VPNs often include ad blockers to help you get rid of ads and avoid malicious sites. It's difficult deciding which one to use, so we put together a quick list of the best VPNs with ad blocking features.
How to Use a VPN With Ad Blocker
- Sign up for a VPN that offers an ad blocker (like Surfshark).
- Download and install the VPN provider's app.
- Run the app and enable the ad blocker.
- Surf the web and enjoy a more ad-free experience.
The 5 Best VPNs With Ad Blocking Features
Many VPNs offer ad blockers, but that doesn't automatically make them good. We ran multiple tests to find the services that really work. Here are the five best VPNs with ad blocking features:
1. Surfshark - Enjoy Ad Blocking on Unlimited Devices
Surfshark's ad blocker is called CleanWeb. We tested it, and CleanWeb blocked most ads (thus improving our browser speeds) and all connections to malicious HTTP sites. CleanWeb is available on tons of platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, FireTV, Chrome, and Firefox.
What we like the most about Surfshark is that it allows unlimited parallel connections. That means you can set up and use Surfshark's ad blocking on as many devices as you want with just one account. And yes, that also means you can share your subscription with your friends to save money.
Besides a great ad blocker, Surfshark also offers fast speeds (WireGuard is available), great security (AES-256 encryption), a kill switch, split-tunneling, P2P support, double VPN connections, obfuscation, and a no-logs policy.
With Surfshark, you also get user-friendly apps, 24/7 live chat support, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
To read more about Surfshark, please read our full review.
2. Private Internet Access - Reliable Ad Blocker + Huge Server Network
PIA's ad blocker is called MACE, and it's available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and the Android APK. It's pretty good at blocking ads and malicious sites. It's also fast because it doesn't compare visited URLs against thousands of rules. Instead, it uses an up-to-date database that contains shady sites and ad trackers. PIA MACE will retrieve an IP that points to a local computer (so an invalid IP address) when your browser requests the address of malicious domains and tracking sites.
PIA's ad blocker is paired with a downright immense server network (30,000+ and counting!). If you are looking for a VPN with ad blocking features that also has thousands of servers to choose from, PIA might just be the right VPN for you.
This VPN also offers good speeds (yes, it has WireGuard), AES-256 encryption (AES-128 is available too for faster connections), split-tunneling, a kill switch, P2P support (available on all servers), and a no-logging policy (proven true by legal court documents).
PIA has easy-to-use apps, 24/7 live chat support, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
To learn more about PIA, please check out our review.
3. NordVPN - Ad Blocking + Excellent Security
NordVPN's ad blocker is called CyberSec and is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. It gets the job done (blocks ads and malicious sites), but it won't work to full capacity on Android. Due to Google's policies, NordVPN's CyberSec feature on Android won't block ads, just malicious domains. You'll have to get the APK Android version to get the ad blocking feature.
On top of a reliable ad blocker, NordVPN offers amazing security features. It has obfuscation, double VPN connections, a no-logs policy (proven true by two security audits), a password manager (NordPass) and file encryption service (NordLocker), RAM-only servers, and a transition to a colocated network (NordVPN ships its own hardware to data centers, so only they have access to it).
Besides that, NordVPN has very fast speeds. It also offers NordLynx (a protocol built around WireGuard technology), split-tunneling, and thousands of P2P servers. You get 24/7 live chat support, user-friendly apps, and a 30-day refund policy too.
Want to find out more about NordVPN? Please read our full review here.
4. ProtonVPN - Open-Source Ad Blocker
ProtonVPN's ad blocker is called NetShield, and it works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. In our tests, it performed really well - it blocked almost all annoying ads and stopped connections to sites that host malware. We like that NetShield is flexible. You can configure it to only block malware or block malware, ads, and trackers.
ProtonVPN is a great service for people who are obsessed with privacy. It has a no-logs policy and it successfully underwent a security audit to prove it doesn't store logs. Also, all ProtonVPN software is open-source, so anybody can audit the code.
What's more, ProtonVPN offers great security (AES-256 encryption), double VPN support (Secure Core), a kill switch, and split-tunneling. The speeds are pretty good, the apps are easy to use, and ProtonVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer live chat support, only email support.
Want to see ProtonVPN in action? Please read our hands-on review.
5. Windscribe - Highly Customizable Ad Blocker
Windscribe's ad blocker is called R.O.B.E.R.T., and it seems to work on all platforms. It's not an option you enable and disable in Windscribe's apps. Instead, you tweak it directly in your account dashboard on their site.
R.O.B.E.R.T. is one of the most customizable ad blockers we have seen so far. It blocks malicious sites, ads, and trackers, but it can also be configured to block social networks (plus their trackers), porn and gambling sites, sites that publish clickbait and fake news, cryptominers that slow down your device, and even ads and trackers from other VPNs.
Windscribe itself is a good VPN. It's fast, doesn't store any logs, uses powerful encryption, and offers split-tunneling. This VPN also has a reliable kill switch.
Windscribe only offers live chat powered by a bot. To get support from a human, you'll need to contact them through email. Windscribe only has a 3-day money-back guarantee. To be eligible for it, you must not exceed over 10 GB of data usage. On the plus side, Windscribe has a free plan that's completely ad-free, so you can test the VPN before you're 100% you want to buy it.
To read more about Windscribe, please check out our full review.
Is It Enough to Only Use a VPN Ad Blocker?
Not really. VPN ad blockers are good, but they're not perfect. You might still see some ads on popular sites and even on YouTube.
To get rid of ads completely, you should also use uBlock Origin (an ad and script blocker) and uMatrix (a script blocker). They're both free and work on most browsers.
Do VPN Ad Blockers Protect You from Malware?
Yes and no. VPN ad blockers can protect you from sites that host malware by blocking your connections to them.
However, VPN ad blockers can't prevent malware infections if you interact with a malicious file. VPNs aren't designed to work that way. Instead, you'll have to rely on antivirus programs for protection (which is why you should always use a VPN together with an antivirus program).