NextDNS vs Pi-hole

NextDNS9.2Visit Pi-hole8.6Visit

Higher score NextDNS #3 in DNS Filtering Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit NextDNS

vs

Pi-hole #6 in DNS Filtering Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Pi-hole

• NextDNS fits best

  Privacy-focused personal and family filtering

• Pi-hole fits best

  Self-hosted network-wide ad blocking

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Side by side

Feature	NextDNS 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Pi-hole 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.6
Ranking	#3 in DNS Filtering Software	#6 in DNS Filtering Software
Best for	Privacy-focused personal and family filtering	Self-hosted network-wide ad blocking
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Self-hosted, Cloud
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, Linux
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features NextDNS 0/4 · Pi-hole 0/4
Category filtering	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Custom domain policies	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Roaming protection	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Activity reports	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment modes	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Device limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Encrypted DNS support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free plan includes all features and unlimited devices Blocks malware, phishing, ads, trackers, and selected content Supports encrypted DNS, schedules, logs, and custom domain rules	Blocks unwanted domains across an entire network Supports custom lists, regex rules and group-based policies Provides dashboards, long-term statistics and an interactive API
Cons	Free usage is limited to 300,000 queries per month Custom blocklists must be entered manually rather than uploaded Business and Education pricing is tied to employee or student groups	Deployment centers on supported Linux distributions or Docker Requires self-hosted administration and DNS configuration Offers fewer family-policy features than some alternatives
Our verdict	NextDNS is a DNS-based Internet filtering and security service for individuals, families, schools, and businesses. It applies filtering policies across computers, mobile devices, routers, and other supported network environments. Core… 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, Raspberry Pi OS, or Docker, with administration available through… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• NextDNS — where it wins

  • Free plan includes all features and unlimited devices
  • Blocks malware, phishing, ads, trackers, and selected content
  • Supports encrypted DNS, schedules, logs, and custom domain rules

  Where it doesn't

  • Free usage is limited to 300,000 queries per month
  • Custom blocklists must be entered manually rather than uploaded
  • Business and Education pricing is tied to employee or student groups

• Pi-hole — where it wins

  • Blocks unwanted domains across an entire network
  • Supports custom lists, regex rules and group-based policies
  • Provides dashboards, long-term statistics and an interactive API

  Where it doesn't

  • Deployment centers on supported Linux distributions or Docker
  • Requires self-hosted administration and DNS configuration
  • Offers fewer family-policy features than some alternatives

• NextDNS9.2/10 · Free plan

  Flexible DNS filtering for families, personal privacy, schools, and businesses.

  Visit NextDNSFull verdict →
• Pi-hole8.6/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source choice for self-hosted network-wide ad blocking.

  Visit Pi-holeFull verdict →