
Web browser developer Opera Software has announced the integration of ad-blocking functionality into the new developer version of Opera for desktops. Opera said that, once enabled, the ad-blocking feature speeds up webpage load times by as much as 90 percent compared to browsing with the option disabled. In a statement Opera added that its integrated ad-blocking technology also provides a 40 percent faster browsing experience compared to third-party ad-blocking extensions. The company claimed the developer version of Opera is 21 percent faster than Firefox with an ad-blocking plugin, 45 percent faster than Chrome and 89 percent faster than Explorer thanks to filtering at web-engine level.
In addition to a simple on-off button, the ad-blocking feature comes with a benchmark that shows users how much ads and tracking software slow down page-loading times. Users can also monitor their browsing by the day, week and total number of blocked ads.