Alternatives to SwitchHosts
A cross-platform desktop app for managing several hosts file profiles and switching between them. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
SwitchHosts
A cross-platform desktop app for managing several hosts file profiles and switching between them.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as SwitchHosts.
hBlock
A POSIX shell script that builds a hosts file blocking ad, tracking and malware domains.
hBlock is a POSIX shell script that builds a blocking hosts file from several sources, with no desktop interface or profile switching.
Maza
A Bash script that blocks ads system-wide by filtering DNS through the hosts file or dnsmasq.
Maza is a Bash script for macOS, Linux, BSD and WSL that blocks ads through the hosts file or dnsmasq, controlled from the command line.
Acrylic DNS Proxy
A local caching DNS proxy for Windows that blocks unwanted domains with a custom hosts file.
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.
dnsmasq
Lightweight DNS forwarder, DHCP server and TFTP server in one.
AdAway
System-wide Android ad blocker using hosts files or a local VPN.
Pi-hole
A DNS server for your home network that refuses to look up ad and tracker domains, for every device at once.
AdGuard Home
Network-wide ad and tracker blocking in a single binary, with encrypted DNS built in rather than bolted on.
