Pi-hole vs SafeDNS

Pi-hole8.6Visit SafeDNS8.4Visit

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

vs

SafeDNS #8 in DNS Filtering Software 8.4/10 15-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 4 features Visit SafeDNS

• Pi-hole fits best

  Self-hosted network-wide ad blocking

• SafeDNS fits best

  Families and organizations wanting detailed controls

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Side by side

Feature	Pi-hole 8.6/10 Visit ↗	SafeDNS 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	8.4
Ranking	#6 in DNS Filtering Software	#8 in DNS Filtering Software
Best for	Self-hosted network-wide ad blocking	Families and organizations wanting detailed controls
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$25.95/yr
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	15 days
Deployment	Self-hosted, Cloud	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Linux	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Phone, Live chat, Docs · 24/7
Integrations	2 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Pi-hole 0/4 · SafeDNS 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	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	Filters across 66 content categories with custom allowlists and denylists Adds AppBlocker, schedules, per-user policies, and Safe Search Supports routers, roaming clients, OpenWRT, and major desktop and mobile platforms
Cons	Deployment centers on supported Linux distributions or Docker Requires self-hosted administration and DNS configuration Offers fewer family-policy features than some alternatives	No free plan is available Advanced business controls are distributed across higher paid tiers Deployment requires choosing among router, DNS, or agent-based approaches
Our verdict	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 →	SafeDNS is a cloud-based DNS security and internet-filtering service for households, schools, small and midsize businesses, enterprises, managed service providers, internet service providers, and Wi-Fi providers. It filters traffic at the… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• 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

• SafeDNS — where it wins

  • Filters across 66 content categories with custom allowlists and denylists
  • Adds AppBlocker, schedules, per-user policies, and Safe Search
  • Supports routers, roaming clients, OpenWRT, and major desktop and mobile platforms

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Advanced business controls are distributed across higher paid tiers
  • Deployment requires choosing among router, DNS, or agent-based approaches

• Pi-hole8.6/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit Pi-holeFull verdict →
• SafeDNS8.4/10 · 15-day trial

  Detailed DNS controls for households and organizations, with paid plans for broader management.

  Visit SafeDNSFull verdict →