I have been in contact with the developers of BlockBear, and will be posting a mini-review of their blocker later on today.
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iOS 9 Content Blockers Mini-Reviews
- Thread starter Apple_Robert
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Another one came up called AdMop (it is free for now).
It is relatively easy to create a content blocker (there's one on GitHub). We can expect many more to come. Like OP, I'm wondering which one is better.
Marco Arment said his app (he pulled out of app store) was the best because his list was small (less cpu use) but powerful enough to block most ads. The list was being updated by Ghostery, a specialized company so in theory more people taking care of the list working properly.
Marco said on Twitter that he gave the source code to Ghostery. Today I saw a post from them saying that they don't plan to make an app and no plans to give the list away to any other app. It's a shame.
It is relatively easy to create a content blocker (there's one on GitHub). We can expect many more to come. Like OP, I'm wondering which one is better.
Marco Arment said his app (he pulled out of app store) was the best because his list was small (less cpu use) but powerful enough to block most ads. The list was being updated by Ghostery, a specialized company so in theory more people taking care of the list working properly.
Marco said on Twitter that he gave the source code to Ghostery. Today I saw a post from them saying that they don't plan to make an app and no plans to give the list away to any other app. It's a shame.
BlockBear app design - B+
Upon opening the app for the first time, one is met with a nice, straight-forward tutorial of how to enable BlockBear in Safari. Once enabled, the user is shown the main screen showing toggles for Block Ads, Block Social Buttons and Block Tracking, as well as the Whitelist menu for inputing specific websites.
Another aspect that I appreciate about the app design, is that the developers have included (next to each toggle) an explanation of the purpose of each toggle,(clicking the circular icon) as well as stating what list they are using for ad and social blocking, and linking to it, so that the user can look over the list.
One of the things that I don’t like is the lack of in app feedback and reporting. With a paid app, I believe that that should be included. Hopefully, the developers will take care of that in a follow up update. And it is for the reason, that a grade of B was given.
BlockBear app ad-blocking ability - A
I tested BlockBear’s ad-blocking power by visiting the following sites: Time Magazine, CNN, Fox News, Huffington Post, Macrumors, Mac World, Yahoo, YouTube, The Pirate…, Kat.cr, iMore, The Verge, National Geographic, Ebaums World, Digiday, Amazon, Apple, MSN, Reddit, Craigslist (local), Hotels.com, imdb.com, Crackle, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angels Times.
All of the test sites loaded completely. I saw no empty advertising boxes, although I did see sponsored ads on Yahoo, which is not unexpected as Purify is the only one (at this time) able to block them. If not for the sponsored ads, I would have given BlockBear an A+ on blocking ability.
BlockBear app speed - B+
In regards to the loading of the test sites, no lagging or stalling was noted. I found the speed to be commiserate with Crystal.
BlockBear app price - B+
While the price of the app ($2.99) is (as a whole) in line with the price of other paid content blockers, I think in app feedback should have been included. While one can contact the developers via their website, there doesn’t appear to be a dedicated page of contact for BlockBear concerns and feedback. I see this as a weakness for the app. I hope it is addressed with an app update.
Overall impressions - B+
In my opinion, BlockBear is a solid content blocker. It is not as fast as Purify nor can it (at this time) block sponsored ads like Purify. However, it is easy to use and performs well. In spite of the lack of in app feedback ability, (at this point in time) I feel good about giving a recommendation for BlockBear.
*Disclaimer - I contacted the developers because I wanted to review their product for the forum members. I linked to this thread and received a prompt reply back from Ryan (cofounder). Receiving the app played no role in grading.
Thank you BlockBear for providing the app so that I could give a mini-review for the forum members.
Upon opening the app for the first time, one is met with a nice, straight-forward tutorial of how to enable BlockBear in Safari. Once enabled, the user is shown the main screen showing toggles for Block Ads, Block Social Buttons and Block Tracking, as well as the Whitelist menu for inputing specific websites.
Another aspect that I appreciate about the app design, is that the developers have included (next to each toggle) an explanation of the purpose of each toggle,(clicking the circular icon) as well as stating what list they are using for ad and social blocking, and linking to it, so that the user can look over the list.
One of the things that I don’t like is the lack of in app feedback and reporting. With a paid app, I believe that that should be included. Hopefully, the developers will take care of that in a follow up update. And it is for the reason, that a grade of B was given.
BlockBear app ad-blocking ability - A
I tested BlockBear’s ad-blocking power by visiting the following sites: Time Magazine, CNN, Fox News, Huffington Post, Macrumors, Mac World, Yahoo, YouTube, The Pirate…, Kat.cr, iMore, The Verge, National Geographic, Ebaums World, Digiday, Amazon, Apple, MSN, Reddit, Craigslist (local), Hotels.com, imdb.com, Crackle, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angels Times.
All of the test sites loaded completely. I saw no empty advertising boxes, although I did see sponsored ads on Yahoo, which is not unexpected as Purify is the only one (at this time) able to block them. If not for the sponsored ads, I would have given BlockBear an A+ on blocking ability.
BlockBear app speed - B+
In regards to the loading of the test sites, no lagging or stalling was noted. I found the speed to be commiserate with Crystal.
BlockBear app price - B+
While the price of the app ($2.99) is (as a whole) in line with the price of other paid content blockers, I think in app feedback should have been included. While one can contact the developers via their website, there doesn’t appear to be a dedicated page of contact for BlockBear concerns and feedback. I see this as a weakness for the app. I hope it is addressed with an app update.
Overall impressions - B+
In my opinion, BlockBear is a solid content blocker. It is not as fast as Purify nor can it (at this time) block sponsored ads like Purify. However, it is easy to use and performs well. In spite of the lack of in app feedback ability, (at this point in time) I feel good about giving a recommendation for BlockBear.
*Disclaimer - I contacted the developers because I wanted to review their product for the forum members. I linked to this thread and received a prompt reply back from Ryan (cofounder). Receiving the app played no role in grading.
Thank you BlockBear for providing the app so that I could give a mini-review for the forum members.
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I will be glad to. It will be posted in the next day or so.
Just wanted to thank you again for your time and efforts, these reviews are invaluable.
Yes, I understand and did note that part about leeway given to the free versions over the paid versions. That can make it a bit difficult to determine one's performance over another; ie. app z1 and app z2 function identically but since z1 costs a buck and z2 is free they are given different grades.
That's why I was wondering since you compared Crystal and Freedom and said they were basically the same and they receive the same score, if then that meant Admop would be better than Crystal (B+ vs a B). However, that's just me being nitpicky; I paid $1.19 (Canadian prices in the App Store gone up due to the weak CDN) for Crystal and it works pretty well so far so I'll likely end up sticking with that until Purity goes on sale.
Anyways, want to reiterate that you're doing a great service for many people here and thanks again!
Thanks a lot for the reviews. Greatly appreciated.
I have used most of them so far (paid and free) and for the moment rolling with Purify. Can't wait for the next update with social button filter and perhaps more privacy features.
How about doing this reviews a little more technical? Like load times in seconds etc?
I know that you are not getting paid nor have time to do such in depth reviews but it would be nice.
Thanks again! Keep it up.
I have used most of them so far (paid and free) and for the moment rolling with Purify. Can't wait for the next update with social button filter and perhaps more privacy features.
How about doing this reviews a little more technical? Like load times in seconds etc?
I know that you are not getting paid nor have time to do such in depth reviews but it would be nice
.Thanks again! Keep it up.
Any words on Ad Block Multi?
Seems to be the most complete one in terms of settings and filters.
Thanks
Seems to be the most complete one in terms of settings and filters.
Thanks
Adblock-Multi app design - B+
Adblock-Multi is a reasonably priced ($0.99) content blocker, that is geared towards those users who aren't interested in tweaking and fine tuning settings for each and every site.
Upon opening the app, one is given a quick tutorial of how to set up Adblock-Multi. And for those who lean towards the lazy side, the app will take you directly to Settings > Safari > Content Blockers, so that you can enable the app.
Once the app has been enabled, there are several toggles one can choose from, with a brief explanation as to purpose.
1. Essentials - "The truly essentials list. Blocks most ads and trackers. Good point to start with."
2. EU cookie law notices - Blocks obtrusive cookie notices, which distract the viewers attention and can be just as annoying as ads."
3. Malware domain blocklist - "A list of domains that are known to be used to propagate malware and spyware."
4. Anti-adblock killer - "The list aiming to circumvent many protections used on some websites that force the user to disable Ad Blockers."
5. Enhanced privacy - "Enhanced tracking prevention list. Blocks most scripts tracking users behavior online."
6. Anti-Facebook - "Removes facebook widgets. Warning: will break Facebook comments on some sites."
The other user toggles (Regional sCN, CN, CZ, DE, DK, FR, GR, IT, KR, NL, NO, PL, RU, SE, SK) are regional specific website lists.
At the bottom of the user settings is a list of other apps the developer has available.
Clicking the three circles icon in the upper left corner of the setting app brings up the rating and share abilities, as well as a "learn more" option, which links to his user contact / support Facebook page.
Adblock-Multi does not currently offer Whitelisting and in app feedback reporting. However, I believe the developer will be making those features available in future updates.
I like the simplicity of the app. Although it is straight-forward, it offers a lot of useful features, including the ability to block sponsored ads.
Adblock-Multi blocking - A
To test Adblock - Multi's blocking power using the default settings, I used Time Magazine *, CNN, Yahoo, Macrumors, Amazon,*** Fox News, Huffington Post, iMore, The Verge, National Geographic, Crackle,* Forbes Magazine,* The Wall Street Journal, Kat.cr, The Pirate...,**** MacWorld,** MSNBC, Apple, Ebaums World, ImDB, YouTube, Hotels.com, Digiday, Reddit, Craigslist (local), blog.buttermouth.
Unless otherwise noted by the * symbol, all sites loaded correctly without any pop ups or blank advertising boxes.
* Site did not load
** Site loaded correctly but clicking links on main page didn't work
*** Site loaded correctly but did not block ad on main page.
**** Site loaded correctly but did not stop pop up message or redirects
In my opinion, Adblock-Multi did a fine job of blocking ads and other unwanted content while preserving the correct flow of the webpages tested.
Adblock-Multi speed - B+
Adblock is not as fast as Purify. However, it is faster than several other content blockers I have tested thus far. At this point in time, I place it in the same league as Crystal.
Adblock-Multi price - A+
In my opinion, Adblock-Multi is a great buy. It offers a lot of features for the casual user who wants to focus on being able to use the internet as he or she would like, without having to worry about fine-tuning each site.
Adblock-Multi overall rating - A
Overall, I think Adblock-Multi is an excellent app that performs as intended. Even though it doesn't currently offer in app feedback or Whitelisting at the moment, I still feel good about recommending Adblock-Multi. I feel confident that the developer will incorporate these features before too long.
I like that it has a Facebook widget blocker. I would also like to see other social media widget blockers.
I may have missed it somewhere, but I did not see a link to the developer's website in the app store.
**The developer informed me after the review was posted, that he has a Facebook page to keep in contact / support with customers. It can also be found in the settings part of the app, by clicking on "learn more." My apologies to Roman for missing the in app Facebook link.
Adblock-Multi is an app that is well-worth keeping an eye on, in my opinion. I look forward to offering a follow up review down the road.
*Disclaimer I contacted the developer about doing a mini-review of his app and received a prompt, kind reply with the redemption code. Being given the code for review purposes played no role in what grades were given in the review.
** Review has been corrected to reflect the developer's Facebook page address link, as well as correctly noting that his Facebook page can be accessed via the app under settings > learn more.
Adblock-Multi is a reasonably priced ($0.99) content blocker, that is geared towards those users who aren't interested in tweaking and fine tuning settings for each and every site.
Upon opening the app, one is given a quick tutorial of how to set up Adblock-Multi. And for those who lean towards the lazy side, the app will take you directly to Settings > Safari > Content Blockers, so that you can enable the app.
Once the app has been enabled, there are several toggles one can choose from, with a brief explanation as to purpose.
1. Essentials - "The truly essentials list. Blocks most ads and trackers. Good point to start with."
2. EU cookie law notices - Blocks obtrusive cookie notices, which distract the viewers attention and can be just as annoying as ads."
3. Malware domain blocklist - "A list of domains that are known to be used to propagate malware and spyware."
4. Anti-adblock killer - "The list aiming to circumvent many protections used on some websites that force the user to disable Ad Blockers."
5. Enhanced privacy - "Enhanced tracking prevention list. Blocks most scripts tracking users behavior online."
6. Anti-Facebook - "Removes facebook widgets. Warning: will break Facebook comments on some sites."
The other user toggles (Regional sCN, CN, CZ, DE, DK, FR, GR, IT, KR, NL, NO, PL, RU, SE, SK) are regional specific website lists.
At the bottom of the user settings is a list of other apps the developer has available.
Clicking the three circles icon in the upper left corner of the setting app brings up the rating and share abilities, as well as a "learn more" option, which links to his user contact / support Facebook page.
Adblock-Multi does not currently offer Whitelisting and in app feedback reporting. However, I believe the developer will be making those features available in future updates.
I like the simplicity of the app. Although it is straight-forward, it offers a lot of useful features, including the ability to block sponsored ads.
Adblock-Multi blocking - A
To test Adblock - Multi's blocking power using the default settings, I used Time Magazine *, CNN, Yahoo, Macrumors, Amazon,*** Fox News, Huffington Post, iMore, The Verge, National Geographic, Crackle,* Forbes Magazine,* The Wall Street Journal, Kat.cr, The Pirate...,**** MacWorld,** MSNBC, Apple, Ebaums World, ImDB, YouTube, Hotels.com, Digiday, Reddit, Craigslist (local), blog.buttermouth.
Unless otherwise noted by the * symbol, all sites loaded correctly without any pop ups or blank advertising boxes.
* Site did not load
** Site loaded correctly but clicking links on main page didn't work
*** Site loaded correctly but did not block ad on main page.
**** Site loaded correctly but did not stop pop up message or redirects
In my opinion, Adblock-Multi did a fine job of blocking ads and other unwanted content while preserving the correct flow of the webpages tested.
Adblock-Multi speed - B+
Adblock is not as fast as Purify. However, it is faster than several other content blockers I have tested thus far. At this point in time, I place it in the same league as Crystal.
Adblock-Multi price - A+
In my opinion, Adblock-Multi is a great buy. It offers a lot of features for the casual user who wants to focus on being able to use the internet as he or she would like, without having to worry about fine-tuning each site.
Adblock-Multi overall rating - A
Overall, I think Adblock-Multi is an excellent app that performs as intended. Even though it doesn't currently offer in app feedback or Whitelisting at the moment, I still feel good about recommending Adblock-Multi. I feel confident that the developer will incorporate these features before too long.
I like that it has a Facebook widget blocker. I would also like to see other social media widget blockers.
I may have missed it somewhere, but I did not see a link to the developer's website in the app store.
**The developer informed me after the review was posted, that he has a Facebook page to keep in contact / support with customers. It can also be found in the settings part of the app, by clicking on "learn more." My apologies to Roman for missing the in app Facebook link.
Adblock-Multi is an app that is well-worth keeping an eye on, in my opinion. I look forward to offering a follow up review down the road.
*Disclaimer I contacted the developer about doing a mini-review of his app and received a prompt, kind reply with the redemption code. Being given the code for review purposes played no role in what grades were given in the review.
** Review has been corrected to reflect the developer's Facebook page address link, as well as correctly noting that his Facebook page can be accessed via the app under settings > learn more.
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Source:
Purify description at App Store.
I find it difficult to believe this. I’ve seen comparisons on other websites and the performance difference is typically negligible. This is some misleading advertisement and just really lame advertising for an iOS developer. This nonsense puts me off.
If Purify is blocking all of Macrumors, that isn't correct. I would uninstall and reinstall the app.
