Blackhole for Internet advertisements with a GUI for management and monitoring.
- EUPL-1.2
- Shell
- Docker
- Actively maintained
Network Utilities & DNS comparison
Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home: which should you self-host in 2026?
Pick Pi-hole for the classic, widely documented network ad blocker with a huge community; pick AdGuard Home for built-in encrypted DNS, parental controls and a single-binary install.
Both are open source and run on your own server. Below: a side-by-side of license, stack and features, live GitHub activity, and our verdict on who should pick which.
User-friendly ads & trackers blocking DNS server.
- GPL-3.0
- TypeScript
- Docker
- Actively maintained
Head-to-head
Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home, side by side
Hand-checked differences first, then live numbers from GitHub, refreshed with every catalog update.
| Aspect |  Pi-hole |  AdGuard Home |
|---|---|---|
| License | EUPL-1.2. | GPL-3.0. |
| Language/stack | Shell scripts plus FTL, a C DNS engine based on dnsmasq. | Go backend with a React web interface, shipped as a single binary. |
| Encrypted DNS | Needs extra software such as cloudflared or Unbound for encrypted upstreams. | Built-in DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, DNS-over-QUIC and DNSCrypt. |
| Standout features | Group management, query logging, large blocklist ecosystem, built-in DHCP. | Parental control, forced safe search, per-client settings, built-in DHCP. |
| Hardware needs | Runs on a Raspberry Pi or any small Linux box. | Runs on a Raspberry Pi, routers and most operating systems. |
| GitHub stars | 61,167 | 37,245 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 215 | 235 |
| Last commit | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | v6.4.3Jul 6, 2026 | v0.107.79Aug 18, 2026 |
| Main language | Shell | TypeScript |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| Repository | pi-hole/pi-hole | AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome |
Swipe the table sideways to see both apps. GitHub figures come from the public API. Highlighted values are the higher of the two.
Verdict
Both block ads and trackers for your whole network at the DNS level. Pi-hole is the long-standing favorite with abundant guides and blocklists, and pairs well with Unbound or cloudflared for encrypted or recursive DNS. AdGuard Home does more out of the box, including DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-QUIC, safe search and parental control, in a single Go binary.
Best for
Choose Pi-hole for
Classic network-wide ad blocking with a huge community.
Best for
Choose AdGuard Home for
Ad blocking with built-in encrypted DNS and parental controls.
Deploy either in minutes
Not sure yet? Spin up a small VPS or a managed instance, try both for a week, and keep the one that fits.
- Hetzner Cloud (sponsored link, opens in a new tab)from €3.79/moBest price-to-performance VPS in Europe and the US. Ideal for Docker-based apps.
- DigitalOcean (sponsored link, opens in a new tab)from $4/moOne-click Docker droplets, a friendly dashboard and predictable pricing.
- Vultr (sponsored link, opens in a new tab)from $2.50/moHourly-billed cloud servers in 30+ regions with one-click Docker and app images.
- Contabo (sponsored link, opens in a new tab)from €4.50/moVery cheap VPS and storage boxes with generous RAM and disk, popular with home-labbers.
Sponsored links: we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. It never affects rankings.
Is AdGuard Home better than Pi-hole?
AdGuard Home has more built in, notably encrypted DNS and parental controls. Pi-hole has a larger community and plenty of guides, and both block ads equally well with the same blocklists.
Can Pi-hole do DNS over HTTPS?
Not on its own. The common setup is to pair Pi-hole with cloudflared or another DoH proxy, or with Unbound for recursive DNS.
Can I run both Pi-hole and AdGuard Home?
You can, for example chaining one as the upstream of the other, but it adds complexity with little benefit. Most people pick one.
Which is more popular on GitHub, Pi-hole or AdGuard Home?
Pi-hole has 61,167 GitHub stars against 37,245 for AdGuard Home. Over the last twelve months Pi-hole received 215 commits and AdGuard Home received 235, so AdGuard Home is the more actively developed of the two right now. Stars measure interest, not fit, so weigh them against the differences above.