Best Open Source Alternatives to NextDNS

Compare the best free and open-source alternatives to NextDNS — self-hosted and desktop replacements you fully control, ranked by GitHub stars, license and platform support.

Curated by open-source.store · Updated November 2026 · 4 alternatives

NextDNS

Proprietary SaaS

PricingFreemium

Platformsweb, linux, macos, windows, android, ios

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NextDNS alternatives compared

Open-source alternatives to NextDNS, compared by stars, license and platform
Tool		License	Platforms	Self-hosted
Pi-hole	61,635	EUPL-1.2	LinuxDocker	Yes	Nov 2026	Visit
AdGuard Home	38,101	GPL-3.0	LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker	Yes	Nov 2026	Visit
Technitium DNS Server	10,289	GPL-3.0	LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker	Yes	Oct 2026	Visit
Blocky	7,085	Apache-2.0	LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker	Yes	Nov 2026	Visit

Top open-source NextDNS alternatives

Pi-hole61,635EUPL-1.2

Pi-hole replaces cloud DNS blockers like NextDNS with a self-hosted sinkhole for Linux and Docker that filters network ads with zero subscription fees.

LinuxDocker

vs NextDNS: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed EUPL-1.2.

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AdGuard Home38,101GPL-3.0

AdGuard Home replaces cloud DNS resolvers like NextDNS with a self-hosted sinkhole that keeps query logs and domain filtering private on local hardware.

LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker

vs NextDNS: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed GPL-3.0.

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Technitium DNS Server10,289GPL-3.0

Technitium DNS Server replaces cloud resolvers like NextDNS with a self-hosted server featuring local ad blocking, DNSSEC, and multi-node clustering.

LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker

vs NextDNS: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed GPL-3.0.

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Blocky7,085Apache-2.0

Blocky is a self-hosted DNS proxy replacing cloud resolvers like NextDNS with local ad-blocking, YAML-based configuration, and native Prometheus metrics.

LinuxmacOSWindowsDocker

vs NextDNS: a free, open-source option you fully control, licensed Apache-2.0.

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Best Open Source Alternatives to NextDNS

NextDNS

NextDNS alternatives compared

Top open-source NextDNS alternatives

The modern standard for Protobuf workflows

Mentoring for backend developers. Consulting for startups.