How to Test an Ad Blocker Without Being Misled by the Score

An ad-block test score is not a privacy score.

It tells you how your browser did on that website's chosen tests. It does not tell you how much tracking happens everywhere, or whether your TV is protected.

For a useful check, test one tool at a time, repeat it and make sure your normal apps still work.

Start with one question

What do you want to know?

• Does my browser ad blocker remove ads?
• Does this computer use my home filter?
• Does filtering still work when my VPN is on?

These need different checks.

A browser ad blocker works inside its browser. DNS filtering checks website names that devices ask to visit. A VPN uses an encrypted connection to another network; ad blocking is a separate feature.

AdGuard has browser extensions, device apps, AdGuard DNS and AdGuard Home. They do not all work the same way. NextDNS and Datante offer online DNS filtering. Pi-hole runs on equipment you manage.

Write down what is switched on

Before testing, note:

1. Which device and browser you use.
2. Which blocker, VPN and DNS service are switched on.
3. Their settings and software versions.
4. The test website and date.

Save a screenshot without private account details.

Settings matter. AdBlock Plus allows some ads by default. You can turn that option off, so two people using the same blocker may see different results.

“No filtering” may still include a browser's built-in protections. Say what was actually switched off.

Change one thing, then repeat

Run the test with your starting setup. Switch on one tool and run it again.

Repeat each setup at least three times. Keep every result, not just the highest score.

Follow the test website's reload instructions. Your browser may keep old results or website files for a while. This is called a cache.

adblock-tester.com warns that old saved information and multiple blockers can affect its results.

Do not turn off required work security tools for a test.

Why do test websites disagree?

They check different things. One may try to contact known ad websites. Another may check whether an ad box is still visible.

In seven setups tested by Datante, these selected results were reported:

Datante scored 31 percentage points above the starting result on the first test: 87 minus 56.

That does not mean 31% less tracking happened everywhere. And 97% on Turtlecute does not mean “97% private.”

Turtlecute includes checks that DNS filtering alone cannot pass. Tests also change over time, so older scores may not match today's results.

What if your score looks wrong?

Check these before changing everything:

• Is the blocker enabled in the browser you are testing?
• Did you use the same website and settings?
• Could the browser be showing an old result?
• Did the VPN or browser choose a different DNS service?
• Is the test checking something your tool actually does?

DNS is the service that finds a website's internet address: the location where a web page or server can be found online.

A failed website connection is not always a successful block. The website itself could be down.

Check real life too

Try your streaming app, shopping checkout and other services you need. A higher score is not helpful if important things stop working.

Keep a simple record:

If you cannot confirm something, write “not confirmed.” One browser result does not check every device in the house.

Want managed home filtering? See Datante's user friendly guided router setup and plans. You can also compare Datante and AdGuard.

About the tests

The scores were reported by Datante, which sells one of the services discussed. Original test dates, versions and repeat runs were not supplied. These are early examples, not an independent product ranking. The blank worksheet is for your own checks, not a record of more completed tests.