AdAway vs Pi-hole

Struggling to choose between AdAway and Pi-hole? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

AdAway is a Security & Privacy solution with tags like ad-blocking, hosts-file-editor, open-source.

It boasts features such as Blocks ads in apps and browsers by redirecting ad server requests to localhost, Open source and free, Easy to use interface, Does not require root access, Regularly updated blocklist, Allows customization of hosts file and pros including Blocks ads without root access, Lightweight and efficient, Open source with no ads or tracking, Works across many apps and browsers, Can be customized to block additional hosts.

On the other hand, Pi-hole is a Network & Admin product tagged with ad-blocking, privacy, dns, network-level-blocking.

Its standout features include Network-wide ad blocking, Blocks ads for all devices on your network, Lightweight and designed to run on a Raspberry Pi, Uses DNS filtering to block unwanted domains, Can block ads in non-browser applications, Provides a local DNS server for your network, Web interface for managing blocklists and whitelists, Can view stats on ads and queries blocked, Open source software, and it shines with pros like Blocks ads without needing client software, Easy to set up and configure, Low resource usage, Can improve page load speeds, Blocks ads on all devices and applications, Constantly updated blocklists, Active open source community.

Feature	AdAway	Pi-hole
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Security & Privacy	Network & Admin

Product Overview

AdAway

Description: AdAway is an open source ad blocker and hosts file editor for Android devices. It blocks ads by editing the hosts file on your device to redirect requests from advertising servers to localhost.

Pi-hole

Description: Pi-hole is an open source DNS sinkhole and ad blocker that works at the network level. It allows users to block ads and trackers on all devices on their home network by redirecting traffic from ad-serving domains to a black hole.

Key Features Comparison

AdAway Features

• Blocks ads in apps and browsers by redirecting ad server requests to localhost
• Open source and free
• Easy to use interface
• Does not require root access
• Regularly updated blocklist
• Allows customization of hosts file

Pi-hole Features

• Network-wide ad blocking
• Blocks ads for all devices on your network
• Lightweight and designed to run on a Raspberry Pi
• Uses DNS filtering to block unwanted domains
• Can block ads in non-browser applications
• Provides a local DNS server for your network
• Web interface for managing blocklists and whitelists
• Can view stats on ads and queries blocked
• Open source software

Pros & Cons Analysis

AdAway

Pros

• Blocks ads without root access
• Lightweight and efficient
• Open source with no ads or tracking
• Works across many apps and browsers
• Can be customized to block additional hosts

Cons

• Requires manual update of blocklist
• Some ads may get through
• Could break functionality of some apps
• Requires a one-time setup process
• Not available on Google Play Store

Pi-hole

Pros

• Blocks ads without needing client software
• Easy to set up and configure
• Low resource usage
• Can improve page load speeds
• Blocks ads on all devices and applications
• Constantly updated blocklists
• Active open source community

Cons

• Requires a dedicated device to run on
• Can break some web sites
• Requires technical knowledge to configure
• Does not work when away from home network
• Does not block all ads and trackers

Pricing Comparison

AdAway

• Free
• Open Source

Pi-hole

• Open Source