Quick Verdict
AdGuard Home is the better choice for most home networks. It's simpler to set up, has a cleaner UI for managing ad blocking, and covers 90% of what home users need. Choose Technitium if you need a full authoritative DNS server with zone hosting, split-horizon DNS, clustering, or advanced DNS features that go beyond ad blocking.
Overview
AdGuard Home is a network-wide ad blocker and DNS server with an intuitive web UI. It focuses on blocking ads, trackers, and malware at the DNS level while providing DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) and DNS-over-TLS (DoT). It's made by the team behind the AdGuard browser extension and VPN products.
Technitium DNS Server is a full-featured authoritative and recursive DNS server that also does ad blocking. It can host DNS zones, handle DNSSEC, serve as a DHCP server, provide DNS failover, and support DNS-over-HTTPS/TLS/QUIC. It's built on .NET and targets both home users and network administrators who need enterprise DNS features.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AdGuard Home | Technitium |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Ad blocking + DNS privacy | Full DNS server + ad blocking |
| Web UI | Clean, modern, simple | Comprehensive, more complex |
| Ad blocking | Built-in with filter lists | Via "Advanced Blocking" app |
| DNS-over-HTTPS | Yes | Yes |
| DNS-over-TLS | Yes | Yes |
| DNS-over-QUIC | Yes | Yes |
| Authoritative DNS | No | Yes |
| Zone hosting | No | Yes |
| Split-horizon DNS | No | Yes |
| DHCP server | Yes (basic) | Yes (full-featured) |
| Clustering | No | Yes (v14+) |
| DNSSEC validation | Yes | Yes |
| Per-client rules | Yes | Yes (via client groups) |
| Conditional forwarding | Yes | Yes |
| Safe search enforcement | Yes (Google, YouTube, Bing, etc.) | No (not built-in) |
| Parental controls | Yes | No (use blocklists) |
| API | REST API | REST API |
| Runtime | Go | .NET 9 |
| Docker image | adguardteam/adguardhome:v0.107.71 |
technitium/dns-server:14.3.0 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
Installation Complexity
AdGuard Home is straightforward. Single container, port 53 for DNS, port 3000 for initial setup (changes to 80 after), and a few config options. The setup wizard walks you through upstream DNS, blocklists, and client settings.
Technitium is slightly more complex. It needs a sysctl tweak (net.ipv4.ip_local_port_range), uses port 5380 for the web UI, and has significantly more configuration options. Environment variables only apply on first startup — after that, all configuration is managed through the web UI. The UI has a steeper learning curve due to the breadth of features.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Metric | AdGuard Home | Technitium |
|---|---|---|
| RAM (idle) | ~50 MB | ~150 MB |
| RAM (with blocklists) | ~100 MB | ~250 MB |
| CPU | Low (Go, compiled binary) | Low-Medium (.NET runtime) |
| Disk | ~100 MB | ~200 MB |
| Startup time | <5 seconds | ~10 seconds |
AdGuard Home is lighter. Technitium uses more memory due to the .NET runtime and the broader feature set. Neither is resource-intensive for a modern server.
Community and Support
AdGuard Home has 27,000+ GitHub stars, active development, regular releases, and backing from AdGuard Software (a commercial company with other products funding development). Documentation is solid but sometimes lags behind features.
Technitium has 5,000+ GitHub stars and is developed by a single developer (Shreyas Zare). Releases are regular, and the developer is responsive on forums. Documentation is thorough, especially for advanced DNS features. The project doesn't use GitHub Releases — versions are tracked via Docker Hub and the blog.
Use Cases
Choose AdGuard Home If...
- Your primary goal is network-wide ad blocking
- You want the simplest setup and cleanest UI
- You need parental controls or safe search enforcement
- You want a lighter footprint
- You're migrating from Pi-hole and want a similar but modern experience
- DNS privacy (DoH/DoT/DoQ) is your main concern
Choose Technitium If...
- You need an authoritative DNS server (hosting your own zones)
- You need split-horizon DNS for your network
- You want a full-featured DHCP server alongside DNS
- You need DNS clustering for high availability
- You run a more complex network and need advanced DNS features
- You want DNS-over-QUIC alongside other encrypted DNS options
Final Verdict
For home networks where ad blocking is the priority, AdGuard Home is the clear winner — it's simpler, lighter, and does the ad-blocking job better out of the box. Technitium is the right choice when you need actual DNS server capabilities beyond blocking ads. If you're debating between these two, ask yourself: "Do I need to host DNS zones?" If yes, Technitium. If no, AdGuard Home.
FAQ
Can I use both together?
Yes, but it's uncommon. You could use Technitium as your authoritative DNS server and forward queries through AdGuard Home for ad blocking. But Technitium's built-in blocking makes this unnecessary for most setups.
How do they compare to Pi-hole?
Pi-hole falls between these two. It's focused on ad blocking like AdGuard Home but with a less modern UI. It doesn't have authoritative DNS like Technitium. See our Pi-hole vs AdGuard Home and Pi-hole vs Technitium comparisons.
Which has better ad blocking?
AdGuard Home. It was purpose-built for ad blocking with filter list management, safe search, and parental controls as first-class features. Technitium's ad blocking is an "app" plugin — functional but not the primary focus.
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