head to head · open source
AdGuardHome vs dns-proxy-server
AdGuardHome has 37,226 GitHub stars, 2,534 forks, 1,253 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. dns-proxy-server has 854 stars, 81 forks, 8 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. AdGuardHome leads on adoption by 4,259% (37,226 vs 854 stars). AdGuardHome is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0; dns-proxy-server is written in Java under Apache-2.0. AdGuardHome has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, dns-proxy-server 9%. AdGuardHome was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (dns), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| AdGuardHome | dns-proxy-server | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 854 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Java |
| Last push | 2026-10-02 | 2026-04-29 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.5K | ⑂ 81 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick AdGuardHome if
- You weight community size — 37K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick dns-proxy-server if
- You want the dns-proxy-server feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and dns-proxy-server fits your workflow better
About AdGuardHome
AdGuard Home is a free and open source, network wide DNS server that blocks ads and trackers for every device on a network, aimed at self hosters, homelab operators, and network administrators who want filtering without installing client side software on each device.
read the full AdGuardHome overview →
About dns-proxy-server
dns proxy server (DPS) is a lightweight DNS server for developers and server administrators who need hostnames to resolve differently depending on Docker containers, local configuration, or the internet.
read the full dns-proxy-server overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is AdGuardHome or dns-proxy-server more popular?
AdGuardHome has 37,226 GitHub stars and dns-proxy-server has 854. AdGuardHome has the larger community by that measure.
Are AdGuardHome and dns-proxy-server free?
Both are open source. AdGuardHome is licensed under GPL-3.0 and dns-proxy-server under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between AdGuardHome and dns-proxy-server?
AdGuardHome is written in TypeScript and dns-proxy-server in Java. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, AdGuardHome or dns-proxy-server?
Choose AdGuardHome if you want the larger community (37,226 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose dns-proxy-server if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.