Self-hosted alternatives to NextDNS
Want ad-blocking DNS without handing your data to NextDNS? These 6 self-hosted apps run on your own server. Cheapest estimated hosting starts at about $3.5/month.
About NextDNS: Cloud DNS resolver with ad and tracker blocking.
| App | Health | Stars | License | Docker | RAM (est.) | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numa direct | Active | 2k | MIT | ✓ | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
| Pi-hole | Active | 61.7k | EUPL-1.2 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| AdGuard Home | Active | 38.2k | GPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Technitium DNS Server | Active | 10.3k | GPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| blocky | Active | 7.1k | Apache-2.0 | ✓ | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
| Maza ad blocking | Active | 1.9k | Apache-2.0 | – | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
The options in detail
1. Numa
Ad-blocking DNS resolver with DNSSEC-validating recursive resolution, DoH/DoT/Oblivious DoH, ephemeral overrides, and local service domains, in a single Rust binary (alternative to Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, NextDNS).
Active Last commit 2026-11-02. Latest release v0.25.0 (2026-10-23). Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
2. Pi-hole
Blackhole for Internet advertisements with a GUI for management and monitoring.
Active Last commit 2026-10-17. Latest release v6.5 (2026-10-17). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
3. AdGuard Home
User-friendly ads & trackers blocking DNS server.
Active Last commit 2026-11-03. 10+ releases in the past year. Latest release v0.107.80 (2026-11-03). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
4. Technitium DNS Server
Authoritative/recursive DNS server with ad blocking functionality.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release v15.6.2 (2026-10-17). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
5. blocky
Fast and lightweight DNS proxy as ad-blocker for local network with many features (alternative to Pi-hole).
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. 10+ releases in the past year. Latest release v0.35.0 (2026-09-05). Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
6. Maza ad blocking
Local ad blocker. Like Pi-hole but local and using your operating system.
Active Last commit 2026-08-14. Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
Why self-host instead of NextDNS?
- Own your data — it lives on a server you control, with backups you decide on.
- Predictable cost — a small VPS often replaces per-seat pricing for a whole team or family.
- No lock-in — open-source licenses let you keep running the software even if a vendor disappears.
The trade-off: you are responsible for updates, backups and security. Pick an app marked Active (a commit in the last 90 days) and with Docker support for the easiest ride.
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Other alternatives guides
NextDNS is a trademark of its owner; this site is not affiliated with it. Listings come from the community-maintained awesome-selfhosted list.