Do VPNs Block Ads?

Not all VPNs can block ads. By default, a VPN is designed to change your IP address and encrypt your web traffic, not block ads.

However, because ad blockers are associated with online protection, many VPN services now claim ad blocking capabilities as part of a larger internet security package.

In other words, with the right VPN subscription, you can also block ads using a VPN.

We’ve identified 16 VPNs that have genuine, working ad blockers. In the table below contains a complete list of these VPNs along with information about their device compatibility:

We used an objective ad block checker to test the performance of every VPN ad blocker and find out which ones can actually block ads. Here are our results:

Of the 16 VPN ad blockers we tested, 13 blocked over 50% of ads and trackers. PIA MACE, Atlas VPN Shield, and IVPN AntiTracker performed the best, blocking over 90% of all ads and trackers.

The most effective VPN ad and tracker blocker overall is PIA Mace. It blocked over 80% of ads, 66% of social trackers, and 100% of analytic trackers over the course of three tests, spread over a week.

IVPN AntiTracker blocked the most ads, preventing 100% of intrusive ads when used in ‘Hardcore Mode’. It also scored higher than PIA Mace for social trackers, but less when it came to analytic trackers.

However, IVPN’s Hardcore Mode blocks some legitimate sites entirely, including Google and YouTube.

You can see IVPN’s AntiTracker working in the video below:

PIA, IVPN, and Atlas VPN performed better than NordVPN’s Threat Protection (formerly CyberSec), which only blocked 60% of ads, 66% of analytic trackers, and 33% of analytic trackers.

You should avoid VPN ad blockers from VPNArea, Perfect Privacy, and Hotspot Shield. These performed the worst in our tests. Perfect Privacy failed to block any ads whatsoever.

Here’s a table summarizing how effective each VPN ad blocker was in our tests, along with the percentage of each ad type blocked:

Can a VPN Block YouTube, Spotify & Google Ads?

VPN ad blockers are unable to block all types of ads on Google, Spotify, Twitch, YouTube, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. However, VPN ad blockers can block banner and video ads on sites like YouTube, Twitch, and Spotify, as well as Google search result ads.

We tested all of the VPN ad blockers on five popular websites and apps that run annoying or intrusive ads. Here are the results:

We found that VPNs are completely unable to block Facebook ads, which are hardcoded into the website.

No VPN was able to block ads on all the popular websites we tested. Astrill VPN, Atlas VPN, and NordVPN were all able to block ads on three out of five websites we tested. TorGuard, Perfect Privacy, and Hotspot Shield performed the worst, failing to block any ads.

Astrill, NordVPN, PIA, and Windscribe are all able to block Google ads. In the video below, we show you how easy it is to block Google ads using NordVPN’s Threat Protection.

When it comes to Spotify, the best a VPN ad blocker can do is stop banner and video ads. However, you cannot remove advertisements for Spotify premium.

VPNs are also hit and miss when it comes to blocking Twitch ads. We found that connecting to a non-US IP address would greatly reduce the chance of seeing ads, but only a handful of VPNs were able to stop pre-roll and mid-roll video ads from appearing.

VPN ad blockers can prevent ads on YouTube, but only certain types. Many VPN ad blockers can stop banner ads appearing over the top of the YouTube video you’re watching, but they cannot stop pre-roll ads.

You might still need an ad blocker even if your VPN has an ad blocker included. As our test results show, even the best VPN ad blocker does not block 100% of ads.

The only one that does is IVPN when used in ‘Hardcore Mode’. But we don’t recommend it as you cannot even access Google or other legitimate sites when it’s turned on.

The second best is Atlas VPN, which blocks 87% of ads on average.

What many VPN services call ‘ad blockers’ are actually closer to DNS site filters and anti-trackers. VPN ad blockers work as malicious site blockers and tracker blockers, but are rarely the same as ad blockers, even if some VPNs conflate them.

Malicious site blocking, or DNS filtering, uses blacklists to prevent you from landing on a website which is known to host malware, adware, or spam.

Anti-trackers prevent third-party network connection requests, making it harder for third parties (like advertisers and data brokers) to gather data from the websites you visit and build a profile of your online behavior.

This is how most VPN ad blockers work. DNS blocking and tracker blocking are called ad blockers because they prevent adware and discourage targeted digital ads. They also have privacy benefits, and encourage a consent-based approach to online browsing.

But they do not block ads in the way an ad blocker like uBlock Origin does. Compared to a VPN, a traditional ad blocker works by analyzing the web page for ad codes. If it detects ad code, it blocks ad content from appearing. You can see an example of how this works in our tests for NordVPN’s CyberSec ad blocker.

The truth is that most VPN ‘ad blockers’ are effective at anti-tracking and avoiding malicious sites, but less effective at blocking ads. For example, ExpressVPN has a Threat Manager feature to block trackers and malicious sites, but ExpressVPN does not have an ad blocker.

Other VPNs like IVPN, Norton Secure VPN, and SurfEasy have what appears to be an ad blocker but are actually tracker blockers. When we asked Surfshark VPN how it’s CleanWeb ad blocker worked, they replied:

“It is a DNS-based ad blocking solution (blocking tracked and malicious websites as well).”

This is helpful, but it won’t stop ad content from appearing on the websites you’re visiting.

Even VPNs with listed ad blockers play down their usefulness. Take our exchange with a representative from Astrill VPN:

“It can or may block ads but it is not 100% that it will block all ads”

The solution is to combine your VPN’s anti-tracker technology with a reliable ad blocker extension like uBlock Origin, which analyzes code for ad content and then blocks it.

Using a more private browser alongside this will provide maximum protection against ad tracking, dangerous websites, and ad content.

We’ve developed a comprehensive testing criteria for assessing the best VPN ad blockers.

Based on ad blocker test performance, manual site tests, and the number of devices/browsers the ad blocker can be used across (macOS, Windows, iPhone, Android, Chrome, and Firefox), here are the VPN ad blockers ranked best to worst:

The five best paid and free VPN ad blockers are:

1. PIA MACE: Blocks 80% of Ads Across All Devices

PIA MACE ad blocker works against ads, trackers, and malware across all popular devices.

PROS	CONS
Blocks 80% of online ads Stops Google and Spotify ads Blocks 100% of analytic trackers Easy to use ad, tracker, and malware blocker Works on all devices and browsers Affordable premium pricing	No ad block customization Doesn’t block Twitch or YouTube ads Cannot whitelist domains Not available on iOS

PIA MACE is the best VPN ad blocker according to our testing criteria. It blocks a large majority of ads, all analytic trackers, and most social trackers. It stops Google and Spotify ads, it’s available across devices and browsers, and it’s extremely easy to use.

Here’s a breakdown of its ad and tracker blocking performance:

 

Like all VPN ad blockers, MACE isn’t perfect. It won’t work to block Facebook, Twitch, or YouTube ads. There also aren’t any customization options. MACE Is an on/off feature, and there’s no ability to whitelist certain domains.

PIA says its ad blocker works like this:

MACE returns IP addresses of unwanted domain names as an address that’s not routable on the public internet.

PIA uses publicly available blocklists and updates its list of malicious websites once a month, ensuring nothing slips through. It doesn’t whitelist its own ads or any of its commercial partners, or only block those of its competitors.

MACE won’t block all ads, but as it’s such a simple, toggle-on feature, it’s worth using if you’re already a PIA user. MACE might even speed up page loading times as it’s preventing most ads from showing up.

PIA MACE isn’t free, but a subscription only costs $2.03. This makes it one of the cheapest VPNs, but it’s also one of the best VPNs. As a VPN, PIA is fast, no logs, and comes with a large server network.

2. NordVPN Threat Protection: Blocks Majority of Ads

Threat Protection (CyberSec) blocks most ads and analytic trackers across all devices and browsers, including Windows, Android, macOS, and iPhone.

PROS	CONS
Blocks majority of ads across the web Effective ad blocker for Google and Twitch Customizable ad blocker Includes anti-tracker, anti-malware, and file scans Real time data Works on all devices and browsers	Blocks less ads on average than PIA and Atlas VPN Can’t stop Spotify ads Occasionally blocks legitimate sites Doesn’t stop majority of social trackers

NordVPN’s Threat Protection (formerly CyberSec) is one of the most popular VPN ad blockers and it scores very well in our ad blocker tests. It’s available across all popular devices and browsers, it’s customizable, and includes real-time data about ads and trackers blocked.

Here’s a breakdown of its ad blocker test performance:

 

You can read more about how well NordVPN blocks ads in our detailed analysis of Threat Protection’s ad blocking performance.

3. Atlas VPN Shield: Blocks 87% of Ads for macOS & Android

Shield works well against the vast majority of ads and trackers but is only available on macOS and Android.

PROS	CONS
Highest average ad block success (87%) Blocks majority of analytic and social trackers Blocks Spotify, Twitch & YouTube ads One of the cheapest VPNs Real time data Very easy to use	Only available on macOS & Android Doesn’t block Google ads No whitelister feature Free version doesn’t include ad blocker

Atlas VPN’s Shield blocks the largest number of ads on average, but it’s let down by the limited number of devices you can use it on. Atlas VPN’s ad blocker isn’t available on Windows or iOS. Here’s a breakdown of its average performance on macOS and Android:

 

In our own manual tests we found that Atlas VPN worked to block some YouTube, Spotify, and Twitch ads. But, as with all VPN ad blockers, it won’t block everything, such as pre-roll ads. It was particularly disappointing that Shield failed to block Google ads.

We like how easy Shield is to use – it’s a toggle on/off feature. But this comes at the cost of customization. Like with PIA MACE, you cannot whitelist certain sites.

Atlas VPN has a free version, but Shield is reserved for premium subscribers. That’s disappointing if you want a free VPN ad blocker. But it only costs $1.99, making it one of the cheapest VPNs.

It’s not worth subscribing to Atlas VPN for Shield alone. It’s not effective 100% of the time, and it won’t stop embedded ad content from appearing, but it can help against malware, trackers, and pop up banners. Atlas also scores well in our VPN testing, making it a viable VPN generally.

How to Use Atlas VPN’s Shield Ad Blocker

In the short video below you can see how easy it is to use Atlas VPN’s ad blocker, Shield (formerly Safebrowse Plus). It is included as part of the paid version of Atlas VPN and automatically connects you to a VPN server when toggled on.