Pi-hole review

Pi-hole is a network-wide adblocker that works at the DNS level. Instead of installing an extension per browser, Pi-hole blocks ads and trackers for every device on your network — including your smart TV, your phone, and IoT devices that don’t support browser extensions.

---

How Pi-hole works

When a device on your network looks up a domain name (e.g., ads.doubleclick.net), that request normally goes to a DNS server from your ISP or Google. Pi-hole intercepts that request and checks blocklists: if the domain is blocked, Pi-hole returns an empty response. The connection never gets established.

This is the same principle as uBlock Origin in a browser, but for the entire network in one place.

---

Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home

Both do the same thing at their core: DNS-based ad-blocking for the network. AdGuard Home is newer, has a more modern interface, and is easier to set up. Pi-hole has been around longer, has a larger community and more documentation.

	Pi-hole	AdGuard Home
Interface	Functional	Modern
Installation	Script / Docker	Docker / binary
Blocklist management	Extensive	Extensive
DoH/DoT upstream	Via configuration	Built-in
Community	Large, long active	Growing
Open-source	✅	✅

If choosing now: AdGuard Home is the recommended choice for new installations — easier to configure with DNS-over-HTTPS built in. Pi-hole is a solid choice if you’re already familiar with the ecosystem.

---

Installation

Pi-hole runs on any Linux machine. The name refers to the Raspberry Pi — the original target device — but it works on any x86 or ARM computer.

Installation options:

• Raspberry Pi — the classic choice: quiet, energy-efficient, €35-60
• Docker — ideal on an existing NAS or homelab server
• VM — on a Proxmox or VirtualBox installation
• VPS — for access outside the home network (but then you see your own DNS traffic)

Installation via the official script (see pi-hole.net):

curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash

Then set Pi-hole as the DNS server on your router. All devices on the network use it automatically.

---

Blocklists

Pi-hole ships with a default blocklist. Via the dashboard you add additional lists. Popular additions:

• Steven Black hosts — combined list from multiple sources
• Firebog — curated collection of categorized lists
• oisd.nl — well-maintained list, also good for regional ad networks

A typical installation with supplementary lists blocks 100,000–500,000 domains.

---

What Pi-hole doesn’t do

Pi-hole works at the DNS level. Ads served via the same domain as the content (e.g., YouTube ads on youtube.com) are not blocked — for that you need a browser extension like uBlock Origin.

Pi-hole also only protects devices on your home network. On mobile data or an external Wi-Fi network, it doesn’t work.

---

Caveats

Always-on hardware required: Pi-hole must be running for the network to work. If the Raspberry Pi goes down or restarts, devices temporarily have no DNS. Configure a fallback DNS server on your router for failover.

DNS encryption: By default, Pi-hole sends DNS queries unencrypted to upstream servers. Configure DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) or DNS-over-TLS (DoT) to Quad9 or another privacy-friendly resolver for full protection. See the privacy DNS guide.

---

Conclusion

Pi-hole is a proven tool for network-wide ad-blocking. If you already have a Raspberry Pi or always-on server, the installation barrier is low and the result is immediately noticeable.

For new installations, AdGuard Home is the more modern choice with fewer configuration steps. Both are free and open-source.

See also:

• AdGuard Home review — the more modern alternative
• Privacy DNS guide — Quad9, DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS
• Network segmentation: VLANs at home — Pi-hole as part of a secure home network
• Threat profile: IT professional — home network as attack surface