Pi-hole vs Unicorn

Pi-hole8.7Visit Unicorn8.5Visit

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

vs

Unicorn #7 in Ad Blocking Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Unicorn

• Pi-hole fits best

  Network-wide self-hosted blocking

• Unicorn fits best

  Cross-platform users needing advanced app filtering

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Side by side

Feature	Pi-hole 8.7/10 Visit ↗	Unicorn 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.5
Ranking	#5 in Ad Blocking Software	#7 in Ad Blocking Software
Best for	Network-wide self-hosted blocking	Cross-platform users needing advanced app filtering
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Cloud	Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms	Web, Linux	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Live chat
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Pi-hole 0/4 · Unicorn 3/4
App blocking	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Tracker blocking	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Custom filters	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Element picker	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Platform coverage	Not checked yet	Cross-platform
Device limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Filter-list control	Not checked yet	Advanced
Our review
Pros	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	Blocks ads across browsers and supported apps Offers HTTPS, DNS, and DPI protection Includes per-app controls, logs, and custom rules
Cons	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	App blocking applies only to supported apps Browser extensions cover selected browsers Pricing varies by product and region
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, hardware such as Raspberry Pi devices, or Docker, with… Read the review →	Unicorn is an ad-blocking software suite from Unicorn Soft Co., Ltd. It is designed for people who want filtering beyond browser pages, including advertisements in supported apps across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Its browser… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• 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

• Unicorn — where it wins

  • Blocks ads across browsers and supported apps
  • Offers HTTPS, DNS, and DPI protection
  • Includes per-app controls, logs, and custom rules

  Where it doesn't

  • App blocking applies only to supported apps
  • Browser extensions cover selected browsers
  • Pricing varies by product and region

• Pi-hole8.7/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit Pi-holeFull verdict →
• Unicorn8.5/10 · Free plan

  A broad ad-blocking suite for users who need app and browser filtering across devices.

  Visit UnicornFull verdict →