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Blocky 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?
Blocky Fast DNS proxy and ad-blocker for local networks VS TE Technitium DNS Server Self-hosted DNS server with ad-blocking and a web console
FeatureBlockyTechnitium DNS Server
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setup≈5-minute setup
Health score91 · Excellent93 · Excellent
CategoryReverse Proxy & GatewaysReverse Proxy & Gateways
LicenseApache-2.0GPL-3.0
LanguageGoC#
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM128 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 6,967★ 9,975
First released20192017
ReplacesPi-hole, AdGuard HomePi-hole, AdGuard Home

What are Blocky and Technitium DNS Server?

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

Technitium DNS Server

Technitium DNS Server is an open-source authoritative and recursive DNS server with a full web console. It supports ad-blocking, DNS over HTTPS and TLS, and is designed for self-hosted privacy.

  • Authoritative and recursive modes
  • Web management console
  • Encrypted DNS protocols
  • Built-in ad-blocking

Blocky vs Technitium DNS Server: key differences

Blocky is written in Go, while Technitium DNS Server is built with C#. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Blocky versus GPL-3.0 for Technitium DNS Server. Blocky is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Technitium DNS Server. Technitium DNS Server is the more established project (first released 2017), while Blocky arrived in 2019.

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
Blocky details

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 10k GitHub stars
Technitium DNS Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is Blocky or Technitium DNS Server better?

Neither is universally better. Technitium DNS Server has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Blocky and Technitium DNS Server free and open-source?

Yes. Blocky is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Technitium DNS Server under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Blocky and Technitium DNS Server with Docker?

Blocky: yes. Technitium DNS Server: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, Blocky or Technitium DNS Server?

Blocky has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Technitium DNS Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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