Pi-hole
| 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 | |
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.
History
[edit]The Pi-hole project was created by Jacob Salmela as an open source alternative to AdTrap[4][5] in 2014[6] and was hosted on GitHub.[7] Since then, several contributors have joined the project.[6] In 2017, Pi-hole was registered in the United States as a trademark of Pi-Hole, LLC.[1]
Features
[edit]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]
Difference from traditional advertisement blockers
[edit]Pi-hole can handle all DNS requests for the local network, meaning that advertisements and tracking domains are blocked for all devices behind it, whereas traditional advertisement blockers run in a user's web browser and remove advertisements only within that browser.[15][17]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "PI-HOLE Trademark of Pi-Hole, LLC". Justia Trademarks. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
- ↑ "Release 6.4". 27 November 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ↑ "Pi-hole hardware kit". 2018-05-07. Archived from the original on 2019-08-14. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
- ↑ "Block Millions Of Ads Network-wide With A Raspberry Pi-hole 2.0". Jacob Salmela. 2015-06-16. Archived from the original on 2020-04-13. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
- ↑ "Pi-hole: A Raspberry Pi Ad-Blocker with DNS Caching (Ultra-fast)". Jacob Salmela. 2014-06-11. Archived from the original on 2019-08-14. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
- 1 2 "pi-hole/pi-hole; Contributors". GitHub. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
- ↑ Jeffries, Adrianne (2018-05-10). "Inside the Brotherhood of the Ad Blockers". Bloomberg.
- ↑ telekrmor (2018-02-22). "FTLDNS: Pi-hole's Own DNS/DHCP server". Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
- ↑ "pi-hole/pi-hole; The Origin Of Pi-hole". GitHub. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
- 1 2 Pounder, Les (2021-08-01). "How to Block Ads Network-Wide With Pi-hole on Raspberry Pi". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
- ↑ "How does Pi-hole work?". Pi-hole Userspace. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
- ↑ "Overview - Pi-hole documentation". docs.pi-hole.net. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
- 1 2 "How to set up your network protection with Pi-hole" NordVPN Meshnet docs. Retrieved 2025-01-03
- ↑ "What Really Happens On Your Network? Find Out With Pi-hole". Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements. 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
- 1 2 "Seven Things You May Not Know About Pi-hole". Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements. 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
- ↑ "Configuring DNS-Over-HTTPS on Pi-hole - Pi-hole documentation". docs.pi-hole.net. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
- ↑ "Enjoy The Rio Olympics Ad-free With Pi-hole". Pi-hole®: A black hole for Internet advertisements. 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2018-05-06.