AdGuard vs Pi-hole

AdGuard9.4Visit Pi-hole8.7Visit

Higher score AdGuard #1 in Ad Blocking Software 9.4/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 4 features Visit AdGuard

vs

Pi-hole #5 in Ad Blocking Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Pi-hole

• AdGuard fits best

  Most users needing broad device coverage

• Pi-hole fits best

  Network-wide self-hosted blocking

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Side by side

Feature	AdGuard 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Pi-hole 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.7
Ranking	#1 in Ad Blocking Software	#5 in Ad Blocking Software
Best for	Most users needing broad device coverage	Network-wide self-hosted blocking
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	14 days	—
Deployment	Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension	Self-hosted, Cloud
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extension	Web, Linux
Support	Email, Community, Docs · 24/7	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features AdGuard 1/4 · Pi-hole 0/4
App blocking	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Tracker blocking	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Custom filters	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Element picker	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Platform coverage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Device limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Filter-list control	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Blocks ads and trackers in browsers and applications Supports custom lists, user rules, allowlists, and element picking Covers Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Chrome	Blocks ads and content across a network through DNS filtering Supports regex rules, subscribed lists, allowlists and denylists Adds query logs, long-term statistics, DHCP and group policies
Cons	Paid licenses are needed for expanded device coverage and features Safari uses AdGuard Mini for Mac rather than the standard extension It is neither open source nor equipped with AI features	Requires self-hosting on supported Linux systems or Docker Administration requires DNS configuration and technical setup Paid SaaS plans and device limits are not part of its model
Our verdict	AdGuard is an ad-blocking and internet-filtering product for consumers who want protection across browsers, applications, and personal devices. Its desktop and mobile applications cover Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, while a… Read the review →	Pi-hole is free, open-source DNS filtering software for administrators who want to block unwanted domains across an entire network. It runs on supported Linux distributions, hardware such as Raspberry Pi devices, or Docker, with… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• AdGuard — where it wins

  • Blocks ads and trackers in browsers and applications
  • Supports custom lists, user rules, allowlists, and element picking
  • Covers Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Chrome

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid licenses are needed for expanded device coverage and features
  • Safari uses AdGuard Mini for Mac rather than the standard extension
  • It is neither open source nor equipped with AI features

• Pi-hole — where it wins

  • Blocks ads and content across a network through DNS filtering
  • Supports regex rules, subscribed lists, allowlists and denylists
  • Adds query logs, long-term statistics, DHCP and group policies

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires self-hosting on supported Linux systems or Docker
  • Administration requires DNS configuration and technical setup
  • Paid SaaS plans and device limits are not part of its model

• AdGuard9.4/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A broad ad-blocking suite with strong filtering controls across desktop and mobile.

  Visit AdGuardFull verdict →
• Pi-hole8.7/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source DNS filter for controlling unwanted domains across a network.

  Visit Pi-holeFull verdict →