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dnsmasq vs Pi-hole: catalog facts
dnsmasq	Pi-hole
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free Free and open source under the European Union Public Licence 1.2, funded by donations and…
Linux, Self-hosted	Linux, Self-hosted, Web
DNS, DHCP and network boot from one tiny daemon Local hostname resolution for DHCP clients happens automatically	Blocks advertising in mobile apps and on smart televisions, not just browsers Covers every device on the network with nothing installed on them
Not a recursive resolver; it forwards to one Configuration syntax is terse	Runs on Linux; it is not a program you install on a laptop Over-blocking breaks sites, and someone has to fix it when it does
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: EUPL-1.2
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.