Pi-hole and AdGuard Home solve the same problem. Both sit between your devices and the internet, look at every DNS request, and refuse to answer for ad networks, trackers, and telemetry domains. Both are free, open-source, and run happily on a small server.

So which one should you pick? This guide explains what they have in common, where they really differ, and how to decide without reading a dozen forum threads.

What they have in common

Whichever you choose, you get the same core idea: block unwanted domains before a connection is ever made.

• Blocklists. Both load community blocklists and let you add your own block and allow rules.
• A query log. You can see which device asked for which domain, and what was blocked.
• A web dashboard. Everything is managed from a browser, no command line needed once it is running.
• Network-wide coverage. Point your router or a device at it, and phones, TVs, and consoles are covered, including ones that cannot run an ad blocker.
• The same limit. Both work at the DNS level, so neither can block an ad that is served from the same domain as the content, such as YouTube or Twitch video ads.

Because the basics match, the decision usually comes down to the things below.

Where they differ

Pi-hole is the long-established name in home DNS filtering. It focuses on doing one job well, with a detailed dashboard, powerful allow and deny rules (including regular expressions), groups that let you apply different blocklists to different devices, and local DNS records. It has a large community, so most problems you hit have been solved and written up somewhere.

AdGuard Home takes a more all-in-one approach. Its project documentation highlights features that work out of the box, including:

• Encrypted DNS built in. It can serve DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS itself, once you give it a certificate. Pi-hole does not do this on its own and needs extra software in front of it.
• Per-client settings. You can give each device its own filtering rules and even its own upstream resolver, for example stricter settings on a child's tablet.
• Parental-control options. Switches for blocking adult domains and enforcing safe search on major search engines.
• A modern interface that many people find quicker to learn.

A fair summary: Pi-hole gives you more fine-grained control over rules, while AdGuard Home gives you more features without extra pieces.

Which should you choose?

Choose Pi-hole if:

• You like detailed control over rules, groups, and regular expressions.
• You already know Pi-hole, or want the widest range of existing guides and community answers.
• You mainly want ad, tracker, and telemetry blocking, and nothing more.

Choose AdGuard Home if:

• You want different rules for different devices, such as a stricter profile for kids.
• You want safe search and adult-content blocking without hunting for extra blocklists.
• You like a simpler, more modern interface.

If you have no strong preference, either is a good choice. Most households will not notice a big difference in day-to-day use, and you can pick the one whose dashboard feels clearer to you.

Using either one with Unbound

Both fit the same private-DNS design described in our guide to Pi-hole with Unbound: the filter decides what gets resolved, and Unbound decides how, starting from the DNS root servers instead of asking a public resolver.

Your device
   │  (DoT / DoH, encrypted)
   ▼
Pi-hole or AdGuard Home   → blocked? answer immediately
   │  (allowed)
   ▼
Unbound                   → recursive lookup + DNSSEC validation + cache
   │
   ▼
Root → TLD → authoritative servers

If you build it yourself, the idea is identical for both: run Unbound on 127.0.0.1 at port 5335, then set it as the only upstream. In Pi-hole that is Settings → DNS → Custom DNS servers. In AdGuard Home it is Settings → DNS settings → Upstream DNS servers.

Two practical notes for self-hosters:

• On some Linux systems another service, such as systemd-resolved, already uses port 53, which AdGuard Home and Pi-hole both want. You may need to free it first.
• Encrypted DNS is the part that takes the most time. AdGuard Home can terminate DoT and DoH itself but still needs a valid certificate for a hostname you own. Pi-hole needs a separate proxy in front of it.

Or skip the hardware

With NxValue Stack you do not have to choose a side permanently or build any of this. Each node is your own isolated server, not a shared public resolver, running either Pi-hole or AdGuard Home together with Unbound.

• You pick the engine when you deploy, and the node is ready right away.
• DoH and DoT endpoints are generated for you, so you paste one hostname into Private DNS (Android), install a profile (iOS), or add a link (browsers).
• Your dashboard shows live queries and blocked domains, and you can export or delete your data at any time.
• Billing is hourly, you can delete the node whenever you like, and the BASE-N plan is $4/month.

You can look at both dashboards in the demo node. It is publicly shared and meant only for testing, not for personal use.

Some limits to know about

• DNS filtering is not a full ad blocker. First-party ads cannot be separated from content at the DNS level. For full coverage, add a browser content blocker.
• Filters can break things. An over-aggressive blocklist can stop a login page or a streaming app. Both tools let you allow a domain again in a few clicks, and the query log shows you what to look for.
• Home filtering stops at your door unless the device connects to your node away from home. Encrypted endpoints make that possible on phones.
• Children can bypass it. A VPN, mobile data, or changed settings can get around any DNS filter, so it works best alongside device controls and conversation.

Summary

• Pi-hole and AdGuard Home both block ads, trackers, and telemetry at the DNS level, with blocklists, a query log, and a web dashboard.
• Pi-hole leans toward detailed rule control. AdGuard Home leans toward built-in extras: encrypted DNS serving, per-client settings, and parental-control options.
• Both work with Unbound, so either way you can resolve DNS yourself without a large public resolver in the middle.
• On a managed NxValue Stack node, the encrypted endpoints are set up for you, so the choice comes down to which dashboard and features you prefer.

Pi-hole is a registered trademark of Pi-hole LLC. AdGuard Home is a trademark of AdGuard Software Limited. NxValue Stack is an independent service provider and is not affiliated with or sponsored by either project.