Ad Blocker

Best Apps Like Pi-hole: Top Network Ad Blocker Alternatives in 2026

Pi-hole acts as a DNS sinkhole on your local network, blocking ads and trackers for every device — including smart TVs, phones, and game consoles — without browser extensions.

Why People Look for Pi-hole Alternatives

Browser ad blockers like uBlock Origin only block ads in the browser; Pi-hole blocks them network-wide on every device.
Smart TVs and game consoles cannot run browser extensions; Pi-hole protects them at the DNS level.
Commercial DNS blockers like AdGuard DNS send your query data to third-party servers; Pi-hole keeps queries on your network.
NextDNS is cloud-based; Pi-hole is fully self-hosted with no external DNS dependency.

6 Best Alternatives to Pi-hole

Each app below addresses a specific gap in Pi-hole's offering. We picked them based on real user review patterns and feature differentiation.

AdGuard Home

Self-hosted network-wide ad blocker similar to Pi-hole.

AdGuard Home is a self-hosted DNS ad blocker developed by AdGuard that runs on your local network. It supports DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS, has a modern web interface, and is easier to install than Pi-hole on non-Raspberry Pi hardware.

Users who want a Pi-hole alternative with a more polished interface and DoH/DoT support. Free and open-source.
Explore AdGuard Home data →

NextDNS

Cloud-based DNS filtering with per-device control.

NextDNS provides cloud DNS filtering without needing local hardware. It supports DNS-over-HTTPS, per-device profiles, detailed analytics, and hundreds of blocklists. Requires trusting NextDNS with your DNS queries.

Users who want Pi-hole-style filtering without self-hosted hardware. Free 300K queries/mo; Pro $1.99/mo unlimited.
Explore NextDNS data →

uBlock Origin

Efficient browser-based ad and tracker blocker.

uBlock Origin is the most popular browser ad blocker, using curated filter lists to block ads, trackers, and malware domains in the browser. No hardware required, but it only protects the browser, not other apps or devices.

Users who want ad blocking in the browser without setting up DNS infrastructure. Free and open-source.
Explore uBlock Origin data →

AdGuard DNS

Cloud DNS resolver with ad and tracker blocking.

AdGuard DNS is a public DNS service that blocks ads and trackers at the DNS level without any software installation. You simply change your DNS settings to point to AdGuard DNS servers. Less customizable than Pi-hole but requires no setup.

Users who want network-level blocking with zero setup by changing DNS settings. Free public DNS; AdGuard DNS Private from $2.99/mo.
Explore AdGuard DNS data →

Technitium DNS Server

Full-featured self-hosted DNS server with blocking.

Technitium DNS Server is a full DNS server with ad blocking, DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, DNSSEC, split horizon, and a detailed web UI. More complex than Pi-hole but suitable for users who want a complete DNS server alongside blocking.

Advanced users who need a full DNS server with blocking in a homelab environment. Free and open-source.
Explore Technitium DNS Server data →

Blocky

Fast DNS proxy with ad blocking for advanced users.

Blocky is a Go-based DNS proxy with ad blocking, custom DNS mappings, conditional forwarding, and metrics export (Prometheus/Grafana). Configured via a YAML file with no web UI, making it suitable for users who prefer code-based configuration.

Homelab users who want a lightweight, configuration-file-based DNS blocker. Free and open-source.
Explore Blocky data →
How we found these alternatives

Pi-hole runs on a Raspberry Pi or any Linux server and serves as the DNS resolver for your entire home network, blocking domains before connections are made.

Frequently Asked Questions

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