Pi-hole or AdGuard home - Which one do you prefer?

Hi, my friends,
This week, I’ve been testing ad-blockers, namely Pi-hole and AdGuard home.

AdGuard Home was easier to install, perhaps because of what I had already learned and the settings I had already made in the system for Pi-hole to work, because I am using Docker in rootless mode, but from the research I have done on this topic, it seems that, as always, some people like Pi-hole better and others prefer AdGuard Home.

That’s why I created this topic, to learn a little more about your experience with the above-mentioned ad-blockers and, if you can indicate, I would be very grateful, why you prefer the one you use.

I know it can be a complicated subject, it may even be a matter of taste, but from the few tests I know how to do to test ad blockers, both seems to work well. However, there may be something I am missing, and as I am on time off, I would like to leave the ad blocker already in production for the entire internal network (I only have them in testing on my PC so far).

Note: to avoid any questions, I would like to inform you that I have them both connected simultaneously.

Thanks for your help.

Jorge

3 Likes

I dont use any blocking system, except one newspaper I read occasionally I dont have a problem with adds.

Youtube drives me crazy as before I can watch anything I get a few mins of pubs, unless I take out a subscription which I dont want to do.

But interested in your finding as I have several clients who insist on using something on the browser.

1 Like

Those two are network ad blockers.
Are they better than browser plugins like Ublock- origin?

3 Likes

Hi Neville,
They are different concepts.

The programs mentioned in the topic serve as local DNS servers and filter the entire network, allowing you to make a galvanic separation between the outside world and your local network.

uBlock Origin only controls/filters the information/content you access in your browser.

Both complement each other because, for example, and I’ll also take this opportunity to respond to Paul’s post, uBlock Origin filters ads included in YouTube videos, which I don’t know if DNS servers can do.

To all users,
I am not the best person to answer this question, as I am very newbie to this subject.
Please feel free to correct or add to my answer, thanks.

Jorge

3 Likes

Paul,
uBlock Origin blocks YouTube ads.
On which device will you be able to filter them, on your PC or smartphone?

Although it may work on chrome browser I am using a tablet with youtube install on it, ublock does not work through that sadly.

No big deal will live with it

1 Like

On Android for playing Youtube adfree I’d try Smarttube.

You can install it via “sideload”.

3 Likes

Hi László,
Thanks for the tip. I didn’t know about Stmarttube.

Hi Paul,
In order for uBlock Origin to block YouTube ads, you cannot use the YouTube app, you have to use YouTube through your smartphone’s browser.

I’ll give you my example with Firefox, which already has the uBlock Origin extension installed:

  • Open YouTube in your browser
  • Click on the kebab menu (icon with 3 vertical dots) and choose “add to Home screen”
  • You will now have an icon on your home screen with the YouTube symbol, i.e., you have created a web app.

Whenever you access YouTube through the web app, uBlock Origin will be running and you won’t see any ads on YouTube.

Jorge

2 Likes

On the tablet, use youtube through a browser, instead of the youtube app.
Sorry, Jorge has already dealt with this.

3 Likes

I started using Brave about 5 years ago - first try I wasn’t crazy about their sync system… But I got used to it…

Then I started to worry about how a browser would curb my freedom to try other browsers - and used Google Chrome and Chromium for a week - but youtube ads drove me crazy - and I quickly jumped back into the Brave camp…

Brave blocks youtube ads, it also blocks ads from other sources - e.g. TV Streaming sites like Australia’s SBS On Demand…

3 Likes