Ad-Free

A curated list of ad-free alternatives to popular services on the web.

Am I saying you should refrain from using an ad blocker? No. But consider offsetting your act of disobedience with an act of affirmative support. Vote with your wallet. Put some money behind the writing you like—whether it’s a website or a magazine or a newspaper. “But such-and-such website won’t let me pay for it.” Then discover something new.

—Matthew Butterick

Contents

• Alternatives
• Blogs
• Communication
• File Sharing
• Mobile Apps
• Music
• Other
• Publications
• Reference
• Social
• Utilities
• Web Apps
• Resources
• Ad Blockers
• Articles
• Businesses
• Groups
• Make Money Without Ads
• Talks
• License

Alternatives

Alternatives to ad-supported websites, software, and publications.

Blogs

• No Meat Athlete - Plant-based diets and fitness.
• The Borrowed Abode - DIY and interior design for renters.
• The Minimalists - Living a meaningful life with less.
• Zen Habits - Practical advice for developing positive habits.

Communication

• FastMail - Reliable business email with no data lock-in.
• Jami - Telephone, teleconferencing, and media sharing through a distributed service.
• Jitsi Meet - Secure video conferencing and desktop sharing using WebRTC.
• ProtonMail - Free encrypted email.
• Signal - Private messaging and calling for desktop, Android, and iOS.
• Telegram - Cloud-based mobile and desktop messaging app with a focus on security and speed.
• Tox - Encrypted and distributed messaging platform with voice, video, and screen sharing.
• Wire - Text, audio, and video communication with end-to-end encryption.
• Write.as - Blogging platform that allows you to publish ideas without distraction.

File Sharing

• Mega - 50 GB of secure free storage (in which 35 GB will expire after 30 days). Files are encrypted client-side. More (non-permanent) space can be claimed from achievements.
• qBittorrent - Free and open source BitTorrent client.

Mobile Apps

• Amaze File Manager - Open source, Material Design file explorer for Android devices.
• Bible - Bible reader with many versions and languages to choose from.
• Simple Mobile Tools - Open source Android utilities: gallery, contacts, calendar, and more.

Music

• Libre.fm - Stream, download, remix, and share music for free.
• mStream - Suite of software for syncing and streaming music across multiple devices.

Other

• Disroot - Collection of ethical alternatives to email, cloud storage, collaborative document editing, and more.

Publications

• Adbusters - Magazine about the takeover of psychological, physical, and cultural environments by commercial forces.
• Aeon - Digital magazine that publishes original thinking on science, philosophy, society, and the arts.
• Armstrong Economics - Educational blog about markets and the global economy.
• Common Dreams - Progressive news website.
• Consumerist - Independent source of consumer news and information.
• Ello - Media platform for creators and artists that does not sell user data.
• Popular Resistance - Independent, nonviolent, and diverse movements to end the power of concentrated wealth and put human needs before corporate greed.
• RealSport - Fans write articles on football, basketball, cricket, e-sports, motorsports, and most other sports out there. This site is committed to maintaining an experience free of pop-ups, fake news, click-bait, and ads.
• The Conversation - High quality, authenticated, explanatory journalism funded by universities.

Reference

• OpenStreetMap - Map of the world created by users and released under an open license.
• Wikipedia - Encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
• Wiktionary - Dictionary that anyone can edit.