Alternatives to Acrylic DNS Proxy

A local caching DNS proxy for Windows that blocks unwanted domains with a custom hosts file. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Acrylic DNS Proxy.

  • dnscrypt-proxy

    Encrypts your DNS lookups so your internet provider cannot read or tamper with them, and blocks domains while it is there.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    dnscrypt-proxy runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and adds encrypted DNS, Anonymized DNS and time-based rules, configured through a TOML file instead of hosts files.

  • YogaDNS

    A Windows DNS client that intercepts system DNS requests and sends them over encrypted protocols by rule.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    YogaDNS also targets Windows but focuses on encrypted DNS with per-hostname rules; it is freemium and closed source rather than free and open source.

  • AdGuard Home

    Network-wide ad and tracker blocking in a single binary, with encrypted DNS built in rather than bolted on.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxWebSelf-hosted

    AdGuard Home runs as a local or network-wide server with a web interface, encrypted DNS and per-client rules, replacing Acrylic's text-file configuration.

  • personalDNSfilter

    Lightweight Java DNS filter proxy that blocks ad and malware domains on Android and desktops.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroid

    personalDNSfilter is a Java DNS filter proxy for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android with DoH and DoT support, but desktop use requires Java.

  • Blocky

    Lightweight DNS proxy with blocklists, written for container deployments.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedCommand line

    Blocky is a small open source DNS proxy with blocklists and encrypted upstreams across platforms, configured through YAML with no administration interface.

  • AdGuard DNS CLI

    A lightweight cross-platform DNS client that forwards a machine's DNS requests to AdGuard DNS.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsCommand line

    AdGuard DNS CLI is a lightweight local DNS server for Windows that forwards queries to the hosted AdGuard DNS service instead of using local hosts files.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Acrylic DNS Proxy as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • SwitchHosts

    A cross-platform desktop app for managing several hosts file profiles and switching between them.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Acrylic DNS Proxy is a Windows-only caching proxy whose custom hosts file supports wildcards and regular expressions, configured through text files.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.