Pi-hole
Blackhole for Internet advertisements with a GUI for management and monitoring.
- GitHub stars
- 61,257
- License
- EUPL-1.2
- Latest release
- v6.4.3
6 July 2026 - Last commit
- 6 July 2026
- Runs on
- Shell, PHP, Docker
Commits per month, last 12 months
215 commits
Replaces
Paid products Pi-hole can stand in for.
How to self-host Pi-hole
Pi-hole runs on Shell, PHP and Docker. The project's own install guide is the place to start; most people put it on a small server with Docker and a reverse proxy for HTTPS.
- Get a server: a home server, a VPS, or a managed app host.
- Install it the way the project's docs describe, usually with Docker Compose.
- Put it behind HTTPS and set up backups before you add real data.
- Update it regularly. Watch the project's releases.
Similar apps
- AdGuard Home
User-friendly ads & trackers blocking DNS server.
- Technitium DNS Server
Authoritative/recursive DNS server with ad blocking functionality.
- blocky
Fast and lightweight DNS proxy as ad-blocker for local network with many features (alternative to Pi-hole).
- Maza ad blocking
Local ad blocker. Like Pi-hole but local and using your operating system.
- 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).
Guides that cover it
Questions
Is Pi-hole free?
Yes. Pi-hole is open source under the EUPL-1.2 license, so you can use it without paying for a license. You pay only for the server it runs on.
Can I self-host Pi-hole?
Yes. Pi-hole runs on Shell, PHP and Docker. Follow the install guide in the project's documentation, or use a host that installs it for you.
What does Pi-hole replace?
People use Pi-hole instead of NextDNS.
Is Pi-hole still maintained?
The last change to Pi-hole's code was on 6 July 2026, with 215 commits in the last 12 months.
Topics
App data from awesome-selfhosted (CC BY-SA 3.0), stars and activity from GitHub.