AdGuard HomevsDesignate
Two self-hosted DNS projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| AdGuard Home | Designate | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 | 53/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 41 in DNS | #19 of 41 in DNS |
| GitHub stars | 37 810 | 180 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +766 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 16 | 1 |
| Latest release | v1.0.0-b.1 · 30 Sept 2026 | 2024.1-eom · 31 Oct 2025 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |
Which one should you pick?
AdGuard Home scores 84/100 against 53/100 for Designate, so it is the safer default.
AdGuard Home ships more often: 16 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for Designate.
If you want the quickest setup, AdGuard Home is easier to run; Designate needs more configuration.
AdGuard Home is growing faster right now (+766 stars in 30 days).
AdGuard Home details →Designate details →All DNS projects →
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