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Pi-hole

Pi-hole is a network-level Domain Name System (DNS) sinkhole that blocks Internet advertisements and tracking domains.

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Pi-hole is a network-level Domain Name System (DNS) sinkhole that blocks Internet advertisements and tracking domains. It serves DNS queries for a private network and can optionally provide Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) services to clients. It is intended for self-hosters who want centralized ad blocking for devices, media players, mobile apps, and browsers on their local network. Use it when you need a lightweight, Linux-based DNS solution that reduces unwanted network traffic and supports blocklists.

Platform availability

Available on 6 of 9 platforms

Health score?A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). When the source code has been checked, a fifth factor, security check (20%: automated scan for committed secrets, unsafe desktop-app settings, known-vulnerable dependencies and project hygiene; any serious finding caps it at 20), is added. Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

78/100 Good

Maintained
93last commit 100 days ago
Popular
9661,182 GitHub stars
Easy to install
703 install platforms, install notes, setup guide, Docker image
Light to run
95512 MB minimum RAM, runs on ARM
Security check
201 serious finding, 1 minor, CI, tests, OpenSSF Scorecard 6.2/10

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 17 days ago

GitHub stars
61,182
Open issues
45
Last commit
2026-07-06
Latest release
v6.4.3
Activity
stale

Checked 9 days ago - source: GitHub (pi-hole/pi-hole)

Resources & Compatibility

Minimum requirements: 512 MB RAM, 2 GB disk. ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 16 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Docker quick start The easiest way to run Pi-hole in Docker is the official quick-start docker-compose.yml template. Copy the compose example from the documentation, customise it for your network, then run `docker compose up -d` to build and start the service. source

Fetched 7 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (12)

  • AdAway - An ad blocker that uses the hosts file.
  • AdGuard - AdGuard is the best way to get rid of intrusive ads and online tracking, and to protect your computer from malware.
  • AdGuard Home - AdGuard Home is a self-hosted DNS server that blocks ads and trackers across your entire home network by re-routing tracking domains to a b…
  • Blokada - Blokada is the popular ad blocker and privacy app for Android and iOS.
  • Control D - Control D is a modern and customizable DNS service that blocks threats, unwanted content and ads - on all devices.
  • NextDNS - NextDNS protects you from all kinds of security threats, blocks ads and trackers on websites and in apps and provides a safe and supervised…
  • OpenSnitch - Firewall for Linux providing interactive outbound filtering, blocking ads and malware domains, configurable via GUI, with centralized node…
  • Portmaster - Free and open-source tool that monitors all network activity, blocks unwanted connections, uses filter lists for ads and malware, enforces…
  • Privoxy - Privoxy is a non-caching web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities for enhancing privacy, modifying web page data and HTTP headers, co…
  • RethinkDNS - An OpenSnitch-inspired firewall and network monitor + a pi-hole-inspired DNS over HTTPS client with blocklists.
  • Technitium DNS Server - Technitium DNS Server is an open-source, self-hosted DNS server that provides authoritative and recursive name resolution for your network,…
  • simplewall - Simple tool to configure Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) which can configure network activity on your computer.

Checked 14 days ago - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

How do I make all devices on my network use Pi-hole automatically?

Point your router's DHCP settings at Pi-hole so DHCP clients use it as their DNS server, or enable Pi-hole's optional DHCP server to assign it to devices.

Can Pi-hole protect devices while they are on mobile data or public Wi-Fi?

Pair it with a VPN such as WireGuard so your phone and laptop stay protected on mobile data and public Wi-Fi.

Can I deploy Pi-hole in Docker?

Pi-hole can run in a Docker container, and the README points to the official Docker images for deployment.

Does Pi-hole have an API for scripting or automation?

It provides a full REST API with built-in documentation for scripting and extending everything.

What should I check first if Pi-hole is not working?

Make sure all dependencies are installed, including updated packages, and that the DNS server is running.

Answers sourced from discourse.pi-hole.net, github.com, pi-hole.net

Community

Collected 16 days ago - public community threads

Install guides