Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

BIND VS Pi-hole

Compare BIND VS Pi-hole and see what are their differences

BIND logo BIND

BIND is by far the most widely used DNS software on the Internet.

Pi-hole logo Pi-hole

Pi-hole is a multi-platform, network-wide ad blocker.
  • BIND Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-15
  • Pi-hole Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-12

BIND features and specs

  • Open Source
    BIND is open-source software, which allows for transparency, community contributions, and no licensing costs, making it accessible for organizations of all sizes.
  • Feature Rich
    BIND offers a wide range of DNS functionalities, including support for IPv6, DNSSEC, and dynamic DNS, making it suitable for diverse needs.
  • Widely Used
    As one of the most widely used DNS solutions, BIND is highly trusted and well-documented, with robust community and commercial support.
  • Highly Configurable
    BIND offers numerous configuration options, allowing for tailored DNS solutions that can be optimized for different environments and needs.

Possible disadvantages of BIND

  • Complex Configuration
    The extensive configurability of BIND can also be a drawback, requiring significant expertise to set up and manage effectively.
  • Security Vulnerabilities
    Like all widely used software, BIND can be a target for attacks, and its complexity sometimes results in security vulnerabilities that need regular updates and monitoring.
  • Resource Intensive
    BIND can be resource-heavy, particularly in large deployments or when utilizing complex configurations, requiring substantial hardware resources compared to some alternatives.
  • Slow Performance
    In certain scenarios, BIND may exhibit slower performance compared to some newer DNS servers optimized for specific use-cases.

Pi-hole features and specs

  • Ad Blocking
    Pi-hole effectively blocks unwanted advertisements across all devices on the network, enhancing the user experience by reducing clutter and improving page load times.
  • Privacy Protection
    Pi-hole helps protect user privacy by preventing ads and trackers from collecting data on browsing habits.
  • Low-Cost Solution
    Pi-hole can be run on inexpensive hardware like a Raspberry Pi, making it a cost-effective solution for network-wide ad blocking.
  • Customizable
    Users can create custom blocklists and whitelists, allowing for a tailored ad-blocking experience.
  • Network-Wide Coverage
    Since Pi-hole acts as a DNS sinkhole, it applies its filtering to all devices connected to the network without needing individual configurations.
  • Resource Efficient
    Pi-hole is lightweight and consumes minimal system resources, allowing it to run efficiently on small, low-power devices.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, Pi-hole benefits from community contributions, transparency, and regular updates.

Possible disadvantages of Pi-hole

  • Requires Technical Knowledge
    Setting up and maintaining Pi-hole may require a certain level of technical expertise, which could be a barrier for non-technical users.
  • Possible Overblocking
    Pi-hole may block legitimate content inadvertently, which can necessitate manual adjustments to the blocklists or whitelists.
  • Dependency on Device
    If the device running Pi-hole fails or experiences issues, DNS resolution could be disrupted for all connected devices.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some web services and applications may not function correctly if they rely on content that Pi-hole blocks.
  • Limited Blocking Methods
    Pi-hole primarily blocks content through DNS filtering. More sophisticated ads that bypass DNS-based blocking mechanisms may not be effectively blocked.
  • Manual Updates Needed
    Users may need to manually update blocklists and Pi-hole software to ensure optimal performance and security.

BIND videos

YoYoFactory BiND and ART Woofa Unboxing From YoYoWorld | YoYoCharlie!

More videos:

  • Review - BiND by YoyoFactory Review! | The Yoyo Dude
  • Review - Which Postpartum Belly Bind Works Best - A Review

Pi-hole videos

Block EVERY Online Ad with THIS - Pi-Hole on Raspberry Pi

More videos:

  • Review - I tried Pi-Hole for the first time... (DNS level Ad Blocker)
  • Review - Pi-hole -- Worth it? Gotchas?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to BIND and Pi-hole)
Security & Privacy
4 4%
96% 96
Ad Blockers
5 5%
95% 95
Monitoring Tools
12 12%
88% 88
Block Ads
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare BIND and Pi-hole

BIND Reviews

We have no reviews of BIND yet.
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Pi-hole Reviews

22 NextDNS Alternatives
Pi-hole App contains an informative web interface that shows stats on all the domains being queried on the network that you are using. Pi-hole - Network-wide Ad Blocking is a signifying ad-blocking platform that helps its global users to block all the harmful and unhealthy advertisements on your online networks. You can run Pi-hole in a container or deploy it right to...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Pi-hole seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1192 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

BIND mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of BIND yet. Tracking of BIND recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Pi-hole mentions (1192)

  • What if your computer beeps each time it sends data to Google?
    Https://pi-hole.net/ Easier than you might think to set up. Set and forget. Do it for your family and friends maybe. Sell routers pre-configured maybe. Not /the/ answer. Just one not-nothing step. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Turing Pi 2 Home cluster
    A Pi-hole instance to my network's DNS and block all ads in all devices at home. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Self-Hosting DNS
    Fun project. But I would just use https://pi-hole.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • 13ft – A site similar to 12ft.io but is self hosted
    From my experience, pihole is very easy to setup for this use case: https://pi-hole.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • .INTERNAL is now reserved for private-use applications
    > Home routers can simply assign pi into e.g. pi.home when doing dhcp. Then you can "ping pi" on all systems. It fixes everything- for that reason alone these reserved TLDs are, imo, useful. Unfortunately I've never seen a router do this, but here's hoping. Dnsmasq has this feature. I think it’s commonly available in alternative router firmware. On my home network, I set up https://pi-hole.net/ for ad blocking,... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing BIND and Pi-hole, you can also consider the following products

PowerDNS - PowerDNS offers open source DNS software, services, and support.

NextDNS - Block ads, trackers and malicious websites on all your devices.

Unbound - Unbound is a validating, recursive, and caching DNS resolver.

Blokada - The best ad blocker for Android. Free and open source.

dnsmasq - Dnsmasq is a lightweight, easy to configure DNS forwarder and DHCP server.

AdGuard - Surf the Web Ad-Free and Safely. Shield up!