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Best ad blocker?

jent

jent

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 31, 2010
929
779
I use Safari and for the last couple of years I've used PithHelmet as my ad blocker. It's great, but it doesn't get updated often, and it's the only piece of software that requires me to hold back on Safari updates for more than a few days. I'm still unsure if it works fully with Safari 5.0.3, and the developer doesn't have an actively updated blog or Twitter page.

What Safari ad blocker do you recommend, and why? Thanks!
 
Try GlimmerBlocker. It is a web filter proxy. It runs in a sandbox and is 64 bit. It's benefit is that it does not affect the stability of the web browser and works with all browsers. It acts like a firewall for JavaScript hosted from ad servers.
 
I should also add that some niceties that have prevented me from leaving PithHelmet up until now are custom rules with wildcards, so that "*.test.com" blocks any subdomain on test.com, and the ability to right-click an ad and choose "Block ad," automatically creating a new rule for that ad and automatically guessing a rule with the appropriate wildcard to block similar ads from the same website/company in the future. It didn't allow me to custom-block Flash ads, though, which was annoying.
 
I use Plugin Customs to deal with Flash. You have to add the button to configure it's setting via "Customize Toolbar."

SafariAdblock extension may work for you. I do not use it but other people find it useful.

These are both from https://extensions.apple.com/. You may find other alternatives on that webpage.

I believe that GlimmerBlocker supports the "*.test.com" format but it does not include right-click functionality. Rules can be created in the GlimmerBlocker pane (under System Preferences) via the "Suspect" tab. Click "Create filter rule" and a window will pop up to help you create rules. It is really easy. Externally hosted filter subscriptions can be updated by clicking the services icon just below the list of filter subscriptions.
 
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I blocked them at the DNS level on my Mac. See this post for details.

I'm switching back to a tomato-based router soon, so i'll be blocking them at the DNS level network-wide but i think i'll give GlimmerBlocker a whirl too.
 
Hellhammer said:
http://www.sweetpproductions.com/safariadblocker/index.htm

Works and has worked brilliantly for years
Click to expand...

I second this. I was using GlimmerBlocker, but I'm at my parents' house for a few weeks with a slow (1.5 Mbps) internet connection. I seem to have more browser timeout messages with GB enabled than without. Perhaps the proxy causes a delay?

I've also been finding Chrome with AdBlock Plus to be amazingly fast.

Whatever you do, do NOT use AdBlock for Safari (the Safari 5 extension). It has awful performance problems.
 
djshack said:
I second this. I was using GlimmerBlocker, but I'm at my parents' house for a few weeks with a slow (1.5 Mbps) internet connection. I seem to have more browser timeout messages with GB enabled than without. Perhaps the proxy causes a delay?

I've also been finding Chrome with AdBlock Plus to be amazingly fast.

Whatever you do, do NOT use AdBlock for Safari (the Safari 5 extension). It has awful performance problems.
Click to expand...

I use Adblock with out issues so far, What have you noticed?
 
djshack said:
I was using GlimmerBlocker, but I'm at my parents' house for a few weeks with a slow (1.5 Mbps) internet connection. I seem to have more browser timeout messages with GB enabled than without. Perhaps the proxy causes a delay?
Click to expand...

GlimmerBlocker is a localhost proxy so it should not impose a speed reduction. Often localhost web proxies are used to speed up a connection with low bandwidth.
 
MichaelTheGeek2 said:
I use Adblock with out issues so far, What have you noticed?
Click to expand...

I noticed lots of beach balling and freezing up when loading web pages in Safari. Then I found this review on MacUpdate:

Bad code!!!! To verify my opinion: deactivate ALL extensions. Stop the time for the complete run of SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark http://www2.webkit.org/perf/sunspider/sunspider.html (MyMacbookPro Core2Duo 2.33Ghz, Safari_5.0.2: 18sec) and the note the result of the test (MyMacBookPro: 328,5ms +/- 0.7%. During the run monitor the CPU usage (MyMacBook: both Core are quite equally used, CPU-load floats from one to the other and back but never only one used and never more than approx. 80% of the possible 200%). Than switch on Adblock, Run SunSpider and monitor like recommended. AdBlock do influence run-through time of Sunspider like hell (MyMacbook with AdBlock activated: 1min34sec - compared against the 18sec without Adblock: 522% slower!!!!) and CPU-load (MyMacBook with AdBlock: 100%, one Core totally blocked - no more floating around between both Cores. The SunSpider results stay pretty much the same (MyMacBookPro with AdBlock: 348,5ms +/- 13.4%). With other words: AdBlock do extend the loading time of Java-Code dramatically (by over 500%) and do chance unfavorably the CPU-Load during the execution of the Code. AdBlock is a incredible bottleneck!!!
Click to expand...

I verified everything in the review as true. With GlimmerBlocker and/or Safari AdBlocker (SIMBL plugin) the slowness does not occur--only with the AdBlock plugin.

Also, if you do a Google search, you will find a few other comments/reviews with the same conclusion.

I'm hoping the eventual release of AdBlock Plus for Safari (stated to be worked on since ABP took over Chrome's AdThwart) will be the first *decent* native plugin ad blocker for Safari.
 
Well, I'm trying Safari AdBlock again right now (at version 2.2.20) and it does seem a bit better than when I last tried it. I still get some very slight delays when loading certain sites (scrolling locks up), but not the beach balling it used to cause. I'll use it for a bit and see how it holds up.

EDIT: Nevermind. I just loaded TechCrunch with AdBlock enabled and my CPU (Safari) spiked to over 100% for at least 10 seconds. Without AdBlock enabled and when loading TechCrunch, it peaks at about 49% for less than a second. This is bad, and the SIMBL-based AdBlocker does not cause this.
 
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djshack,

Thanks to your recommendation, I have now deleted Adblock the Safari extension and have installed Adblocker.

I don't know much about how these blockers work and the Adblock extension seemed fine with me on 10.5.8.
I then tried the sunspider test you linked to and it was really slow with it on and fast with it off.
I then tried the sunspider test with Adblocker and it was fast again.

If you don't mind me asking, how are these two (Adblocker and Adblock) different since they both block all the ads?
 
THE dAY said:
djshack,

Thanks to your recommendation, I have now deleted Adblock the Safari extension and have installed Adblocker.

I don't know much about how these blockers work and the Adblock extension seemed fine with me on 10.5.8.
I then tried the sunspider test you linked to and it was really slow with it on and fast with it off.
I then tried the sunspider test with Adblocker and it was fast again.

If you don't mind me asking, how are these two (Adblocker and Adblock) different since they both block all the ads?
Click to expand...

Aside from internal programming stuff I don't know anything about, the obvious differences are that one (AdBlocker) relies on SIMBL which is technically a hack and some people claim can lead to instability. The other (AdBlock) is a native Safari 5 extension (but is unfortunately resource intensive and slow).

If you prefer not to use a SIMBL plugin, then GlimmerBlocker really is the best option, but it's harder to customize (i.e., you can't right-click and choose to enable or disable or block an ad).
 
djshack said:
Aside from internal programming stuff I don't know anything about, the obvious differences are that one (AdBlocker) relies on SIMBL which is technically a hack and some people claim can lead to instability. The other (AdBlock) is a native Safari 5 extension (but is unfortunately resource intensive and slow).

If you prefer not to use a SIMBL plugin, then GlimmerBlocker really is the best option, but it's harder to customize (i.e., you can't right-click and choose to enable or disable or block an ad).
Click to expand...

SIMBL based plugins usually only create a problem after a Safari update until the plugin is updated as well. So you just have to keep that in mind when you update Safari.

Usually extension based adblockers cause performance deficits within the browser.

GlimmerBlocker has no affect on javascript performance according to the sunspider javascript benchmark.
 
Here is what i'm running and I see no issues so far.
 

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MichaelTheGeek2 said:
Here is what i'm running and I see no issues so far.
Click to expand...

I do not use it but I find for most users the AdBlock extension is easier to use and causes less intrusive filtering that may bother some users. The downside is that the extension uses more resources than the other options.

P.S. Make sure to allow ads on websites you frequent often as the ads are a means of keeping the website active. I know you can make website specific exceptions with Glimmer Blocker. I do not know if this can be done with other blockers.
 
munkery said:
P.S. Make sure to allow ads on websites you frequent often as the ads are a means of keeping the website active. I know you can make website specific exceptions with Glimmer Blocker. I do not know if this can be done with other blockers.
Click to expand...

This is a big problem with GlimmerBlocker. You can make exceptions but only by whitelisting the SOURCE domain, not the site that is being loaded. For example, if I whitelist "*.macrumors.com" and load macrumors.com, ads from any ad network (or whatever Mac Rumors uses) will still be blocked. The only way this actually works is if that domain hosts the ads itself.

If you want to whitelist specific sites, you really are better off using either of the AdBlock(er) extensions.
 
djshack said:
If you want to whitelist specific sites, you really are better off using either of the AdBlock(er) extensions.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I didn't realize that limitation in Glimmer Blocker. Guess I don't whitelist much? Bad person.

Also, another benefit/deficit of Glimmer Blocker is that it filters all apps that use port 80. So, it can filter ads out of RSS apps but it can also cause problems with apps if not configured properly, such as iTunes.
 
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