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DNS / Firewall

AdGuard Home

Self-hosted network-wide ad and tracker blocking

server

Privacy score 88 Free Technical: Intermediate Open source
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AdGuard Home offers a privacy-conscious alternative in the

space, with a stronger focus on data protection than many mainstream tools.

Router Desktop Mobile

Who is this for?

✓ Good for you if:

  • • You want network-wide ad blocking for all devices (router-level)
  • • You prefer self-hosted solutions for complete control
  • • You need encrypted support (DoH/DoT/DNSCrypt)
  • • You want detailed statistics on requests
  • • You need parental controls and content filtering

⚠ Think twice if:

  • • You want the simplest blocking setup (requires installation)
  • • You need cloud-based blocking (AdGuard Home is self-hosted)
  • • You're not comfortable managing server software
  • • You want zero-maintenance solution
  • • You need offline blocking

Overview

AdGuard Home implements DNS

filtering and blocking at the network level, processing DNS queries locally on the user's hardware. The application uses DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), DNS-over-TLS (DoT), and DNS-over-QUIC (DoQ) protocols for upstream DNS queries. AdGuard Home blocks requests to known ad and tracker domains using filter lists. The application supports query logging, statistics, and parental controls. AdGuard Home is self-hosted, meaning all DNS queries are processed locally and not sent to external services unless configured to use upstream DNS servers. The application is open source (GPL-3.0) and maintained by AdGuard.

Privacy highlight

Self-hosted network-wide ad blocker with local-only processing. No cloud services, complete control over your data.

Quick facts

Country:
🇨🇾 Cyprus
Pricing:
Free
Platform:
Router, Desktop, Mobile
Technical:
Intermediate
:
No
:
No telemetry
:
Yes
Open-source status:
Fully open source
:
Yes
:
Yes

Key features

  • service with blocking for trackers and .
Security & encryption Click to expand
No
Encryption protocols
DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), DNS-over-TLS (DoT), DNS-over-QUIC (DoQ)
AdGuard Home uses -over- (DoH), -over- (DoT), and -over-QUIC (DoQ) to encrypt queries. The application uses standard / for secure connections. AdGuard Home does not require user keys - it handles automatically. The application uses standard certificate validation and . Configuration data is stored locally on the device where AdGuard Home is installed.
Offline support
Yes
Telemetry & tracking Click to expand
No telemetry
No
Ip no
AdGuard Home does not collect data by default. The application can optionally collect anonymous statistics (query counts, blocked domains) if enabled by the user. AdGuard Home does not transmit data to external services unless configured to use upstream servers. The application stores query logs locally if is enabled. All happens locally on the device where AdGuard Home is installed.
Jurisdiction & compliance Click to expand
AdGuard Home is maintained by AdGuard, which is based in Cyprus. However, since AdGuard Home is self-hosted, all data is stored locally on the user's device or server where it is installed. Users have complete control over data residency.
AdGuard Home does not retain data on external servers. All data is stored locally on the device where the application is installed. Query logs (if enabled) are stored locally and can be configured with retention periods. The application does not transmit data to external services. Users have complete control over - data persists locally until manually deleted or configured retention periods expire.
Legal frameworks
GDPR (where applicable). Since AdGuard Home is self-hosted, users are responsible for compliance with local laws.
Revenue sources
Enterprise, Donations
Editorial signals Click to expand
88
Trust score
88
Trust breakdown (0–10)
Encryption: 85, Audits: 80, Open source: 95, Telemetry: 95, Jurisdiction: 85, Transparency: 85, Trackers: 100
Editorial notes
Usability: 75, Performance: 90, Family friendly: 85
User experience Click to expand
Signup requirements
No account or signup required. AdGuard Home is self-hosted software that runs on your own hardware. No registration, email, or personal information required.
Onboarding difficulty (1-5)
3
Accessibility features
AdGuard Home includes a web interface with basic accessibility features. The interface supports keyboard navigation and can be accessed via screen readers.
Backup & portability Click to expand
Yes
Migration tools
AdGuard Home supports configuration export and import. Users can export blocklists, whitelists, and settings. Configuration can be backed up and restored.
Configuration recovery is handled through configuration backups. Users should regularly back up their AdGuard Home configuration. Database backups should be created for query logs if logging is enabled.

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