Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home: Which DNS Ad Blocker Should You Run in Your Homelab?

Why You Should Run Your Own DNS Ad Blocker

If you've ever set up a homelab, you know the feeling. You've got your services running, your containers humming along, and then you realize - every device on your network is still phoning home to ad servers, trackers, and telemetry endpoints. Your smart TV is sending viewing habits to manufacturers. Your phone is leaking location data through background requests. Your kids' tablets are loading sketchy ads between YouTube videos.

Running your own DNS ad blocker fixes all of this in one move. Instead of installing ad blockers on every individual device (which doesn't work on smart TVs, gaming consoles, or IoT devices anyway), you block ads and trackers at the network level. Every device that connects to your Wi-Fi gets protection automatically.

Think of it like this: instead of putting a filter on every faucet in your house, you install a water filter at the main supply line. Everything downstream gets clean water - or in this case, clean DNS queries.

Two tools dominate this space: Pi-hole and AdGuard Home. Both are free, open-source, and self-hosted. Both block ads, trackers, and malicious domains at the DNS level. But they have different strengths, different interfaces, and different philosophies. This guide will help you decide which one fits your homelab, and walk you through setting up either one with Docker.

If you're new to homelab networking concepts, check out our homelab networking basics guide first - it covers the foundational ideas you'll need.

What Is DNS Filtering (and Why Should You Care)?

DNS - Domain Name System - is the phonebook of the internet. When you type google.com into your browser, your device asks a DNS server to translate that name into an IP address. By default, your router sends these queries to your ISP's DNS server, which usually points to Google (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1).

The problem? Your ISP's DNS server doesn't filter anything. It resolves every domain you ask for, including ad networks, tracking scripts, and known malicious sites.

A DNS ad blocker sits between your devices and the internet. When a device requests a domain that's on a blocklist (like ads.example.com), the DNS blocker responds with 0.0.0.0 (a dead end) instead of the real IP address. The ad never loads. The tracker never phones home. The malicious site never resolves.

This works on:

• Computers and laptops
• Smart TVs and streaming devices
• Gaming consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch)
• Phones and tablets
• IoT devices (smart speakers, security cameras, smart home hubs)
• Anything that connects to your network

The only thing it won't block is ads served from the same domain as the content (like YouTube pre-roll ads, which come from googlevideo.com). For those, you still need a browser extension like uBlock Origin.

Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home: The Comparison

Both tools do the same core job. The differences are in the details.

Pi-hole

Pi-hole has been around since 2014 and is the more established option. It's written in Bash and PHP, runs on virtually any Linux system, and has a massive community with extensive documentation.

Strengths:

• Extremely lightweight - runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero
• Battle-tested stability (10+ years of development)
• Massive community and plugin ecosystem
• Gravity update pulls from multiple blocklists automatically
• Detailed query logging and per-client statistics
• Works with all major platforms and architectures

Weaknesses:

• Web UI feels dated compared to AdGuard Home
• No built-in DoH/DoT (requires additional setup with Unbound)
• Per-client filtering requires manual configuration
• Configuration is file-based (less beginner-friendly)

AdGuard Home

AdGuard Home launched in 2019 and takes a more modern approach. It's written in Go, has a cleaner interface, and includes features that Pi-hole requires additional tools to achieve.

Strengths:

• Built-in DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) and DNS-over-TLS (DoT)
• Clean, modern web UI
• Per-client filtering rules out of the box
• Built-in DNS rewrites (local DNS entries)
• Parental controls built in
• Automatic blocklist updates

Weaknesses:

• Newer project (less battle-tested)
• Slightly higher resource usage
• Smaller community than Pi-hole
• Some advanced features require manual YAML config

Head-to-Head Comparison

The short version: If you want simplicity and rock-solid stability, go with Pi-hole. If you want modern features (DoH/DoT, per-client filtering) without extra configuration, go with AdGuard Home.

Setting Up Pi-hole with Docker

Here's how to get Pi-hole running in Docker in about five minutes.

Prerequisites

• A Linux server (physical or virtual) on your homelab network
• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• A static IP address for your DNS server

If you haven't set up Docker on your homelab yet, our Docker for homelabs guide covers everything you need to know.

Step 1: Create the Docker Compose File

Create a directory for Pi-hole and add a docker-compose.yml:

mkdir -p ~/pihole && cd ~/pihole

Create the docker-compose.yml:

version: "3"

services:
  pihole:
    container_name: pihole
    image: pihole/pihole:latest
    ports:
      - "53:53/tcp"
      - "53:53/udp"
      - "8053:80/tcp"
    environment:
      TZ: 'America/New_York'
      WEBPASSWORD: 'your-secure-password-here'
      DNSMASQ_LISTENING: 'all'
    volumes:
      - './etc-pihole:/etc/pihole'
      - './etc-dnsmasq.d:/etc/dnsmasq.d'
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN
    restart: unless-stopped

Important: Replace your-secure-password-here with a strong password. This is your Pi-hole admin panel password. Also adjust the TZ environment variable to your timezone.

Step 2: Start Pi-hole

docker compose up -d

After about 30 seconds, Pi-hole will be ready. Access the admin panel at http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8053/admin.

Step 3: Verify It's Working

Test that Pi-hole is resolving queries:

dig @YOUR_SERVER_IP google.com

You should see a response with an IP address. Pi-hole is now running and filtering queries.

Step 4: Configure Your Router

This is the step most people forget. For Pi-hole to protect your entire network, you need to tell your router to use your Pi-hole as the DNS server:

1. Log into your router's admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1)
2. Find the DNS settings (usually under WAN, Internet, or DHCP settings)
3. Set the primary DNS to your Pi-hole server's IP address
4. Save and apply

Your router will now send all DNS queries through Pi-hole. Any device connected to your network gets ad blocking automatically.

Note: For more advanced DNS configuration including split-horizon DNS and local domains, check our homelab DNS guide.

Setting Up AdGuard Home with Docker

AdGuard Home setup is very similar to Pi-hole.

Step 1: Create the Docker Compose File

mkdir -p ~/adguardhome && cd ~/adguardhome

Create docker-compose.yml:

version: "3"

services:
  adguardhome:
    container_name: adguardhome
    image: adguard/adguardhome:latest
    ports:
      - "53:53/tcp"
      - "53:53/udp"
      - "3000:3000/tcp"
      - "8080:80/tcp"
      - "8443:443/tcp"
    volumes:
      - './opt-adguardhome/work:/opt/adguardhome/work'
      - './opt-adguardhome/conf:/opt/adguardhome/conf'
    restart: unless-stopped

Step 2: Start AdGuard Home

docker compose up -d

Step 3: Complete the Setup Wizard

AdGuard Home has a setup wizard that Pi-hole lacks. Access it at http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:3000 and follow the prompts:

1. Set the admin username and password
2. Choose the listening interfaces (port 53 for DNS, port 80 for web UI)
3. Configure upstream DNS servers (Google, Cloudflare, Quad9, or custom)
4. Enable the blocklists you want (AdGuard default list is a good start)

The wizard handles most configuration automatically - one of AdGuard Home's biggest advantages over Pi-hole.

Step 4: Enable DoH/DoT

This is where AdGuard Home shines. In the admin panel:

1. Go to Settings → DNS settings
2. Under Upstream DNS servers, add DoH or DoT endpoints:
   • https://dns.google/dns-query (Google DoH)
   • https://cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query (Cloudflare DoH)
   • tls://dns.google (Google DoT)
   • tls://1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com (Cloudflare DoT)
3. Click Apply

Your DNS queries are now encrypted between your homelab and the upstream DNS server. Even your ISP can't see which domains you're resolving.

Step 5: Configure Your Router

Same as Pi-hole - point your router's DNS settings to your AdGuard Home server's IP address.

Running Pi-hole and AdGuard Home Together

You might be wondering: can I run both at the same time? Yes - and it's actually a great way to test which one you prefer.

The trick is that they both want to use port 53 (the standard DNS port). You need to assign different ports:

version: "3"

services:
  pihole:
    container_name: pihole
    image: pihole/pihole:latest
    ports:
      - "5353:53/tcp"
      - "5353:53/udp"
      - "8053:80/tcp"
    environment:
      TZ: 'America/New_York'
      WEBPASSWORD: 'your-password'
      DNSMASQ_LISTENING: 'all'
    volumes:
      - './pihole/etc-pihole:/etc/pihole'
      - './pihole/etc-dnsmasq.d:/etc/dnsmasq.d'
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN
    restart: unless-stopped

  adguardhome:
    container_name: adguardhome
    image: adguard/adguardhome:latest
    ports:
      - "5354:53/tcp"
      - "5354:53/udp"
      - "3000:3000/tcp"
      - "8080:80/tcp"
    volumes:
      - './adguardhome/work:/opt/adguardhome/work'
      - './adguardhome/conf:/opt/adguardhome/conf'
    restart: unless-stopped

Then test each one individually:

# Test Pi-hole
dig @YOUR_SERVER_IP -p 5353 google.com

# Test AdGuard Home
dig @YOUR_SERVER_IP -p 5354 google.com

Once you've decided which one you prefer, update your router's DNS to point to that port (or remap it back to port 53).

Client-Level vs Network-Level Filtering

One decision you'll face is whether to filter at the network level (router DNS) or the client level (individual device settings).

Network-level (router DNS):

• Covers every device on your network automatically
• No setup required on individual devices
• Works on devices that can't install software (smart TVs, IoT)
• Can't customize filtering per device
• All devices share the same blocklists

Client-level (per-device):

• You can customize which domains each device can reach
• Useful for allowing specific services on work devices while blocking them on personal devices
• Requires configuring DNS on each device individually
• Doesn't protect devices that can't be configured

My recommendation: Start with network-level filtering via your router. If you later need per-device customization, AdGuard Home makes this easy - go to Filters → DNS blocklists and add per-client rules.

For a complete homelab security approach, pair DNS filtering with other security measures. Our homelab security checklist covers the full picture.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Forgetting to set the router DNS
This is the number one mistake. You set up Pi-hole or AdGuard Home perfectly, but your router is still pointing to your ISP's DNS. All your traffic bypasses the blocker. Always verify your router's DNS settings after setup.

2. Not setting a static IP
If your DNS server's IP address changes (because DHCP reassigned it), every device on your network loses DNS resolution. Set a static IP for your DNS server, either on the server itself or via a DHCP reservation on your router.

3. Using port 53 without checking
Port 53 might already be used by another service (like systemd-resolved on Ubuntu). Before starting your DNS container, check:

sudo ss -tulnp | grep :53

If something is using port 53, stop it or use a different port mapping.

4. Not updating blocklists
Both Pi-hole and AdGuard Home need regular blocklist updates. Pi-hole runs this automatically via Gravity, but AdGuard Home's default lists may need manual updating. Check your blocklist settings monthly.

5. Breaking DNS when the server goes down
If your DNS server crashes and your router has no fallback, every device loses internet access. Always configure a secondary DNS on your router (like 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8) as a backup.

What to Learn Next

Once you have Pi-hole or AdGuard Home running, here are some next steps to level up your homelab:

• Set up Unbound for recursive DNS - stop forwarding queries to Google or Cloudflare and resolve them yourself. It's more private and surprisingly easy to configure.
• Add DNS-over-HTTPS to Pi-hole - if you chose Pi-hole but want encrypted upstream queries, our guide on Docker security hardening covers the setup.
• Configure split-horizon DNS - access your services by name from inside your network while keeping them hidden from the outside. See our homelab DNS guide for the full walkthrough.
• Monitor your DNS queries - both tools have built-in logging, but pairing them with Grafana gives you beautiful dashboards. Our Docker monitoring guide covers Prometheus and Grafana setup.
• Set up DNS redundancy - run two instances for high availability. If one goes down, the other takes over seamlessly.

Recommended Gear

If you're setting up a dedicated DNS server for your homelab, you don't need much hardware. Here are some solid options:

• Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 - The classic choice for Pi-hole. Low power, tiny footprint, and more than enough for DNS filtering. A Raspberry Pi 4 starter kit includes everything you need.
• Mini PC - If you want to run multiple homelab services (not just DNS), a small Intel N100 mini PC gives you headroom. Something like a Beelink Mini S12 Pro is overkill for just DNS but perfect if you plan to grow.
• USB Ethernet adapter - If your mini PC only has one Ethernet port and you need a second for a dedicated DNS network segment, a USB 3.0 Ethernet adapter is cheap insurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Both Pi-hole and AdGuard Home are excellent choices for network-level ad blocking in a homelab. Pi-hole is the proven veteran - it's been running in homelabs for over a decade and has a massive community behind it. AdGuard Home is the modern challenger - it bundles features that Pi-hole requires extra tools to achieve.

My advice? Try both. Set them up side by side using the Docker Compose configuration above, test them for a week, and see which interface you prefer and which feature set matters to you. You can always switch later - your blocklists transfer, and the setup process is nearly identical.

The important thing is that you're taking control of your network's DNS. Every device on your homelab will benefit from ad blocking, tracker blocking, and malicious domain filtering - all without installing anything on individual devices. That's the power of running your own DNS.

For more homelab guides, check out our best self-hosted apps to find your next project, or dive into Docker Compose best practices to level up your container game.