The best network ad blockers, according to hackers
7 network ad blockers were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 6 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The three most recommended network ad blockers with the badge. Each figure is 10 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Blocks ads network-wide, all devices
A free, self-hosted DNS filter that blocks ads and tracking for every device on your home network, though it can break sites and apps, forcing whitelisting.
Configurable profiles, filterlists, and allowlists
Recommended for system-wide ad and tracker blocking across devices, with fine-grained profiles and easy setup. Common caveat: some sites break and support is thin.
Blocks ads on every home device
Network-wide DNS ad blocker people run at home so every device goes ad-free; the common caveat is that allow lists take a while to tune.
All 7 network ad blockers, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pi-hole | 136 | 26 | 84% | 12 | 5 yrs7 owners | Approved |
| 2 | NextDNS | 81 | 14 | 85% | 12 | 3 yrs4 owners | Approved |
| 3 | AdGuard Home | 48 | 3 | 94% | 13 | — | Approved |
| 4 | AdGuard DNS | 26 | 3 | 90% | 11 | — | Approved |
| Tied 5 | RethinkDNS | 16 | 3 | 84% | 9 | — | Approved |
| Tied 5 | Control D | 16 | 1 | 94% | 7 | — | Approved |
| 7 | Pi-hole | 5 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same network ad blocker in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to network ad blockers that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.