Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
For most first-time home users, AdGuard Home is the easier starting point because encrypted upstream DNS, HTTPS administration, phishing and malware protection, parental controls, SafeSearch, and a browser-based setup wizard are documented as built-in features. Choose Pi-hole instead when you want a focused DNS sinkhole, a mature Linux or Docker workflow, and extensive community documentation. Neither product is an app you install on every device: both need an always-on host and a router or DHCP configuration that sends network DNS requests to it.
What Pi-hole and AdGuard Home actually do
Pi-hole and AdGuard Home are network-level DNS blockers. A device first asks a DNS server to translate a domain name into an IP address. When the requested domain appears on a blocklist, the blocker answers with a sinkhole response instead of the advertising or tracking server’s address. Because the decision is made at the DNS layer, one installation can cover phones, computers, game consoles, smart TVs, and other devices on the home network without a client program on each one.
Both projects let you customize blocklists, review DNS activity, and manage rules through a web interface. Pi-hole describes itself as a DNS sinkhole running on the user’s own Linux hardware, with optional DHCP service. AdGuard Home’s comparison describes the same DNS-sinkholing approach and emphasizes that it can cover many device types.
DNS blocking is broader than a browser extension, but less precise
A DNS service sees domain requests, not the complete web page. That makes it useful for devices that cannot run browser extensions, but it also means it cannot inspect individual page elements. Ads delivered from the same domain as wanted content may continue to appear. Some in-app advertising and page components that require browser-level inspection can also evade a DNS rule. Keep a browser or device-level blocker when you need element-by-element control; DNS blocking and browser blocking solve different parts of the problem.
“DNS sinkholing is capable of blocking a big percentage of ads, but it lacks flexibility and power of traditional ad blockers.”
That is AdGuard Team’s stated limitation for the technique. It is a description of the method, not a promise of a particular blocking percentage. The official material supplied for this comparison contains no dated independent speed, hardware, or blocking-rate benchmarks, so treat claims such as faster browsing or a specific percentage blocked with caution.
Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home at a glance
| Beginner concern | Pi-hole | AdGuard Home |
|---|---|---|
| Core method | DNS sinkholing for network-wide blocking | DNS sinkholing for network-wide blocking |
| Initial installation | Guided installer on bare metal or a Docker deployment; web administration follows installation | Server binary, Docker, or Snap; first launch opens a browser-based wizard |
| Encrypted upstream DNS | Additional software or configuration is required according to the comparison | Built in, with DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), DNS-over-TLS (DoT), and DNSCrypt listed |
| HTTPS administration | Possible, but manual web-server configuration is needed | Listed as built in |
| Phishing and malware blocking | Non-default lists or extra configuration are required according to the comparison | Listed as built in |
| Parental controls and SafeSearch | Extra configuration or lists are required according to the comparison | Listed as built in |
| DHCP service | Optional built-in DHCP | Built-in DHCP |
| Host hardware | Your own Linux hardware; a Raspberry Pi is a practical example, not a stated requirement | Any supported always-on host, including Docker-capable hardware |
The differences in this table come from AdGuard Team’s comparison. “Built in” means the feature is exposed in the documented product feature set; it does not mean every protection is enabled with a perfect policy on the first day. Lists, exclusions, encrypted upstream choices, and family settings still need to be reviewed.
What you need before installing either blocker
An always-on host
Neither service runs in the router by magic. You install it on a computer or server that can stay powered on and connected to the home network. A Raspberry Pi is a common small host for Pi-hole, but the supplied documentation does not require a particular Raspberry Pi generation. A small Linux machine, a Docker-capable home server, or another supported always-on system can serve the same role. If the host sleeps, loses its network connection, or shuts down, clients may lose DNS resolution unless your network has a separate fallback.
A plan for network DNS
Clients must be told to use the new DNS server. The cleanest arrangement is usually the router’s LAN or DHCP setting, where you enter the host’s local IP address as the DNS server. Give the host a stable address through a DHCP reservation or an equivalent local-network method so that clients do not keep receiving a different address.
Rank #2
- All-in-One Complete Kit: This SANOOV RPi 5 bundle comes with Raspberry Pi 5 4GB RAM single board, active cooler, durable ABS case and screwdriver. No extra parts needed, ready to use right out of the box for beginners and hobbyists
- Powerful Single Board Computer: Equipped with 4GB RAM and high-performance processor, delivers fast running speed for 4K playback, AI projects, programming and daily computing tasks. SANOOV for raspberry pi 5 4GB is equipped with broadcom 64 quad-core Arm Cortex A76 processor with gigabit ethernet and upgraded with IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 dual-band 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and Power Over Ethernet (POE). Upgrading delivers 2-3 x speed vs Pi 4, redefining the experience
- Efficient Active Cooler: Effectively lowers operating temperature and prevents performance throttling. Runs quietly even under long-time heavy load, ensures stable operation all day long. SANOOV RPi 5 4GB kit offer an active cooler, which combines an aluminium heatsink with a high-performance PWM fan. Active cooler is fully compatible with the Pi OS, which can effectively reduce the temperature of RPi5 and ensure its good performance during long-term high load operation
- Sturdy ABS Protective Case: Well-fitted for Raspberry Pi 5 board, can be secured with 4 screws to effectively protect the Pi 5 motherboard from damage, reserves full access to all ports and buttons. SANOOV uses ABS material to produce the case, which has a softer texture and feel. Meanwhile, SANOOV case adopts a layered design for easy disassembly and installation. (Tip: The Case cannot install M.2 HAT Add on Board and Solid State Drive!)
- Wide Application & Full Compatibility: Seamlessly compatible with official OS and mainstream peripheral accessories for Raspberry Pi 5. Whether you are a beginner, student, electronics hobbyist or professional developer, this all-in-one kit meets your diverse needs. It excels in IoT projects, robotics design, retro gaming devices, home media servers and other DIY creations. Backed by a large global community, you can easily find guides, technical support and shared projects online
If your router will not let you specify a custom DNS server, Pi-hole’s post-install guidance allows its DHCP service to take over. Disable the router’s DHCP service first, enable Pi-hole DHCP, and make sure the Pi-hole host remains reachable. Do not run two DHCP servers on the same LAN: competing leases can produce intermittent connectivity and make troubleshooting difficult.
Local access and a recovery path
Have a way to reach the host locally or through your normal administration method before changing DNS. Keep the router’s original DNS settings noted somewhere safe. If the blocker is unavailable, temporarily restoring the previous DNS setting or assigning another reachable DNS server can get the household back online while you repair the host.
How to install Pi-hole for a first home network
Choose bare metal or Docker
Pi-hole’s getting-started documentation presents two main paths: a guided bare-metal installation on supported Linux hardware or a Docker deployment. Bare metal generally means Pi-hole owns the service directly on the host. Docker keeps the service in a container and can fit a host that already uses containers, but you must plan container networking, persistent storage, and port exposure yourself.
- Prepare the host. Install a supported Linux environment for bare metal, or a functioning Docker engine for the container route. Connect the host to the LAN and arrange a stable local IP address.
- Run the documented Pi-hole installation path. Follow the project’s current getting-started instructions for the selected deployment. The Pi-hole overview describes its installer as taking “less than ten minutes”; that is an undated vendor estimate, not a guaranteed completion time.
- Open the web administration interface. Complete the administrator setup, review the interface, and confirm that the service is listening on the host’s LAN address.
- Point the network at Pi-hole. In the router’s LAN or DHCP settings, replace the previous DNS server with the Pi-hole host address. Apply the change and renew a client lease, or reconnect the client so it receives the new DNS information.
- Use Pi-hole DHCP only when necessary. If the router cannot advertise Pi-hole as DNS, disable router DHCP, enable Pi-hole’s DHCP server, define the LAN range and gateway values appropriate to your network, and renew client leases.
- Verify from several device types. Check a computer, a phone on Wi-Fi, and a device such as a television. The Pi-hole query log should show requests arriving from clients. If only the host itself appears, the network has not yet adopted Pi-hole as its DNS server.
Pi-hole’s focused design is attractive when you want a conventional Linux service, Docker documentation, optional DHCP, and a large body of community guidance. Encrypted upstream DNS, family filtering, and other advanced protections may require additional lists, software, or manual configuration rather than a single first-run switch.
How to install AdGuard Home for a first home network
Understand the ports before starting
AdGuard Home’s setup guide documents TCP port 3000 for initial installation, port 80 for the web interface, and UDP port 53 for DNS. Ensure the host’s firewall and any container port mappings allow the required traffic on your LAN. If another service already occupies one of those ports, resolve that conflict before opening the wizard.
Rank #3
- powful cputhe cpu of the raspberry pi 4 model b adopts the latest arm cortex-a72 architecture, which is also used in high-performance smartphones, and has evolved into a real pc.the operating clock has been changed from pi3's 1.2ghz to 1.5ghz, and the speed has become a different dimension with the updated architecture.
- video output/gputhe on-board gpu of the raspberry pi 4 supports 4kp@60 and newly supports h.265 decoding, opengl es 3.0, etc.as for the video output, two micro hdmis with smaller connectors are installed, and the raspberry pi 4 also supports dual screen output.
- usb 3.0with a new soc, the speed of the raspberry pi 4 around i/o has been improved, and finally usb 3.0 is supported.usb boot is faster and more convenient.
- network&bluetoothgigabit ethernet (wired lan) has also been significantly speeded up from 300mbps of pi 3b + to 1000mbps (logical value).in addition, bluetooth supported version has been upgraded to 5.0, and the transfer speed of pi 4 has been doubled.
- power input connectorthe power input connector of the raspberry pi 4 has been changed to usb type c. it is easier to use than micro usb and can supply a larger current reliably.the power requirement of raspberry pi 4 model b is 5v 3.0a, which is higher than the previous model.
- Choose a deployment. Use the server binary, Docker, or Snap package documented by AdGuard Home. Put the service on an always-on host with a stable local address.
- Start the first-run service. Browse to the host on TCP port 3000 from a device on the same LAN. The first launch opens a browser configuration wizard.
- Set the administration and DNS listeners. In the wizard, select the interface and ports appropriate to your LAN. Keep the DNS listener reachable on UDP port 53 and the web interface reachable on the administration port you intend to use; the guide identifies port 80 for the web interface in its standard setup.
- Complete the built-in policy choices. Configure upstream DNS, encrypted upstream protocols where desired, filtering, and family features. Do not assume that enabling a category means every site or application will behave identically; inspect logs and add exceptions for legitimate services.
- Change the network’s DNS advertisement. Enter the AdGuard Home host address in the router’s LAN or DHCP DNS field. If the router cannot do this, use the router’s documented DHCP alternative rather than running two DHCP servers simultaneously.
- Renew and test clients. Reconnect Wi-Fi devices or renew their leases, then inspect AdGuard Home’s query log for requests from each client class. Test ordinary websites, an application with advertising, and a smart-TV service separately.
AdGuard Home’s guided browser flow is the clearest advantage for beginners. Its documented default feature set also puts encrypted DNS choices, HTTPS administration, phishing and malware protection, parental controls, and SafeSearch in the product rather than requiring a collection of add-ons.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Which one is easier for common beginner tasks?
Blocking ads on phones and tablets
Both products can cover phones and tablets connected to the home Wi-Fi because the blocking decision occurs at DNS level. No mobile client is required for that local-network use. A phone using cellular data, a VPN that supplies its own DNS, or a manually configured private DNS profile may bypass the home DNS server. Check the phone’s active network and DNS settings before concluding that a list is ineffective.
Blocking ads on smart TVs and streaming devices
Pi-hole’s project overview explicitly names smart TVs and mobile apps among the devices it can protect. AdGuard Home uses the same network DNS model, so a television or streaming box that honors the LAN’s DNS settings can be covered without installing software on the television. Devices with hard-coded DNS, an embedded VPN, or a service that serves advertising from the same domain as its video or app content can limit results. DNS blocking cannot replace controls built into the television or streaming service.
Encrypted upstream DNS
AdGuard Home lists DoH, DoT, and DNSCrypt as built-in options. Pi-hole’s comparison entry marks encrypted upstream DNS as requiring additional software. If encrypting the connection from your home blocker to its upstream resolver is a day-one requirement, AdGuard Home avoids a separate integration step. In either product, encryption of upstream requests does not make the local DNS configuration invisible to the devices or router that use it.
Parental controls and SafeSearch
AdGuard Home lists parental controls and SafeSearch in its built-in feature set. Pi-hole can achieve comparable outcomes through extra configuration or lists, but the comparison does not present them as default features. Families should test the policy with each child’s devices, because a device that uses cellular data, a VPN, or its own encrypted DNS profile can bypass a home policy.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #4
- Includes Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Model B with 1.5GHz 64-bit quad-core CPU (4GB RAM)
- Includes Pre-Loaded 32GB EVO+ Micro SD Card (Class 10), USB MicroSD Card Reader
- CanaKit Premium High-Gloss Raspberry Pi 4 Case with Integrated Fan Mount, CanaKit Low Noise Bearing System Fan
- CanaKit 3.5A USB-C Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply (US Plug) with Noise Filter, Set of Heat Sinks, Display Cable - 6 foot (Supports up to 4K60p)
- CanaKit USB-C PiSwitch (On/Off Power Switch for Raspberry Pi 4)
HTTPS administration and threat lists
AdGuard Home lists HTTPS administration and phishing or malware blocking as built in. Pi-hole can use HTTPS, but manual web-server configuration is required, and the comparison says non-default lists are needed for phishing and malware protection. Choose the product whose initial security posture matches your willingness to maintain certificates, lists, and exceptions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where Pi-hole is the better beginner choice
- You want a narrow, understandable DNS sinkhole. Pi-hole keeps the central job—answering DNS requests and applying lists—easy to explain and audit.
- You already use Linux or Docker. The documented bare-metal and Docker paths fit a home server that you already maintain.
- You value community documentation. Pi-hole has a mature body of deployment and troubleshooting guidance around Linux, Docker, and optional DHCP.
- You are comfortable adding features deliberately. If encrypted upstream DNS, family policy, and threat lists are projects you prefer to configure yourself, Pi-hole’s modular approach can be an advantage rather than a drawback.
Where AdGuard Home is the better beginner choice
- You want a browser-guided first run. The initial wizard exposes the key listeners and account settings before you redirect the whole network.
- You want encrypted upstream DNS without another service. DoH, DoT, and DNSCrypt are listed as built in.
- You need family-oriented controls. Parental controls and SafeSearch are listed as built in, reducing the need to assemble separate lists and integrations.
- You prefer security defaults in one product. HTTPS administration and phishing or malware blocking are listed as built in, while Pi-hole’s comparison entries require extra work for those areas.
Troubleshooting after the DNS change
Nothing is blocked
- Confirm the client received the blocker host’s IP address as DNS, rather than the router or an external resolver.
- Renew the client’s DHCP lease or disconnect and reconnect Wi-Fi.
- Check the blocker query log. No query from the client means the network path is wrong; queries with allowed results point to list or policy configuration.
- Test a second device. A VPN, private DNS profile, or cellular connection on the first device may bypass the LAN DNS setting.
The internet stops working after enabling the blocker
- Check that the host is powered on and reachable at its stable LAN address.
- Verify that DNS is listening on UDP port 53 and that the host firewall or container mapping is not blocking it.
- If you enabled DHCP on the blocker, confirm the router’s DHCP service is disabled. Two DHCP servers can distribute conflicting DNS and gateway information.
- Temporarily restore the previous router DNS setting to recover connectivity while correcting the host configuration.
A legitimate site or app breaks
Use the query log to identify the blocked domain, then create the narrowest allow rule that restores the function. Avoid disabling all filtering for an entire device unless you have confirmed that a broad exception is necessary. Re-test the specific page or app after each change; DNS decisions can affect login, images, analytics, and content delivery separately.
A smart TV or app still shows advertisements
Confirm that the device is using the home’s DNS server and is not hard-coding another resolver. If it is using the blocker, the advertisement may share a domain with desired content or be inserted after the DNS lookup. That is a method limitation, not evidence that the host is offline; use device or browser controls for page-level filtering where available.
How to choose in five minutes
- Select AdGuard Home if your priority list starts with encrypted upstream DNS, guided browser setup, HTTPS administration, phishing and malware lists, SafeSearch, or parental controls.
- Select Pi-hole if your priority is a focused sinkhole on Linux or Docker, optional DHCP, and a well-established community workflow.
- Check the host first. If you do not have an always-on machine, obtain or repurpose one before choosing software; neither product can protect a network while its only DNS server is asleep.
- Map your router path. Confirm that the router can advertise a custom DNS server. If it cannot, decide whether you are prepared to run one DHCP service on the blocker and disable the router’s DHCP service.
- Keep expectations realistic. Both products block many domain-level ads and trackers, but neither is a complete replacement for browser-level filtering, and neither has a documented universal blocking percentage or speed advantage in the supplied official material.
Costs, maintenance, and long-term ownership
The software choices described here are self-hosted network services. Plan for the cost and upkeep of an always-on host, storage for the operating system or container data, electricity, and occasional updates. A Raspberry Pi is only one practical host example; the evidence does not establish a mandatory model or minimum generation. Docker and Snap can simplify packaging choices, while bare-metal installation can reduce the number of moving parts on a dedicated Linux machine.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallMaintenance consists of keeping the host operating system and blocker current, reviewing blocklists, checking query logs for false positives, and confirming that router or DHCP settings still point clients to the correct address. Family policies and encrypted upstream settings should be rechecked after major network changes. Because no dated independent performance statistics are established here, judge the deployment by reliability on your own network rather than by an unverified speed or blocking-rate claim.
Bottom line for beginners
AdGuard Home is the more approachable first installation when you want several privacy and family features exposed in one guided product. Pi-hole remains an excellent choice for a hands-on Linux or Docker user who wants a focused DNS sinkhole, optional DHCP, and extensive community documentation. In both cases, success depends less on the brand of host than on two fundamentals: an always-on machine and a network configuration that actually sends every intended device’s DNS traffic to it.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
