Comparison

TabGuard vs Tab Blocker

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

Head to head
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!

About

Tab Blocker

This utility prevents websites from automatically opening unwanted new tabs in Safari. Users can selectively enable blocking on a per-site basis, ensuring a cleaner browsing experience without tab explosions or lost navigation.

Highlights
  • Blocks unwanted new tabs in Safari
  • Per-site control for blocking
  • Local storage for preferences
  • No servers, accounts, or analytics
  • Simple setup via Safari settings
  • Lightweight and no battery drain
Features
Read full description

Tab Blocker stops websites from opening unwanted new tabs in Safari. You choose which sites it's active on — it does nothing until you say so. You stay on the page you're reading. No tab explosions. No hunting through a stack of tabs to find where you were. PER-SITE CONTROL Tab Blocker doesn't blanket-block everything. You decide exactly which sites need it: 1. Visit any website in Safari 2. Tap the extension icon 3. Toggle blocking on for that site 4. Reload the page — done Your preferences are saved automatically. Toggle sites off just as easily, or manage your full list from the extension popup. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Tab Blocker has no servers, no accounts, no analytics. Your enabled-sites list is stored locally on your device using Safari's extension storage. Nothing leaves your phone. We can't see what you browse, and we don't want to. SIMPLE SETUP 1. Install Tab Blocker 2. Go to Settings → Safari → Extensions → Tab Blocker 3. Toggle it on and set permissions 4. That's it — use the extension icon in Safari to control any site PERFECT FOR - News sites that open articles in new tabs - Streaming sites with aggressive ad redirects - Shopping sites that spawn popups on every click - Any site that doesn't respect your browsing experience Built as a native Safari Web Extension. Lightweight. No background processes. No battery drain.

Screenshots

TabGuard4 screens
Tab Blocker4 screens

Verdict

The call

TabGuard and Tab Blocker are too close to call on the numbers: across 8 compared parameters — price, rating, ratings volume and ads among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for TabGuard against 5.0 for Tab Blocker. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
TabGuard versus Tab Blocker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTabGuardTab Blocker
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMAXWELL PAUL VAGLICABrandon Tingey

Customer experience

TabGuard

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

Tab Blocker

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

TabGuard

No in-app purchases

None

Tab Blocker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TabGuard free?
TabGuard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tab Blocker free?
Tab Blocker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TabGuard or Tab Blocker?
TabGuard and Tab Blocker are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do TabGuard or Tab Blocker have ads?
Neither TabGuard nor Tab Blocker shows ads.

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