# wBlock: Ad Blocker for Safari — Free, open-source ad block

> Free, open-source Safari ad blocker with userscript support and low RAM usage. (iPhone/iPad app by Alexander Skula.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wblock-ad-blocker-for-safari/id6746388723 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Alexander Skula](https://appshunter.io/developer/1788935163)
- Category: Utilities, Productivity
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.78/5 from 179 App Store ratings · 80 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.4 · 30 MB
- Languages: Korean, Greek, German (Germany), Russian, Romanian, European Spanish, Arabic, American English, Italian, Japanese and 8 more
- Released: 2025-10-13
- Data updated: 2026-10-24
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wblock-ad-blocker-for-safari/id6746388723/reviews.md

## What is wBlock?

wBlock is a free, open-source ad blocker for Safari. It blocks ads and trackers all over the web with more than 750,000 filter rules, and it never asks you to subscribe.

Blocks ads in Safari
wBlock leans on Safari's own content blocking, so pages come up clean and fast. Lists like AdGuard Base and EasyList refresh in the background, and you pick which ones run.

Handles the sites filters can't
Built-in userscripts get past anti-adblock walls and pop-ups. You can drop in your own userscripts and userstyles as well, and Return YouTube Dislike is one tap away.

Zap anything you don't want to see
The element zapper lets you tap a cookie banner or overlay and hide it, and wBlock remembers it next time you visit.

Light on memory
wBlock sits at about 40 MB of RAM when idle, so Safari stays quick.

Your call on every site
Turn blocking off for a site with one tap, or pause wBlock for a while when you need to. Settings sync over iCloud and can be saved to a file.

Private by design
wBlock collects no data and needs no account. The code lives on GitHub, so anyone can look at what it does.

Free for good
No subscriptions and no in-app purchases.

## Key features

- Userscript support for custom features
- Lightning-fast performance with low RAM usage
- Complete control over blocking
- Privacy-first design
- Comprehensive ad and tracker blocking
- Free and open-source

## What do users think of wBlock?

Reviews of wBlock are mostly positive: the Utilities app is rated 4.8/5 from 179 App Store ratings. What users like most: fast and efficient, lightweight and resource-friendly. Top complaints: occasional performance issues on macOS. Summarized from real user reviews.

**Pros**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Lightweight and resource-friendly
- 🔒 Open-source and secure
- 💡 Highly customizable
- 👍 Excellent ad blocking performance

**Cons**

- 🐛 Occasional performance issues on macOS

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Sluggish Safari performance after installation on macOS

**Most requested features**

- Support for Chinese language interface

## Is wBlock safe?

wBlock: Ad Blocker for Safari appears safe based on user ratings. The AppsHunter Safety Score for wBlock is 93 out of 100. This assessment is based on 179 user ratings, with an App Store average of 4.8 out of 5. Of 178 App Store ratings, 94.4% point to a safe experience, 1.1% suggest some concerns, and 4.5% point to a risky experience.

## Is wBlock legit?

wBlock: Ad Blocker for Safari appears legitimate, with a few gaps. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for wBlock is 70 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## Recent user reviews (10 of 80)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wblock-ad-blocker-for-safari/id6746388723/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Finally! Excellent adblocker.

*2026-10-16*

Ublock Origin not the same, adguard recently their app is heavy and limited. wBlock do better than this two. Excellent with privacy and blocking ads and trackers very good. Take less resources and is the best adblocker I will use it forever. I wish wBlock be in others platforms outside of Apple.

### 5/5 — Great app

*2026-09-24*

Honestly it’s way better than using Brave. Because of this extension I’m back on Safari. It has everything that I need to block ads, use userscripts and it’s optimized to have rapid performance and battery life optimization.

### 5/5 — wanted to love this but breaks often

*2026-09-24*

not sure what it is, but on iPad pro m4 18.5 multiple webpages basically hang and never load with this enabled.

EDIT: used the minimal preset and didn't enable any other user scripts and everything works fine now. Will edit this if I have any other issues and will try to enable one feature at a time depending on if I need it

### 5/5 — There’s no competition

*2026-09-02*

This has been the absolute best ad-blocker for Safari for a while now, but with the latest update adding in Tube Cleaner and effectively replacing my need for Vinegar, this app just leveled up! I never have an issue with speed or reliability, it just works.

### 5/5 — BEST ad-blocker; full stop.

*2026-09-01*

Simple, powerful, beautiful, open-source. Packed with all the ad-blocking, privacy, customization needs of everyone from the common user (recommended presets in one click, auto-updates) to the expert tinkerer (custom lists, userscripts, userstyles). Not only is this the only FREE app with this incredible feature-set, it’s all wrapped in a simple, intuitive interface that’s brilliantly designed and well-executed. By far, the best ad-blocker(++) for Safari; deserves to be #1 in its category. Thanks and respect to the dev.

### 5/5 — This is the one.

*2026-08-28*

I was a longtime user of AdGuard but eventually grew tired of the extra maintenance and troubleshooting it required. Add to that the growing list of paywalled features and the inconsistent experience across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

My next stop was Wipr 2. I had used the original in the past and decided to give the new version a try. I actually don’t have much negative to say about it; it just didn’t fully meet my needs. For someone looking for a simple, reasonably effective “set it and forget it” ad blocker, I’d recommend it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to eliminate many of the web nuisances I wanted gone.

I then tried uBlock Origin Lite. Admittedly, if I hadn’t discovered wBlock, I probably would have stuck with it despite its occasional quirks. In particular, it seemed to periodically forget its settings.

wBlock is similar to uBlock Origin Lite in many ways, but I find its UI and feature implementation far superior. It comes with an extensive set of filters out of the box, with even more available for those who want more aggressive blocking.

In my testing, it was just as effective as AdGuard at blocking trackers, the best at blocking video ads, and had the best element-blocking tool (Zapper). Its filter sets are also extremely granular. In other words, it either matches or outperforms the others in virtually every area.

And that’s without even mentioning the feature that ultimately sold me on it: userscripts. That’s a game changer for me. I won’t try to explain the feature here because the developers already do a good job of that, but for me, it was the missing piece I’d been looking for.

Combine that with the superior design, and I plan to stick with wBlock as long as it continues to meet (and exceed) my expectations. And did I mention it’s free and open source?!

My only complaint is that occasionally a custom filter or user script that I deleted keeps reappearing. I can’t tell if that’s a iCloud syncing issue or what but I have 1-2 that keeps respawning. It shows with a red “not downloaded” text.

### 5/5 — It's like magic

*2026-08-14*

I wonder how a free app like this can do something better in anyway than all the other paid apps 
Truly amazing 
Applause for the developers of this app

### 4/5 — Decent but ublock lite is better for now

*2026-07-20*

It works like normal ublock origin but it doesn’t block like it. It doesn’t block popups, full screen overlays, and sites that try to block adblockers (for example, fandom). Ublock lite does these much better from my testing.

**Developer response:** Hi there, thanks for the review. All of these things are blockable in wBlock if you enable the correct lists! In particular, AdGuard Popup blocker, AdGuard extra, and the annoyances filters might be helpful. They were added recently, so they might not have been enabled for you. Thanks for giving the app a try!

### 5/5 — Works great

*2026-07-07, version 2.2.0*

Works great and it’s free and open source!

### 4/5 — Really awesome app but…

*2026-06-15*

Well i discovered when i tried brave and turned off cellular of safari that the lacking services bug out signal so i switched to your app but perhaps the custom filters i added are making my signal jump around maybe you can add extra filters list for custom but use at your own risk and state what services it may interfere with? But ty

**Developer response:** Sorry to hear about your experience. wBlock does not interfere with internet or cell signal, so this is likely some sort of glitch on your end or in iOS.

## Frequently asked questions about wBlock

### What does wBlock do?

wBlock enhances your Safari browsing experience by blocking ads, trackers, and annoyances. It aims to make browsing cleaner, faster, and more private. The app also supports userscripts, allowing for advanced customization and features not typically found in standard browsers.

### What are the key features of wBlock?

Key features include userscript support for custom web enhancements, lightning-fast performance with minimal RAM usage, complete control over blocking settings on a per-site basis, a privacy-first design that operates within Safari's API, and comprehensive protection using updated filter lists. It is also completely free and open-source.

### Is wBlock free to use?

Yes, wBlock is completely free to use. It has no subscriptions, no in-app purchases, and no hidden fees. The app is committed to remaining free and open-source indefinitely, ensuring transparency and accessibility for all users.

### How does wBlock protect my privacy?

wBlock is designed with privacy as a top priority. It runs entirely within Safari's content blocking API, meaning it does not collect any of your data or track your browsing activity. There are no system-level extensions that could monitor your online behavior, ensuring your privacy remains yours.

### What kind of websites can wBlock block ads on?

wBlock uses comprehensive filter lists, including those from AdGuard, to block ads and trackers across virtually every website you visit. You can also add custom filter lists to fine-tune protection and toggle blocking on individual sites with a single click.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.2.1 — 2026-10-16

• Find and add filter lists from wBlock’s catalog and AdGuard’s registry.
• Rule Capacity breaks applied rules into network rules and element-hiding rules.
• Click line numbers in the source editor to select lines.
• Filter updates use less peak memory and read each list once.
• More ad and tracking hosts are blocked by default.
• Added support for denyallow rules and CSS injection written as ##selector { style }.
• Resolved network-rule parsing for uBO inline comments and rules containing the object type.
• Dark Reader starts with a dark page to reduce white flashes.
• No Autoplay allows camera and call previews to play.
• Resolved filter updates started from iOS Shortcuts and Update Filters in the iPad popup.
• Resolved a toolbar crash on iOS 15 and search opening and closing on iPhone.
• Resolved flashing text and unwanted green tint in iPad settings and info sheets.
• The iOS update progress sheet shows when no updates were found and closes automatically.
• Rule Capacity keeps its breakdown when switching apps.
• Added Persian and updated German, Japanese and Turkish translations.

### 3.2.0 — 2026-10-11

New
• Filter and userscript order syncs over iCloud, and Reset Ordering applies on every device.
• Pick which sites get cosmetic filtering while network blocking stays on everywhere.
• Each URL-based list has its own Automatic Updates switch, synced and saved in backups.
• Site Settings shows which lists leave a site out, with full undo.
• Rebuilt Add sheets with separate tabs for URLs and text, a File tab, an editable import preview, and bulk URL imports.
• A source editor with undo and search, and you can turn on line wrap.
• An option to drop generic hiding rules and keep the site-specific ones.
• Adding a script asks whether it's a userscript or a userstyle.
• Settings shows how full your rule capacity is and when the next update lands. iCloud sync status shows there too.

Improved
• Browsing is faster, since site-specific hiding rules now load once per page and No Autoplay only loads while it's on.
• Apply is faster, especially with lots of lists turned on.
• The filter catalog matches AdGuard's names and download mirrors, all in the same order.
• Regional lists show up in one list during setup, with native language names, and custom regional lists can be given a language.
• Pause Blocking sits in the Settings toolbar.
• Updated German, Japanese, Greek and Turkish translations.

Fixed
• Safari rejecting a blocker because of uppercase domains or unsupported cosmetic rules.
• Excluding sites from very large lists failing to compile.
• Anti-adblock popups on How-To Geek and related sites.
• The Safari 17 extension popup not loading.
• Rules and userscripts missing when a page starts loading early.
• Deleted userscripts coming back.
• Settings getting lost when two parts of wBlock saved at the same moment.
• Restoring a backup keeping custom lists the backup didn't have.
• Setup marking the content blockers as done before Safari had all five turned on.
• Pressing Get on a userscript not turning it on.
• Deferred iOS updates not finishing when you open the app.

### 3.1.3 — 2026-09-29

New
• Support for hosts-file filter lists, including # metadata headers.
• Dandelion Sprout's Anti-Malware List in the Security catalog.
• Hide Shorts in Tube Cleaner's feature settings.

Fixed
• A freeze when applying filter changes on iPad.
• Scheduled filter updates not applying to Safari while the Mac app was open.
• Custom filter URLs being lost after restarting the app.
• Wildcard domains not being accepted in site settings.
• Autoplay exceptions not carrying over to subdomains.
• Sandboxed userscripts being unable to reach KISS Translator settings.
• Regional lists missing from onboarding for your chosen languages.
• Built-in filter descriptions changing after updates.
• Missing error details in Safari extension summaries.

Improved
• Empty filter categories appear as drop targets while dragging.
• Confirmation before downloading or enabling AdGuard Experimental Filter.
• Retired the overlapping Fanboy Annoyance and Social lists. Enabled copies are preserved as custom lists.
• Updated the Scripts popup shield, brightened the dark app icon, and corrected the AdGuard mail tracking list name.

### 3.1.2 — 2026-09-26

New
- AdGuard Mobile Filter is part of the Minimal preset on iPhone and iPad
- A labeled Pause Blocking menu in the macOS toolbar

Fixed
- Safari on iOS could crash on heavy pages because removed frames were kept in memory
- A crash in the Scripts extension on macOS
- Filter updates that showed up on every check but never applied
- Site Settings accepts IP addresses and local hostnames
- Custom names and descriptions for URL userscripts now sync
- The Safari toolbar icon is sharp on Retina displays

Improved
- Leaner Recommended preset: EasyPrivacy, Adblock Warning Removal List, and Online Malicious URL Blocklist are no longer on by default
- The Online Malicious URL Blocklist is retired, since Safari's Safe Browsing already covers it
- Smoother scrolling in macOS filter and userscript lists
- Snappier toolbar search on macOS
- Tidier macOS setup screens

### 3.1.1 — 2026-09-23

New
- Per-site switches in Safari: turn off content filtering, userscripts, or autoplay for just one site
- Limit a filter list or userscript to only the sites you choose
- Drag to reorder lists, and move lists between categories
- Edit saved Element Zapper rules in Settings
- TwitchAdSolutions vaft script for blocking Twitch ads
- Each device can keep its own userscript on/off choices instead of syncing them
- Filter and userscript preferences have their own Settings screen

Fixed
- Bing results no longer fail with "blocked by a content blocker"
- Overlapping updates could leave Safari with almost no rules
- Legacy backups restore, and duplicate filter lists are repaired
- A crash caused by duplicate filter IDs
- Safari rules come back reliably after unpausing
- Urban Dictionary no longer reloads in a loop
- Duplicate userscripts are removed safely
- Onboarding stays opaque after Restart Onboarding on iOS
- The rules viewer keeps its scroll position and search

Improved
- Disabled protection shows a slashed shield in Safari
- Lists that aren't downloaded yet show a Get button on iOS
- Refreshed macOS settings, toolbar search, and info popovers
- Frosted info headers that stay visible while scrolling
- Smoother tab switching on macOS
- Japanese, Turkish, and Greek translations

## Apps similar to wBlock

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Device Status⁺ CPU x Monitor z](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/device-status-cpu-x-monitor-z/id6747854290) | 4.8 (179) | Free | Utilities |
| [Dark Night - mode for Safari](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-night-mode-for-safari/id1592844577) | 4.1 (205) | $0.99 | Utilities |
| [Quiche Browser](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quiche-browser/id1668363952) | 4.9 (842) | Free | Utilities |
| [uBlock Origin Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ublock-origin-lite/id6745342698) | 4.7 (963) | Free | Utilities |
| [FlowDown - Open & Fast AI](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flowdown-open-and-fast-ai/id6740553198) | 4.3 (29) | Free | Utilities |
| [Copy My Data – Smart Switch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/copy-my-data-smart-switch/id6748068771) | 4.6 (41) | Free | Utilities |

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-24.*