Self-hosted alternatives to Pi-hole
Want network-wide ad blocking DNS (Pi-hole is already self-hosted; these are alternatives) without handing your data to Pi-hole? These 5 open-source apps run on your own server. Cheapest estimated hosting starts at about $3.5/month.
| App | Health | Stars | License | Docker | RAM (est.) | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| blocky direct | Actively maintained | 7.1k | Apache-2.0 | ✓ | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
| Numa direct | Actively maintained | 2k | MIT | ✓ | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
| Maza ad blocking direct | Actively maintained | 1.9k | Apache-2.0 | – | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
| AdGuard Home | Actively maintained | 38.1k | GPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Technitium DNS Server | Actively maintained | 10.3k | GPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
The options in detail
1. blocky
Fast and lightweight DNS proxy as ad-blocker for local network with many features (alternative to Pi-hole).
Actively maintained Last activity 2026-11-02. Latest release v0.35.0 (2026-09-05). Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
2. 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).
Actively maintained Last activity 2026-11-02. Latest release v0.25.0 (2026-10-23). Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
3. Maza ad blocking
Local ad blocker. Like Pi-hole but local and using your operating system.
Actively maintained Last activity 2026-08-14. Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
4. AdGuard Home
User-friendly ads & trackers blocking DNS server.
Actively maintained Last activity 2026-11-02. Latest release v1.0.0-b.1 (2026-09-30). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
5. Technitium DNS Server
Authoritative/recursive DNS server with ad blocking functionality.
Actively maintained Last activity 2026-10-17. Latest release v15.6.2 (2026-10-17). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
Why self-host instead of Pi-hole?
- 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 Actively maintained and with Docker support for the easiest ride.
Browse related categories
Other alternatives guides
Pi-hole is a trademark of its owner; this site is not affiliated with it. Listings come from the community-maintained awesome-selfhosted list.