AdGuard Home vs Algernon
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
AdGuard Home
Network-wide DNS ad and tracker blocker
VS
Algernon
Small self-contained pure-Go web server with Lua, Markdown, HTTP/2,
| Feature | AdGuard Home | Algernon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 35,977 | ★ 3,023 |
| First released | 2018 | 2026 |
| Replaces | Pi-hole, NextDNS | — |
Why pick each one
Choose AdGuard Home if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 36k GitHub stars
Choose Algernon if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is AdGuard Home or Algernon better?
AdGuard Home is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Algernon if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are AdGuard Home and Algernon free and open-source?
Yes. AdGuard Home is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Algernon under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AdGuard Home and Algernon with Docker?
AdGuard Home: yes. Algernon: yes.