AdGuard Home vs Technitium DNS Server
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
Technitium DNS Server
Self-hosted DNS server with ad-blocking and a web console
| Feature | AdGuard Home | Technitium DNS Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 35,977 | ★ 9,449 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Pi-hole, NextDNS | Pi-hole, AdGuard Home |
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 Technitium DNS Server if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.4k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is AdGuard Home or Technitium DNS Server better?
Neither is universally better. AdGuard Home has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AdGuard Home and Technitium DNS Server free and open-source?
Yes. AdGuard Home is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Technitium DNS Server under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AdGuard Home and Technitium DNS Server with Docker?
AdGuard Home: yes. Technitium DNS Server: yes.