Pi-hole
Network-wide ad and tracker blocking on your home router—no monthly DNS subscription.
Quick facts
- Price model
- Self-hosted
- Starting price
- Free (self-hosted)
- Best for
- Whole-home ad blocking · Kids' devices without per-app setup · Reducing tracker load on slow connections
- Replaces
- NextDNS paid tiers, AdGuard Home cloud, Per-device ad blockers
- Platforms
- LinuxSelf-hosted
- Last verified
- 2026-06-22
Why it's listed
One afternoon on a Pi replaces years of DNS SaaS for every phone, TV, and laptop in the house.
Pi-hole sits on a Raspberry Pi or always-on machine and filters junk domains for every device on your Wi‑Fi. Cuts ads in apps and browsers, speeds up pages, and replaces paid DNS or ad-blocker subscriptions for the whole household.
The catch
Jump to setup guide ↓You maintain the box and allowlists; aggressive blocking can break some apps until you tune it.
How to set up Pi-hole
Block ads and trackers for every device on your home Wi‑Fi—one DNS change on the router, no per-phone subscriptions.
- Time
- 45–60 min
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Verified
- 2026-06-22
Before you start
- Raspberry Pi 4 (2GB+) or always-on Linux machine
- Router admin access
- Ethernet for the Pi recommended (Wi‑Fi works but less stable)
Install Pi-hole
One-step installer on Raspberry Pi OS: curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash. Choose upstream DNS (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 or Quad9). Note the admin password shown at the end.
Open the admin UI
http://pi-hole-ip/admin — log in. Dashboard should show 0 queries until DNS is pointed at the Pi.
Set a static IP for the Pi
Reserve DHCP lease in router or set static IP on the Pi. DNS must not change after you point the network at it.
Point your router DNS to Pi-hole
Router LAN settings → DHCP DNS server → Pi's static IP only (turn off secondary ISP DNS or ads leak). Reboot router if clients don't pick it up.
Verify blocking works
On a phone on Wi‑Fi, visit a site with heavy ads—or check Pi-hole Query Log for blocked domains. You should see activity within minutes.
Tune allowlists for broken apps
When a banking or school app fails, temporarily disable blocking for that client in Pi-hole or whitelist the domain. Aggressive block lists break more than default lists.
Troubleshooting
- Some devices still show ads
- Device using cellular DNS or DoH in browser—disable secure DNS in Chrome/Firefox or enforce Pi-hole at router only.
- Whole network feels slow
- Pi overloaded or SD card dying—check Pi-hole load; move to SSD or Pi 4 with heat sink.
- Internet down when Pi is off
- Set secondary DNS to a regular resolver temporarily, or keep the Pi always on—it's now part of your infrastructure.
Keep it working
- pihole -up quarterly for block list and core updates
- Review Query Log monthly for false positives
- Pair with router ownership guide if you're still paying modem rental fees
Official docs: docs.pi-hole.net/main/basic-install/
Good fit for
- Homelab-curious parents
- Households tired of ad creep on smart TVs
Not ideal for
- People who won't touch router DNS settings
- Homes that need bulletproof corporate VPN compatibility
Alternatives
Router Ownership vs Rental Guide
Stop paying $10–15/month to rent a modem/router—buy compatible gear once.
Replaces: ISP equipment rental fees
Prepaid Phone Plan Guide
Use prepaid carriers to pay only for months you need—no postpaid surprise bills.
Replaces: $80+ postpaid family plans, Phone bills that creep up every year
SIM-Only Plan Guide
Keep your phone, drop carrier financing—SIM-only MVNOs cut the monthly total.
Replaces: Carrier device payment plans, Big three postpaid
Family Plan Audit Checklist
Line-by-line review of who uses how much data and whether bundling still saves money.
Replaces: Blind family plan renewals