The main ways to block Pinterest ads
You can reduce ads on Pinterest in three ways: use an ad blocker extension in your browser, adjust your ad preferences within Pinterest itself, or use Pinterest's paid plan. An ad blocker extension like uBlock Origin or Adblock Plus will hide most ads across the site. Changing your ad preferences in Pinterest settings lets you see fewer targeted ads based on your interests, though you will still see some. Pinterest Premium, a paid subscription, removes ads entirely but costs money.
The fastest route for most people is installing a browser extension — it takes two minutes and works on any website, not just Pinterest. If you want to stay on the free version without an extension, adjusting your ad preferences helps but does not eliminate ads completely. The paid option is only worth it if you use Pinterest heavily and the ads genuinely bother you enough to pay.
Key Takeaways
- Ad blocker extensions like uBlock Origin remove most Pinterest ads and work across all websites you visit.
- Pinterest's built-in ad preference settings reduce targeted ads but do not remove ads entirely.
- Pinterest Premium removes all ads but costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year.
- Ad blockers may occasionally break Pinterest features like saving pins or searching, which you can fix by temporarily disabling the extension.
Installing an ad blocker extension
The easiest method is to install an ad blocker in your browser. Open your browser's extension store — the Chrome Web Store for Google Chrome, Add-ons for Firefox, or Extensions for Microsoft Edge. Search for uBlock Origin or Adblock Plus, click the install button, and confirm. The extension will activate immediately and start blocking ads on Pinterest and every other website you visit.
uBlock Origin is lighter on your computer's memory and faster than Adblock Plus, so it is the better choice if your device runs slowly. Both are free and do not sell your data. After installation, you may see a small icon in your browser's toolbar — you can click it to see what ads were blocked on the current page, or leave it alone and let it work in the background.
If a Pinterest feature stops working after you install an extension — such as the ability to save a pin or search — the ad blocker may be interfering. Click the extension icon and select "Disable on this site" or "Pause", then refresh the page. If the feature works again, you know the extension caused it. You can then re-enable the blocker and use Pinterest normally; most features work fine even with ad blockers active.
Adjusting Pinterest's ad preferences
If you do not want to install an extension, you can reduce targeted ads by changing your preferences inside Pinterest. On the Pinterest website or app, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, then select Settings and privacy. Scroll down to Ads and merchants and tap Ad preferences.
You will see a list of interests and topics that Pinterest thinks you care about — things like "Fashion", "Home Decor", or "Fitness". Uncheck the ones you do not want to see ads for. You can also toggle off Personalized ads entirely, which tells Pinterest not to use your activity to target ads to you. This will not remove ads from Pinterest, but you will see fewer ads matched to your specific interests, and the ads you do see will be more random.
This method takes longer than an ad blocker and is less effective, but it does not require installing anything. Some people prefer it because they want to keep Pinterest's features exactly as they are without any browser extensions running.
Using Pinterest Premium to remove all ads
Pinterest Premium is a paid subscription that removes ads entirely. It costs $7.99 per month if you pay monthly, or $79.99 per year if you pay annually — the yearly option saves you about $16. You can start a free trial for seven days to see if it is worth it to you.
To start the trial, open Pinterest, tap your profile picture, go to Settings and privacy, and select Try Premium free. Pinterest will ask for a payment method but will not charge you until the trial ends. If you decide you do not want to keep it, cancel before the trial ends and you will not be charged.
Premium also includes other features beyond ad removal: you get a Pinterest Business Account
Ad blockers work by matching ads against a list of known ad networks and hiding them. Pinterest sometimes changes how it delivers ads or uses new ad networks that blockers have not yet added to their lists. This means a few ads may slip through, especially if you do not update your ad blocker regularly. Most ad blockers update automatically, so you do not have to do anything. If you notice ads appearing again after weeks of none, manually update your extension by going to your browser's extension page, finding the ad blocker, and clicking the update button if one appears. Updating usually takes seconds and will restore blocking for new ad formats. Occasionally an ad blocker will block something that is not actually an ad — like a button you need to click, a search function, or a menu. This happens because the blocker's filter list is too aggressive or because Pinterest changed how it builds the page. If something stops working, the first step is to disable the ad blocker on Pinterest and see if the feature comes back. Click the ad blocker icon in your toolbar, look for an option like "Disable on this site" or "Pause on this site", and refresh the page. If the feature works now, you know the blocker caused it. You can then re-enable the blocker — most features work fine even with it on. If the feature still does not work, the problem is something else, and you should contact Pinterest support or try a different browser. No. Pinterest does not ban users for running ad blockers. The company dislikes ad blockers because they lose ad revenue, but they cannot detect whether you are using one, and blocking ads is legal in most countries. You can use an ad blocker on Pinterest without any risk to your account. A good ad blocker like uBlock Origin uses very little memory and may actually speed up websites by not loading ads. Adblock Plus uses slightly more memory but is still lightweight. If your computer is very old or has very little RAM, you might notice a small slowdown, but for most people the difference is not noticeable. Ad blockers work in mobile browsers but not in the Pinterest app itself. If you use Pinterest mostly on your phone, install the Pinterest website in your mobile browser instead of the app, then use an ad blocker extension in that browser. The website version works almost identically to the app. uBlock Origin is faster and uses less memory. Adblock Plus is more user-friendly for beginners and has a larger community creating filter lists. Both remove ads effectively. Start with uBlock Origin unless you have a specific reason to prefer Adblock Plus. Yes. As soon as your subscription ends, ads will return to your Pinterest feed. If you want to keep ads off permanently without paying, use an ad blocker extension instead.Why Pinterest still shows some ads even with blockers
What to do if an ad blocker breaks Pinterest features
Comparing your options
Method Cost Removes all ads Works on other websites Setup time Ad blocker extension Free Yes, most Yes 2 minutes Ad preferences Free No No 5 minutes Pinterest Premium $7.99/month or $79.99/year Yes No 1 minute Frequently Asked Questions
Will Pinterest ban me for using an ad blocker?
Do ad blockers slow down my computer?
Can I use an ad blocker on the Pinterest mobile app?
What is the difference between uBlock Origin and Adblock Plus?
If I cancel Pinterest Premium, will ads come back?