Acrylic DNS Proxy

A local caching DNS proxy for Windows that blocks unwanted domains with a custom hosts file.

FreeOpen sourceWindows
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About Acrylic DNS Proxy

Acrylic runs on your own Windows PC as a DNS proxy. It caches the answers from your DNS servers, so frequently visited addresses resolve almost instantly, and it sends queries to several upstream servers at the same time. When an upstream server is down, cached entries still let you reach the sites you use most.

It also blocks ads and unwanted domains through its own hosts file. This file can hold hundreds of thousands of entries and supports wildcards and regular expressions. Acrylic is available as an installer or as a portable zip, and its source code is published.

Strengths

  • Hosts file with wildcard and regular expression support
  • Caching speeds up repeated name lookups
  • Forwards queries to multiple DNS servers at once
  • Installer and portable versions available

Limitations

  • Windows only
  • Configured through text files rather than a graphical interface

Details

Pricing
FreeFree and released as open source.
License
Open source, license not stated
Developer
Mayakron
Platforms
Windows
How it runs
Downloadable app
Account
Not required
Best suited for
Windows users who want local DNS caching and domain blocking without extra hardware
Last verified
Added
Provenance
Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.

Alternatives to Acrylic DNS Proxy

Compare all

Software that can replace Acrylic DNS Proxy for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.

  • 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.

Acrylic DNS Proxy as an alternative

Listings that name Acrylic DNS Proxy as an alternative.

  • 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 necessarily a direct replacement.

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