AdLock is a bit different from other ad-blocking tools that claim to block ads and get rid of pop-ups, video ads, malicious websites and other types of online advertisements.
So, does AdLock live up to its name or is it just another browser extension that once blocked ads on web pages but doesn’t combat the latest online advertising schemes? Read on for an in-depth review of this ad-blocking software tool.
How Much Does AdLock Cost?
Many free ad-blockers claim to improve the internet usage experience by blocking annoying ads at no additional cost to the user. AdLock, however, is not one of them. While AdLock’s official website page used to have a free version (a trial version), it is no longer available.
Among the three subscription plans, the two-year plan offers the greatest discount: AdLock bills the user $27.72 every 27 months. The one-year deal costs $1.64 per month, billed as $19.74 each year. There is also the one-month plan, which costs $3.50 per month.
AdLock claims to have the best ad-blocker in the market as the company’s official app is competent at removing ads of all kinds, including annoying ads, mobile device advertisements, static image listings and even cryptocurrency mining ads.
However, if the customer is not satisfied with the product, a 30-day money-back guarantee is available.
Is AdLock Free?
Currently, AdLock’s website only offers paid subscription plans. As such, AdLock is not free.
What Are the Features of the AdLock Ad-Blocker?
The main feature of AdLock is the ability to block advertisements. That feature alone comes with a host of side benefits, such as removing potentially harmful links that blocked advertisements might lead to or any ads that could infect the user’s device with data-trace spyware. Blocking advertisements may also quicken page loading and save mobile data, even when visiting reputable sites.
The lack of advertisements on genuine websites also keeps the user safe from dangerous websites and can guard system performance against resource-consuming ads, such as cryptocurrency advertisements. Removal of advertisements by AdLock may also end up acting as an anti-tracking action as some advertisements can help advertisers track online users.
This is important:
AdLock also has a multifunctional filter HTTPS sites feature, which offers advanced options for blocking advertisements. Other features include a domain white list, DNS filtering, EV certificates filtering, HTTPS filtering, automatic updates, auto-start and ad statistics.How to Install the AdLock Ad-Blocker?
On any platform, the user first has to go to the official website, sign up for a subscription package, download the correct app file for the desired platform, launch the installer by double-clicking on the downloaded file and, finally, install the file.
Once the app launches, the user has to provide the license key to keep using the AdLock app.
Android users should enable unknown sources from the device’s settings menu, download the APK file from the AdLock website, launch the downloaded APK file, approve the required permissions and then launch the app.
How Good Is AdLock to Block Ads?
AdLock tries its best to keep out of the user’s way and block advertisements in the background. The main screen has a left-side panel offering options such as home, security, statistics and settings.
On the home window, the app allows the user to enable ad-blocking and security, which gets rid of advertisements and enables Google SafeBrowsing to keep users away from phishing links. The AdLocker section allows the user to pick the blocking filters and set up exclusions for both websites and applications on the device.
The mobile apps also look simple and sleek, supporting the same red/white theme. A circular button appears near the top of the screen to enable the advertisement-blocking feature.
As expected, some websites will easily catch that the user has installed an ad-blocking app and refuse to load. In such cases, the user has to open the AdLock app and exclude those sites. That way, even though the user will still see ad listings on the website, any loading issues will be resolved.
AdLock’s ad-blocker for Windows 10 successfully blocked pop-ups and advertisements on most websites but did skip some on sites like YouTube. Reloading the websites/webpages usually resolves the problem.
What Platforms Does AdLock Support for Ad-Blocking?
The platforms for which AdLock offers dedicated apps are given below.
- Windows (AdLock offers a dedicated Windows app)
- Android (AdLock has a dedicated mobile app)
- Chrome
- Safari
- iOS
- macOS
AdLock is not available via the Google Play Store, so users will need to download the official APK file from the company’s website (via a mainstream web browser like Google Chrome) to remove ads.
Conclusion: Is AdLock Among the Best Ad-Blockers?
AdLock indeed works and can make browsing the internet a better experience overall. However, keep in mind that no advertisement filter is perfect, and AdLock will likely miss some advertisements. In terms of the competition, AdLock is one of the best ones we have tested.
Ultimately, it’s up to the user to decide if paying for AdLock (even if the price is less than $2 per month) is truly worth it.