AdGuard Home: One-Click Deploy on Your Own VPS
Block ads and trackers network-wide with AdGuard Home. Automatio deploys it to a dedicated server with HTTPS in one click for total privacy and network control.
AdGuard Home
Security & PrivacyAdGuard Home is a comprehensive solution designed to enhance your online browsing experience by eliminating all kinds of ads, from annoying banners and pop-ups to intrusive video ads. It provides privacy protection, browsing security, and parental control features while maintaining website functionality.
What you get when you deploy AdGuard Home
The server we rent for it, what it costs, and what the installer will ask you.
- Server
- CX23 · 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM
- From
- $9/month
- Setup
- No configuration required
Included with every deployment
- Dedicated server, one app per machine
- HTTPS certificate issued automatically
- Free subdomain, custom domain optional
- Restart, resize, snapshot and restore
The project
Everything this page links to outside Automatio.
Deploy AdGuard Home in one click
On your own server, with your own data. No terminal, no Docker commands, no certificate setup.
- 1
Pick a size
Start on the smallest server that fits the app. Resize later without reinstalling.
- 2
Press deploy
We rent the server, install the app with Docker, and point a subdomain at it.
- 3
Watch it come up
Provisioning runs unattended and takes a few minutes. When the HTTPS certificate lands, the app is live and your login details are on the deployment page.
Server size
Billed monthly with your Automatio subscription. Destroy the server any time and the charge stops.
Key Capabilities
Explore what Automatio can do for this use case
DNS-Level Filtering
Block advertisements and tracking scripts before they reach your device. Since it operates at the network level, it works on Smart TVs, tablets, and gaming consoles where browser extensions cannot be installed. This reduces bandwidth usage and improves page load times.
- 1Works on all operating systems
- 2Blocks background telemetry
- 3Supports StevenBlack filter lists
- 4Reduces total data usage
- 5No client-side software required
Key Capabilities
- DNS-Level Filtering
Block advertisements and tracking scripts before they reach your device. Since it operates at the network level, it works on Smart TVs, tablets, and gaming consoles where browser extensions cannot be installed. This reduces bandwidth usage and improves page load times.
- Works on all operating systems
- Blocks background telemetry
- Supports StevenBlack filter lists
- Reduces total data usage
- No client-side software required
- Encrypted DNS Support
AdGuard Home provides native support for DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT). This ensures that your ISP cannot snoop on your DNS queries or hijack your requests. You maintain privacy even when your traffic leaves your local network.
- Native DNS over HTTPS (DoH)
- Native DNS over TLS (DoT)
- Pre-configured HTTPS certificates
- Prevents ISP snoop profiling
- Supports DNSCrypt protocols
- Granular Parental Controls
Manage which services are accessible on your network for specific devices. You can block access to social media, adult content, or specific apps like TikTok and YouTube with a single toggle. It includes a safe search feature to force search engines to filter explicit results.
- One-click service blocking
- Safe Search enforcement
- Adult content filtering
- Schedule-based access rules
- Block specific AI services
- Per-Client Configuration
Apply different filtering rules to different devices on your network. You can allow unrestricted access for your workstation while applying strict ad-blocking for children's devices. This granularity is managed through a central dashboard.
- MAC address identification
- IP-based rule sets
- Custom upstream DNS per client
- Specific blocklists per user
- Individual query logging
Why self-host AdGuard Home
What to know first
Managed, DIY, or One-Click?
The three realistic ways to run {name}, compared honestly.
| Aspect | Managed SaaS | DIY on a VPS | Automatio one-click |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | Instant | 30-60 minutes | Under 5 minutes |
| Privacy | Provider sees logs | Complete control | Complete control |
| Encryption (DoH) | Usually supported | Manual config needed | Pre-configured HTTPS |
| Monthly Cost | Per query or user | Flat VPS fee | Flat VPS fee |
| Maintenance | Zero | Manual updates | One-click updates |
Setup Time
Privacy
Encryption (DoH)
Monthly Cost
Maintenance
Who this is for
People who actually run AdGuard Home on their own server, and what changes when they do.
the privacy-conscious parent
Worried about kids stumbling onto adult sites or spending too much time on TikTok.
Set network-wide safe search and block social media apps during school hours without touching individual devices.
- Block TikTok across all house iPads
- Enable safe search for Google and Bing
- Review query logs for suspicious activity
a homelab enthusiast
Frustrated by the clunky UI and lack of native encryption support in legacy DNS sinkholes.
Upgrade to a modern interface with built-in DNS-over-HTTPS and easier client management.
- Migrate blocklists from Pi-hole
- Setup internal DNS rewrites for local apps
- Enable dark mode for the dashboard
the remote worker
Suspicious of ISP monitoring and tired of ads slowing down research.
Enforce encrypted DNS lookups that hide browsing habits from the internet provider.
- Configure DNS over TLS on a work laptop
- Monitor top-queried domains for malware
- Block tracking pixels in email clients
a small office manager
Employees getting distracted by social media and gambling sites on company Wi-Fi.
Implement light web filtering without expensive enterprise hardware or per-seat licensing fees.
- Block gambling and dating sites
- Secure the office guest Wi-Fi
- Review weekly reports of blocked threats
About This App
What this app does and where it fits.
What is AdGuard Home?
AdGuard Home is a network-wide software for blocking ads and tracking. It operates as a DNS server that re-routes tracking domains to a black hole, preventing your devices from connecting to those servers. Unlike browser extensions like uBlock Origin, it covers every application on your device, including mobile apps, Smart TV interfaces, and background system telemetry. It is built in Go, making it performant and easy to run on modest hardware without high resource overhead.
How it Works
When a device on your network wants to visit a website, it first asks AdGuard Home for the IP address. The software checks its internal blocklists, which include tens of thousands of known ad and tracker domains. If a match is found, it returns a null response, effectively killing the ad before it downloads. If the domain is safe, it forwards the request to an upstream provider like Quad9 or Cloudflare using encrypted protocols like DNS over HTTPS, ensuring your ISP cannot see the request content. AdGuard Home provides a full dashboard to monitor this traffic in real time.
The First Hour
After the initial one-click deployment, your first task is to point your router DNS settings to your new server IP address. Once traffic begins to flow, you will see the dashboard come to life with statistics. You will likely spend the first hour exploring the Blocked Services list to toggle off distractions like TikTok or Twitch, and adding your own custom DNS rewrites for local devices. Most users find that within 30 minutes, they have successfully filtered more ads across their house than a browser extension could manage alone.
Maturity and Community
AdGuard Home is a mature project that evolved from years of experience in the ad-blocking space. While it shares a name with commercial products, the home version is 100% free and open-source. It has become a primary alternative to Pi-hole because it handles encrypted DNS upstream requests natively and offers a more integrated user interface for managing clients and blocklists.
Community Feedback
See what the community thinks about AdGuard Home
“AdGuard Home's UI is light years ahead of Pi-hole. It feels like a modern piece of software rather than a collection of legacy scripts.”
“The native support for DoH and DoT is the killer feature. No more messing around with cloudflared binaries just to get encrypted DNS.”
“The biggest headache is systemd-resolved grabbing port 53 on Ubuntu, but once you clear that, it's rock solid.”
“I switched because managing individual client settings is actually intuitive here. No more cryptic group IDs.”
“Having my own DNS server on a VPS means I get ad-blocking on my phone even when I'm using cellular data.”
“It is written in Go, which makes the resource footprint tiny compared to older Python or PHP based alternatives.”
Related Videos
Watch tutorials, reviews, and discussions about AdGuard Home
“effectively blocks ads and trackers right at the DNS level”
“built-in DNS over HTTPS and DNS over TLS support right out of the box”
“you can even add per client configuration block lists and settings”
“filters out IP addresses associated with advertisements”
“all the clients within my home network are going to be using this”
“native support for encrypted DNS is a major benefit”
Supercharge your workflow with AI Automation
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Pro Tips
Expert tips to help you get the most out of AdGuard Home and achieve better results.
Handle Port 53 Conflicts
If the install fails to start, run 'systemctl stop systemd-resolved' on your host to free up port 53 for the AdGuard container.
Pick Fast Upstreams
Use the DNS Settings menu to run a benchmark test and see which upstream provider is fastest from your VPS location.
Enable Client Discovery
If you see 127.0.0.1 for all queries, configure the Trusted Proxies setting so AdGuard sees the real client IP through the gateway.
Start with Defaults
Avoid adding too many aggressive blocklists at once. Start with the defaults to ensure you do not break legitimate site functionality.
Testimonials
What Our Users Say
Join thousands of satisfied users who have transformed their workflow
Jonathan Kogan
Co-Founder/CEO, rpatools.io
Automatio is one of the most used for RPA Tools both internally and externally. It saves us countless hours of work and we realized this could do the same for other startups and so we choose Automatio for most of our automation needs.
Mohammed Ibrahim
CEO, qannas.pro
I have used many tools over the past 5 years, Automatio is the Jack of All trades.. !! it could be your scraping bot in the morning and then it becomes your VA by the noon and in the evening it does your automations.. its amazing!
Ben Bressington
CTO, AiChatSolutions
Automatio is fantastic and simple to use to extract data from any website. This allowed me to replace a developer and do tasks myself as they only take a few minutes to setup and forget about it. Automatio is a game changer!
Sarah Chen
Head of Growth, ScaleUp Labs
We've tried dozens of automation tools, but Automatio stands out for its flexibility and ease of use. Our team productivity increased by 40% within the first month of adoption.
David Park
Founder, DataDriven.io
The AI-powered features in Automatio are incredible. It understands context and adapts to changes in websites automatically. No more broken scrapers!
Emily Rodriguez
Marketing Director, GrowthMetrics
Automatio transformed our lead generation process. What used to take our team days now happens automatically in minutes. The ROI is incredible.
Jonathan Kogan
Co-Founder/CEO, rpatools.io
Automatio is one of the most used for RPA Tools both internally and externally. It saves us countless hours of work and we realized this could do the same for other startups and so we choose Automatio for most of our automation needs.
Mohammed Ibrahim
CEO, qannas.pro
I have used many tools over the past 5 years, Automatio is the Jack of All trades.. !! it could be your scraping bot in the morning and then it becomes your VA by the noon and in the evening it does your automations.. its amazing!
Ben Bressington
CTO, AiChatSolutions
Automatio is fantastic and simple to use to extract data from any website. This allowed me to replace a developer and do tasks myself as they only take a few minutes to setup and forget about it. Automatio is a game changer!
Sarah Chen
Head of Growth, ScaleUp Labs
We've tried dozens of automation tools, but Automatio stands out for its flexibility and ease of use. Our team productivity increased by 40% within the first month of adoption.
David Park
Founder, DataDriven.io
The AI-powered features in Automatio are incredible. It understands context and adapts to changes in websites automatically. No more broken scrapers!
Emily Rodriguez
Marketing Director, GrowthMetrics
Automatio transformed our lead generation process. What used to take our team days now happens automatically in minutes. The ROI is incredible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about AdGuard Home