Why do ad blockers have similar names?
People often ask us about extensions and apps that do similar things to AdBlock, such as Total Adblock, AdGuard, Ad Lock, and more. We were around long before these other products and none of these are products we make. However, since the code we use for many AdBlock products is open source, this means that others can use that code to create their own products that look similar to ours if they comply with the applicable open source requirements and there isn’t much we can do to stop them so long as they use it appropriately.
We own trademark rights in AdBlock. When we feel our intellectual property has been violated, our code has been adapted to infect users' computers with adware or our code has been used in violation of any applicable open source requirements, we take action, including reporting the violation to Google, Mozilla, Microsoft, or Apple, as appropriate.
To make sure you’re getting our product, the best way is to download our product directly from our website: https://getadblock.com/.
Should I use more than one ad blocker?
If you have more than one ad blocker enabled, we recommend disabling or uninstalling all but one. You might think that more ad blockers mean more blocked ads, but many ad blockers can interfere with each other’s functionality, making it more difficult to block ads and even slowing down your browser's speed. It also makes it more difficult when you encounter anti-adblocking notifications asking you to disable your ad blocker.
If you’re not sure whether you have more than one ad blocker installed, follow our instructions for checking if AdBlock is installed: Making sure AdBlock is installed. If you have other ad blockers installed, you should find them in the same place.
What about Adblock Plus (ABP)?
Despite having similar names, AdBlock (https://getadblock.com) and Adblock Plus (https://adblockplus.org) are two separate products. The reason they're similarly named is an interesting bit of internet history:
Long, long ago, somebody (not us) created a Firefox add-on called Adblock. Later on, another team created a different Firefox add-on and adopted the name Adblock Plus (ABP). When Google Chrome came along, the Adblock Plus team didn't initially support the new browser. Michael Gundlach, AdBlock's creator, decided to make AdBlock for Chrome. Later, the Adblock Plus team decided to make a Chrome extension as well. Over time, both AdBlock and Adblock Plus added support for additional browsers and platforms. And that's why the two most popular ad blockers have such similar names.
In early 2021, we announced that we joined forces with ABP. We look forward to this collaboration to make both products that much better!
What's the difference between AdBlock and ABP?
There aren't all that many differences between the two products. It's really just a matter of preference as both extensions use the same ad-blocking technology. You can compare our products here: Should I use AdBlock, AdBlock Plus, or AdBlock VPN?