I tested 35+ ad blockers and found a few that do a great job of blocking ads. I also found some VPNs that offer the best of both worlds — ad removal and security! Even though ExpressVPN doesn’t have a dedicated ad blocker, it’s still a great premium option to combine with an ad blocker and securely access your favorite Twitch streamers. With lightning-fast speeds, you can avoid buffering on your favorite streams. Plus, you can buy it in confidence for 30 days and get a full refund if you’re not satisfied. Stream on Twitch with ExpressVPN
Short on Time? Here Are the Best Extensions and VPNs for Blocking Ads in 2022
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Best Ad Blocker Extensions for Twitch That Still Work in 2023
1. uBlock Origin — The Best Overall Twitch Ad Blocker
From my testing, uBlock Origin is the best ad blocker for Twitch. It blocked pre- and mid-roll ads with the highest consistency, is compatible with several browsers, and is completely free and open-source. Although all the ad blockers on this page occasionally resulted in a purple Twitch error screen, I encountered this by far the least with uBlock Origin. Considering it’s a free and open-source tool going up against the extremely well-funded Twitch team, it’s an impressive result!
It also offers some fantastic value-add tools, such as being able to create custom whitelists to allow ads to run with specific streamers you want to support (custom blocklists are also supported). There’s also an active community of people who keep custom filter lists up to date and offer ideas on customizations. You can permanently remove specific elements from a page with the “element zapper”. This is useful if you only want to remove a specific type of ad or page element, although it can be easily reversed. uBlock Origin has also been praised for its extremely minimal performance impact on your system, both in terms of processor and memory usage. This makes it great for usage on even comparatively weak computers. In fact, using an ad blocker in your browser has been shown to increase page loading times and general device performance across the board! Note that uBlock Origin isn’t the same as uBlock. uBlock is run by a different developer who no longer actively maintains the extension — uBlock Origin is the one to use. You can download uBlock Origin for Chrome, Firefox, and more from its website.
2. TTV LOL — The Best Twitch-Specific Ad Blocker
Although TTV LOL doesn’t function quite like a traditional ad blocker, it surprised me by blocking almost all Twitch ads I encountered. It works by connecting you to a proxy server in a country that doesn’t have Twitch ads and sending the video to your browser from this location. Although TTV LOL reliably removed ads, it also introduced some latency (of up to 10 seconds) to some of the streams I watched. This might not bother everyone, but if you’re active in chat and want to be in sync with what’s happening, it may cause issues.
The main downside is the lack of an on/off switch — when you click on the extension in your browser you’ll just see the TTV LOL logo and nothing more. Although keeping things simple can work, it would still be nice to see a few more options like whitelisting. For a completely free service, TTV LOL is a fantastic choice for any Twitch user that’s well worth adding to your ad-blocking repertoire. As I mentioned in the tip box above, I recommend using TTV LOL in conjunction with uBlock Origin for improved Twitch ad blocking. This will also give you web-wide ad blocking on all other sites you visit. You can get TTV LOL for Chrome and Firefox from its website.
3. Purple Ads Blocker — Reliable Proxy-Based Twitch Ad Blocker
Purple Ads Blocker has long been one of my favorite Twitch ad blockers due to its efficiency and ability to function without displaying the Purple Screen of Doom. It works similarly to TTV LOL, by running a proxy server in an ad-free location and sending you a stream from there.
There are no real settings to configure, just a general on/off button and the ability to check the log and see if the plugin is active with specific streamers. However, it’s a step up compared to TTV LOL. Note that the reliance on a proxy server to stream ad-free video has another potential downside. It’s possible (and has happened a few times in the past) for the server to go down, meaning that all Twitch ads in your region will resume. The same goes if the developer ever gives up on the extension or runs out of money. You can find links to download Purple Ads Blocker for both Chrome and Firefox from its GitHub page.
4. Adblock Plus — Good Blocking Performance With a Few Errors
Adblock Plus was the weakest performer on this list, but still blocked a fair amount of ads — especially pre-roll ads. I was occasionally surprised by a mid-roll ad slipping through, but these were still somewhat rare compared to the other ad blockers that didn’t make this list.
Similar to uBlock Origin, Adblock Plus contains extra functionality like custom whitelists and blocklists. This is useful for supporting your favorite Twitch streamers while blocking ads on other streams. ABP is the only ad blocker on this list to offer a premium version alongside its free version, although this only adds functionality unrelated to Twitch. If you’re not specifically interested in these features, the base version should be plenty for most users. You can download Adblock Plus for Chrome, Firefox, and several other browsers on its website.
The Best Ad Blocker VPNs for Twitch — Tested in 2023
1. CyberGhost — Most Reliable Ad and Malware Blocking VPN for Twitch
Key Features: Although integrated VPN ad blockers tend to be mediocre at best, CyberGhost surprised me by actually excelling at blocking ads on Twitch. Although I did encounter a few mid-roll ads and purple error screens, they were infrequent and instantly solved by refreshing the page. On top of this, connecting to a server in Poland or Georgia further lessened the chance of ads being displayed. My testing reached average speeds of 228Mbps (roughly 32% less than my regular internet speed), making CyberGhost extremely capable of streaming high-quality Twitch content without lag. Your results may vary if you connect to a faraway server, so it’s best to stay as local as possible to ensure good speeds and low latency.
Since it’s not just an ad blocker but primarily a VPN, you’ll find a multitude of security features with CyberGhost, including:
Blocks malware alongside ads IP masking shields against DDoS attacks Audited no-logs policy ensures none of your activity is stored Military-grade encryption scrambles your traffic so it’s unreadable Always-on kill switch blocks your connection in case the VPN drops out IKEv2, Open VPN, and WireGuard protocols let you choose the best encryption type for your needs.
If you want ad-free connections to Twitch and the rest of the web on multiple devices, you’ll be glad to know that CyberGhost supports 7 devices simultaneously. I tested this on 2 Windows PCs, a MacBook, and 4 smartphones, without any interruption or disconnections. Impressively, CyberGhost’s mobile apps also support ad blocking, so you can make use of it while streaming Twitch on your phone. CyberGhost’s main downside lies in its short-term plans, since they’re a little less cost-effective compared to other premium VPNs. If you choose a longer-term plan, like the 2-year + 3 months subscription for $2.11/month, you’ll get a much better deal. You can test CyberGhost risk-free for up to 45 days with its money-back guarantee. Getting a refund is easy if you change your mind. I put this to the test by contacting support through the available round-the-clock live chat and was impressed by the no-questions-asked approval in under 5 minutes. I had the money back 4 days later. Block Twitch ads with CyberGhost
2. PIA — Powerful Ad Blocker With Some Inconsistency on Twitch
Key Features: I’ve always been most impressed by PIA’s MACE ad blocker while testing it against other premium VPNs. However, while it’s a functional option for use with Twitch, it was quite inconsistent in its blocking ability compared to CyberGhost. I tested PIA’s Twitch ad blocking across Chrome and Firefox with similar results — in an average hour of testing, it blocked 60% of the ads CyberGhost blocked. On the plus side, its blocking skills across the internet at large are excellent, making it a good choice if you’re looking for a general VPN and ad blocker combo. PIA reached average speeds of just over 132Mbps in my tests, which is a fair drop from CyberGhost’s results. It’s still a great speed though, keeping in mind that the minimum speed to watch Twitch is around 6Mbps. Of course, you’re always better off with higher speeds to allow for stable streams and extra bandwidth for other tasks. PIA includes the following features to keep you secure while on Twitch:
Malware and tracker blocking alongside ad blocking 256-bit encryption anonymizes your traffic An audited no-logs policy guarantees your activity isn’t stored An toggleable kill switch prevents data leaks OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IPSec (on iOS) protocols allow for a blend of security and speed.
You can connect PIA on up to Unlimited devices at once. Although ad blocking doesn’t work on mobile devices, it will still work to bolster the security and online privacy of all connected devices. I tested this on 8 devices at once and didn’t encounter any connectivity issues whatsoever. My main disappointment was in PIA’s lack of ad blocking on mobile, which CyberGhost does support. This means you’ll have to find an alternative means of ad blocking on mobile if you want an ad-free Twitch experience there (or you’ll have to buy Twitch Turbo). All PIA subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try PIA risk-free. To check that it works, I emailed PIA and requested a refund. They approved the request within an hour with no questions asked, and I got the money back 6 working days later. Block Twitch ads with PIA
VPNs That Didn’t Make the Cut
How I Tested and Ranked the Best Ad Blockers for Twitch
This is the criteria I used to rank the best ad blockers for Twitch:
PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN may not have an integrated ad blocker, but it’s a great VPN to couple with an ad blocker if you’re looking for a powerful but highly affordable service.
IPVanish
Another one of our top-ranked VPNs, IPVanish offers high-performance servers and cutting-edge security but is missing an ad blocker. Instead, it’s one of the few premium VPNs that offer unlimited device connections. This can make it a great choice if you have a large collection of devices under one roof.
Reliable ad blocking — Ad blockers need to demonstrate that they can consistently block ads. How many ads are blocked, how many remain visible, and how many errors are encountered determines how the ad blocker is ranked. Free or affordable plans — Ad blocking shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, especially when fantastic free options exist. Usability — Although you likely won’t interact with them much once installed, each ad blocker should have a user-friendly interface and a pleasant design. Customizability — Useful settings including the ability to add your own block lists for Twitch and other services are a bonus.
Quick Guide: How to Use a VPN to Block Twitch Ads
Use an Ad Blocker and Get Rid of Pesky Twitch Ads for Good
Finding an ad blocker that reliably blocks Twitch ads without incurring multiple error screens isn’t easy. The right Twitch ad blocker makes the difference between a pleasant ad-free streaming experience versus being bombarded with commercials. You’re better off with a verified ad blocker as we’ve listed above. If you’re concerned about your security while using Twitch, you can try one of the best VPNs with an integrated ad blocker for blocking Twitch ads. This way, you’re not only blocking ads but also anonymizing your general web traffic. If you want the best blocking abilities, you can add uBlock Origin to Brave or Opera. At the time of writing Brave’s ad filter lists are mostly identical to uBlock Origin’s, but Origin has an overall better feature set that will benefit you on Twitch. Research has also found that some free VPNs sold user data for profit, as well as allowing bad actors onto their server network to run botnets on customer computers. This is something you won’t find with the best premium VPNs on the market, since user security and performance are prioritized. After testing numerous ad blockers, I found that uBlock Origin is the #1 ad blocker for Twitch, with reliable blocking results and minimal performance impact. For those who’d instead like a VPN with an integrated ad blocker, CyberGhost stole the show with impressive Twitch ad-blocking results and high-performance servers to boot. It’s even backed by a 45-day money-back guarantee so you can try CyberGhost risk-free. Secure Twitch with CyberGhost
