- Home
- DNS Filtering Services
- Blocky
Blocky
What it is
Blocky is a free, open-source DNS proxy and ad blocker for local networks, written in Go. It filters DNS requests with external ad-blocking and malware lists, allowlists, and rules assigned to client groups. Administrators can set custom DNS resolution, conditional forwarding, and group-specific upstream resolvers. Supported protocols include UDP, TCP, HTTPS, TLS, QUIC, and HTTPS/3, with DNSSEC validation. Configurable caching and prefetching handle frequently requested answers. Blocky provides Prometheus metrics, Grafana dashboards, REST endpoints, and a command-line tool. Query logs can be written to CSV or MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and Timescale databases. Deployment options include a standalone binary, Docker containers, and a community-supported Helm chart. YAML configuration describes a stateless service that needs no database or temporary files. Listed hardware architectures include x86-64, ARM, and MIPS, including Raspberry Pi and OpenWrt routers.
For and against
For
- Free and open-source software
- Supports group-specific filtering and DNS settings
- Includes DNSSEC validation
- Offers Docker and standalone deployments
- Runs on x86-64, ARM, and MIPS
Against
- Self-hosted deployment requires network administration
- No free trial separate from its free software
- Helm chart is community-supported
The verdict
Blocky provides extensive DNS filtering, protocol, deployment, and monitoring options without a license fee. Its self-hosted, YAML-based setup is best for users comfortable managing network infrastructure.
Who it suits
Blocky fits home networks, homelabs, and businesses needing self-hosted DNS filtering with client-specific policies. It also suits operators who want monitoring integrations and database-backed query logs.
Plans and prices
Blocky
Free and open source · self-hosted DNS proxy
Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Audience
- The project describes use across home networks, homelabs, and businesses, and its feature list includes client groups such as kids and smart home devices.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Blocking
- It blocks DNS queries using external ad-blocking and malware lists, supports allowlisting, and can apply lists by client group.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Caching
- It offers configurable DNS answer caching and prefetching for frequently used queries.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Configuration
- Blocky uses one or more YAML configuration files and is described as stateless, with no database or temporary files required.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The project offers a standalone binary and Docker container, with multi-architecture images and a community-supported Helm chart.0xerr0r.github.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- DNS configuration
- It supports custom DNS resolution, conditional forwarding, and upstream resolvers assigned by client group.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- DNS protocols
- It supports DNS over UDP and TCP, HTTPS, TLS, QUIC, and HTTPS/3.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- It provides Prometheus metrics, Grafana dashboards, REST API endpoints, and a CLI tool.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Query logging
- DNS query logs can be stored in CSV or MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, or Timescale databases.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Security
- It supports DNSSEC validation and says it collects no user data, telemetry, or statistics.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maintainer welcomes issues, feature suggestions, and pull requests, and invites users to contribute financially to ongoing development.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Supported hardware
- The project lists support for x86-64, ARM, and MIPS architectures, including Raspberry Pi and OpenWrt routers.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- What it does
- Blocky is a DNS proxy and ad blocker for local networks, written in Go.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
