AdNauseam vs Roadblock

AdNauseam is a free browser extension intended for people who want to resist advertising surveillance and tracking. Built on uBlock Origin, it blocks ads and quietly simulates clicks on blocked ads to add noise to advertising networks’ user profiles. Its interactive AdVault lets users inspect and explore captured advertisements. The FAQ says simulated clicks run as background requests, with responses discarded rather than executed in the browser.

AdNauseam supports major browsers, including Chromium-based browsers and Firefox derivatives, and is available on desktop and mobile. The Firefox add-on page lists availability for Firefox on Android. Google Chrome requires workarounds because the extension was disallowed there; the installation instructions describe those workarounds as temporary. The extension does not collect or click ads in private or incognito windows unless enabled manually. Its developer reports that it does not require data collection, while its Firefox add-on permissions include access to privacy settings, tabs, navigation activity, and data for all websites. It is licensed under GNU General Public License v3.0 only and is offered at free.

Roadblock is a freemium Safari content blocker for iPhone and Mac that controls how web content loads. It blocks advertisements, including pop-ups and video ads, plus scripts that track activity on webpages and across the web. It can remove chat widgets, cookie-consent, newsletter, and notification banners, subscription overlays, and AI widgets. Custom rules can block or allow sites and content, hide elements, strip cookies, and force HTTPS. Separate profiles support Wi-Fi, cellular browsing, or family use and can be shared with friends. The iPhone page lists 322K+ built-in rules, with additional ad-blocking rules for non-English sites in 37 languages. Optional iCloud sync shares profiles and settings between Mac, iPhone, and iPad and is off by default. Roadblock says it does not collect or store personal information, and extensions do not access browsing activity or report blocked content. It supports iOS 15+ and macOS Big Sur 11+. Premium plans start at $0.99 a month or $5.99 a year.