Blocky is a fast and lightweight DNS proxy designed to block ads and malware at the local network level. The project aims to provide a privacy-respecting and highly configurable alternative to traditional ad-blocking solutions. It utilizes Go for efficient performance and supports various DNS protocols, including DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT).
Blocky distinguishes itself with its focus on performance through caching and prefetching, alongside a comprehensive feature set beyond basic ad-blocking. Its support for diverse protocols and flexible configuration options makes it adaptable to various network environments. The simple installation process, including Docker support, further enhances usability.
- DNS Filtering: Blocks DNS queries based on external lists (ad/malware) and allowlists, with support for regex and deep CNAME inspection. - Custom DNS Resolution: Enables defining custom DNS resolutions for specific domain names. - Caching: Improves DNS resolution speed and reduces external requests through customizable caching of DNS answers. - Protocol Support: Handles DNS over UDP, TCP, DoH, and DoT for flexibility and security. - Integration: Provides Prometheus metrics, Grafana dashboards, logging to various databases, REST API endpoints, and a CLI tool. - Configuration: Uses simple YAML configuration files, designed for easy maintenance and backups. - Architecture: Stateless design with a single binary, supports Docker, and is architecture-agnostic (x86-64, ARM).
Blocky is an actively maintained project with a growing community, evidenced by recent commits and issue activity. The project offers a stable release and comprehensive documentation, indicating a focus on reliability. The presence of community-contributed resources like Grafana dashboards and a CLI tool suggests increasing adoption and support.
Blocky benefits users seeking a powerful, privacy-focused DNS proxy for their local network. It's valuable for individuals wanting to block ads and malware while maintaining control over their DNS configuration. Compared to solutions like Pi-hole, Blocky offers greater flexibility in protocol support and advanced configuration features without a complex setup.