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Block ads system‑wide. Not just in your browser.

Zen blocks ads, trackers, and malware across browsers and desktop apps. For Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Download Zen
  • Free and open source (MIT)
  • 90,000+ downloads
  • v0.28.0,

Works with

  • Chrome
  • Firefox
  • Safari
  • Edge
  • and other browsers
28 blocked
  1. hj2bd2l1dv.kameleoon.io AdGuard Spyware filter ||kameleoon.io^
  2. cdn.cookielaw.org EasyPrivacy /OtAutoBlock.js
  3. experiments.parsely.com EasyPrivacy ||experiments.parsely.com^
  4. ak.sail-horizon.com Dan Pollock's hosts file ||ak.sail-horizon.com^$document
  5. 507b28fb-2ef1-4c34-8bda-ba32030bb199.edge.permutive.app AdGuard Spyware filter ||permutive.app^$third-party
  6. www.dianomi.com EasyList ||dianomi.com^$document
  7. tru.am EasyPrivacy ||tru.am^
  8. a.pub.network EasyList ||pub.network^
  9. s.ntv.io Dan Pollock's hosts file ||s.ntv.io^$document
  10. www.googletagmanager.com AdGuard Spyware filter ||googletagmanager.com/gtm.js$third-party
  11. dualping.com EasyPrivacy ||dualping.com^
  12. tag.wknd.ai AdGuard Spyware filter ||tag.wknd.ai^$third-party
  13. html-load.cc EasyList ||html-load.cc^
  14. dabapa4653a.dev EasyList ||dabapa4653a.dev^
  15. gebaqi9c902.com EasyList ||gebaqi9c902.com^
  16. cdn.jsdelivr.net EasyList /ad-shield/e/*$script,third-party
  17. cdn.statically.io EasyList ||cdn.statically.io/gh/ad-shield/
  18. rawcdn.githack.com EasyList /ad-shield/e/*$script,third-party
  19. bbcdn.githack.com EasyList /ad-shield/e/*$script,third-party
  20. live.primis.tech EasyList ||live.primis.tech^$third-party
  21. i.viafoura.co EasyPrivacy ||i.viafoura.co^
  22. ssl.p.jwpcdn.com EasyPrivacy /gapro.js
  23. cd.connatix.com EasyList ||connatix.com^$third-party,domain=~accuweather.com|~businessinsider.de|~bz-berlin.de|~cheddar.tv|~deadline.com|~elnuevoherald.com|~finanzen.net|~fitbook.de|~heraldsun.com|~hollywoodreporter.com|~huffpost.com|~lmaoden.tv|~loot.tv|~miamiherald.com|~myhomebook.de|~olhardigital.com.br|~petbook.de|~sacbee.com|~stylebook.de|~techbook.de|~travelbook.de|~welt.de
  24. imasdk.googleapis.com EasyList ||imasdk.googleapis.com^
  25. apnews.com AdGuard Spyware filter ||apnews.com/blaize/datalayer
  26. placement-prd.jwpltx.com EasyPrivacy /ping.gif?
  27. pagead2.googlesyndication.com Dan Pollock's hosts file ||pagead2.googlesyndication.com^$document
  28. prd.jwpltx.com AdGuard Spyware filter ||jwpltx.com^$third-party
Requests blocked by Zen while loading a mainstream news website.

The internet, minus the noise

Zen blocks ads and other clutter. What's left is the page you came for.

Dictionary.com entry for 'serendipity' without Zen: a banner ad above the entry, a sidebar ad, and an empty ad column.
The same page with Zen: the entry moves up, with no ads or empty ad slots.

Outside the browser too

Desktop apps send telemetry and play ads as well. Zen filters their traffic the same way it filters your browser's.

How it works

  1. A proxy on your computer

    Zen starts a proxy server locally and sets it as the system proxy. Browsers and most apps send their traffic through it.

  2. Checked against filter lists

    Requests to ad, tracking, and malware servers are blocked. On web pages, Zen also hides empty ad slots and runs small scripts that disable ads and tracking built into the page.

  3. Filtering stays local

    Zen makes its decisions on your computer. It does not collect your browsing data or send it anywhere.

About the root certificate

During the first run, Zen will prompt you to install a local root certificate. This enables HTTPS filtering so Zen can block ads and trackers on encrypted connections. The certificate and its private key are generated locally on your device and never leave it. You can remove the certificate from Zen's settings at any time. Read the security architecture

Built on public filter lists

Zen ships with filter lists for ads, trackers, and malware enabled. There are 35 regional lists for sites in other languages. You can add any list in ad-block or hosts format, or write your own rules:

! Block a tracker
||scorecardresearch.com^$third-party

! Hide an element
example.com##.sponsored-banner
Zen's filter lists screen, showing regional lists that can be switched on and off

Download

Latest release: v0.28.0,

Windows

Not sure which one? Open Settings → System → About and check 'System type'.

macOS

Not sure which one? Open Apple menu → About This Mac. 'Chip' means Apple silicon, 'Processor' means Intel.

Linux

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/irbis-sh/zen-desktop/master/install.sh | sh

Zen configures the system proxy automatically on GNOME and KDE. For other desktop environments, see the proxy setup guide.

Open source

Zen is MIT-licensed and developed in public. 31 people have contributed code and filter rules.

anfragment avatar anfragment spellcascade avatar spellcascade ohdonny avatar ohdonny LucasM4r avatar LucasM4r Mirwinli avatar Mirwinli Armitryx avatar Armitryx kamalovk avatar kamalovk inflame-ue avatar inflame-ue kasyap1234 avatar kasyap1234 RustemMT avatar RustemMT BUTTER-BEAR avatar BUTTER-BEAR xoxorwr avatar xoxorwr qorexdevs avatar qorexdevs Wek1d avatar Wek1d vuanhvu11982 avatar vuanhvu11982 TobseF avatar TobseF train013 avatar train013 pulkitgxrg avatar pulkitgxrg yofukashino avatar yofukashino michaelthatsit avatar michaelthatsit lynda0214 avatar lynda0214 lzap avatar lzap LinaKACI-pro avatar LinaKACI-pro ilovelinabell avatar ilovelinabell ganeshmshetty avatar ganeshmshetty noahnut avatar noahnut davide-damico avatar davide-damico ccarstens avatar ccarstens colinfrerichs avatar colinfrerichs AI-Avalon avatar AI-Avalon krystian3w avatar krystian3w

FAQ

How is Zen different from browser extensions and DNS blockers?

Each works at a different level. Extensions filter inside one browser. DNS blockers refuse to resolve whole domains. Zen filters individual HTTP(S) requests for the whole system.

CapabilityZenBrowser extensionDNS blocker
Filters apps outside the browserYesNoYes
Blocks individual URLs, not only domainsYesYesNo
Removes ad elements from pagesYesYesNo
Limited by Chrome's Manifest V3NoIn ChromeNo
Needs a root certificateYesNoNo
Which apps does Zen work with?

All major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, and Brave. Also desktop apps that use the system proxy settings. Apps with their own networking stack or certificate pinning bypass Zen or need to be excluded in its settings.

Can Zen break websites or apps?

Sometimes. A filter rule can block something a site needs. When that happens, exclude the site or the app in Zen's settings, or turn off the filter list that caused it.

Does Zen slow down my computer or internet?

Zen adds a small amount of local processing to each request. In return, pages make fewer requests, because ad and tracking scripts are never downloaded.

Does Zen work with a VPN?

Yes, with any VPN on Windows and Linux, and with most VPNs on macOS. If you run into problems, ask on Discord.

Why is Zen free?

Zen is developed by Irbis, a small independent organisation that believes ad-blocking and privacy protection should be free for everyone. Zen will never have a price tag, ads of its own, or any interest in your data. If you'd like to support the work, you can donate via Open Collective.