Pi-hole
Pi-hole is a free, open-source DNS-level ad blocker founded in 2015 and maintained by a volunteer team, serving individual home network users and DIY enthusiasts who install it on a Raspberry Pi or Docker host to block ads across all network devices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSheridan, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Pi-hole does
Pi-hole is an open-source network-wide advertisement blocking software project that operates at the DNS layer. Founded around 2015 by Jacob Salmela and now led by co-founder Dan Schaper alongside Adam Warner (Docker Maintainer) and Dominik Derigs (FTL Designer), the project is maintained by a globally distributed volunteer team working in their spare time. The core technology uses dnsmasq as the underlying resolver with a custom high-performance engine called FTL (Faster Than Light), pre-built for x86_64, ARMv6/v7/v8, and RISC-V architectures. The product is composed of three primary modules — Pi-hole Core (the blocking engine), Pi-hole FTL (the DNS resolver), and the AdminLTE-based Web Interface (statistics and configuration dashboard) — and supports deployment via native installer or official Docker container.
Functionally, Pi-hole installs on a single device (typically a Raspberry Pi, server, or Docker host) and protects every device on the network, including mobile apps and smart TVs that browser-based ad blockers cannot reach. Supporting features include a built-in DHCP server, query and audit logs, long-term database-backed statistics, four privacy modes, and white/blacklists with regex support. A REST API extends the dashboard and CLI, and a v6 authentication model allows CLI commands without manual password entry for group members.
Commercially, Pi-hole is a free, donation-funded open-source project with no paid tiers, subscription fees, or premium features. Revenue mechanics consist of voluntary donations through GitHub Sponsors and Patreon, one-time contributions in Bitcoin and other channels, and affiliate commission arrangements with DigitalOcean, Amazon, Stickermule, and Hetzner Cloud that primarily yield infrastructure credits rather than cash. Distribution is entirely self-serve via GitHub and Docker Hub with community-led go-to-market through Discourse, Reddit, Twitter/X, and a long-running blog, and there is no formal corporate entity, no disclosed headcount, and no institutional investment.
Pi-hole firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pi-hole
- Legal name
- Pi-hole
- Website
- https://pi-hole.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Pi-hole is a free, open-source DNS-level ad blocker founded in 2015 and maintained by a volunteer team, serving individual home network users and DIY enthusiasts who install it on a Raspberry Pi or Docker host to block ads across all network devices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Pi-hole is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sheridan
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pi-hole business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Donations: Pi-hole accepts voluntary donations through GitHub Sponsors and Patreon for recurring monthly support, as well as one-time donations. The project is maintained by volunteers and funded entirely by community donations.
- Affiliate Links: Pi-hole earns commissions through affiliate partnerships with DigitalOcean (referral credits), Amazon (purchase commissions), Stickermule, and Hetzner Cloud. These provide free server time, stickers, or other perks rather than direct revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free open-source software |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Pi-hole product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pi-hole is open-source software that blocks advertisements and tracking domains at the DNS level for an entire network. It consists of three components: Pi-hole Core (the blocking software), Pi-hole FTL (a high-performance DNS resolver engine based on dnsmasq), and Pi-hole Web Interface (an AdminLTE-based dashboard). It is installed on a single device such as a Raspberry Pi, server, or Docker container and protects all devices on the network without browser plugins.
Product overview
Pi-hole is a network-wide ad blocking solution consisting of three core components: Pi-hole Core (the main blocking software), Pi-hole FTL (the DNS resolver engine), and Pi-hole Web Interface (the AdminLTE-based dashboard). These work together to block advertisements and tracking domains at the DNS level, protecting an entire network from a single installation. Optional features include a built-in DHCP server, query logging, long-term statistics, audit logs, configurable privacy modes, and white/blacklisting with regex support. Deployment options include native installation on supported Linux distributions or via official Docker container images.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pi-hole Core The core DNS-level ad blocking software that filters advertisement and tracking domains network-wide. Installs on a single device to protect an entire network without browser plugins or per-device software.
- Pi-hole FTL (Faster-Than-Light) The high-performance DNS resolver engine at the heart of Pi-hole, based on dnsmasq. Handles DNS queries, caching, and blocking logic with optimized performance.
- Pi-hole Web Interface (AdminLTE) Web-based administrative dashboard for Pi-hole management, displaying statistics on blocked domains, queries, and network activity with monitoring and control capabilities.
- Pi-hole Docker Official Docker container image enabling Pi-hole deployment in containerized environments, supporting various architectures with easy installation and upgrading.
Quantifiable outcome
- Block ads before they are downloaded, improving network performance
Companies that use Pi-hole
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pi-hole technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
Feature7 records
Pi-hole partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Pi-hole competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ControlD: ControlD provides a customizable DNS-based filtering service with blocklists, rewrites, and proxying, directly competing for the same DIY/prosumer use case Pi-hole serves.
- Blokada: Blokada provides DNS/VPN-based ad blocking primarily for Android, targeting the same mobile-app and smart-TV ad-blocking pain point that Pi-hole addresses at the network level.
- NextDNS: NextDNS is a hosted DNS-based content filtering and privacy service targeting the same tech-savvy consumers as Pi-hole, with a managed dashboard and mobile apps.
- AdGuard: AdGuard offers DNS-level ad and tracking blocking for both home and mobile users via AdGuard DNS and AdGuard Home, the closest commercial analog to Pi-hole's network-wide DNS blocking model.
- AdGuard Home: AdGuard Home is AdGuard's self-hostable DNS sinkhole, functionally analogous to Pi-hole's on-network DNS filtering and is often evaluated head-to-head by the same community.
Emerging players
- Quad9: Quad9 is a non-profit, privacy-focused recursive DNS service that blocks malicious domains at the resolver level, positioning itself similarly to Pi-hole's privacy-and-security framing.
- pfBlockerNG: pfBlockerNG runs on pfSense/OPNsense firewalls to provide DNSBL and IP blocking across an entire network, overlapping with Pi-hole's whole-home blocking positioning for more technical users.
- uBlock Origin: uBlock Origin is an open-source browser-based content blocker; it operates at the browser layer rather than DNS, but it is often the first blocker users try before graduating to Pi-hole.
Broad incumbents
- OpenDNS: OpenDNS (Cisco-owned) is one of the original DNS-based filtering services for both home and enterprise customers and competes for the same broad awareness of network-level filtering.
- Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families: Cloudflare offers free DNS-based malware and adult-content filtering at massive scale, providing a frictionless, zero-install alternative to Pi-hole for non-technical consumers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pi-hole social profiles
Digital presencePi-hole financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pi-hole leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Pi-hole funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pi-hole M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pi-hole
What does Pi-hole do?
Pi-hole is open-source software that blocks advertisements and tracking domains at the DNS level for an entire network. It consists of three components: Pi-hole Core (the blocking software), Pi-hole FTL (a high-performance DNS resolver engine based on dnsmasq), and Pi-hole Web Interface (an AdminLTE-based dashboard). It is installed on a single device such as a Raspberry Pi, server, or Docker container and protects all devices on the network without browser plugins.
Is Pi-hole a public or private company?
Pi-hole is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pi-hole founded?
Pi-hole was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Pi-hole based?
Pi-hole is headquartered in Sheridan, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pi-hole make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are affiliate Links.
Who are Pi-hole's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ControlD, Blokada, NextDNS, AdGuard and AdGuard Home. Emerging players are Quad9, pfBlockerNG and uBlock Origin. Broad incumbents are OpenDNS and Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families.
Does Pi-hole have an API?
Yes. Pi-hole provides a REST API for extending statistics and controlling the Pi-hole. The API is used by the web interface and CLI commands. Pi-hole v6 uses a new API for authentication where CLI commands authenticate without manually entering password when users are members of the 'pihole' group.