There are many criteria for reviewing a software program, the most important of which is how a program performs with regard to its primary function. Consulting a software search engine and reading the editor and user reviews of different titles results to this observation: Most, if not all adware removers do the job of scanning and detecting adware from a system.

Because the programs seem to be even when it comes to detection, the differences in reviews and opinions are influenced more on how a program looks, ease of use, library of adware definitions, whether it is free or not, and to what extent the program will perform to automatically safeguard the system from adware.

Users normally look for free adware removers, and there are many of those in the Internet. There is a catch, though: most free adware removers are actually trial versions of the real program. These trial versions only allow scanning and detection of adware in a computer system; to remove the adware itself requires the full version of the program.

The same goes with larger anti-adware programs that have functions for protecting systems from being affected by adware. These anti-adware programs provide trial versions that are able to detect adware on a system, but require the full version to enable the protection feature.

The library of adware definitions, or the number of adware types the program is able to recognize is also a big factor with reviewers. With this criterion, reviewers acknowledge the fact the there is no one perfect remover out in the market since adware removers tend to miss what others detect and detect what other removers missed.

The simplicity or ease of use of a program also plays a factor; the fewer steps and the easier it is to remove adware without causing system instability, the better.

Other factors that influence user reviews are user interface design and software magazine reviews.