Adguard vs AdGuard Home
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?
| Feature | Adguard | AdGuard Home |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | free | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, one-click | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 35,977 |
| First released | 2023 | 2018 |
| Replaces | — | Pi-hole, NextDNS |
Why pick each one
Choose Adguard if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Adguard or AdGuard Home 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 and AdGuard Home free and open-source?
Yes. Adguard is licensed under free and AdGuard Home under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Adguard and AdGuard Home with Docker?
Adguard: yes. AdGuard Home: yes.