---
title: Overview of Pi-hole
description: Brief overview of Pi-hole
---

<p class="text-center">
    <a href="https://pi-hole.net/">
        <img src="https://pi-hole.github.io/graphics/Vortex/Vortex_with_Wordmark.svg" width="150" height="260" alt="Pi-hole">
    </a>
    <br>
    <strong>Network-wide ad blocking via your own Linux hardware</strong>
</p>

The Pi-hole[®](https://pi-hole.net/trademark-rules-and-brand-guidelines/) is a [DNS sinkhole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNS_Sinkhole) that protects your devices from unwanted content, without installing any client-side software.

- **Easy-to-install**: our versatile installer walks you through the process and takes less than ten minutes
- **Resolute**: content is blocked in _non-browser locations_, such as ad-laden mobile apps and smart TVs
- **Responsive**: seamlessly speeds up the feel of everyday browsing by caching DNS queries
- **Lightweight**: runs smoothly with [minimal hardware and software requirements](main/prerequisites.md)
- **Robust**: a command-line interface that is quality assured for interoperability
- **Insightful**: a beautiful responsive Web Interface dashboard to view and control your Pi-hole
- **Versatile**: can optionally function as a [DHCP server](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/how-do-i-use-pi-holes-built-in-dhcp-server-and-why-would-i-want-to/3026), ensuring _all_ your devices are protected automatically
- **Scalable**: [capable of handling hundreds of millions of queries](https://pi-hole.net/2017/05/24/how-much-traffic-can-pi-hole-handle/) when installed on server-grade hardware
- **Modern**: blocks ads over both IPv4 and IPv6
- **Free**: open-source software which helps ensure _you_ are the sole person in control of your privacy

---

## Pi-hole is free, but powered by your support

There are many reoccurring costs involved with maintaining free, open-source, and privacy respecting software; expenses which [our volunteer developers](https://github.com/orgs/pi-hole/people) pitch in to cover out-of-pocket. This is just one example of how strongly we feel about our software, as well as the importance of keeping it maintained.

Make no mistake: **your support is absolutely vital to help keep us innovating!**

### Donations

Sending a donation using our links below is **extremely helpful** in offsetting a portion of our monthly expenses:

- [Donate via PayPal or Stripe](https://pi-hole.net/donate/)
- [Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin](https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/dd304d04-f324-4a77-931b-0db61c77a41b)

### Alternative support

If you'd rather not donate (_which is okay!_), there are other ways you can help support us:

- [Patreon](https://patreon.com/pihole) _Become a patron for rewards_
- [Digital Ocean](https://www.digitalocean.com/?refcode=344d234950e1) _new account credits with our affiliate link_
- [Stickermule](https://www.stickermule.com/unlock?ref_id=9127301701&utm_medium=link&utm_source=invite) _earn a $10 credit after your first purchase_
- [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/pihole09-20) _affiliate link_
- Spreading the word about our software, and how you have benefited from it

### Contributing via GitHub

We welcome _everyone_ to contribute to issue reports, suggest new features, and create pull requests.

If you have something to add - anything from a typo through to a whole new feature, we're happy to check it out! Just make sure to fill out our template when submitting your request; the questions that it asks will help the volunteers quickly understand what you're aiming to achieve.

You'll find that the [install script](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/blob/master/automated%20install/basic-install.sh) and the [debug script](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/blob/master/advanced/Scripts/piholeDebug.sh) have an abundance of comments, which will help you better understand how Pi-hole works. They're also a valuable resource to those who want to learn how to write scripts or code a program! We encourage anyone who likes to tinker to read through it, and submit a pull request for us to review.