pi-hole
Pi-hole (the popular network-wide ad, tracker, and spam blocker) can run on both Raspberry Pi 1 and Raspberry Pi 3. https://pi-hole.net/ Dec 2025 - Supported OS
- Alpine
- Armbian OS
- Debian
- CentOS Stream
- Fedora
- Raspberry Pi OS (formerly Raspbian)
- Ubuntu
One-Step Installed, on github
https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/#one-step-automated-installRaspberry Pi 3: Excellent choice and very commonly used. It handles Pi-hole effortlessly, even with extras like DHCP server, Unbound (recursive DNS), or VPN integration. Plenty of tutorials and user reports confirm smooth performance on Pi 3 models (e.g., 3B, 3B+). The quad-core CPU and 1GB RAM provide plenty of headroom for typical home networks. Raspberry Pi 1: It works fine for basic Pi-hole use, as the software is lightweight (DNS queries don't require much processing power). Many users successfully run it on original Pi 1 Model B/A (256–512MB RAM), often with Ethernet for stability. Performance is adequate for home networks with moderate traffic, though the web dashboard may load slowly, and heavy loads (e.g., many devices or large blocklists) could feel sluggish. Recent versions (v6 as of 2025) may have issues on very old ARMv6 hardware due to binary compatibility changes in pihole-FTL—some users report errors during upgrades. If issues arise, sticking to Pi-hole v5 or using a lightweight 32-bit Raspberry Pi OS (like Legacy Lite) often resolves them. Pi-hole has minimal requirements: at least 512MB RAM (most Pi 1 models qualify), a supported Linux OS (e.g., Raspberry Pi OS Lite), and a static IP. Installation is straightforward via the official one-line script. For best reliability on Pi 1, use wired Ethernet, avoid GUI/desktop, and monitor resources. On Pi 3, you have far more flexibility.52 sourcesPi-hole installation guidePi-hole Installation Guide (for Raspberry Pi) Pi-hole is a network-wide ad and tracker blocker that acts as a DNS sinkhole. It's lightweight and perfect for Raspberry Pi 1 or 3 (as discussed earlier). This guide focuses on a standard "bare metal" installation on Raspberry Pi OS (recommended for beginners). Prerequisites A Raspberry Pi (1, 3, or newer) with Raspberry Pi OS installed (use the Lite version for headless setup to save resources). Ethernet connection recommended for stability (Wi-Fi works but can be less reliable on older Pis). At least 2GB free on the SD card. Set a static IP address for your Pi (highly recommended to prevent issues). You can do this via your router's DHCP reservation or in Raspberry Pi OS (sudo raspi-config > Network Options > Static IP). For the most up-to-date details, refer to the official docs: https://docs.pi-hole.net/main/basic-install/ Step-by-Step Installation Update your system Boot your Raspberry Pi, log in (default: user pi, password raspberry – change it for security!), and run:textsudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y sudo reboot Run the official installer The easiest way is the one-line command:textcurl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash(This is the current method as of late 2025; it's safe from the official source.)Alternatively, for more control (to review code first):textwget -O basic-install.sh https://install.pi-hole.net sudo bash basic-install.sh pimylifeup.comRaspberry Pi Pi-Hole: A Network Wide Ad-blocker - Pi My Life Up Follow the interactive installer prompts It will detect your network interface (choose eth0 for Ethernet or wlan0 for Wi-Fi). Select an upstream DNS provider (e.g., Google, Cloudflare, Quad9 – Cloudflare is privacy-focused). Choose blocklists (defaults are good; you can add more later). Install the web admin interface and lighttpd web server (yes to both). Note the admin password displayed at the end (or set one with pihole -a -p later). raspberrypi.comBlock ads at home with Pi-hole - Raspberry Pi Post-Installation Setup Access the web dashboard: Open a browser and go to http://pi.hole/admin or http://