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Best Free & Open Source Alternatives to Pi-hole

Compare 2 open-source Pi-hole alternatives including Pi-hole and AdGuard Home

If you're looking for the best open-source alternative to Pi-hole, Pi-hole is a strong place to start. If it doesn't quite fit your needs, there are plenty of other great options worth exploring, including AdGuard Home. We've ranked the top alternatives to help you compare your options and find the right fit.

#1 Pi-hole

Pi-hole

Network-wide DNS-based ad blocking that protects all devices on your network, including Smart TVs and IoT devices.

Pi-hole is a Linux network-level advertisement and internet tracker blocking application that acts as a DNS sinkhole. It intercepts DNS requests on your network and blocks domains known to host ads and trackers — protecting every device on your network, not just your browser.

Unlike browser-based ad blockers, Pi-hole blocks ads before they are downloaded by any device, including Smart TVs, phones, tablets, and IoT devices that do not support extensions. It runs on a Raspberry Pi (or any Linux server) and once set up, provides ad-free browsing across your entire home network with no per-device configuration needed.

Pi-hole comes with a web dashboard for statistics and management, showing you how many queries have been blocked and what domains are being accessed. It supports multiple blocklists, custom blacklists and whitelists, and a DHCP server. AdGuard Home is a common alternative with a similar feature set.

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#2 AdGuard Home

AdGuard Home

Network-wide DNS-based ad and tracker blocker with parental controls, DNS rewrites, and detailed query logging.

AdGuard Home is a free, open-source network-wide DNS-based ad and tracker blocker. Like Pi-hole, it works at the DNS level to block ads and trackers for every device on your network — without needing to install any app on individual devices.

AdGuard Home offers several advantages over Pi-hole: a modern web interface, built-in DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS support (for encrypted DNS queries), parental controls with per-client filtering rules, DNS rewrites, and more detailed query logging and statistics. It supports custom filtering rules and can run on Linux, macOS, Windows, and as a Docker container.

For home networks and privacy-conscious users, AdGuard Home provides a comprehensive ad-blocking solution that goes beyond browser extensions to protect Smart TVs, game consoles, IoT devices, and mobile apps that cannot run ad blockers themselves.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any open source alternatives to Pi-hole?

Yes, there are 2 open source alternatives to Pi-hole. Popular options include Pi-hole, AdGuard Home. These alternatives are free to use and many offer self-hosting options.

What is the best free alternative to Pi-hole?

The best free alternative to Pi-hole depends on your specific needs. Pi-hole is a popular choice with self-hosting capabilities. All alternatives listed here are open source and free to use.

Can I self-host an alternative to Pi-hole?

Yes, 2 of the alternatives listed here can be self-hosted, giving you complete control over your data and privacy.

Why should I switch from Pi-hole to an open source alternative?

Open source alternatives to Pi-hole offer several advantages: no vendor lock-in, complete data ownership, no subscription fees, the ability to self-host for privacy and security, and active community support. You can also customize the software to fit your specific needs.

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