What is Pi-hole used for?

Pi-hole is a network-wide ad blocker that works as a DNS sinkhole on your own Linux hardware, with a web dashboard and no client software needed. It is a good fit for blocking ads on smart TVs and mobile apps, home network privacy, and small office content filtering.

Is Pi-hole open source?

Yes. Pi-hole is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at pi-hole/pi-hole and is written mainly in Shell.

Yes. Pi-hole is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.

Can I self-host Pi-hole?

Yes. Pi-hole can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What is Pi-hole an alternative to?

Pi-hole is an open-source alternative to Cisco Umbrella, NextDNS and Control D. Other open-source alternatives to Cisco Umbrella include Technitium DNS Server, AdGuard Home and Blocky.

Is Pi-hole actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Pi-hole was on 26 September 2026, and the latest release is v6.4.3, published on 6 July 2026. The project has 61k stars on GitHub.

Pi-hole: open-source alternative to Cisco Umbrella, NextDNS

About Pi-hole

Pi-hole is a DNS sinkhole that blocks unwanted content, mainly ads, for every device on your network without installing client-side software. You run it on your own Linux hardware, such as a Raspberry Pi, and point your network's DNS at it. The project is written mostly in shell script, and GitHub lists its license as 'Other'.

Because blocking happens at the DNS level, it also covers non-browser locations such as ad-heavy mobile apps and smart TVs, and it speeds up everyday browsing by caching DNS queries. It includes a command-line interface and a responsive web dashboard for viewing and controlling the instance, can optionally act as a DHCP server so all devices are protected automatically, and blocks over both IPv4 and IPv6.

An automated installer walks through setup in under ten minutes, and alternative methods allow reviewing the code first: cloning the repository, downloading the installer manually, or using the official Docker images. Pi-hole runs on modest hardware and, on server-grade machines, can handle very large query volumes. It suits home networks and small offices that want central ad and tracker blocking.

Key features

Network-wide ad blocking via DNS
No client-side software required
Web dashboard for monitoring and control
Optional built-in DHCP server
DNS query caching
IPv4 and IPv6 blocking
Official Docker images

Good fit for

→Blocking ads on smart TVs and mobile apps
→Home network privacy
→Small office content filtering

Built with: Shell
Tags: ad-blocker; dns; dns-sinkhole; privacy; raspberry-pi; self-hosted; network; dhcp

Pi-hole: questions and answers

What is Pi-hole used for?: Pi-hole is a network-wide ad blocker that works as a DNS sinkhole on your own Linux hardware, with a web dashboard and no client software needed. It is a good fit for blocking ads on smart TVs and mobile apps, home network privacy, and small office content filtering.
Is Pi-hole open source?: Yes. Pi-hole is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at pi-hole/pi-hole and is written mainly in Shell.
Is Pi-hole free?: Yes. Pi-hole is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.
Can I self-host Pi-hole?: Yes. Pi-hole can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What is Pi-hole an alternative to?: Pi-hole is an open-source alternative to Cisco Umbrella, NextDNS and Control D. Other open-source alternatives to Cisco Umbrella include Technitium DNS Server, AdGuard Home and Blocky.
Is Pi-hole actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Pi-hole was on 26 September 2026, and the latest release is v6.4.3, published on 6 July 2026. The project has 61k stars on GitHub.