Blocky vs SmartDNS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Blocky
Fast DNS proxy and ad-blocker for local networks
VS
SmartDNS
Local DNS server that picks the fastest results
| Feature | Blocky | SmartDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,969 | ★ 11,314 |
| First released | 2019 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Pi-hole, AdGuard Home | Pi-hole, dnsmasq |
What are Blocky and SmartDNS?
Blocky
Blocky is an open-source DNS proxy and ad-blocker written in Go for local networks. It filters queries against blocklists, supports DNS over HTTPS, and is designed to be self-hosted on small hardware.
- Blocklist-based filtering
- DNS over HTTPS and TLS
- Prometheus metrics
- Tiny footprint
SmartDNS
SmartDNS is an open-source local DNS server that queries multiple upstream servers and returns the fastest responding result. It supports ad-blocking and encrypted DNS for self-hosted networks.
- Fastest-result resolution
- Ad-blocking support
- DoH and DoT upstreams
- Runs on routers
Blocky vs SmartDNS: key differences
Blocky is written in Go, while SmartDNS is built with C. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Blocky versus GPL-3.0 for SmartDNS. SmartDNS is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Blocky. Blocky lists first-class Docker deployment; SmartDNS does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Blocky if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 7k GitHub stars
Choose SmartDNS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 11.3k GitHub stars
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Blocky or SmartDNS better?
Neither is universally better. SmartDNS has the larger community, while Blocky is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Blocky and SmartDNS free and open-source?
Yes. Blocky is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SmartDNS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Blocky and SmartDNS with Docker?
Blocky: yes. SmartDNS: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Blocky or SmartDNS?
SmartDNS has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Blocky. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.