Best ad blocker
Last updated: November 2, 2020
Here's our favorite ad blocker: Better. This also functions as a tracker blocker.
Why: The most popular ad blockers often are funded by Google and other Big Tech companies. In contrast, our favorite ad blocker, Better, is made by the not-for-profit Small Technology Foundation in Ireland.
Business model: Donations to the foundation and sales of Better.
• Web: better.fyi
• iOS app (works with the Safari browser): Better, $1.99
• Mac app (works with the Safari browser): Better, $1.99
• There is no Android app for Better, we assume because the Android platform is too compromised by Google surveillance.
Alternative option
• uBlock Origin, an open-source ad blocker compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and other web browsers. (We don't recommend using Chrome or Firefox - see our web browser recommendations - but if you have to use Chrome, uBlock Origin appears to be a good choice for ad blocker.)
Other resources
Aral Balkan and Laura Kalbag are the co-creators of Better (and the co-founders of the Small Technology Foundation). We recommend these resources:
• Excerpt of Aral Balkan speaking in Brussels in November 2019 (from Techtonic, November 25, 2019)
• Aral Balkan's blog and Laura Kalbag's blog
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