Alternatives to OpenWrt adblock

A DNS-based ad and abuse domain blocking package for OpenWrt routers, covering every device on the network. 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 OpenWrt adblock.

  • Adblock Fast

    A lightweight DNS-based ad blocker for OpenWrt routers using dnsmasq, smartdns, Unbound or BIND.

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hosted

    Adblock Fast also runs on OpenWrt routers and adds very low memory use, support for several resolvers and an optional LuCI web interface, from a smaller project.

  • Pi-hole

    A DNS server for your home network that refuses to look up ad and tracker domains, for every device at once.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hostedWeb

    Pi-hole blocks ads for the whole network from a separate Linux machine with a web interface, and can run the DHCP server, instead of running on the router.

  • 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 one binary with a web interface on many systems including ARM, adding encrypted DNS serving, per-client rules and parental controls.

  • Diversion

    A DNS-based ad blocker that runs on Asus routers with Asuswrt-Merlin firmware.

    FreeProprietarySelf-hostedCommand line

    Diversion offers the same router-level blocking but runs only on Asus routers with Asuswrt-Merlin firmware, managed through amtm, and is not open source.

  • pfBlockerNG

    A pfSense package that adds IP blocklists, country blocking and DNS blocklists to the firewall.

    FreeProprietarySelf-hosted

    pfBlockerNG brings DNS and IP blocklists plus country blocking to pfSense firewalls instead of OpenWrt, with a dashboard widget, but it only runs on pfSense.

  • Blocky

    Lightweight DNS proxy with blocklists, written for container deployments.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedCommand line

    Blocky is a small Apache-2.0 DNS proxy suited to containers and small boards, with per-client blocking rules, configured in YAML without an admin interface.

Also worth comparing

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

  • Privoxy

    A non-caching web proxy that filters HTTP headers and page content to remove ads and trackers.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    OpenWrt adblock moves DNS-based domain blocking onto an OpenWrt router for the whole network, without Privoxy's header or page content filtering.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.