NextDNS
4 alternatives — 2 easy, 2 medium
Why people leave NextDNS
- Free tier limited to 300,000 queries per month
- DNS queries pass through third-party servers
- Advanced features require paid plan
- Dependent on external service availability
Comparison
| App | Difficulty | RAM | Docker | Mobile | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdGuard Home Network-wide ad and tracker blocker that acts as a DNS sinkhole. | easy | 0.25GB | — | — | Active | |
| Blocky Fast DNS proxy and ad blocker configured with YAML for advanced home networks. | medium | 0.25GB | — | Active | ||
| Pi-hole Network-wide ad blocker that acts as a DNS sinkhole, originally designed for Raspberry Pi. | easy | 0.25GB | — | — | Active | |
| Technitium DNS Server Self-hosted authoritative and recursive DNS server with web UI, blocking, and DNS-over-HTTPS support. | medium | 0.5GB | — | Active |
Detailed Look
AdGuard Home Top Pick
Network-wide ad and tracker blocker that acts as a DNS sinkhole.
Pros
- + Clean modern web UI
- + DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS support
- + Per-client settings
- + Easy to set up
Cons
- - Backed by a commercial company which may shift priorities
- - Less community filter lists than Pi-hole
- - No API for advanced automation
- - Some features overlap with router capabilities
Blocky
Fast DNS proxy and ad blocker configured with YAML for advanced home networks.
Pros
- + Lightweight DNS blocking for config-first users
- + Easy to version-control and automate
- + Supports modern DNS protocols and upstream routing
Cons
- - No full admin UI like Pi-hole or AdGuard Home
- - YAML mistakes can break DNS for the network
- - Less friendly for non-technical households
Pi-hole
Network-wide ad blocker that acts as a DNS sinkhole, originally designed for Raspberry Pi.
Pros
- + Huge community and extensive block lists
- + Very lightweight
- + Easy dashboard
- + Works well on Raspberry Pi
Cons
- - Web UI is less modern than AdGuard Home
- - No built-in DNS-over-HTTPS
- - Teleporter backup system is basic
- - Updates can occasionally break things
Technitium DNS Server
Self-hosted authoritative and recursive DNS server with web UI, blocking, and DNS-over-HTTPS support.
Pros
- + Broader DNS server than Pi-hole or AdGuard Home
- + Web UI for zones, forwarding, blocking, and encrypted DNS
- + Can act as authoritative and recursive DNS
Cons
- - More DNS concepts to understand than simple ad blockers
- - Exposing authoritative DNS requires careful security
- - Smaller homelab community than Pi-hole
Can't decide? Compare AdGuard Home, Blocky, Pi-hole side by side →