If there's one thing the internet can probably agree on, it's that no one likes intrusive ads. In my quest to keep my browsing experience as uninterrupted as possible (especially when the number of ads seems to be increasing), I started using AdGuard, but after hearing people sing the praises of Pi-hole, I gave it a shot too. But ultimately? I've returned to AdGuard for several reasons. That's not to say Pi-hole is bad — in fact, it works extremely well — but it isn't the solution for everyone.

AdGuard is easier to set up

No self-hosting involved

One of the main reasons people like Pi-hole is that it can be self-hosted. It's truly open source and gives users much more control over data privacy, but that's the rub: not everyone has the expertise or hardware to handle self-hosted software. Without a Raspberry Pi, I installed Pi-hole on my main desktop in a Docker container. It worked fine, but while Pi-hole barely uses any resources, Docker is a different story, especially on my somewhat dated hardware. I also encountered several issues where my system would go to sleep, and in doing so, interrupt Docker.

AdGuard does use more in the way of resources, but not too much — and I don't have to self-host it to get it up and running. If I had a dedicated machine set up to run Pi-hole, I might opt for it in the end. However, running it on a system I use for other tasks presented too many minor irritations that I didn't experience with AdGuard.

AdGuard offers more advanced native filtering options

I want granular control

Pi-hole is primarily a DNS blocker, which means it blocks ads from known advertising domains. That's largely effective for website ads, but it does have some drawbacks. For example, YouTube and Hulu ads tend to be served from the same domain as the content itself; it's not possible to block the ad without also blocking the video you want to see. While it is possible to do so through Pi-hole with tools like Unbound, users report mixed results.

AdGuard lets you enable specific, granular filters that can block both YouTube and Hulu ads, as well as many others. To be clear, Pi-hole also allows this, but it requires quite a bit more work and leans heavily on outside dependencies. AdGuard makes it much easier to do, and it's a solid choice for someone who isn't as tech-savvy or just doesn't want to spend that much time fighting rampant capitalism.

AdGuard makes it easier to manage a household

More per-device filter control

With a kid on the way, I want an easy (and more foolproof) way to block adult content. While I can do that with Pi-hole, it requires more time investment and troubleshooting than with AdGuard. Since AdGuard is per-device, I can enable specific parental controls for any device my kids might use, and there are easy built-in filter lists for blocking adult content. I can choose to blacklist specific websites that might not be blocked under normal circumstances, too (like Roblox, considering the recent allegations against the service).

AdGuard also has the perk of blocking tracking filters, browser APIs, and much more. While it's not quite as privacy-focused as Pi-hole, it provides enough protection that I don't feel like my personal information is overly vulnerable. That said, AdGuard also offers a self-hosted option called AdGuard Home that offers many of the advanced features with the same privacy controls as Pi-hole, and it's a free alternative to the commercial version.

Unfortunately, AdGuard's best features come at a cost

There's a subscription

While AdGuard does offer a free version, it's only a browser extension. If you want access to its full power, you'll have to pay a subscription fee or a one-time lifetime cost. The lifetime expense is the equivalent of several years of the subscription, but if you plan to stick with it for a long time, it could definitely be worthwhile. That said, I would suggest giving it a whirl first before committing to spending that much money on software, especially if you aren't sure you're going to stick with it.

Pi-hole is free, aside from the hardware cost (and if you install it on an existing system, then there's no extra cost at all). If you can handle the learning curve that comes with self-hosting software and all the configuration shenanigans, it's a much more budget-friendly option. That's the trade: ease of use versus cost.

As someone who travels frequently, I find AdGuard to be the better investment

It makes public networks that much safer

I often have to work on public networks, whether that's at a coffee shop, a hotel, or in an airport waiting for a flight. While I use a VPN, having AdGuard up and running gives me a bit more peace of mind. And unlike Pi-hole, AdGuard is always active on my device, whether I'm at home or not. I can enable AdGuard to work as an HTTP proxy, too. I've run into a lot of public networks with strange content restrictions that can interfere with my work, so the ability to browse the web freely (and safely) makes it the better choice for me in the end.

Both Pi-hole and AdGuard are great choices

While I finally settled on AdGuard for my own use cases, I don't want to give the impression that Pi-hole is bad. It's fantastic software that just requires more of a time investment than I can spare, and it offers limited protection away from home. I could route my browsing through my home network with the use of PiVPN or a similar tool, but that can slow down what are typically already slow public networks even more.