SelfHostHub

Self-hosted DNS

SelfHostHub lists 6 open-source DNS projects you can host on your own server. The most-starred on GitHub are Pi-hole (61,329 stars), AdGuard Home (37,523 stars) and Technitium DNS Server (10,155 stars). 5 of them document a Docker install.

Feature your project here

Pi-hole

61k

Blackhole for Internet advertisements with a GUI for management and monitoring.

DNSEUPL-1.2

AdGuard Home

38k

User-friendly ads & trackers blocking DNS server.

DNSGPL-3.0

blocky

7.0k

Fast and lightweight DNS proxy as ad-blocker for local network with many features (alternative to Pi-hole).

DNSApache-2.0

Maza ad blocking

1.9k

Local ad blocker. Like Pi-hole but local and using your operating system.

DNSApache-2.0

Numa

1.8k

Ad-blocking DNS resolver with DNSSEC-validating recursive resolution, DoH/DoT/Oblivious DoH, ephemeral overrides, and local service domains, in a single Rust binary (alternative to Pi-hole, AdGuard Home, NextDNS).

DNSMIT

How to choose self-hosted DNS software

  1. Check project health. Stars show popularity, not maintenance. Open the source repository and look at recent commits and releases.
  2. Match the licence to your use. 2 use a GPL-family licence (copyleft, including AGPL) and 3 use a permissive licence such as MIT, Apache-2.0 or BSD. AGPL matters if you modify the software and offer it to others over a network.
  3. Pick a stack you can run. The most common platforms here are Docker (5), Shell (2), PHP (1) and C# (1). Docker is usually the easiest path for a home server or VPS.
  4. Try before you migrate. Run a throwaway container first, and confirm it can import your existing data before switching.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular self-hosted DNS software?

By GitHub stars, the top projects in this category are Pi-hole (61,329 stars), AdGuard Home (37,523 stars) and Technitium DNS Server (10,155 stars).

How many open-source DNS tools are listed?

6 projects are currently listed in the DNS category on SelfHostHub.

Which licences do self-hosted DNS projects use?

The most common licences in this category are GPL-3.0 (2), Apache-2.0 (2) and EUPL-1.2 (1).

Can I run these DNS tools with Docker?

5 of the 6 projects list Docker as a supported platform. Check each project's documentation for the exact install steps.