XDA spent the week documenting how giving Claude full control of a DNS server taught the author more than years of documentation. The piece is funnier than the headline suggests, but the underlying point is real. A self-hosted DNS server is one of the highest-leverage upgrades a home network can get, and the apps that make it possible have matured well past the point of “Pi-hole or nothing”. The choice is not which tool blocks ads; it is which tool gives you the right mix of filtering, caching, encryption, and visibility for the kind of network you actually run.
We tested 8 of the best apps for self-hosted DNS across a Raspberry Pi, an Intel mini PC running Linux, and a Windows server in a small office. The benchmark mix was the boring stuff: setup time, blocklist management, DNS-over-TLS or DNS-over-HTTPS upstream, query logging, and what each tool does when something breaks at 2 in the morning.
What to look for in a self-hosted DNS server
Six criteria separate the daily-driver tools from the experiments:
- Blocklist management. The whole point. Tools that auto-update lists and let you maintain allowlists per client win.
- Recursive vs forwarding. A recursive resolver (Unbound, BIND) talks to root servers directly. A forwarder hands off to a public resolver. The first is more private, the second is faster on cold queries.
- Encryption upstream. DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-HTTPS keep your queries opaque to the ISP. Not every tool does both.
- Per-client policy. Different rules for the kids’ tablet and the home office matters more than people expect.
- Logging and dashboards. A dashboard that shows what is blocked is what convinces the rest of the household.
- Failover. A home DNS that breaks takes the internet with it. Failover behaviour and the ease of running a secondary instance matter.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Type | Free option | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pi-hole | Default home DNS with a polished dashboard | Forwarding resolver | Yes (open source) | Largest community and most third-party blocklists |
| AdGuard Home | Polished alternative to Pi-hole | Forwarding resolver | Yes (open source) | Per-client policy in the default UI |
| Technitium DNS | Authoritative and recursive in one app | Recursive + authoritative | Yes (open source) | Hosts your own internal zones cleanly |
| Blocky | Lightweight, single-binary DNS filter | Forwarding resolver | Yes (open source) | Easy to deploy in containers and edit by YAML |
| Unbound | Pure recursive resolver | Recursive resolver | Yes (open source) | Best-in-class privacy-respecting recursion |
| dnsmasq | Lightweight DNS, DHCP, and TFTP for a small LAN | Caching forwarder | Yes (open source) | The classic “good enough” router-grade resolver |
| BIND9 | Production-grade authoritative DNS | Authoritative + recursive | Yes (open source) | The reference implementation for serious workloads |
| dnscrypt-proxy | Encryption layer in front of any resolver | DNS encryption proxy | Yes (open source) | Adds DoH and DoT to anything that does not speak them |
The 8 best apps for self-hosted DNS on desktop
1. Pi-hole — best default for a home DNS
Pi-hole is the app most home networks land on. The install script runs on a Raspberry Pi, a Linux VM, or in a container, and within ten minutes the network has a dashboard showing every blocked tracker. The blocklist ecosystem is the largest in the category, with community-curated lists for almost every device class. Group management lets you carve out a policy for the kids’ tablet that differs from the office.
Where it falls short: Per-client policy is functional but not as fluid as AdGuard Home’s. The web UI’s design is dated next to the polished competition. DNS encryption upstream needs a sidecar like dnscrypt-proxy or Cloudflared.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source
- Paid: none
Platforms: Linux (preferred), Raspberry Pi, runs in Docker on Windows and macOS
Download: pi-hole.net
Bottom line: Pick Pi-hole for self-hosted DNS if you want the default with the largest community and the most documented setup.
2. AdGuard Home — best polished Pi-hole alternative
AdGuard Home does the same job as Pi-hole with a smoother UI and per-client policy in the default install. DNS-over-TLS, DNS-over-HTTPS, and DNSCrypt upstream are built in. The dashboard is easier to read at a glance, and the blocklist management UI is more friendly to new users.
Where it falls short: The community is smaller than Pi-hole’s, which sometimes means a tutorial you find is for Pi-hole and you translate. The blocklist marketplace is good but smaller.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source
- Paid: none (separate AdGuard VPN and DNS services are sold by the same company)
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS, runs in Docker anywhere
Download: adguard.com/en/adguard-home
Bottom line: Pick AdGuard Home for self-hosted DNS if you want a polished UI and built-in encryption without bolting on a second tool.
3. Technitium DNS — best for authoritative plus recursive in one app
Technitium DNS is the option for users who want a home network that hosts its own internal zones and resolves outward in the same app. Local hostnames, internal SSL certificates, and split-horizon DNS all work without three pieces of software. The web UI is clean. The app runs on Windows or Linux and ships as a single .NET application.
Where it falls short: Smaller community than Pi-hole. Some advanced filtering needs custom rules rather than a curated marketplace.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source
- Paid: none
Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS (via .NET runtime), Docker
Download: technitium.com/dns
Bottom line: Pick Technitium DNS for self-hosted DNS if you also need authoritative DNS for an internal zone and you do not want a second tool.
4. Blocky — best lightweight container-friendly DNS
Blocky is a single Go binary that runs as a filtering DNS server, configured by a small YAML file. It is the simplest tool on this list to deploy in a container stack alongside other services. Blocklist sources, custom redirects, and per-client policy all live in one file you can put in version control. The metrics export is Prometheus-native, which fits home labs that already run Grafana.
Where it falls short: No web UI of its own. You get a Prometheus dashboard, not a Pi-hole-style queries view.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source
- Paid: none
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker
Download: github.com/0xERR0R/blocky
Bottom line: Pick Blocky for self-hosted DNS if you live in containers, version-control your config, and want a small footprint.
5. Unbound — best recursive resolver
Unbound is a pure recursive resolver. It talks to root servers directly, validates DNSSEC by default, and does not forward anything to a public resolver upstream. Pi-hole users frequently install Unbound behind Pi-hole for exactly this reason: filtering at Pi-hole, recursion at Unbound. The combination removes the dependency on Cloudflare, Google, or Quad9 entirely.
Where it falls short: No blocklist support of its own. It does one job and does it well; filtering is up to whatever sits in front of it.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source
- Paid: none
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS
Download: nlnetlabs.nl/projects/unbound
Bottom line: Pick Unbound for self-hosted DNS if you want full recursion without trusting a public resolver, and you are happy to pair it with a filtering front-end.
6. dnsmasq — best lightweight resolver for a small LAN
dnsmasq is the resolver that ships in most home routers’ firmware, and it works just as well as a small-LAN DNS plus DHCP server on a Raspberry Pi. The configuration syntax is terse but stable, the resource use is tiny, and it has been the boring backbone of home networks for two decades. For a small LAN that needs DNS and DHCP from the same box without a dashboard, this is the right answer.
Where it falls short: No blocklist marketplace. No UI. Logging is via syslog.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source
- Paid: none
Platforms: Linux, BSD
Download: thekelleys.org.uk/dnsmasq
Bottom line: Pick dnsmasq for self-hosted DNS if you want the lightest possible resolver plus DHCP, no UI, no surprises.
7. BIND9 — best production-grade DNS
BIND9 is the reference DNS server and the option chosen when uptime is non-negotiable. The configuration syntax is intimidating, the project history is long, and the documentation assumes you take DNS seriously. For a home lab that doubles as a learning environment for production skills, BIND is the right hammer.
Where it falls short: Steep learning curve. No blocklist UI. Overkill for most home networks.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source
- Paid: optional support contracts from ISC
Platforms: Linux, BSD, Windows
Download: isc.org/bind
Bottom line: Pick BIND9 for self-hosted DNS if you want production-grade tooling at home and you are using the home lab to learn skills you will use at work.
8. dnscrypt-proxy — best encryption layer for any resolver
dnscrypt-proxy is not a filter or a recursive resolver. It sits in front of whatever you run and adds DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, and DNSCrypt support. For Pi-hole, dnsmasq, or any other tool that does not speak encrypted DNS upstream natively, this is the easiest way to add it.
Where it falls short: Adds another moving part to the stack. Configuration is via TOML.
Pricing:
- Free: open-source
- Paid: none
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD
Download: github.com/DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-proxy
Bottom line: Pick dnscrypt-proxy for self-hosted DNS if you have a filtering tool you like and you want to add DoH or DoT upstream without changing it.
How to pick the right one
If you want the default and the largest community, run Pi-hole.
If you want per-client policy in the default UI and built-in encryption upstream, run AdGuard Home.
If you also need authoritative DNS for an internal zone, run Technitium DNS.
If you live in containers and version-control your config, run Blocky.
If you want true recursive resolution rather than forwarding, run Unbound behind whatever filtering tool you choose.
If you want the lightest possible resolver plus DHCP on a small LAN, run dnsmasq.
If you want production-grade DNS as a home-lab learning project, run BIND9.
If you want to add encrypted upstream DNS to any of the above, add dnscrypt-proxy.
The strongest home setup we tested was Pi-hole or AdGuard Home for the dashboard and filtering, Unbound behind it for recursion, and dnscrypt-proxy in front of any link that needed encryption.
FAQ
Is Pi-hole still the best self-hosted DNS?
It is the most popular and the best documented. AdGuard Home matches or beats it on per-client policy and built-in encryption. Both are good defaults.
Will a self-hosted DNS break my internet if it crashes?
Only if you have no fallback. Most routers let you set a secondary DNS server. Point it at a public resolver (1.1.1.1 or 9.9.9.9) and clients fall back when your home DNS goes down.
What is the difference between Pi-hole and Unbound?
Pi-hole filters and forwards queries to an upstream resolver. Unbound resolves queries by talking to root servers directly. Running both means filtering at Pi-hole, recursion at Unbound, no dependency on a public resolver.
Can I run self-hosted DNS on a Raspberry Pi?
Yes. Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, Blocky, and dnsmasq all run comfortably on a Raspberry Pi 4 or newer. A Pi 5 has headroom for several services on the same box.
Do I need to learn DNS to run a self-hosted server?
For Pi-hole and AdGuard Home, no. The install scripts handle the boring parts. For BIND9 and Technitium’s more advanced features, expect to spend a weekend reading.