Pi-hole
Network level ad- and tracker-blocking app
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pi-hole is a Linux network-level advertisement and Internet tracker blocking application which acts as a DNS sinkhole and optionally a DHCP server, intended for use on a private network. It is designed for low-power embedded devices with network capability, such as the Raspberry Pi,[3] but can be installed on almost any Linux system. As well as importing externally prepared blocklists, Pi-hole can be configured to block specific websites or apply parental controls.
| Pi-hole | |
|---|---|
| |
.png) Screenshot of the AdminLTE web interface for Pi-hole | |
| Developers | Pi-hole, LLC[1] |
| Release | June 15, 2015 |
| Stable release | 6.4[2]
/ 27 November 2025 |
| Written in | Bash, C (optional DNS server FTLDNS), PHP, CSS (optional web console) |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Licence | European Union Public Licence |
| Website | pi-hole |
| Repository | |
History
Features
Pi-hole makes use of a modified dnsmasq called FTLDNS,[8] cURL, lighttpd, PHP and the AdminLTE Dashboard[9] to block DNS requests for known tracking and advertising domains. The application acts as a DNS server for a private network (replacing any pre-existing DNS server provided by another device or the ISP), with the ability to block advertisements and tracking domains for users' devices.[10] It obtains lists of advertisement and tracking domains from a configurable list of predefined sources, and compares DNS queries against them. If a match is found within any of the lists, or a locally configured blocklist, Pi-hole will refuse to resolve the requested domain and respond to the requesting device with a dummy address.[11]
Because Pi-hole blocks domains at the network level, it is able to block advertisements, such as banner advertisements on a webpage, but it can also block advertisements in unconventional locations, such as on Android, iOS and smart TVs.[10]
Using VPN services, Pi-Hole can block domains without using a DNS filter setup in a router. Any device that supports VPNs can use Pi-Hole on a cellular network or a home network without having a DNS server configured.[12] Integrating Pi-hole with a VPN allows users to extend ad-blocking and tracker-blocking capabilities to devices outside their local network. This setup can improve privacy and security on untrusted or public networks by funneling traffic through a secure connection.[13]
The nature of Pi-hole allows it to also block website domains in general by manually adding the domain name to a blocklist. Likewise, domains can be manually added to an allowlist should a website's function be impaired by domains being blocked. Pi-hole can also function as a network monitoring tool,[14] which can aid in troubleshooting DNS requests and network faults.[15] Additionally, it can enhance security by blocking malicious domains and phishing attempts, reducing the risk of malware infections on connected devices.[13] Pi-hole can also be used to encourage the use of DNS over HTTPS for devices using it as a DNS server with the cloudflared binary provided by Cloudflare.[16]
