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Free alternatives to NextDNS

Swap NextDNS for AdGuard Home, Pi-hole or Blocky and stop paying $19.90/yr.

2open source3run on Linux3self-hostable

Prices and project data checked · How we check

$19.90/yr Pro Verified on nextdns.io, Oct 17, 2026

3 alternatives

Replaces it Active Open source · GPL-3.0 Linux Self-hostable
AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome37.5k★last push Oct 16, 2026checked Oct 17, 2026

Covers devices away from home only if you run it on a public server or connect back over a VPN.

Self-host

Runs on your own Linux server, with Docker files in the repo. Setup docs are on adguard.com.

Pi-hole

Self-hosted server About Pi-hole →
Replaces it Active License unknown · not verified Linux Self-hostable
pi-hole/pi-hole61.3k★last push Oct 17, 2026checked Oct 17, 2026

Filters only your home network unless you connect back over a VPN; NextDNS works anywhere out of the box.

Self-host

Runs on your own Linux server. Setup docs are on pi-hole.net.

Blocky

Self-hosted server About Blocky →
Replaces it Active Open source · Apache-2.0 Linux Self-hostable
0xERR0R/blocky7.0k★last push Oct 16, 2026checked Oct 17, 2026

Configured through files with no web dashboard, and away from home it only covers you over a VPN.

Self-host

Runs on your own Linux server, with Docker files in the repo. Setup docs are on 0xerr0r.github.io.

At a glance

Free alternatives to NextDNS compared
AlternativeVerdictLicenseLinuxAURSelf-hostStars
AdGuard Home Replaces it GPL-3.0 open source Yes — Yes 37.5k★
Pi-hole Replaces it License unknown unverified Yes — Yes 61.3k★
Blocky Replaces it Apache-2.0 open source Yes — Yes 7.0k★

NextDNS alternatives: questions

Is there a free alternative to NextDNS?
Yes. The 3 free alternatives are AdGuard Home (open source, GPL-3.0), Pi-hole (License unknown, license not verified) and Blocky (open source, Apache-2.0).
How much does NextDNS cost?
NextDNS's Pro plan costs $1.66 a month, which is $19.90 a year (monthly or yearly). Source: the official pricing page at nextdns.io, checked Oct 17, 2026.
Which NextDNS alternatives run on Linux?
AdGuard Home (self-hosted server; web UI), Pi-hole (self-hosted server; web UI) and Blocky (self-hosted server; web UI).
Can you self-host a NextDNS alternative?
Yes. AdGuard Home, Pi-hole and Blocky run on your own server.
Are these NextDNS alternatives open source?
Pi-hole's license couldn't be verified automatically. AdGuard Home (GPL-3.0) and Blocky (Apache-2.0) are open source.

Built or know a better alternative to NextDNS? Suggest it free, or get it featured on this page.

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