Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home: Which Is Better for Blocking Ads Across Your Home Network?

Choose Pi-hole if you want a focused, lightweight DNS appliance on Linux hardware and prefer its established management workflow. Choose AdGuard Home if you want broader installation choices plus encrypted DNS, parental controls, SafeSearch, phishing and malware filtering, and access controls in one service. Both protect an entire home by answering DNS requests for every configured device, but neither can match a browser blocker’s element-by-element and script-level controls. No official source establishes that either product is universally faster or blocks a fixed percentage more advertising.

What Pi-hole and AdGuard Home actually block

Pi-hole and AdGuard Home are self-hosted DNS sinkholes. Your phone, television, laptop, game console, or other client sends a DNS request when it needs the address for a domain. The sinkhole checks that domain against its configured blocklists. A listed advertising, tracking, phishing, or other unwanted domain is prevented from resolving normally; an allowed domain is resolved as usual or forwarded to the service’s upstream DNS provider.

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Because the DNS service sits at the network boundary, one installation can cover devices that cannot run browser extensions or traditional security clients. This is why both projects emphasize network-wide coverage without installing software on every client, including ad-heavy mobile applications and smart TVs. You configure the network to use the sinkhole’s address rather than changing every device individually.

DNS filtering works at the domain level. It can stop a request to an advertising or tracking host, but it does not inspect a webpage’s layout, remove an individual element, rewrite page scripts, or apply the full cosmetic and behavioral rules available in a browser content blocker. First-party advertising delivered from the same domain as the content may therefore remain visible, and a broken page may result when a required domain is blocked. A DNS sinkhole is a network layer, not a complete replacement for browser-level filtering.

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Pi-hole: a focused Linux DNS appliance

What Pi-hole is designed to do

Pi-hole presents itself as network-wide ad blocking through your own Linux hardware. Its stated design goals are broad device coverage without client software, low hardware and software requirements, DNS caching, and a responsive web dashboard. That combination makes it a natural fit for an always-on small computer on your home network.

The project describes its installer as taking less than ten minutes. That is Pi-hole’s own description rather than an independently measured time, and the actual setup depends on your host, router, and whether another service already occupies the DNS port.

Host and port requirements

Pi-hole needs a Linux-capable host with a stable address on the local network. Its prerequisites call out DNS port 53. If another DNS daemon, such as BIND, is already listening there, it must be stopped or moved before Pi-hole can answer clients. Check this before changing router settings; otherwise devices may continue using the old service or receive connection errors.

How Pi-hole joins the network

The normal integration is to enter the Pi-hole address as the DNS server in the router’s LAN or DHCP settings. The router then advertises Pi-hole to clients as they obtain network configuration. If the router cannot advertise a custom DNS server, Pi-hole can provide DHCP itself. In that arrangement, disable the router’s DHCP service and enable Pi-hole’s DHCP service so that clients receive Pi-hole as their DNS server. Running two DHCP servers on one LAN can produce conflicting leases, so use only one.

Why choose Pi-hole

• A focused DNS sinkhole with caching and a dedicated web dashboard.
• A Linux-oriented deployment model suited to a small, permanently powered host.
• A management workflow built around Pi-hole’s own dashboard, groups, and command-line administration.
• Network-wide coverage for clients that cannot install an app or browser extension.

AdGuard Home: broader native controls

Core operation

AdGuard Home also operates as a network-wide DNS server. Its description says that, after setup, all home devices can be covered without client-side software by rerouting tracking domains to a “black hole.” As with Pi-hole, the result depends on clients actually using the service for DNS and on the quality and scope of the lists you enable.

Native features documented by the project

AdGuard Home’s documented feature set includes customizable ad and tracker blocklists, per-client configuration, built-in DHCP, native HTTPS for the administration interface, encrypted upstream DNS using DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, and DNSCrypt, and the ability to serve DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS. It also lists phishing and malware blocking, parental controls, SafeSearch enforcement, and access settings.

The official comparison distinguishes these capabilities from Pi-hole’s baseline feature set: some equivalent Pi-hole functions require additional software, manual configuration, or non-default lists. That does not make Pi-hole incapable of the tasks; it means AdGuard Home exposes more of them as integrated options in the documented product.

Installation targets

AdGuard Home documents native paths for macOS, Linux, and Raspberry Pi. Its getting-started material also provides an official Docker image and a Snap package. The DNS service uses port 53/UDP, so check for an existing resolver before starting it. A Raspberry Pi, a Linux machine, a Docker host, or a supported macOS system can therefore serve as the always-on endpoint.

Why choose AdGuard Home

• More privacy, security, and family-control functions exposed in one service.
• Encrypted upstream DNS choices without assembling separate components.
• Native installation options beyond a Linux-only appliance, including Docker and Snap.
• Per-client policies, SafeSearch, parental controls, and access settings for households with different needs.

Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home at a glance

Which one blocks more ads?

There is no defensible universal winner from the available official documentation. Neither project supplies a comparative benchmark showing a fixed blocking percentage, and neither source establishes that one service is categorically faster or uses less memory. Results vary with the lists enabled, client behavior, cached answers, and whether an advertiser serves content from a domain that must remain allowed.

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For a fair comparison, use the same network, the same client devices, and equivalent blocklists. Record which DNS server each client actually receives, because a router, operating system, browser, or application can use another resolver. Compare unwanted domains observed in each dashboard rather than relying on a single “ads blocked” number. A difference in dashboard counts can reflect logging, list selection, or cache state rather than a superior blocker.

Both products stop DNS requests; neither can guarantee removal of every visible advertisement. If an ad is hosted on the same domain as legitimate content, blocking that domain may break the service, while allowing it leaves the ad in place. Use per-client policies and allowlists to handle devices or websites that need exceptions.

Hardware and network prerequisites

Choosing a host

Use an always-on device with a stable local address and a wired or reliable wireless connection. A Raspberry Pi is the clearest small physical host because both projects document Raspberry Pi or Linux deployment. A Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is a reasonable search term when looking for that class of hardware, but stock, price, and exact compatibility change; verify current availability and the project’s supported instructions before buying.

Storage for a Raspberry Pi host can be a microSD card or a small SSD. Storage is an accessory choice, not a requirement unique to either blocker. The important operational requirement is that the host remain powered and reachable whenever clients need DNS.

Check DNS port 53 first

Before installation, identify any existing DNS service on the host. Pi-hole’s prerequisites specifically warn about another resolver such as BIND, and AdGuard Home’s guide specifies 53/UDP for DNS. Stop, reconfigure, or relocate a conflicting service before starting the selected blocker. If both attempt to bind the same port, one will fail or clients will reach the wrong resolver.

Check the router before changing clients

Look for LAN, DHCP, or DNS-server fields in the router’s administration interface. The easiest design is one in which the router advertises the blocker’s local address automatically. If those fields are absent or locked by the router firmware, plan to run the blocker’s DHCP service instead and disable the router’s DHCP service. Do not enable both.

Pi-hole setup: a safe deployment sequence

1. Prepare the Linux host. Connect it to the home network, keep it powered, and assign or reserve a stable local address so the router can continue finding it.
2. Resolve port conflicts. Check whether another DNS service is using port 53. Stop or reconfigure that service before installing Pi-hole.
3. Run Pi-hole’s installer. Follow the project’s current installer for your Linux host. Pi-hole describes the installer as taking less than ten minutes, but treat that as a vendor estimate rather than a guarantee.
4. Open the web dashboard. Confirm that the dashboard loads from another device on the LAN and note the host address shown during setup.
5. Set router DNS. In the router’s LAN or DHCP settings, enter the Pi-hole address as the DNS server and apply the change.
6. Use Pi-hole DHCP only when necessary. If the router cannot advertise a custom DNS server, disable its DHCP service, enable Pi-hole’s DHCP service, and let Pi-hole issue leases that point clients to itself.
7. Renew client network leases. Reconnect devices or renew their network configuration so they receive the new DNS setting. Devices that retain old leases may continue using the previous resolver until renewal.
8. Verify coverage. Check Pi-hole’s query activity while opening sites or applications from several device types. Include a television or mobile app if those are part of your goal, because network-wide coverage is only effective when those clients use Pi-hole.

AdGuard Home setup: Raspberry Pi, Docker, Snap, or macOS

1. Select a documented platform. AdGuard Home provides installation paths for macOS, Linux, and Raspberry Pi, plus an official Docker image and Snap package. Choose one host that can stay available on the LAN.
2. Reserve a stable address. Give the host a consistent local address through the router or the host’s network configuration. Clients must be able to reach that address after every reboot.
3. Check 53/UDP. The getting-started guide specifies 53/UDP for DNS. Stop or move any competing resolver before starting AdGuard Home.
4. Complete the first-run wizard. Set the administration account, DNS listening address, and upstream choices offered by the current release. If you enable encrypted upstream DNS, record the selected protocol and provider for future troubleshooting.
5. Configure router DNS. Enter the AdGuard Home address in the router’s LAN or DHCP DNS fields and apply the configuration.
6. Use built-in DHCP if the router cannot set DNS. Disable the router’s DHCP service before enabling AdGuard Home’s DHCP service. Let only one service issue addresses on the LAN.
7. Set policies deliberately. Select the blocklists and security or family controls appropriate for your household, then use per-client settings for different rules on work devices, children’s devices, guests, or media equipment.
8. Verify real clients. Watch the query log while several devices generate traffic. A working dashboard alone does not prove that every client is using AdGuard Home.

Router integration scenarios

Router supports custom DNS advertisement

Enter the blocker’s local address in the router’s DNS fields used by LAN DHCP. This is the simplest arrangement because clients learn the setting automatically. Reconnect clients after saving and check the blocker’s query log for their requests.

Router does not expose a DNS field

Use the selected product’s built-in DHCP server. First disable the router’s DHCP service, then enable DHCP in Pi-hole or AdGuard Home and define the local address range required by your network. Because DHCP assigns addresses and DNS information, two active servers can hand out conflicting settings.

Some clients still bypass the blocker

Check the client’s received DNS address rather than assuming the router setting applied. A device with a manually entered resolver, a separate network profile, or an application-specific DNS setting may not use the LAN advertisement. Correct that client or accept that it is outside the sinkhole’s coverage. Also check guest networks and mesh nodes, which may use separate DHCP scopes.

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Privacy, security, and family controls

Pi-hole’s core proposition is concentrated DNS filtering, caching, and management. AdGuard Home’s documented feature breadth is wider: encrypted upstream DNS, native HTTPS for administration, phishing and malware filtering, SafeSearch enforcement, parental controls, and access settings are presented as integrated capabilities. These controls can reduce the number of separate services you need to assemble.

Encrypted upstream DNS protects the connection between the blocker and its upstream resolver; it does not make a blocked domain reachable or guarantee anonymity from every party on the network. Serving encrypted DNS to clients is a separate capability from forwarding queries upstream, and AdGuard Home documents both serving DNS-over-HTTPS/DNS-over-TLS and using encrypted upstream protocols. The official comparison does not list equivalent native serving features for Pi-hole.

Family controls require careful policy design. A broad list can block a legitimate service, while a permissive list can allow tracking. Apply stricter rules to selected client groups instead of changing the entire household when only one device needs a restriction. Keep an allowlist process for school, work, banking, or streaming services that fail under a new rule.

Troubleshooting checklist

The dashboard is empty

• Confirm the router or DHCP server is advertising the blocker’s address, not the router itself or an external resolver.
• Reconnect a test device to renew its network lease.
• Check whether that device has a manually configured DNS address.
• Verify that the blocker is listening on the expected local interface and that port 53 is not claimed by another service.

Internet access stopped after enabling the blocker

• Temporarily restore the previous DNS setting to separate a router error from a filtering error.
• Check for a port-53 conflict or a stopped DNS process on the host.
• Review recent blocked domains and allow only the domain required by the affected application.
• Make sure only one DHCP server is active.

Ads remain visible

• Confirm the device’s DNS address and inspect its queries in the blocker’s log.
• Remember that DNS filtering cannot remove page elements or scripts and cannot reliably block advertising served from a first-party content domain.
• Review the enabled lists and per-client policy; a domain absent from the lists will resolve normally.
• Test after clearing the client or application’s cached state, because DNS caching can delay a policy change.

A website or app breaks

Identify the blocked domain associated with the failure, then create a narrow allowlist exception rather than disabling filtering globally. If the service uses several domains, add only the domains confirmed as necessary and retest. Keep separate client policies when one household device needs an exception.

Encrypted DNS settings cause unexpected behavior

Document which component is encrypting queries: the blocker’s upstream connection, a client’s own DNS-over-HTTPS setting, or another network service. A client that sends DNS directly to an outside resolver will not appear in the blocker’s log. Align client and router settings with the design you intend, then verify using live queries.

Which product fits your priorities?

Choose Pi-hole when

• Your priority is a focused DNS sinkhole on Linux hardware.
• You want caching, a responsive dashboard, and Pi-hole’s established command-line and group-management workflow.
• Your router can advertise a custom DNS server, or you are comfortable switching DHCP to the Pi-hole host.
• You do not need encrypted DNS, SafeSearch, parental controls, or malware filtering integrated into the same service.

Choose AdGuard Home when

• You want native encrypted upstream DNS and the option to serve DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS.
• You prefer built-in phishing and malware filtering, SafeSearch, parental controls, and access settings.
• You need a documented path for macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi, Docker, or Snap rather than a Linux-only appliance model.
• You want per-client controls and broader privacy or family features in one administration interface.

Choose based on the router, not just the software

The router’s DNS and DHCP behavior can outweigh small differences between the applications. A router with a clear custom-DNS field makes either product straightforward. A locked-down router makes built-in DHCP important and adds a migration step. Map that integration path before selecting hardware or changing the household’s DNS.

Maintenance and realistic expectations

Keep the host powered, monitor the dashboard for failed queries, and review list changes when a site or device stops working. Maintain a small, documented allowlist rather than turning off all filtering for a single problem. Recheck client DNS after router firmware updates, network redesigns, or adding a guest network.

Neither project’s official material provides a universal speed, memory, or block-rate benchmark. Treat dashboard counts as operational indicators for your own network, not as proof that one product wins everywhere. The meaningful choice is whether you value Pi-hole’s focused Linux appliance workflow or AdGuard Home’s broader native controls and platform options.

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