Basic Info
Intro:
As Ad Muncher 5 (about to be free or something) is heavily discussed all around teh interwebz, people might forget about the alternatives. I'm not talking about Adblock Plus or Adblock Edge, there's more; be it GlimmerBlocker on OS X, be it the free but failing AdFender, be it AdGuard. All of them share one goal: Blocking advertisements and (optionally) other annoying stuff without browser-side restrictions.
Why I think you should use this product
In opposite to ad blocking add-ons for browsers, AdGuard works as a transparent proxy. Browser add-ons usually hog the system, transparent proxies don't. - Also, some of you might use more than one browser (or HTML-capable mail clients), so you'd have to install a pretty decent amount of extra software. Install, fire and forget, never see any ads again. You don't trust Adblock Plus/Edge? Use AdGuard!
(Admittedly, some of them might still come through; you can easily report them though.)
How does it compare to similar apps
Ah, my favorite section in this case:
In comparison to Ad Muncher (at least v4), AdGuard has a better looking multi-language GUI, HTTPS support, a more reliable browser overlay and a larger feature set, including "internet security" (blocks malicious websites).
In comparison to AdFender, AdGuard's built-in filters seem to work much better, AdFender failed to filter the majority of ads for me (regardless of the fact that it's freeware).
In comparison to Adblock Plus/Edge, AdGuard happily ignores which web browser you're using.
Conclusions
AdGuard is a nice ad blocker which definitely needs more attention. If there is one thing to complain, it's its license. No freeware! - Still, let's see how it'll perform compared to Ad Muncher 5 one it's released.
| App Name | AdGuard |
| App URL | http://adguard.com |
| App Version Reviewed | 5.9 |
| Supported OSes | Microsoft Windows up to 8.1 (currently) |
| Support Methods | They seem to prefer their support ticket system. |
| Upgrade Policy | Licensing works per year, independently of the version numbers. |
| Trial Version Available? | Yes, it is. The (unrestricted) trial period lasts only two weeks though. |
| Pricing Scheme | 1 year: 19.95 US-$ 2 years: 29.95 US-$ Unlimited: 49.95 US-$ |
Intro:
As Ad Muncher 5 (about to be free or something) is heavily discussed all around teh interwebz, people might forget about the alternatives. I'm not talking about Adblock Plus or Adblock Edge, there's more; be it GlimmerBlocker on OS X, be it the free but failing AdFender, be it AdGuard. All of them share one goal: Blocking advertisements and (optionally) other annoying stuff without browser-side restrictions.
Why I think you should use this product
In opposite to ad blocking add-ons for browsers, AdGuard works as a transparent proxy. Browser add-ons usually hog the system, transparent proxies don't. - Also, some of you might use more than one browser (or HTML-capable mail clients), so you'd have to install a pretty decent amount of extra software. Install, fire and forget, never see any ads again. You don't trust Adblock Plus/Edge? Use AdGuard!
(Admittedly, some of them might still come through; you can easily report them though.)
How does it compare to similar apps
Ah, my favorite section in this case:
In comparison to Ad Muncher (at least v4), AdGuard has a better looking multi-language GUI, HTTPS support, a more reliable browser overlay and a larger feature set, including "internet security" (blocks malicious websites).
In comparison to AdFender, AdGuard's built-in filters seem to work much better, AdFender failed to filter the majority of ads for me (regardless of the fact that it's freeware).
In comparison to Adblock Plus/Edge, AdGuard happily ignores which web browser you're using.
Conclusions
AdGuard is a nice ad blocker which definitely needs more attention. If there is one thing to complain, it's its license. No freeware! - Still, let's see how it'll perform compared to Ad Muncher 5 one it's released.
