Pi-hole vs Zscaler

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

Pi-hole is a Network & Admin solution with tags like ad-blocking, privacy, dns, network-level-blocking.

It boasts features such as 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 pros including 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.

On the other hand, Zscaler is a Security & Privacy product tagged with cloud, web-filtering, zero-trust, sandboxing, firewall.

Its standout features include Cloud-delivered security, Real-time threat protection, Access control, Data protection, Cloud firewall, Sandboxing, Secure web gateway, Zero trust network access, Cloud DLP, Browser isolation, and it shines with pros like Effective at blocking threats, Simple and fast deployment, Works across all devices, Provides visibility into threats, Integrates with existing infrastructure, Scales easily.

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

Product Overview

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.

Zscaler

Description: Zscaler is a cloud-based web security platform that provides secure internet access through its global network. It offers web security, DNS security, cloud firewalls, sandboxing, and more to protect organizations from cyberthreats.

Key Features Comparison

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

Zscaler Features

• Cloud-delivered security
• Real-time threat protection
• Access control
• Data protection
• Cloud firewall
• Sandboxing
• Secure web gateway
• Zero trust network access
• Cloud DLP
• Browser isolation

Pros & Cons Analysis

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

Zscaler

Pros

• Effective at blocking threats
• Simple and fast deployment
• Works across all devices
• Provides visibility into threats
• Integrates with existing infrastructure
• Scales easily

Cons

• Can be complex to configure fully
• Requires routing all traffic through Zscaler
• Extra costs for advanced features
• Can impact performance if not sized correctly
• Lacks on-premise deployment option

Pricing Comparison

Pi-hole

• Open Source

Zscaler

• Subscription-Based