#12 in Privacy & ComplianceUpdated 2026-08

Pi-hole

by Pi-hole · Network-wide ad blocking via a self-hosted DNS server

38.6 — BenchRank score out of 100

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Overview

Pi-hole is a DNS server you run in a container or on a supported operating system to block advertisements across a whole network. Clients are pointed at it via the router's DHCP options or per-device configuration, so blocked domains are never downloaded. A web interface provides query logs, long-term statistics, allow/block lists and an API for the stats.

Best for: Home and small-office networks wanting ad blocking for every device from one self-hosted DNS server
Pricing: No prices are shown on the captured page; it only carries 'Sponsor us' and 'Donate' links.
Runs on: Self-hostedCLI

Strengths and trade-offs

Strengths

One install protects every device on the network
Blocks ads in mobile apps and smart TVs, not just browsers
Web interface with query log, long-term stats and audit log
Includes a DHCP server and regex-based allow/block lists

Trade-offs

Needs a supported OS or container, plus router DNS/DHCP changes
Ad blocking on mobile away from home requires pairing it with a VPN
Built by a small distributed team working on it in their spare time
Site shows no pricing, licence or support terms

How this score is made up

Each dimension is scored out of 100 and combined into the headline score using fixed weights.

MCP support: 0 out of 100
API quality: 40 out of 100
Documentation: 80 out of 100
Agent friendliness: 51 out of 100
Customer sentiment: 81 out of 100
Changelog: 0 out of 100
Marketing site structure: 35 out of 100
Operational trust: 0 out of 100

Measured, but not part of the score

Useful to know, but not a mark for or against the product — so these do not affect the ranking.

Openness: 65 out of 100
Maintenance: 100 out of 100

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