The Best Twitch Ad Blocker

Official Streamer-Friendly Twitch Ad Blockers

If you want to block ads and support your favorite streamer at the same time, there are a few ways to go about it.

The paid method, which only works on one channel at a time, is simply subscribing to the stream in question. You don't get ads on channels that you're subscribed to. Make sure to refresh the page after subscribing so the built-in ad-blocker kicks in.

The main free method, which again only works on one channel at a time, is linking your Amazon Prime to Twitch to get one free Twitch Prime subscription per month. Refresh your browser after making the link. Then, for one channel every month, you can subscribe and check the Twitch Prime box to get it for free. This is basically free money for one streamer every month! So even if you use an ad blocker, if you have Prime already, don't let Bezos keep the money. Give it to a streamer.

The main difference between subscribing and simply ad blocking is access to the channel's emotes and entries into channel giveaways, contests, subscriber-only Discord servers, and private polls. If you sub, you have access to those things.

Other free methods can happen on a channel-by-channel basis if the stream is part of a program that lets you test out games or answer surveys to earn a monthly subscription. Sadly, the largest of these sites, QuestMode, shut down in 2021. This was one of the most reliable ways to 'earn' free subs on Twitch. Other sites are tiny by comparison, and much rare for streamers to implement.

Official Corporate-Friendly Twitch Ad Blocker

This method does not benefit individual streamers, as it is a blanket anti-ad subscription. But it does block Twitch ads site-wide.

You can pay for a service called Twitch Turbo that will disable ads on all Twitch channels. Unless the stream is doing its own product placement or sponsor shout-outs, of course. But all ad breaks, pre-rolls, mid-rolls, and other Twitch-based ads are wiped out with a Turbo subscription.

This used to be part of a Prime subscription (in addition to the free monthly Twitch sub). But sadly, it's now only available as a paid option.

If you don't want to give Bezos more money, however… there are other solutions for Twitch ad-block apps.

Open Source Browser-Based Twitch Ad Blockers

The best way to block Twitch ads at the browser level is to install an addon that can get around the dreaded Purple Screen of Death (PSoD) that Twitch throws up if it detects ad blocking.

As of early 2022, the best addon for the job is Twitch AdBlock. It's totally open source, has a great reputation, and quickly adjusts itself if Twitch somehow finds a way to detect it.

The team maintaining the code takes new feature requests and maintains the project's code on their GitHub site. There you can report any issues you have, check out the up-to-date Wiki, and thank the team for their great work.

Of course, the streamer does not get ad credit if you block the ads. Some of them are fine with this, but others could really use your help if you can afford it. So consider throwing a couple of bucks their way every once in a while if you enjoy their content, particularly the smaller streamers.

Twitch AdBlock is the best Twitch ad blocker on the market. Don't trust closed source projects, as they have a habit of being sold off to ad companies and having weird code inserted into them that does stuff like override your Amazon affiliate codes and serve their own ads as banners.

General Privacy Suites As Twitch Ad Blockers

Another method of implementing a Twitch ad-block, which is attractive for a couple of different reasons, is by installing a privacy app that can mask your country of origin.

By setting your country to a place where Twitch ads aren't implemented, you can avoid ads altogether. Popular exit nodes for this are Panama in North America and Poland in Europe.

But there���s another way to do it that helps support the streamer (a little bit at least): You can set your country to a place with super cheap Twitch subscription prices. So if you want to support your favorite while blocking everyone else's ads, you can pay half price or less for a sub from a third-world country. The streamer will get about half of whatever you pay.

Summing It All Up

So your options are to pay for something (a subscription, Prime, or Turbo), use a browser-level ad blocker, or use a general privacy suite that will let you country-swap to a region that doesn't get Twitch ads.

Really, the best Twitch ad blocker for you will depend on how much you want to support the streamers you watch regularly, your own financial situation, and your personal preferences. Check out all of the options above, and use the one that feels right to you!