Homarr vs Pi-hole
Detailed comparison to help you choose the right tool for your needs
H
Homarr
Open-source homelab dashboard with service integration
4.4
Editorial RatingP
Pi-hole
Network-wide ad blocker and DNS sinkhole for your home network
4.8
Editorial RatingQuick Comparison
Rating
4.4
vs4.8
Starting Price
Free
vsFree
Pricing Model
free
vsfree
Feature
Homarr
Pi-hole
Service dashboard
Docker integration
Health monitoring
Custom widgets
Drag-and-drop layout
Search integration
Network-wide ad blocking
DNS sinkhole
Query logging dashboard
Custom blocklists
DHCP server
API access
Homarr Pros
- Beautiful dashboard for self-hosted services
- Docker container auto-discovery
- Active development
- Easy drag-and-drop customization
- Growing integration list
Homarr Cons
- Newer project still maturing
- Some integrations limited
- Mobile experience could be better
- Resource usage higher than simpler dashboards like Homer
Pi-hole Pros
- Blocks ads across all devices including smart TVs and IoT without browser extensions
- Completely free and open-source with no subscription
- Real-time dashboard reveals how much tracking happens on your network
- Built-in DHCP server simplifies network configuration
- Massive community with extensive blocklist resources and documentation
- Runs on minimal hardware — Raspberry Pi Zero handles a full home network
Pi-hole Cons
- Only works on local network — outside access requires VPN setup
- Some websites detect DNS-based blocking and refuse to load
- Requires basic networking knowledge to configure router DNS settings
- Needs a dedicated device or container running continuously
- Cannot block ads served from first-party domains via HTTPS
- Regular blocklist updates required to catch new ad domains