Comparison

Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy vs TabGuard

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy

Block ads, trackers, and pop-ups on Safari for a faster, more private browsing experience. This tool speeds up page loads and provides insights into online trackers.

Highlights
  • Blocks ads and pop-ups
  • Stops trackers from collecting data
  • Removes cookie consent pop-ups
  • Speeds up page load times
  • Provides tracker insights
  • Customizable whitelists
Features
Read full description

Block ads, trackers, and popups on Safari. Browse 2.5X faster with Ghostery, the powerful ad blocker for iPhone, iPad, and Mac with over 100 million downloads worldwide. FEATURES: * Block ads and pop-ups across all websites, including YouTube and Facebook * Stop trackers from collecting your personal data * Automatically remove annoying cookie consent pop-ups * Speed up page load times * Get detailed insights on trackers for any website you visit * Preview tracker information on search engine results before visiting a page * Customize your browsing with whitelists for trusted sites and trackers * Enjoy a cleaner, faster, and more private web experience ABOUT GHOSTERY: Ghostery is more than just an ad blocker. Our advanced privacy protection suite is powered by the world's largest tracker database, WhoTracks.Me ensuring you stay ahead of evolving online threats. As an open-source app supported by a global community, Ghostery is committed to making the internet a safer, more private place for everyone. WHY CHOOSE GHOSTERY? * Easy to use: Install and start protecting your privacy in seconds * Customizable: Fine-tune your protection levels to suit your needs * Transparent: See exactly what trackers are blocked on each site * Constantly updated: Our tracker database is upgraded daily * Free and open-source: No hidden costs and fully transparent Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.ghostery.com/privacy-policy

About

TabGuard

Take back control of your browsing experience. This tool blocks annoying popups, unwanted new tabs, and sneaky redirect tricks in Safari. Choose from multiple protection modes or set site-specific rules for a cleaner, more focused browsing session.

Highlights
  • Block popup windows
  • Block new tab links
  • Block popunders
  • Three protection modes
  • Site-specific rules
  • Real-time notifications
  • Block history
Features
Read full description

Take back control of your Safari tabs! TabGuard blocks annoying popups and unwanted new tabs while you browse. Tired of websites opening random tabs when you click anything? TabGuard is a powerful Safari extension that stops websites from hijacking your browsing experience with unwanted popups, new tab links, and sneaky redirect tricks. ----------------------------------- WHY TABGUARD? Every day, websites try to force open new tabs, spawn popup windows, and redirect you to ads. TabGuard puts you back in control — block everything, allow trusted sites, or let Smart Mode decide automatically. ----------------------------------- KEY FEATURES ◉ BLOCK POPUP WINDOWS Stop sites from using window.open() to spawn unwanted popup windows in your face. ◉ BLOCK NEW TAB LINKS Prevent links from forcing new tabs to open. Keep browsing in your current tab. ◉ BLOCK POPUNDERS Stop sneaky scripts that try to open tabs behind your current window. ◉ THREE PROTECTION MODES • Block All — Maximum protection, blocks everything • Smart Mode — Allows your clicks, blocks scripts • Allow All — Disable protection when needed ◉ SITE-SPECIFIC RULES Whitelist sites you trust to allow their popups. Blacklist annoying sites to always block them. ◉ REAL-TIME NOTIFICATIONS See exactly what's being blocked with elegant on-page notifications. ◉ BLOCK HISTORY Track everything TabGuard blocks. See which sites are the worst offenders. ◉ INSTANT SYNC Settings sync instantly between the app and Safari extension. ----------------------------------- PERFECT FOR • Stopping ad popups on streaming sites • Preventing shopping sites from opening new tabs • Blocking redirect chains on sketchy sites • Keeping your browsing focused and clean • Protecting yourself from popup spam ----------------------------------- SMART MODE Don't want to block everything? Smart Mode intelligently distinguishes between: • YOUR clicks — allowed (you meant to do that) • Script-triggered popups — blocked (the site is being annoying) It's the perfect balance between protection and usability. ----------------------------------- EASY SETUP 1. Install TabGuard 2. Open Safari Settings → Extensions 3. Enable TabGuard Extension 4. Done! You're protected. ----------------------------------- PRIVACY FIRST TabGuard processes everything locally on your device. No data collection, no tracking, no accounts required. Your browsing stays private. ----------------------------------- Download TabGuard today and browse without interruptions!

Screenshots

Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy3 screens
TabGuard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy at 4.3 against TabGuard's 3.0. Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy also leads on ratings volume (209 vs 2). TabGuard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. TabGuard asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy has 209 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy versus TabGuard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGhostery AdBlocker for PrivacyTabGuard
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (209 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews76.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings209 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.717.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGhostery GmbHMAXWELL PAUL VAGLICA

Customer experience

Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy

All ratings209 ratings
Positive80.9%
Neutral6.2%
Negative12.9%
Written reviews390 reviews
Positive76.2%
Neutral5.9%
Negative17.9%

TabGuard

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • New version not supported on macOS Safari
  • Uninstall icon causes issues on other devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Allow one-time donations instead of subscriptions
  • Expand DNS-level blocking to other devices
  • Improve integration with Safari and other browsers

TabGuard

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy

Subscriptions7
  • Small monthly contribution$1.991 Month
  • Medium monthly contribution$4.991 Month
  • Monthly donation$4.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Small yearly contribution$23.901 Year
  • Yearly donation$47.991 Year
  • Medium yearly contribution$59.901 Year
  • Large yearly contribution$143.991 Year
One-time3
  • Small one-time contributio$5.00
  • Medium one-time contribution$10.00
  • Large one-time contribution$20.00
None

TabGuard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy free?
Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TabGuard free?
TabGuard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy or TabGuard?
Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy is rated higher. Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy averages 4.3 out of 5 from 209 ratings, while TabGuard averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy or TabGuard have ads?
Neither Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy nor TabGuard shows ads.

Other comparisons