AdGuard Home

securityprivacyhome

Network-wide DNS ad and tracker blocker with built-in encrypted DNS, per-client filtering, and parental controls. Covers every device including IoT with no client app needed

#dns#ad-blocking#tracker-blocking#doh#dot#parental-controls#raspberry-pi#docker#pi-hole-alternative
Alternative to Pi-hole

Quick Start

docker run --name adguardhome -p 53:53/udp -p 3000:3000 -v adguardhome_work:/opt/adguardhome/work -v adguardhome_conf:/opt/adguardhome/conf adguard/adguardhome

Overview

AdGuard Home is a network-wide DNS server that blocks ads and trackers for every device on your network without installing anything on those devices. Point your router’s DNS at it and phones, smart TVs, laptops, and IoT devices are all covered from one dashboard. Connected appliances that cannot run browser extensions or apps all use DNS, which is why network-level blocking reaches them.

DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS are built in, encrypting queries without extra setup. This is a direct advantage over Pi-hole, which needs additional configuration for encrypted DNS. The web UI shows a real-time query log with per-client statistics, and filtering rules can be applied per device rather than globally. Parental controls and Safe Search enforcement work the same way.

Install takes minutes via a single binary or Docker container. Custom rules follow the same syntax as uBlock Origin, so adding exceptions feels familiar. With 34,000 GitHub stars and backing from the commercial AdGuard company, the project has strong maintenance behind it.

DNS blocking does not catch everything. Ads served from the same domain as content (YouTube, Spotify) pass through untouched. Browser extensions stay useful alongside network-level filtering for full coverage.

Use Cases

Specific ways to use AdGuard Home for your workflow.

01
Block ads and trackers for every device on a home or office network
02
Apply encrypted DNS (DoH/DoT) without configuring it on each device individually
03
Set per-device filtering rules, such as stricter parental controls on a child's tablet
04
Cover smart TVs and IoT devices that cannot run browser-level ad blockers

Deployment Strategy

Recommended ways to host AdGuard Home in your own environment.

docker
self-hosted
binary