Blocky

What Blocky is

Blocky is a free, open-source DNS proxy and ad blocker for local networks, written in Go. It filters DNS queries using external ad-blocking and malware lists, with allowlisting and the option to apply policies by client group. Administrators can configure custom DNS resolution, conditional forwarding, and upstream resolvers for different groups. It supports DNS over UDP and TCP, HTTPS, TLS, QUIC, and HTTPS/3, as well as DNSSEC validation. Configurable caching and prefetching handle frequently used queries. For monitoring and integration, Blocky provides Prometheus metrics, Grafana dashboards, REST API endpoints, and a command-line tool. Query logs can be stored in CSV or MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, or Timescale databases. It is available as a standalone binary or Docker container, with multi-architecture images and a community-supported Helm chart. Configuration uses YAML files; the project describes Blocky as stateless, requiring no database or temporary files. Listed architectures include x86-64, ARM, and MIPS, including Raspberry Pi and OpenWrt routers. The project describes use in home networks, homelabs, and businesses, and welcomes issues, suggestions, and contributions.

Who it suits

Blocky suits people managing home networks, homelabs, or business networks who want DNS filtering and client-group policies. Its listed hardware support includes Raspberry Pi and OpenWrt routers.

Getting started

1. Choose a deployment route: standalone binary or Docker container; a community-supported Helm chart is also available.
2. Use a supported x86-64, ARM, or MIPS system.
3. Create one or more YAML configuration files.
4. Configure DNS filtering, client groups, and resolvers as needed.
5. Optionally connect monitoring, logging, or API tools.

Verdict

Blocky offers network-level DNS filtering with configurable policies, logging, and monitoring integrations. It is a fit for administrators comfortable managing a self-hosted tool through YAML configuration.