2026-10-02; or €19.90 per year; NextDNS says all prices are in EUR. On the UK App Store, Pro Monthly is £2.99 and Pro Yearly £29.99 as in-app purchases) - Best at: Covering every device on a plan, with unlimited devices even on the free tier. - The catch: The free tier is 300,000 queries a month; after that NextDNS keeps answering but stops blocking. Prices are in euros. - Platforms: ios, web - Source: [NextDNS pricing](https://nextdns.io/pricing) ### Blokada Open-source privacy apps for Android and iOS: an ad blocker, a VPN and parental controls. - Link: https://blokada.org/ - Free tier: yes. Blokada says Blokada 5 is free, open source and 'free forever'. - Paid from: not checked (not stated on Blokada's homepage for Blokada 6 or Blokada Plus) - Best at: A free, open-source ad blocker for all apps and browsers on Android with no root needed (Blokada 5). - The catch: Blokada 5, the free one, is what Blokada calls its older version, downloaded as an APK for Android; Blokada 6 (cloud) and Blokada Plus (VPN) are separate options with prices we could not see. - Platforms: android, ios - Source: [Blokada](https://blokada.org/) ## How they compare ### If you want it free with nothing to set up Brave is a free web browser with a built-in ad and tracker blocker called Shields, which is on by default for every site. Per its UK App Store listing, it blocks banner ads, pop-ups and ads that play before and during videos. Brave calls itself free and open source, and it runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. The trade for that simplicity is that it only blocks ads in Brave. Your other apps, and any other browser you use, carry on as before. Paid extras such as Firewall + VPN and a paid tier of its Leo AI are in-app purchases, with Firewall + VPN at £9.99 per month on the UK App Store, but you do not need them for the blocking. Ad blocking keeps pages clean; hiding your traffic is a different job, and that means a VPN. People tend to assume a free one is a trap. The page on [a free online VPN](/a-free-online-vpn/) says where that's partly true: which options have no data cap, which ones cap you, and what each free plan covers. ### If you use Firefox uBlock Origin is a free, open-source browser extension that blocks ads and other unwanted content using community filter lists. Its developer says it works best on Firefox, its README says no donations are sought, and it is also available on Firefox for Android. The cost is the same browser limit as Brave, plus a bigger one. Its README says Manifest V2 extensions were removed from the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026 and Edge is moving away from them. It is still listed for Firefox, Edge and Opera, and the README points to a separate uBlock Origin Lite, but if you use Chrome, full uBlock Origin is no longer in its store. ### If you want ads blocked inside other apps and games AdGuard makes ad blocking apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux and browsers. It says its Android app blocks ads across browsers, games and other apps without root access. That reach costs effort and money. AdGuard says its free Android version can't filter apps, so blocking inside apps and games needs the paid version, which has a 14-day trial, and the full Android app is installed as an APK from AdGuard's own site. On iOS, the free version covers Safari ad blocking and basic privacy protection with no account needed; app protection via DNS and advanced YouTube blocking need Pro. Pro has a 7-day free trial, and on the UK App Store it is £2.99 per month for Personal Monthly or £29.99 for Personal Annual. AdGuard's own site showed us euro prices, with a Personal licence covering 3 devices and Family 9. ### If you want every device covered NextDNS is a DNS service that blocks ads and trackers on websites and in apps, on any device you point at it. Even the free tier allows unlimited devices and all features. The catch is the allowance: 300,000 queries a month, and after that NextDNS keeps answering but stops blocking. NextDNS says all its prices are in euros, which matters if you budget in pounds. On the UK App Store, Pro is an in-app purchase at £2.99 for Pro Monthly or £29.99 for Pro Yearly. ### If you want open source on Android Blokada makes open-source privacy apps for Android and iOS: an ad blocker, a VPN and parental controls. Blokada 5 is free, open source and, in Blokada's words, "free forever". It works for all apps and browsers on Android and needs no root. Blokada calls it its older version, and you download it as an APK for Android rather than from an app store. Blokada 6 (cloud) and Blokada Plus (VPN) are separate options whose prices we could not see on Blokada's homepage, so do not assume the free version's terms carry over. If you've got your ads sorted and you're wondering what else your phone can quietly do for you, there's a neighbouring question that comes up a lot. It's about [recording phone calls](/an-app-for-recording-phone-calls/), and the answer is yes, with built-in options on newer iPhones and Android, plus a couple of apps. What works depends on your country and device, which that guide goes through. ### When paying is worth it The main dividing line is this. A browser or extension, such as Brave or uBlock Origin, only blocks ads in that browser. If you want blocking across apps, you need AdGuard's paid version, Blokada or a DNS service like NextDNS. That is what you give up by choosing the easiest options. The clearest case for paying is NextDNS Pro, at €1.99 per month or €19.90 per year. It is worth it once a household goes past 300,000 queries a month, since the free tier then stops blocking. On iPhone, AdGuard Pro is the step up if you want blocking beyond Safari. ## What to watch for YouTube says blocking its ads violates its Terms of Service, and it may block video playback if you keep using an ad blocker. AdGuard's iOS listing says it blocks ads in Safari including YouTube, and Brave says Shields stops video ads, but neither changes what YouTube says it may do. According to uBlock Origin's README, Chrome removed the remaining Manifest V2 extensions from its store on 31 August 2026, so full uBlock Origin is no longer available from the Chrome Web Store. The AdGuard Android app comes as an APK from AdGuard's site rather than from the app store, so you install it yourself. ## How we checked On 2026-10-02 we read AdGuard's homepage, licence page and Android page, the AdGuard, Brave and NextDNS UK App Store listings, Brave's Shields page, uBlock Origin's official README and its Firefox add-ons listing, NextDNS's homepage and pricing page, Blokada's homepage and YouTube's help page on ad blockers. YouTube's Premium page did not load for us. Some sites showed us euro prices. Nothing was tested hands-on, so this is what those pages say. ## If none of these fit If it is YouTube ads you want rid of, the official route is different. YouTube's own help page says blocking its ads violates its Terms of Service, that it may block playback if you keep using an ad blocker, and that YouTube Premium gives an ad-free experience. ## Also typed as - is there an app that skips youtube ads - is there an app that skips ads in games - is there an app that blocks ads in games - is there an app that auto skip youtube ads - is there an app that blocks ads in other apps - is there an app that can block ads on other apps ## Related questions - [Is there an app that blocks spam calls?](https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-blocks-spam-calls/) - [Is there a free online vpn?](https://isthereathing.com/a-free-online-vpn/) - [Is there a website that can check if a link is safe?](https://isthereathing.com/a-website-that-can-check-if-a-link-is-safe/) ## Sources - [YouTube Help: ad blockers and YouTube](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/14129599?hl=en-GB) (checked 2026-10-02) - [AdGuard on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/adguard-adblock-privacy/id1047223162) (checked 2026-10-02) - [AdGuard for Android](https://adguard.com/en/adguard-android/overview.html) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Brave Shields](https://brave.com/shields/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Brave on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/brave-private-web-browser/id1052879175) (checked 2026-10-02) - [uBlock Origin README (GitHub)](https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock) (checked 2026-10-02) - [uBlock Origin on Firefox Add-ons](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [NextDNS pricing](https://nextdns.io/pricing) (checked 2026-10-02) - [NextDNS](https://nextdns.io/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Blokada](https://blokada.org/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [AdGuard licence options](https://adguard.com/en/license.html) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Brave download page](https://brave.com/download/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [NextDNS on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/nextdns/id1463342498) (checked 2026-10-02) ## Questions people ask ### Is there an app that blocks YouTube ads? AdGuard's iOS listing says it blocks ads in Safari including YouTube, and Brave says Shields stops video ads. But YouTube says blocking its ads violates its Terms of Service and it may block playback; it offers YouTube Premium for ad-free viewing. ### Is there an app that blocks ads in games and other apps? AdGuard says its paid Android app blocks ads across browsers, games and other apps (its free version can't filter apps), and NextDNS and Blokada say they block ads in apps too. ### Is there a free ad blocker? Yes. Brave, uBlock Origin and Blokada 5 are free, and NextDNS's free tier covers 300,000 queries a month. ### Does uBlock Origin still work in Chrome? Full uBlock Origin no: its README says Manifest V2 extensions were removed from the Chrome Web Store on 31 August 2026. It works best on Firefox.