Alternatives to AdAway

System-wide Android ad blocker using hosts files or a local VPN. 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 AdAway.

  • Blokada

    Mobile ad blocker with a local filter and an optional VPN tier.

    FreemiumOpen sourceAndroidiOS

    Blokada runs on both Android and iOS without root, filters locally for free, and offers an optional paid tier with VPN and cloud filtering.

  • Rethink DNS

    Android firewall and encrypted DNS client with per-app rules.

    FreeOpen sourceAndroid

    Rethink DNS adds a per-app firewall, encrypted DNS, detailed logs and WireGuard support to blocklists, though its amount of configuration is daunting at first.

  • Rethink DNS + Firewall

    Control Android network connections with Rethink's local firewall.

    FreeOpen sourceAndroid

    Rethink DNS + Firewall combines DNS filtering with connection monitoring and WireGuard support, and like the rootless AdAway mode it uses Android's VPN mechanism.

  • TrackerControl

    Monitor and restrict Android application tracking connections.

    FreeOpen sourceAndroid

    TrackerControl focuses on monitoring and restricting tracking connections per app, analysing traffic locally through Android's VPN slot instead of offering a hosts-file mode with root.

  • DNSNet

    An Android app that filters DNS requests through a local VPN to block ad and tracker domains.

    FreeProprietaryAndroid

    DNSNet blocks ad and tracker domains through a local VPN without root, but has no hosts-file root mode and is not open source.

  • personalDNSfilter

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

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroid

    personalDNSfilter can work with or without the VPN slot, adds DNS over HTTPS and DNS over TLS, and also runs on desktops with Java.

  • AdGuard Ad Blocker

    System-wide ad and tracker blocker apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS with DNS filtering.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    AdGuard Ad Blocker is a freemium, closed-source app with phishing protection and versions for Windows, macOS and iOS as well as Android.

Also worth comparing

These listings name AdAway as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • hBlock

    A POSIX shell script that builds a hosts file blocking ad, tracking and malware domains.

    FreeProprietaryLinuxCommand line

    AdAway applies hosts-file blocking on Android, with a local VPN mode when root is unavailable, under a GPL-3.0 license.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.