Pi hole by pi-hole
A black hole for Internet advertisements
About Pi hole
From the project's README at github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole. Lightly cleaned for readability; for the full source see the upstream repo.
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The Pi-hole® is a DNS sinkhole that protects your devices from unwanted content without installing any client-side software. Easy-to-install: our dialogs walk you through the simple installation process in less than ten minutes Resolute: content is blocked in non-browser locations, such as ad-laden mobile apps and smart TVs Responsive: seamlessly speeds up the feel of everyday browsing by caching DNS queries Lightweight: runs smoothly with minimal hardware and software requirements Robust: a command-line interface that is quality assured for interoperability Insightful: a beautiful responsive Web Interface dashboard to view and control your Pi-hole Versatile: can optionally function as a DHCP server, ensuring all your devices are protected automatically Scalable: [capable of handling hundreds of millions of queries](https
Health score breakdown
6-dimension composite. See methodology for formula and weights.
Adoption signals
Real-world usage data, pulled from each registry. The bigger the numbers, the more battle-tested the project.
| Signal | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 58k | github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole |
| GitHub forks | 3.1k | github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole |
Release & maintenance
Is this project actively maintained, or about to die? Check the recency of last commit and last release.
| Project age | 11.9 years | since Jun 2014 |
| Last commit | 5 days ago | May 2, 2026 |
| Releases shipped | 125 | last: 12 days ago |
| Security policy | SECURITY.md | declared by maintainers |
| Funding links | 3 | declared by maintainers |
Self-hosting cost across providers
Detected requirements: 4GB RAM, 40GB disk minimum. Cheapest plan per provider that meets the requirement.
| Provider | Plan | Specs | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hetzner | CAX11 | 2c · 4GB · 40GB | $4.13 USD | Deploy → |
| vultr | VC2 | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5 USD | Deploy → |
| linode | Nanode 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5.12 USD | Deploy → |
| digitalocean | Basic Regular 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $6 USD | Deploy → |
Security advisories
CVE-2025-34087. What people say on Hacker News
- Show HN: Evan-proxy, better teenager phone management
- Show HN: Digital Carrot – Block social media with programmable rules and goals
- Using Pi-Hole as an Opt-In DNS with Tailscale
- A Guide for WireGuard VPN Setup with Pi-Hole Adblock and Unbound DNS
- Show HN: Run your own private DNS with Pi-hole, dnsdist and Caddy
Ready to self-host Pi hole?
Spin up a hetzner CAX11 (4GB RAM, 40GB disk) for $4.13/mo and follow the project's official install docs.
Data last refreshed May 7, 2026.
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