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Unlike Firefox and Chrome, it’s not easy for Mac users to find good ad blockers for Safari. Apple has certain restrictions (like using the Mac App Store to ship updates) that drive ad blocker developers away from their browser, and as a result, your favorites from Firefox or Chrome might not work well on Safari, if they’re even available at all. There still are a few good ad blockers that you can use with Safari, though.
Adguard
If you want a good free ad blocker for Safari, Adguard is among the best options. It’s fast, free, and works well without any additional customization, which is great for most people. If you want the ability to set up custom filter lists, DNS-level adblocking, and additional security features, you can check out Adguard Pro ($10).
Wipr
Wipr is also a great adblocking option for Safari. It costs $2 and lets you block ads, cookie notices, and includes several custom regional block lists that may appeal to you. It’s as good as Adguard, so if you’d rather avoid free ad blockers, Wipr is an affordable option that works very well.
1Blocker
1Blocker works with Safari on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The extension has a whole stack of filters to help block all kinds of ads, trackers, and other invasive features on various websites—including a tool to hide any element from a webpage that you can use to remove pop-ups or annoying widgets. The extension allows you to use any one group of ad blocking lists for free, and it costs $15 per year to unlock all its features.
Vinegar
Vinegar is perfect for blocking ads on YouTube. If you use Safari to watch YouTube videos, this extension forces the site to use an HTML5 video player and blocks ads on the site. For a one-time fee of $2, Vinegar is well worth the cost. It works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with a single purchase.
VPNs and custom DNS adblockers
Even with the best ad blocking extensions for Safari, you’re still likely to find that a few ads slip through the cracks. The most foolproof ad blocking for Safari is network-level ad blockers that work independent of the browser—meaning that they automatically filter ad networks for all apps and browsers on your Mac, which is far more effective than what happens within Safari. You can try custom DNS services such as NextDNS (free for up to 300,000 queries per month, and $20 per year after that) or set up a Pi-Hole to automatically block ads on your network.
Alternatively, you can use a good VPN like Mullvad, which has a built-in ad blocker. It’s probably the most effective ad blocking option, but is expensive: Mullvad costs €5 per month, and streaming sites like Netflix don’t work well when you’re using the VPN, so it’s a big trade off.
