Technitium DNS Server
A free, open-source, self-hosted DNS server with built-in ad-blocking and DHCP.
Alternatives
Choose blocky if…
- you need a fast, lightweight DNS proxy instead of a full
- you want to run on minimal hardware with command‑line
- you rely on multiple upstream DNS providers for redundancy
- you need real‑time query logging without a web UI
- you prefer DoH/DoT support without managing DHCP or zone
Choose AdGuard Home if…
- you need a plug‑and‑play ad‑blocking DNS resolver
- you run the DNS on a Raspberry Pi or other low‑power box
- you prefer a simple web UI over complex configuration
- you don’t require built‑in DHCP or DNSSEC signing
- you want a free, open‑source solution focused on tracker
Choose pi-hole if…
- you need DNSSEC‑signed zones for internal services
- you require native DNS‑over‑HTTPS/TLS/QUIC support
- you want a single server that acts as both resolver and
- you need a full recursive resolver rather than just a
- you prefer an integrated DHCP server alongside DNS
Choose Infoblox DDI (DNS, DHCP, IPAM) if…
- you need built‑in high‑availability failover
- you need role‑based access control and audit trails
- you need automated IP address allocation (IPAM)
- you need native integration with VMware or cloud platforms
- you need real‑time network analytics and reporting
How to Decide
Technitium DNS Server is a free, open‑source, self‑hosted DNS server that also includes a built‑in DHCP service and strong encrypted‑DNS protocol support, and it’s popular with home‑lab enthusiasts, privacy‑focused users, and small IT teams. The alternatives split into a few clear camps: pi‑hole leans on a low resource footprint and detailed per‑client analytics; AdGuard Home emphasizes built‑in DNS‑over‑TLS/HTTPS support for secure queries; blocky focuses on being a fast, lightweight DNS proxy that can aggregate multiple upstream providers.
When comparing these options, the key factors that actually differentiate them are: 1) encrypted DNS protocol support (Technitium and AdGuard Home offer DNS‑over‑TLS/HTTPS, blocky also supports DoH/DoT while pi‑hole relies on plain DNS); 2) integrated DHCP capability (only Technitium bundles a DHCP server out of the box); 3) resource usage and footprint (pi‑hole is noted for a low footprint, blocky is marketed as fast and lightweight, whereas Technitium and AdGuard Home are more feature‑rich); 4) management interface richness (Technitium provides a web console with dark mode and API, pi‑hole offers a responsive dashboard, AdGuard Home has a web UI, and blocky has no UI, requiring CLI); 5) upstream DNS provider flexibility (blocky explicitly supports multiple upstream providers, a capability not highlighted for the other tools).
All Alternatives
“Blocky is a lightweight self‑hosted DNS proxy that offers recursive resolution and ad‑blocking, matching Technitium's DNS role.”
“AdGuard Home is a self‑hosted DNS server with recursive/authoritative modes and DoH/DoT support, directly comparable to Technitium.”
“Pi‑hole provides a self‑hosted DNS sinkhole with recursive resolution and optional DoH, serving the same core purpose.”
“Self‑hosted DNS server with built‑in DHCP, providing the same core DDI functions as Infoblox.”
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