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DNS / Firewall

Pi-hole

Self-hosted network-wide ad blocking

sinkhole

Privacy score 90 Free Technical: Intermediate Open source
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Pi-hole 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 have a Raspberry Pi or Linux device to run it on
  • • You want open-source ad blocking solution
  • • You need to block ads on devices that can't run ad blockers (smart TVs, IoT)

⚠ Think twice if:

  • • You want the simplest blocking setup (requires installation)
  • • You need cloud-based blocking (Pi-hole is self-hosted)
  • • You're not comfortable managing Linux software
  • • You want encrypted by default (requires additional setup)
  • • You need zero-maintenance solution

Overview

Pi-hole implements DNS

filtering and blocking at the network level, operating as a DNS sinkhole. The application processes DNS queries locally and blocks requests to known ad and tracker domains. Pi-hole uses standard DNS protocols by default but can be configured to use DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) or DNS-over-TLS (DoT) for upstream DNS queries. The application stores query logs in a SQLite database if logging is enabled. Pi-hole is self-hosted, meaning all DNS queries are processed locally and not sent to external services unless forwarded to upstream DNS servers. The application is open source (European Union Public License v1.2) and maintained by community contributors.

Privacy highlight

Completely free, self-hosted network-wide ad blocker. No cloud services, no accounts, all processing happens locally.

Quick facts

Country:
Decentralized (self-hostable)
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)
Pi-hole uses standard protocols and does not implement by default. However, Pi-hole can be configured to use -over- (DoH) or -over- (DoT) for upstream queries through additional configuration. Pi-hole does not require user keys. The application stores configuration and blocklists locally on the device where it is installed. All queries are processed locally unless forwarded to upstream servers.
Offline support
Yes
Telemetry & tracking Click to expand
No telemetry
No
Ip no
Pi-hole does not collect data. The application operates entirely locally and does not connect to external services for or . Pi-hole does not transmit data to external servers. The application can optionally send anonymous statistics to the Pi-hole team if explicitly enabled by the user, but this is disabled by default. All query processing happens locally.
Jurisdiction & compliance Click to expand
Pi-hole is community-maintained with no specific jurisdiction. Since Pi-hole 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.
Pi-hole does not retain data on external servers. All data is stored locally on the device where Pi-hole is installed. Query logs (if enabled) are stored locally in a SQLite database. The application does not transmit data to external services. Users have complete control over - logs persist locally until manually deleted or configured retention periods expire. Pi-hole does not require any cloud services.
Legal frameworks
No specific legal frameworks apply since Pi-hole does not collect or store data externally. Users are responsible for compliance with local laws.
Revenue sources
Donations
Editorial signals Click to expand
90
Trust score
90
Trust breakdown (0–10)
Encryption: 70, Audits: 80, Open source: 95, Telemetry: 100, Jurisdiction: 100, Transparency: 90, Trackers: 100
Editorial notes
Usability: 70, Performance: 90, Family friendly: 85
User experience Click to expand
Signup requirements
No account or signup required. Pi-hole is self-hosted software that runs on your own hardware. No registration, email, or personal information required.
Onboarding difficulty (1-5)
3
Accessibility features
Pi-hole 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
Pi-hole supports configuration export and import. Users can export blocklists, whitelists, and settings. Configuration can be backed up and restored. Database can be exported for migration.
Configuration recovery is handled through configuration backups. Users should regularly back up their Pi-hole configuration. Database backups should be created for query logs if logging is enabled.

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