is pie adblock legit

Is Pie Adblock Legit? A Comprehensive Review with User Opinions

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Pie Adblock is a browser extension that promises an ad-free web experience and even the ability to “get paid to see ads.” That pitch has generated both excitement and scepticism among users. Many are asking the burning question: Is Pie Adblock legit or a scam?

In this in-depth review, we’ll explain what Pie Adblock is and how it works, share real user reviews from the Chrome Web Store, Trustpilot, Reddit discussions, and YouTube commentary, and analyse expert opinions from tech reviewers and cybersecurity experts.

By the end, you’ll have a clearer picture of Pie Adblock’s trustworthiness and safety.

What is Pie Adblock and How Does It Work?

What is Pie Adblock and How Does It Work?

Pie Adblock is a free ad-blocking extension for Chrome (also available on Edge, Opera, and Safari mobile) developed by a startup called The People’s Internet Experiment (pie.org).

In essence, Pie Adblock functions like a typical ad blocker by blocking ads on websites and video platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. Its standout feature is an optional rewards program – users can opt in to view a limited number of “fair ads” (partner ads) in exchange for earning points or cash rewards.

The idea is to give users more control: you can block ads entirely or choose to see a few and get something back for your attention.

According to the developers, Pie Adblock never sells or monetises your data and only uses it to power features like rewards, not for third-party advertising. The extension’s privacy policy asserts that data collected (like basic browsing stats for the rewards system) is not sold and is only used for the service’s operation.

Pie Adblock requires broad permissions (it can read and change data on all websites you visit) because it needs to detect and remove ads. This raised some eyebrows, but such permissions are standard for ad blockers. In fact, on the Chrome Web Store, it’s labelled as following recommended practices, with no history of violations.

How it works in practice: Once installed, Pie blocks pop-ups, banners, and video ads (including YouTube pre-rolls and Twitch mid-rolls). If you enable the rewards feature, Pie will occasionally allow a “selected, controlled” ad to display, and you earn a small reward for seeing or interacting with it. Pie even has a companion extension called Pie Shopping for finding coupon codes and cashback deals – an indicator that the Pie platform is aiming to be more than just an ad blocker. Essentially, Pie’s model is similar to what Brave Browser or some adblockers have tried: sharing ad revenue with users and making ads opt-in.

Who’s behind it? Notably, one of Pie’s co-founders is Ryan Hudson, who previously co-created the Honey coupon extension (later acquired by PayPal). This connection is a double-edged sword: on one hand, it means a known, experienced developer is behind Pie (which lends some legitimacy), but on the other hand, Honey’s past controversies (e.g. allegations of unsavoury data practices) have made some users wary of Pie by association.

Chrome Web Store & Trustpilot Reviews – Glowing Praise

Chrome Web Store & Trustpilot Reviews – Glowing Praise

On official platforms like the Chrome Web Store and Trustpilot, Pie Adblock receives overwhelmingly positive reviews. The Chrome Web Store shows a 4.9 out of 5 rating, with over 23,000 ratings and 2+ million users as of August 2025.

Third-party analytics note that user feedback is “predominantly positive” – many praise Pie’s effectiveness at blocking ads (even on YouTube/Peacock) and its lightweight, unobtrusive performance. Users commonly call it a “must-have” extension that “consistently does its job”. Notably, Chrome-Stats found no widely reported problems across those thousands of reviews.

On Trustpilot, Pie Adblock holds a 5-star “Excellent” rating (4.9 average) based on around 3,600 user reviews. Reviewers there echo similar positives: The extension “effectively eliminates ads on various platforms, including YouTube”, and people love that it’s “completely free” and “operates smoothly in the background”. Many also appreciate the time saved and lack of interruptions, saying it makes browsing and streaming far more enjoyable. The optional rewards and shopping discounts get mentioned as a nice bonus (though a few users wish the reward system and notifications were a bit clearer or less frequent).

To illustrate the sentiment, here are a few real user quotes:

  • “Ever since I easily downloaded this extension, I have had absolutely zero ads. It’s by far the best extension I have ever used. It works across multiple different streaming services.” (5-star Trustpilot review).

  • “Pie really helps. It’s completely free to download and I haven’t received an ad in forever… a game changer and it works flawlessly.” (Trustpilot).

  • “I sometimes forget I even have the adblocker on, because it’s become so normal not to see ads. I love it. I get frustrated when I have to use a computer without it.” (Trustpilot).

  • “It’s actually amazing, you don’t realise how great it is until you see you’ve blocked over 2,000 ads. Highly recommend.” (Trustpilot).

A few users humorously brag about how many ads Pie has zapped: “Pie just blocked the 29,000th ad on my computer, can’t beat that for the price 🙂”. On the Chrome Web Store, one reviewer noted, “blocks Peacock ads too!! OMG saves me so much money!!!”, while another simply said “straightforward and the best adblocker I’ve had”.

It’s worth noting that these official channels could be influenced by Pie’s outreach (many Trustpilot reviews are marked “Invited”, meaning the company prompted users to post feedback). Nonetheless, the sheer volume of positive reviews suggests most users find that Pie Adblock works as advertised: it blocks ads effectively, is easy to use, and doesn’t bog down their system.

Of course, no product is perfect. Scattered among the thousands of 5-stars are a few dissenters. One Chrome Web Store reviewer complained that Pie had a bug affecting video quality on YouTube: “…it was working great and all of a sudden the devs don’t know how to handle 1440p? … every single quality ratio [above] is unable to render. This has been an issue for almost 5 months now. Moving all my data and spending habits to another provider, and I suggest you do the same.”. A couple of Trustpilot users gave 4 stars, saying that occasionally an ad slips through on YouTube or the reward counter doesn’t show up, but these were rare cases. Overall, the official user feedback skews heavily positive.

Reddit Discussions – Scepticism and Red Flags

In contrast to the glowing storefront reviews, Reddit forums (like r/Adblock) are filled with healthy scepticism about Pie Adblock. Many Redditors suspect that Pie’s generous promises hide an ulterior motive. Some key concerns that come up repeatedly:

  • “Too Good to Be True” – Users are wary of an extension that not only blocks all ads (even YouTube’s notoriously tricky video ads) but also claims to pay you. As one commenter put it: “It can’t be real. It’s completely free AND it will pay you if you end up seeing an ad? I smell a load of bull”. The common sentiment: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

  • Stealing Ad Revenue / Shady Monetisation – Some Redditors theorise that Pie might be making money by inserting its own ads or referral codes behind the scenes. The original poster of one thread warned: “PIE adblocker likely steals ad revenue from the Twitch or YouTube channels you watch with it – that’s how they make their money. They also selectively show you ads if a company pays them extra to bypass their blocker. Very similar to the malicious ways Honey made money.”. In other words, they suspect Pie might whitelist certain ads (for a fee) or replace ads with its own, thus profiting behind users’ backs. Some even claim “Pie most certainly steals referrals like Honey is being sued for”, referring to allegations that Honey intercepted affiliate commissions. It’s important to note these are user accusations without hard proof, but they show the level of distrust among savvy users.

  • Data Privacy Concerns – Given the broad permissions Pie has, a frequent worry is that it could be harvesting user data. One Redditor bluntly said: “Probably stealing all your data.” Another mentioned seeing Pie trigger antivirus warnings: “An old post said that Pie detected positive for malware on Malwarebytes”. A different user reported that security tools like Malwarebytes and Guardio flag Pie as malicious, though Pie’s team apparently responded that those were false positives (which sceptics found unconvincing). These reports are anecdotal, but enough to make privacy-conscious users uneasy.

  • The Honey Connection – Much of the distrust circles back to Pie’s lineage. Honey, while popular, came under fire in the past for a lack of transparency and was called a “scam” by some in the community. Seeing Honey’s co-founder involved in Pie set off alarm bells. “Honey was a scam, so whatever the creator is involved in is also a scam. Simple as that,” one Redditor wrote bluntly. Another commented cynically, “He thinks he can get away with it again because it took half a decade for people to realise Honey was a scam.” This may be an extreme view, but it’s prevalent on tech forums. In fairness, not everyone agrees that Honey or Pie are scams – but the association definitely colours Pie’s reputation in these discussions.

  • Aggressive Advertising – Ironically, Pie has advertised itself heavily on YouTube (with sponsored ads and influencer promos), which some users found off-putting. “The only way I know about [Pie] is from their obnoxious YouTube ads,” a user noted, pointing out the irony of an ad blocker pushing ads aggressively. The marketing campaign raised suspicions – people wondered if a truly organic, reputable product needs that much flashy advertising.

On the flip side, a few Reddit users have shared positive experiences with Pie, albeit often met with scepticism by others on the forum. For example, one user wrote: “I’ve been using Pie Adblock for the past couple of weeks, and honestly, it works well as an ad blocker. On top of that, it gives me money every now and then.” This user didn’t see the scam because they had all rewards turned off except the occasional payout for an ad, and Pie blocked every ad on YouTube and Twitch for them. Similarly, another commenter admitted, “For my use case, it’s been surprisingly great. No ads at all, and no hitches on YouTube or any other sites… It’s a little too good to be true, which is why I haven’t recommended it widely. I still don’t feel like I’ve used it long enough to really recommend it to a general audience.” This captures a cautious optimism – the extension might work brilliantly, but there’s a nagging worry about what unknown “catch” might surface later. In short, Reddit’s verdict is largely, “Use at your own risk.”

It’s telling that one Redditor quipped: “I wouldn’t touch it with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole.” The distrust is palpable. Much of it is based on conjecture or worst-case assumptions rather than concrete evidence of wrongdoing by Pie Adblock. Still, these are knowledgeable users (many of whom strongly favour open-source, proven adblockers like uBlock Origin) raising valid questions about Pie’s business model and long-term intentions.

YouTube & Tech Expert Commentary – Mixed Views

The debate around Pie Adblock’s legitimacy has also caught the attention of tech reviewers and content creators on YouTube. Several videos in late 2024 and 2025 have titles like “Exposing Pie Ad Blocker’s Scam” and “Pie: YouTube’s Next BIG Scam?”, indicating that some creators are digging into Pie’s model. For instance, one YouTube tech commentator highlighted how Pie was developed by the same people who made Honey and that it “has a very shady amount of common things with Honey.”

Another video (from the channel Upper Echelon) delved into Pie’s practices, even accusing Pie of ignoring open-source license (GPL) obligations – a more technical critique that the average user may not follow, but which again questions the company’s transparency.

A repeated point in these critical videos is the impact on content creators. By blocking ads (even if users opt-in to Pie’s own ads), Pie potentially diverts revenue from YouTubers and sites. One video described Pie as “the most annoying adblocker ever,” claiming “Pie demolishes the ad revenue of everyday creators by attempting to insert itself into the middle of the pipeline of ads.” In other words, these reviewers argue Pie’s business model is to interject itself between advertisers and content creators – possibly letting Pie earn money while the creators get nothing. This ethical angle – that using Pie might hurt the very creators viewers love to watch – is something a few experts have raised (and it’s a reason some people morally oppose all ad blockers, not just Pie).

On the other hand, not all expert reviews are negative. In fact, a cybersecurity review on AllAboutCookies.org gave Pie Adblock a thumbs-up after hands-on testing. Their team was initially sceptical (“it probably appears too good to be true,” they wrote), but after running Pie through ad-blocker tests and examining its policies, they concluded: “Yes, we believe Pie Adblock is legit because it’s honest and transparent about how it works… We expected it to be terrible, but it surprised us by being a great ad blocker.” They noted Pie aced their ad-blocking tests (100/100) and even provided strong anti-tracking protection in their latest test.

The AllAboutCookies review appreciated the transparency efforts – pointing out that Ryan Hudson (Pie’s founder) engaged with users on Reddit and even did an AMA (Ask Me Anything) to answer questions and address scam allegations. This kind of openness scored points with them: “We love transparency, so this move gave Pie some extra validity for us,” the reviewer wrote.

Another comprehensive review from StandsApp (a company that makes a competing ad blocker) agreed that Pie Adblock is a legitimate product. They cite the known founder, clear documentation, compliance with privacy laws (like GDPR), and the fact that it’s distributed on official stores (Chrome Web Store, Apple App Store), which conduct security reviews. However, they also acknowledge the mixed community opinions: “Pie Adblock has a fairly solid reputation (4.9/5 rating on Chrome Store)… However, on Reddit and similar forums, we find mixed opinions about its ad-blocking effectiveness, the money-earning aspect, its developers, and transparency. Some users point out minor inconsistencies in reward delivery or occasional compatibility issues.”

StandsApp’s review also notes a practical reality: the rewards are very low – on the order of $0.05 to $0.30 per ad viewed – so “many users are not convinced” that the earnings are worth it compared to just using a normal adblocker.

In their Bottom Line, StandsApp suggests that Pie is an interesting and innovative idea, but it may not be “worth it” for those who are happy with traditional adblockers or who care about supporting content creators.

Finally, another tech blogger, Mikael (from PaidFromSurveys.com), took a strongly negative stance. In his January 2025 review, he wrote: “I recommend you avoid using Pie Adblock because it affects the livelihood of content creators and website owners. It is also made by the same developers who made Honey, which is currently being accused of scamming people. He listed “low rewards” and the Honey connection among the cons, and basically didn’t trust the app due to the developers’ reputation. Mikael’s position is clear: trust is everything for these kinds of apps, and he doesn’t trust Pie’s team given past issues.

In summary, expert opinions are divided. Some acknowledge that Pie Adblock works technically and appreciate the attempt to create a new ad model, finding it legitimate and safe. Others remain wary or outright critical, focusing on potential ethical issues and trust problems.

Pros and Cons of Pie Adblock

To weigh everything up, let’s summarise the key pros and cons that have emerged from user feedback and expert analysis:

Pros:

  • Excellent Ad-Blocking Performance: By most accounts, Pie Adblock does what it promises – it blocks ads effectively across the web, including notoriously difficult video ads on YouTube and Twitch. Users report noticeably cleaner, faster browsing and streaming (“I even forgot ads exist”, as one user said. It’s also light on resources and unobtrusive (no big pop-ups or nags from the extension itself).

  • Easy to Use: Installation is straightforward, and the default “Classic” mode just blocks ads without any fuss. Many reviews praise Pie’s “set it and forget it” simplicity. One person wrote, “Awesome app! It blocks all my YouTube ads without doing anything.” Even the rewards feature is optional and can be ignored if you just want an adblocker.

  • Free and Optional Rewards: Pie is completely free, unlike some ad blockers that charge for “premium” features. If you choose, you can enable Pie Rewards to earn a bit of cash or gift cards by seeing a minimal number of ads. This is a unique feature that some users find attractive – essentially “getting paid to browse.” It’s a differentiator if you’re curious about the concept of sharing ad revenue with users.

  • Transparency Efforts: The team has published an open letter about their philosophy, a detailed privacy policy, and engaged on social media and forums to address concerns. Pie also discloses what data it collects and for what purpose in the Chrome Store listing. For some experts, this transparency (including a Reddit AMA by the founder) is a reassuring sign that Pie isn’t trying to hide its operation.

  • Unproven Long-Term Trust: Pie Adblock is relatively new (launched in late 2024) and is run by folks associated with Honey, which carries baggage due to past controversies. A portion of the tech community is openly distrustful, speculating about “ulterior motives”. There’s no open-source code for independent audit (unlike uBlock Origin, for example), so sceptics aren’t convinced Pie isn’t doing something fishy behind the scenes. Essentially, Pie asks you to trust their word that user data isn’t misused – and not everyone is ready to grant that trust.

  • Rewards Are Small (and Possibly Problematic): The “get paid to see ads” feature might sound great, but in reality, the payouts are very low – mere cents per ad. You won’t get rich or even meaningfully supplement your income with Pie’s rewards at this point. More philosophically, some argue that by choosing to view Pie’s partner ads, you might still be hurting content creators (because you’re viewing an ad that pays Pie instead of an ad that would have paid the creator of the video/page you’re on). So the ethical quandary of adblocking remains, and Pie’s solution might not satisfy those worried about supporting creators.

  • Mixed Reputation on Security: While there’s no solid evidence that Pie Adblock is malware, a few antivirus programs have flagged it, and some users reported alarming prompts (it’s unclear if these were false positives). The extension does request broad permissions (including access to all websites you visit). That’s inherent to how an adblocker works, but it means Pie could see a lot of your browsing data. If one is extremely privacy-conscious, relying on a closed-source extension from a newer company may feel uncomfortable. As one Redditor said, “if they do turn malicious, they can be very harmful”, given the level of access – a general warning for any high-permission extension.

  • Impact on Content Creators: This is more of a con from a broader perspective – using any adblocker deprives websites and creators of ad revenue. Pie’s approach doesn’t fully solve that issue; even though they talk about aligning incentives for a “people-powered internet”, currently it appears that if you use Pie in full ad-block mode, you’re still blocking all ads (and if you use rewards mode, the payout to creators is unclear). Some users and bloggers take issue with this, arguing that widespread use of such tools could push more content behind paywalls in the long run.

Verdict: Is Pie Adblock Legit and Safe to Use?

Verdict: Is Pie Adblock Legit and Safe to Use?

Taking all the above into account, here’s our overall verdict on Pie Adblock:

Pie Adblock appears to be a legitimate ad-blocking extension with real functionality and a novel idea, but it comes with some caveats. The positive user experiences and reputable sources testing it suggest that Pie works for blocking ads (yes, even YouTube ads) and hasn’t shown malicious behaviour in practice. In that sense, it’s “legit” – it’s not a virus, and many people are happily using it without seeing ads. Even a cybersecurity writer who was initially doubtful ended up saying, “We believe Pie Adblock is legit… it surprised us by being a great ad blocker”.  The known background of the founders and the extension’s presence on official stores (which vet extensions) lend it additional credibility.

However, legit doesn’t necessarily mean trustworthy in the eyes of every user. Pie is still new, and as a closed ecosystem, it requires a level of trust that it will honour its promises not to misuse data or turn evil. Some in the community have raised reasonable questions about how Pie makes money and whether user data or ad networks could be exploited in the future. So far, there’s no concrete evidence of wrongdoing, but the scepticism isn’t baseless given the history of similar browser extensions. We recommend users approach Pie Adblock with a balanced mindset:

  • If you’re someone who hates ads, is curious about getting a tiny kickback for your attention, and you’re willing to try a new product, Pie Adblock can be a refreshing solution. It’s free and, by most accounts, effective at its core job (blocking ads). Just be aware that the “free money” is very little, and keep an eye on the news or updates about the extension’s practices as it grows. So far, Pie has been transparent enough and even improved its tracker blocking and features over time (per updates and re-reviews in mid-2025).

  • If you’re very privacy-conscious or principled about open-source, you might prefer to stick with trusted extensions like uBlock Origin. The concerns voiced on Reddit – while speculative – highlight that Pie Adblock is not universally trusted among power users. In that case, you might decide the potential risk (even if it’s just a gut feeling) isn’t worth it for a few cents of rewards. There’s nothing wrong with a “wait and see” approach: you can monitor Pie’s reputation over time.

In conclusion, Pie Adblock is legit in that it’s a real ad blocker and not an outright scam – plenty of users vouch that it delivers ad-free browsing as promised. It even brings an innovative twist to the table with the rewards concept. Safety-wise, no major red flags have been proven, though caution is understandable given its broad permissions and the lively debate around it. Like many new tech products, Pie has to earn user trust over time. Right now, it sits in a bit of a grey area: loved by many everyday users, but eyed warily by many tech-savvy folks.

Bottom line: If you do try Pie Adblock, enjoy the bliss of no ads (and maybe a few extra dollars eventually), but stay informed. As one expert wisely noted, “Trust is everything when it comes to apps like this”. Pie Adblock hasn’t broken that trust for thousands of users so far – and by all appearances is striving to be transparent – but only you can decide if you trust it on your browser.

“Is Pie Adblock legit?” is a question only you can answer for yourself, but we hope this overview of community feedback and expert insights helps you make an informed choice.

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