How does Pi-hole block ads?
Pi-hole is a DNS sinkhole. It protects your devices from unwanted content without client-side software, and it blocks in places a browser extension…
Pi-hole: Network-Wide Ad Blocking
Pi-hole is a network-wide ad blocker that works as a DNS sinkhole on your own Linux hardware.
Compare with similar apps
How Pi-hole stacks up against other networking apps. Add or remove apps to change the comparison.
| Requirement | Pi-hole | AdGuard Home |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | x86 + ARM | x86 + ARM |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Containers | 1 (app only) | 1 (app only) |
| Database | SQLite | file only |
| Runtime | C / Shell | Go |
| Install options | Docker + Linux | Docker + Linux, macOS, Windows |
Common questions
How do I install Pi-hole?
Run the one-step automated installer, curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash, or clone the repository and run the install script yourself if…
Can Pi-hole also hand out IP addresses?
Yes. It can optionally act as a DHCP server so all your devices are protected automatically.
What hardware does Pi-hole need?
Pi-hole is lightweight and runs on minimal hardware. The project lists the prerequisites in its documentation, and it also scales to very large query…
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