There’s no competition
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.
BEST ad-blocker; full stop.
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.
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This is the one.
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.
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.
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It's like magic
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
Truly amazing
Applause for the developers of this app
Decent but ublock lite is better for now
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.
Response from developer
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!
