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AdGuard Home is the closest directly documented self-hosted alternative to Pi-hole. Both use DNS sinkholing: devices send domain lookups to a local resolver, which refuses requests for domains on blocklists. AdGuard Home adds documented built-in options for encrypted DNS upstreams, DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS service, per-client settings, parental controls and Safe Search. Pi-hole offers mature household controls including client groups, query logs, regex allow/deny rules, an optional DHCP server and a REST API.
The important limitation is architectural: neither is a universal browser-style content blocker. Coverage is good only when every relevant device uses the filtering server for DNS, and DNS filtering cannot provide the cosmetic and page-level control of a traditional ad-blocking extension. Choose between them according to where you can host the service, how you want to assign DNS, whether encrypted-DNS features matter, and how you will recover if the resolver stops.
What a Pi-hole alternative actually does
Pi-hole describes itself as a DNS sinkhole that protects devices without installing client software (Pi-hole Documentation). AdGuard Home describes the same basic method: both products block ads and trackers by DNS sinkholing and let administrators customize what is blocked (AdGuard Home project README).
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Why DNS filtering is not the same as an ad blocker
AdGuard’s own project documentation cautions that DNS sinkholing can block a large percentage of ads but lacks the flexibility and power of traditional ad blockers. DNS filtering generally cannot remove page elements after a page has loaded, rewrite a page’s layout, or distinguish every ad from other content delivered by the same domain. It is therefore best understood as a network-wide first layer, not a replacement for every browser or app-level control.
The coverage rule
A device is protected only when its DNS requests reach the filtering resolver. If the router continues advertising another resolver, or a device is manually configured to use a different one, that device can bypass the policy. Network-wide deployment is consequently a DHCP and routing task as much as an installation task.
AdGuard Home and Pi-hole compared
The table separates documented capabilities from assumptions. AdGuard’s feature claims below come from its own project comparison, not an independent benchmark. Pi-hole capabilities are taken from its official overview and network-wide-ad-blocking pages.
| Decision area | Pi-hole | AdGuard Home |
|---|---|---|
| Filtering method | DNS sinkhole; no client software is required (official overview). | DNS sinkholing with customizable block rules (project README). |
| Per-device policy | Client groups with different rules are documented on the project site (Pi-hole). | Per-client configuration is listed in AdGuard’s project comparison (project README). |
| Logs and rule control | Query logs plus regex allow and deny rules are documented (Pi-hole). | Customizable blocking is documented; the cited comparison does not establish an equivalent Pi-hole feature list or retention policy. |
| DHCP | Optional built-in DHCP server, useful when a router cannot assign a custom DNS server (post-install documentation). | Not stated in the cited AdGuard Home setup material. |
| Encrypted DNS features | Not established by the cited Pi-hole pages. | AdGuard’s comparison lists encrypted upstream DNS and the ability to operate DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS servers (project README). |
| Parental controls and Safe Search | Not established by the cited Pi-hole pages. | Listed as built-in differences in AdGuard’s comparison (project README). |
| Host and installation options | Raspberry Pi, an old PC, a virtual machine or a NAS are named host choices (official overview). | Release binaries, an official Docker image and an official Snap package are provided; Raspberry Pi users are directed to a dedicated guide (getting-started guide). |
| Cross-platform support | Specific host examples are documented; a complete platform matrix is not stated in the cited pages. | Cross-platform support is listed in AdGuard’s project comparison (project README). |
Which alternative fits your home?
Choose AdGuard Home when encrypted DNS and built-in family controls matter
AdGuard Home is the clearest choice if you want the features its project documentation explicitly highlights beyond basic sinkholing: encrypted upstream DNS, serving DNS over HTTPS or TLS, adult-domain blocking, Safe Search and settings that vary by client. It is also a natural fit when your server workflow is based on a downloadable release, Docker or Snap. Treat those capabilities as the project’s own comparison rather than a third-party performance ranking.
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Choose Pi-hole when household administration and established Pi-hole workflows matter
Pi-hole suits a network where you want visible query history, client groups, regex exceptions and a built-in DHCP fallback. Its documentation gives a direct router-DHCP procedure and names several ways to host it, so it can fit anything from a small dedicated board to an existing PC, virtual machine or NAS.
Choose by operations, not by a claimed blocking percentage
The cited official pages provide no independent percentages for ad-blocking effectiveness or measured speed gains. A better decision is the one you can keep running: a resolver that every client uses, has rules you can maintain, and can be repaired without losing the host’s own internet access.
Prepare the network before installing
Confirm that your router can distribute a custom DNS server
Look in the router’s LAN or DHCP settings for the DNS-server fields supplied to clients. Pi-hole’s post-install documentation recommends assigning the Pi-hole address there so new DHCP clients automatically use it (Pi-hole post-install documentation). The exact label varies by router, so record the current values before changing them.
Plan a stable address for the filtering host
The router must be able to keep directing clients to the same resolver address. Use the address-management method your router or server already supports, and document it before changing DHCP. The sources do not require a particular Raspberry Pi model or any dedicated hardware; Pi-hole lists a Raspberry Pi, old PC, virtual machine and NAS, while AdGuard Home supports binaries and packaged deployments.
Decide what happens if the service is down
Do not make the filtering host depend on itself without a recovery path. Pi-hole warns that if the host uses its own Pi-hole service for DNS and that service fails, the host can lose name resolution, which may prevent downloading updates or other repair resources (Pi-hole post-install documentation). Keep a second device from which you can reach the router and server, and know how to restore a temporary upstream DNS setting.
Install Pi-hole and put the whole network behind it
1. Install on an available host
Use a Raspberry Pi, old PC, virtual machine or NAS that can remain powered on. Pi-hole is the software service; a new single-board computer is optional. Complete the installation and web setup on that host before changing the router, so you have a working resolver to point clients toward.
2. Set router DHCP clients to use Pi-hole
- Open the router’s LAN or DHCP configuration.
- Enter the Pi-hole host address in the DNS-server field supplied to clients.
- Save the router configuration and renew a client’s DHCP lease, or reconnect the client, so it receives the new resolver.
- Verify that a newly renewed client shows the Pi-hole address as its DNS server and that normal domains still resolve.
This is the preferred network-wide path because one DHCP change covers phones, computers and appliances that accept the router’s settings.
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3. Use Pi-hole’s DHCP server if the router cannot assign DNS
- First disable the router’s DHCP service; two DHCP servers on one LAN can issue conflicting leases.
- Enable Pi-hole’s built-in DHCP server and define the LAN range and lease settings there.
- Renew client leases so Pi-hole becomes both the address distributor and DNS server.
- Confirm that clients receive the expected gateway, address and Pi-hole DNS value.
Pi-hole documents this as the fallback when the router cannot provide a custom DNS setting (post-install documentation).
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4. Treat manual device DNS as a last resort
You can enter the Pi-hole address on individual devices, but that creates a separate maintenance task for every phone, console and smart appliance and does not protect devices that join later. Use it only when router or DHCP changes are impossible, and record each exception.
Install AdGuard Home with the required ports
1. Select a supported delivery method
AdGuard Home’s official getting-started guide provides release binaries, an official Docker image and an official Snap package (AdGuard Home getting-started guide). Choose the method that matches the operating system or container workflow you already maintain. Raspberry Pi users are referred to a dedicated guide rather than being required to buy a particular board.
2. Allow the initial setup ports
For the first launch, the guide specifies TCP port 3000 for initial configuration, TCP port 80 for the web interface and UDP port 53 for DNS. Other protocols can require additional ports. Check the host firewall, container publishing rules and any upstream network firewall before assuming the service is unavailable.
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- Open the initial setup interface on TCP 3000 from a device on the LAN.
- Choose the listening interfaces and DNS settings, then finish the wizard.
- Use the web interface on TCP 80 to review the resulting configuration.
- Change router DHCP DNS settings to the AdGuard Home address, or use its documented deployment method alongside your network’s DHCP service.
- Renew a client lease and confirm that DNS queries arrive in AdGuard Home’s interface.
The cited setup guide establishes the ports and package choices; it does not establish a universal router-DHCP screen, so use your router’s own LAN/DHCP labels for the final assignment.
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Configure policies without locking yourself out
Pi-hole client groups
Pi-hole’s client groups let you apply different rules to different sets of devices. Put ordinary household clients in a default group, then create narrower groups for equipment that needs fewer restrictions. Add a device deliberately and test its queries before extending the policy to the entire network.
Pi-hole query logs and regex rules
Use query logs to identify which domain a device is requesting before creating an exception. Regex allow and deny rules are powerful but can affect many related hostnames; make one change at a time and verify the application that prompted it. Keep a note of each exception so a future list update does not silently undo a household requirement.
AdGuard Home per-client settings and safety features
AdGuard Home’s project comparison lists per-client configuration, adult-domain blocking and Safe Search. These controls are useful when children’s devices need a different policy from work equipment, but apply them only after identifying the client reliably. Device names can change as leases rotate, so verify the association in the interface after reconnecting a client.
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Encrypted upstream choices
AdGuard Home documents encrypted upstream DNS and the ability to provide DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS service. Those are transport options, not a guarantee that every application will honor the network resolver: coverage still depends on clients sending their lookups through AdGuard Home. The cited Pi-hole pages do not establish equivalent encrypted-DNS features, so do not assume parity from the shared sinkhole architecture.
Troubleshoot the failures that affect coverage
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| No device appears in query logs | The client received another DNS address or has not renewed its lease. | Inspect the client’s DNS setting, renew DHCP, and verify the router’s LAN/DHCP DNS field. |
| Some devices filter while others do not | Those devices use manual DNS, a separate VLAN, or a different DHCP service. | Check each network segment and remove conflicting DHCP or per-device resolver settings. |
| The filtering host cannot resolve names after a failure | It depends on its own stopped resolver. | Temporarily assign a reachable upstream DNS server, repair the service, then restore the intended setting; Pi-hole documents this recovery concern. |
| AdGuard Home setup page will not open | TCP 3000 is blocked or not published. | Review host and container firewall rules, then check TCP 80 for the normal web interface and UDP 53 for DNS. |
| A site or app breaks after a list change | A required domain was denied. | Use the query log to identify the blocked hostname, add the narrowest allow rule, and retest before broadening it. |
| Ads remain inside an app or page | The content and advertising share a domain, or the app is not using the network resolver. | Confirm DNS routing first; then recognize the inherent limits of DNS sinkholing and use an application-level control where appropriate. |
Self-hosted filtering versus a managed DNS service
A self-hosted resolver such as Pi-hole or AdGuard Home gives you local logs, local policy and control over the host and network path. It also makes you responsible for updates, uptime, backups, DHCP changes and recovery. A cloud-managed DNS service can remove the need to operate a local host, but its current features, prices, retention policies and client controls are not established by the sources for this guide; compare those details directly before choosing one.
Regardless of provider, ask six operational questions: Can it assign different policies per device? Where are logs stored and how long? Does it support encrypted DNS? Can every VLAN and guest network reach it? What happens when the service is unreachable? How quickly can you restore ordinary DNS while repairing the filter?
A practical decision checklist
- Pick AdGuard Home if its documented encrypted-DNS, Safe Search, adult-domain and per-client features match your requirements, or if Docker, Snap or a release binary best fits your host.
- Pick Pi-hole if client groups, query logs, regex controls, its optional DHCP server and familiar Pi-hole administration are more important than the additional AdGuard features listed above.
- Use either when you want a local DNS sinkhole and can configure router DHCP so clients actually use it.
- Do not rely on either alone for cosmetic filtering, page rewriting or applications that bypass the network resolver.
- Prepare recovery first: keep alternate DNS knowledge, a second administration path and a documented way to undo the DHCP change.
Bottom line: the best Pi-hole alternative depends on the DNS path you can maintain
AdGuard Home is the strongest directly documented Pi-hole alternative when encrypted DNS options and built-in per-client safety controls are priorities. Pi-hole remains the better fit for households that value its client groups, logs, regex rules and DHCP fallback. In both cases, the decisive setup step is assigning the filtering server through DHCP and maintaining a recovery plan; without that network path, neither service can provide reliable coverage.
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