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4 Free Proxies To Block Ads in Google Chrome (or any browser)
The best part is, they'll help block ads in any browser - including Chrome.
Before I get into a list, it's important to know that several of these apps haven't been updated in ages. However, content filtering is a pretty straightforward operation, so even the old ones work just fine - and you can always tweak the blocking rules yourself.
CyberGuard WebWasher Classic is another great option. It's small, fast, and very customizable. It's got additional capabilities to block popups, scripts, referrers, cookies, and prefixes. New filters are incredibly easy to set up, and there's no noticeable lag in load times. Of the apps I tested, WebWasher was my favorite.
Proxomitron has a god awful GUI, but it works well enough that its appearance can be overlooked (you can create your own bitmaps if you really hate it). It offers extremely flexible bloxing rules, and the default set is extrmely effective. Blocked ads are replaced with [red text in brackets], and pages load times weren't adversely affected.
iReject Trash is a tiny download (200k) and works extremely well. Its log view also gives you an interesting insight into the pages you're visiting. CNET.com, for example, had 33 items blocked. Out-of-the-box the blocking was very good, and the rules are fully customizable. You can block by host, pattern, or image dimensions. Page load times were a bit slower on certain sites.
Lifehacker suggests Privoxy as an option (via GeekZone NZ). Privoxy is more low-fi: all your configuration tweaks are done by editing text files. It is, however, very easy on processor usage and it also does a very good job with no tweaking. I didn't notice any difference in page load times with Privoxy.
There are tons of other options for blocking ads (just check the Google Directory), so don't give up on Chrome just because there's no AdBlock. Grab one of these apps, and give it another try - then tell us how it went!
Comments
16
Subscribe to commentsTroySep 8th 2008 12:34PM
I use Privoxy to block ads for all my browsers. Its easy, small, and does a great job. I also use OpenDNS to block undesirable websites.
http://www.privoxy.org
http://www.opendns.com
GulagosphereOct 18th 2008 7:31AM
Forget that. The Iron Fork of Chromium now has built-in adblocking!
JamesSep 8th 2008 12:37PM
Which of the above are best for collaborative block lists? I used to use Proxomitron before FF because popular, and now I use ABP on FireFox explicitly because the "EasyList" works so well -- I practically never have to add a filter of my own. I'm not going to switch to Chrome until the block process is at least that easy (and works at least that well).
Paul NicholsonSep 8th 2008 2:18PM
Amen. Until Google Chrome supports ABP or similar, i'm not even going to bother.
MavromatisSep 8th 2008 12:39PM
Users of TOR can use this small script to turn tor on off without editing configuration file, just put them under privoxy folder and use tor.bat to turn tor on or off. Remember to restart privoxy after turning it on or off.
http://www.rapidspread.com/file.jsp?id=lekbnbhz55
votetheday.comSep 8th 2008 2:44PM
It's bugged, and it's bugged a lot. It's almost official - http://www.votetheday.com/polls/googles-chrome-173/
I'm disappointed in Google - yeah, it's beta, but remember, how Gmail beta looked like... Looks like guys had to deliver it till deadline (10th birthday, maybe), and they were obviously short of time...
It's better than IE, but FF will live excellently long until Google fixes everything and makes enough plug-inns and versions for Mac/Linux...
kojo87Sep 9th 2008 7:50AM
im waiting for a Linux version to run on my EeePC 701 because Firefox is kinda hard on the little guy. i though Google would be better about getting non-Windows versions available. i like the idea of Chrome but it doesnt seem as fleshed out as Firefox or even IE. maybe its the lack of add-ons. maybe its the lack of a friggin homepage! or is there a way to set one and im just daft?
NickSep 8th 2008 3:59PM
Tried Privoxy. "...does a very good job with no tweaking" didn't prove true for me, fired up Chrome and tried 4 different sites, almost all the ads on all 4 sites came up. I went back to FF and gave it a big hug.
Fred ThompsonSep 8th 2008 10:57PM
Don't forget the Hosts file as a simple system-wide blocker. A popular, frequently updated one is at http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
If you like the "deal" sites, you'll want to remove the entries for the click-thru referevnces or convert them to comments.
Sir LoinSep 8th 2008 6:53PM
Agreed, I've been using that for years and it's awesome.
Lee MathewsSep 8th 2008 5:37PM
That one's a winner...I included it in my roundup: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/18/lesser-know-weapons-to-trick-out-your-malware-arsenal/
donelySep 10th 2008 7:45AM
I can't believe Ad Muncher hasn't been mentioned in the article, it's the most complete ad-blocking program out there, and "just works", that I have tried!
Get it at www.admuncher.com - it does, however, cost $30, but it's well worth it. I hate working on other computers without ad-blocking (just try visiting digg.com without using ad-blocking :X)
Please remember that currently you have to manual at "chrome" to the filtering target (this will likely be corrected in the next version". But it works like a charm
DigitalkingSep 16th 2008 7:59AM
Yep. Ad Muncher all the way. Greatest ad blocking program ever. Supports all browsers, chat programs, etc. Been around for years, and the ad blocking lists are still updated at least weekly.
UpekshapriyaSep 28th 2008 1:02PM
I'm surprised you haven't mentioned BFilter - I've found BFilter proxy http://bfilter.sourceforge.net/ extremely straightforward and effective in stopping ads on Chrome and it's much more user-friendly and straightforward to set up than Privoxy Proxomitron. Apparently you can also add more filters to it very much like AdblockPlus.
DapOct 16th 2008 8:16PM
I have tried all of the tools listed. Admuncher is good and I currently use it but maybe it wasn't listed because it isn't free. I never even heard of Bfilter before reading this but I am currently testing it. Thanks for the recommendation Upekshapriya . Internet Junkbuster Proxy, Guidescope, and Naviscope are three other free filtering tools that should have been mentioned as well.
GulagosphereOct 18th 2008 7:38AM
Privacy-strong Iron Fork of Chromium with built-in adblocking
http://srware.net/en/software_srware_iron_news.php
not subscription based.. yet? And needs element blocking and context menu or interface widget.