AdBlock Pro for Safari vs Disconnect

AdBlock Pro for Safari is a freemium Safari blocker for iOS and macOS, covering desktop and mobile devices. Its free plan costs nothing and includes ad blocking for Safari. The listed controls block ads, tracking scripts, social buttons, crypto mining, and adult sites; hide cookie prompts and article comments; support safe browsing; and can force HTTPS, though that may break outdated sites. Users can allowlist pages, use enhanced regional blocking and parental controls, and receive background filter updates. Settings sync through iCloud. Family Sharing supports six family members with 10 devices each, while the device limit is 10. Bypassing anti-adblock detection is experimental. The privacy policy says no personal information is collected, and an optional video extension is limited to video sites.

Disconnect exposes and blocks trackers, data brokers and surveillance networks across websites, apps and email. Its Basic Extension displays and blocks trackers on visited websites. On iOS and Android, Tracker Protection uses encrypted DNS to block trackers across apps and browsers without a VPN. Privacy Pro for iOS adds Smart VPN, custom blocking rules and activity logs. Disconnect Premium can encrypt internet activity and mask the user's IP address in encrypted mode, using AES 256-bit encryption and 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman key exchange. Users can choose Blocking mode, focused on privacy and performance, or Encrypted mode, which may slow connections. Its ad blocking targets privacy-invasive ads that track users or may distribute malvertising, rather than every advertisement. A free plan is available, and the pricing note lists paid plans from $50/yr; Premium is also listed at $5 a month. Website subscriptions cover three unique devices. App Store subscriptions are limited to the purchasing iTunes user and their iPhone or iPad devices.