# Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home

> 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.

## 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 Pi-hole: Classic network-wide ad blocking with a huge community
- Best for AdGuard Home: Ad blocking with built-in encrypted DNS and parental controls

## Key differences

| 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 numbers

| Metric | Pi-hole | AdGuard Home |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 61,167 | 37,245 |
| Forks | 3,318 | 2,533 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 215 | 235 |
| Last commit | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | v6.4.3 | v0.107.79 |
| License | EUPL-1.2 | GPL-3.0 |
| License type | Open source | Open source |
| Language | Shell | TypeScript |
| Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| Repository | https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole | https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome |

App pages: [Pi-hole](https://appsgit.com/apps/pi-hole), [AdGuard Home](https://appsgit.com/apps/adguard-home)

## FAQ

### 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.

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Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/compare/pi-hole-vs-adguard-home
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