# Ad Protection vs Bright Widgets

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bright Widgets at none against Ad Protection's 24. Bright Widgets also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 61%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.5). Ad Protection's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ad Protection sells 24 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Bright Widgets asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ad Protection ships an update weekly, Bright Widgets every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ad Protection | Bright Widgets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.6 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bright-widgets/id6449535210/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **24** |
| Positive reviews | 61.0% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 4 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lucas Exequiel Di Tomase](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456307400) | [Artem Chuvilin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689564917) |

## What reviewers say

### Ad Protection

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ad-protection/id1554895615)

Gain complete control over your online browsing with advanced ad blocking. Define custom rules, monitor network activity in real-time, and manage your settings easily through a redesigned interface. Experience a more secure and private web.

**Highlights:** Customizable blocking engine, User-defined rules, Real-time network traffic statistics, Activity logs, One-tap configuration, Redesigned UI

**Features:** Safari Extension, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (24)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Safari - Individual (1 Month) | $0.99 | per month |
| DNS - Individual (1 Month) | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlock app access | $1.99 | per month |
| 1 Month Subscription Plan | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Firewall - Individual (1 Month) | $2.99 | per month |
| Safari - Family (1 Month) | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| DNS - Family (1 Month) | $3.99 | per month |
| Family (1 Month) | $4.99 | per month |
| 6 Months Subscription Plan | $9.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year Subscription Plan | $9.99 | per year |
| Annual | $17.99 | per year |
| DNS - Individual (1 Year) | $17.99 | per year |
| NetAdShield+ | $17.99 | per 6 months |
| Individual (1 Year) | $19.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Family (1 Year) | $29.99 | per year |
| Legacy - Lifetime (Individual) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Legacy - Lifetime (Family) | $14.99 | one-time |
| Safari - Lifetime (Individual) | $49.99 | one-time |
| Safari - Lifetime (Family) | $99.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime (Individual) | $99.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime (Family) | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Effective ad blocking in Safari and apps
- ⚡ Fast and efficient performance
- 🔒 Privacy protection without VPN overhead
- 👍 User-friendly interface (after recent improvements)
- 💚 Works well on older devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Switched from one-time purchase to subscription model
- 🔄 Reduced functionality after updates
- ❌ No longer blocks 100% of ads (degraded to 80%)
- 😞 Changed from DNS to device VPN with reduced effectiveness
- 🚫 Frequent app name changes causing confusion

**Reported bugs**

- App stops working after updates
- Ads still appear despite active protection
- Settings screen is non-functional/unclickable
- Download fails at 75% completion
- Cannot update to latest version on older iOS

**Requested features**

- Restore DNS blocking functionality
- Return to 100% ad blocking capability
- Improve YouTube and Twitter ad blocking
- Better explanation of settings and features
- Accessibility support for VoiceOver


### Bright Widgets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bright-widgets/id6449535210)

Create and customize beautiful, informative widgets for your phone's home screen. Display the information you need, from weather forecasts to charging animations, with easy-to-use tools and extensive customization options. Integrates with other apps for dynamic content.

**Highlights:** Widget creation with custom sizes and shapes, Add GIF images and icons to widgets, Customize widget content (weather, charging, etc.), Integrates with calendar, weather, and news apps, Easy widget management and resizing, Supports dark theme

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ad Protection free?

Ad Protection is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bright Widgets free?

Bright Widgets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Ad Protection or Bright Widgets have ads?

Bright Widgets shows ads; Ad Protection does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ad Protection or Bright Widgets?

Ad Protection ships an update weekly, and Bright Widgets every 6 months. Most recently, Ad Protection was updated on October 16, 2026 and Bright Widgets on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*