wBlock

The end of Safari ad-blocking B.S.

A Safari content blocker for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.
750,000 rules across 5 extensions, Protocol Buffer storage, LZ4 compression, iCloud sync.

Note

Looking for a detailed comparison? Check out my comparison guide to see how wBlock stacks up against other Safari content blockers.

Features

Performance 750,000 rule capacity across 5 Safari content blocking extensions per platform (150k each) ~40 MB RAM at idle — Safari's native content blocking API runs rules out-of-process Protocol Buffers + LZ4 for filter storage; streaming I/O keeps memory low during compilation HTTP conditional requests (If-Modified-Since/ETag) so updates only download what changed iCloud sync for filter selections, custom lists, userscripts, and whitelist across devices Content modification Element Zapper (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, visionOS) — visually select and hide page elements in Safari Userscript engine with Greasemonkey API (GM_getValue, GM_setValue, GM_xmlhttpRequest) Custom filter lists via URL, paste, or file import — supports any AdGuard-syntax blocklist Toolbar search for quickly finding filters and userscripts Automatic rule distribution across all 5 content blocker slots for maximum coverage

Blocking Network request blocking — ads, trackers, cookie banners, annoyances CSS injection for cosmetic filtering and element hiding Script blocking for unwanted JavaScript Pop-up and redirect prevention Configuration Auto-updates from every hour to every 7 days, or manual — with background refresh on iOS Per-site controls — disable blocking on specific sites from the Safari toolbar Blocked request logger (macOS) — see what's being blocked on each page Whitelist for trusted domains Regional filters with auto-detection based on your locale Homebrew cask for macOS: brew tap 0xcub3/wblock https://github.com/0xCUB3/wBlock && brew install --cask wblock

---

Screenshots

Userscript Management Manage paywalls, YouTube Dislikes, and more

Settings & Customization Configure auto-updates, notifications, and preferences

iOS Interface Full-featured blocking on iPhone and iPad

---

Technical Implementation

Core Architecture Protocol Buffers (libprotobuf) with LZ4 compression for filter serialization Asynchronous I/O with Swift concurrency (async/await, Task, Actor isolation) Streaming serialization to disk minimizes peak memory usage during compilation 5 Safari content blocking extensions per platform (maximum Safari API capacity) SafariServices framework integration for declarative content blocking

Dependencies & Standards SafariConverterLib v4.2.1 for AdGuard to Safari rule conversion AdGuard Scriptlets v2.2.16 for advanced blocking techniques Swift 5.9+ with strict concurrency checking enabled WCAG 2.1 AA compliance with full VoiceOver and Dynamic Type support SwiftProtobuf for cross-platform filter storage format

---

Support Development

wBlock is free and open source. If you want to support the project:

---

FAQ

How does wBlock compare to other ad blockers?

Check out our comparison guide vs uBlock Origin Lite, AdGuard, and Wipr.

Can I use my own filter lists?

Yes. You can add any AdGuard-compatible filter list by URL, paste rules directly, or import from a file.

Does wBlock slow down Safari?

No. wBlock uses Safari's native declarative content blocking API, which processes rules in a separate process. Memory overhead is ~40 MB at idle with no measurable impact on page load times.

Do userscripts work on iOS?

Yes. The userscript engine implements the Greasemonkey API (GM_getValue, GM_setValue, GM_xmlhttpRequest, GM_addStyle) on both iOS and macOS via Safari Web Extensions.

How often do filters update?

Auto-update intervals are configurable from 1 hour to 7 days, or manually triggered. Updates use HTTP conditional requests (If-Modified-Since/ETag headers) to minimize bandwidth usage.

Is the element zapper available on iOS?

Yes. Open the wBlock extension popup in Safari and tap Activate Element Zapper.

---

Credits

@arjpar · @ameshkov · @shindgewongxj

Star History

Developed by 0xCUB3