Pi-hole
Network-wide ad and tracker blocker that runs as a DNS sinkhole on your own hardware.
Our verdict
What it does well
- Blocks ads for every device on the network with nothing to install on each
- Web interface with query log and statistics, plus a REST API and optional DHCP server
- Official Docker image, or installer for supported Linux distributions
Where it falls short
- Needs a static IP address (a DHCP reservation works)
- Officially supported systems are Linux distributions or Docker
- Funded by donations; developers work in their spare time
Pi-hole is a DNS sinkhole: you install it in one place, point your network's DNS at it, and it blocks ad and tracker domains for all devices, including those where browser extensions cannot run. It has a web interface with statistics, a query log and per-client activity, client groups, allow and deny lists, regex rules, a REST API and an optional built-in DHCP server.
It runs in a Docker container (image pihole/pihole) or installs directly on supported Linux distributions: Alpine, Armbian, Debian, CentOS Stream, Fedora, Raspberry Pi OS and Ubuntu. The prerequisites page lists a minimum of 512 MB RAM and 2 GB free disk space, and a static IP address.
Pi-hole is free. The docs say it is free, open-source software, that volunteers cover ongoing costs and that users are asked to donate or otherwise support it. The licence file says EUPL v1.2.
Pi-hole compared
Alternatives to Pi-hole
Free, open-source network-wide ad and tracker blocking DNS server you run yourself.
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What users say
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Last updated 17 October 2026. Facts checked against the official site on 16 October 2026. How we make money