Adguard for Opera 1.0.3.8

Overview

Adguard for Opera is an ad blocking web browser extension. It has cross-platform support for ad blocking and some extra useful facilities. Besides this browser add on for Opera, there are other browser extensions available for Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Yandex. There is also an Adguard Windows and Android app.

Adguard for Opera blocks Facebook, YouTube, Google and other advert networks from displaying adverts on web pages. Whether it is a video ad that is getting in the way of viewing a YouTube video or a Facebook advert that seems to know your personal preferences a little too well, Adguard will do all it can to block them from downloading and displaying.

The add on will also prevent ad networks from using tracking codes to see what users are doing on the internet and reporting back on user activities.

The amount of bandwidth used is reduced because the adverts are not downloaded in the first place, so in the case of banner, animated and video ads, the bandwidth savings can be considerable.

Web sites are also parsed for known malware distributing and phishing attacks to ensure that should an Opera browser user click through to this kind of web site, their computer will not be infected. Spyware, adware and dialer installations can also be prevented in some cases with this add on.

Installation

The installation is performed by accessing the Adguard add on page on the Opera site. Clicking the green “Add to Opera” button in the top-right corner of the page will begin the download and installation of this 1.5 MB extension.

A small green shield-like add on icon is shown to the right of the navigation bar once the installation has been completed successfully.

The memory usage of this add on for Opera is about 40 percent lower than when using either Adblock or Adblock Plus.

Interface

Clicking on this green shield toolbar icon brings up a little drop-down display. This will show the total number of adverts blocked and the total ads viewed. There are a number of options presented that will relate to the current site being viewed. The site can be excluded from the list of sites to block ads on or if they are blocking access to the web site completely because of the use of this add on, then this issue can be forwarded to the developers to find a workaround.

Pros

• Block text, banner, Facebook, YouTube video and pop-up ads on web sites
• Stop ad networks from following the user around the web and reporting their activities
• Stop malware and phishing attacks originating from malicious web sites
• Stop web-based dialers, spyware and adware from installing to the computer
• Requires 40 percent less memory than other ad blocking extensions
• Regular updates for bug fixes and improvements.

Cons

• None.

Conclusion

Adguard for Opera is a highly effective ad blocking add on. It provides just as many features as the other desktop versions of Adguard does. The add on offers a real alternative to Adblock Plus and includes some additional software protections as well.