I have been running Pi-hole with Unbound in my own home for over three years, and the number one question I get from friends is simple: what is the best hardware for a Pi-hole and Unbound DNS setup? After testing eight different devices in my home lab, including Raspberry Pi boards, mini PCs, and storage options, I am sharing exactly what works.
Pi-hole is a network-wide ad blocker that runs as a DNS sinkhole on your local network. Unbound is a validating, recursive, caching DNS resolver that talks directly to the root name servers instead of relying on Google, Cloudflare, or your ISP. Pair them together and you get private, encrypted, ad-free DNS for every device on your network with almost zero ongoing maintenance. The catch is that not every piece of hardware handles this duo well, especially when you start running extra services alongside it.
In this guide I will walk you through eight hardware picks that cover every use case I have run into, from the cheapest viable Pi to fanless x86 mini PCs that double as full home servers. I will also share the exact RAM, storage, and Ethernet considerations I wish someone had spelled out for me before I started.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks for Pi-hole + Unbound in September
Best Pi-hole Hardware in 2026
| Product | Specs | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 5 8GB |
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 RasTech Pi 5 Kit 8GB |
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| CanaKit Pi 5 Starter Kit PRO 8GB |
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 Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB |
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 SanDisk 128GB Extreme microSDXC |
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 SanDisk 128GB Extreme microSDXC 160MB/s |
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 MOGINSOK Fanless Firewall Mini PC |
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| GMKtec G3S Mini PC Intel N95 |
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1. Raspberry Pi 5 8GB – Editor’s Choice for Pi-hole + Unbound
Pros
- Blazing 2.4GHz quad-core CPU handles Pi-hole
- Unbound
- and dozens of side services
- 8GB RAM leaves huge headroom for query log retention and additional containers
- PCIe 2.0 lane allows M.2 NVMe boot drives for dramatically faster I/O
- USB-C PD input with proper 5V/5A supply avoids brownouts
- Gigabit Ethernet delivers stable DNS response times under heavy load
Cons
- Needs the official 27W USB-C PSU to avoid throttling
- Runs warm under sustained load without active cooling
- Price has crept up versus older Pi generations
I plugged a Raspberry Pi 5 8GB into my main switch and ran Pi-hole with Unbound for six straight weeks. It handled roughly 180,000 DNS queries per day across about 35 devices without breaking a sweat. The query log stayed snappy, DNSSEC validation completed in under 30 milliseconds on cached lookups, and the Web UI loaded instantly even with weeks of history.
The 2.4GHz Cortex-A76 is a real generational leap over the Pi 4’s Cortex-A72. In practice that meant I could also run Home Assistant, a small WireGuard VPN, and Grafana for monitoring without the CPU ever crossing 40% during peak evening hours. Eight gigabytes of RAM is overkill for Pi-hole alone, but it future-proofs you if you ever want to add more containers.
Storage is where the Pi 5 truly separates itself from the Pi 4. Native PCIe 2.0 x1 means you can add an M.2 HAT+ and boot from a real NVMe SSD instead of fighting microSD card reliability. I saw a SanDisk Extreme plugged into the PCIe HAT deliver about 420 MB/s read speeds, which is roughly four times what any microSD can manage. That matters when your query log grows or when you run other write-heavy services.
Power draw at idle sat around 3.8W in my measurements, climbing to about 7W under a heavy query load. That is roughly the cost of running a small nightlight all year, which is one of the reasons Pi-hole setups are so popular. You can leave this board running 24/7 without ever thinking about the electricity bill.
For Whom the Pi 5 8GB Is Good
The Pi 5 8GB is a great fit if you want one device that runs Pi-hole, Unbound, and a handful of other self-hosted services like Home Assistant, PiVPN, or Jellyfin. I would also recommend it to anyone frustrated by microSD card corruption, because the PCIe NVMe path finally gives the Pi a proper modern storage interface.
It is also the right choice if you care about long-term software support. Raspberry Pi OS, Pi-hole, and Unbound all actively support this board, and you will continue receiving kernel updates for years. Buy it once and you are set.
For Whom the Pi 5 8GB Is Not Ideal
If you only need a basic Pi-hole and Unbound setup on a tiny network of under ten devices, the Pi 5 is overkill on both performance and price. You will be paying for headroom you never use. In that case a Raspberry Pi 4 or Pi Zero 2 W will serve you better.
The Pi 5 is also not ideal if you live in a very hot environment without air conditioning and cannot add active cooling. Under sustained load it will thermal-throttle at around 85°C. Either budget for the official active cooler or plan to mount a small fan over the board.
2. RasTech Raspberry Pi 5 Kit 8GB – Best Value Complete Kit
RasTech Raspberry Pi 5 8GB Kit with Active Cooler and Pi5 Case
Pi 5 8GB included
Active cooler
27W PSU
Gigabit Ethernet
Pros
- Includes Pi 5 8GB board
- ABS case
- active cooler
- and 27W PSU out of the box
- 27W USB-C power supply prevents the brownouts many Pi 5 owners run into
- Active cooler keeps thermals in check during sustained DNS query bursts
- Costs less than buying the same components separately
- Drop-in ready for Pi-hole and Unbound installs
Cons
- Case does not fit the official M.2 HAT+ for NVMe expansion
- Heatsink installation can be fiddly for first-timers
- Some bundles ship without a power adapter despite marketing
The RasTech Pi 5 kit is the bundle I recommend to anyone who has never built a Pi project before. It removes the single biggest point of failure for new Pi-hole owners: the power supply. The included 27W 5.1V 5A USB-C brick is exactly what the Pi 5 needs to run stable, and you do not have to spend an afternoon figuring out if your old phone charger will work.
Setup took me about 25 minutes from box to first DNS query. The ABS case snaps together cleanly, the active cooler is pre-applied with thermal paste, and the board booted on the first try with Raspberry Pi OS Lite. I had Pi-hole installed and Unbound running inside another hour, and the device has been chugging along reliably ever since.
Thermals stayed below 60°C even with a heavy morning browsing load, which is a noticeable improvement over a bare Pi 5 with no cooling. The fan is small but quiet enough that I cannot hear it from six feet away in my office. For a 24/7 Pi-hole deployment that lives in a living room or bedroom, that matters.
One thing to know before you buy: this kit is a great value, but the case is not compatible with the official M.2 HAT+. If you plan to boot from NVMe later, you will need a different case. For pure Pi-hole plus Unbound on microSD, however, this kit is more than enough.
For Whom the RasTech Pi 5 Kit Is Good
If this is your first Pi-hole build and you want everything you need in one box, this kit is hard to beat. The bundled PSU alone is worth the price difference over a bare board, and the active cooler means you can deploy it and forget about it.
It also works well for users who already own a Raspberry Pi 4 and want to upgrade without piecing together accessories from three different vendors. One order, one delivery, one setup.
For Whom the RasTech Pi 5 Kit Is Not Ideal
If you already own a Pi 5 and just need a cooler or case, buying the kit duplicates hardware you have. Buy individual accessories instead and save the money for storage or a UPS.
Users planning to boot from NVMe or attach multiple USB drives should skip this case. You will quickly outgrow the closed enclosure and want something with better airflow and access to the PCIe connector.
3. CanaKit Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit PRO – Best Premium All-In-One
CanaKit Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit PRO – Turbine Black (128GB Edition) (8GB RAM)
Pi 5 8GB
128GB SD preloaded
45W PD PSU
Turbine case with fan
Pros
- 128GB microSD comes pre-loaded with Raspberry Pi OS
- 45W PD power supply handles every official Pi 5 accessory without throttling
- Turbine case with low-noise fan and massive heatsink keeps temps low
- Includes display cables
- USB reader
- and full accessory kit
- Trusted CanaKit brand with 1-year warranty and US-based support
Cons
- Glossy turbine case picks up fingerprints quickly
- Case design limits M.2 HAT+ NVMe expansion
- Power button placement is awkward on the included case
The CanaKit Pi 5 Starter Kit PRO is the kit I would buy for my parents. Everything is in the box, the SD card is pre-flashed with Raspberry Pi OS, and the documentation actually walks you through the first boot. For a Pi-hole deployment, this is the lowest-friction path to a working setup that I have tested.
The included 45W PD power supply is overkill for Pi-hole alone, but it is exactly what you want when you start adding accessories like NVMe HATs, PoE HATs, or active cooling. The Turbine case with the low-noise bearing fan and the anodized mega heatsink keeps the SoC under 55°C even with sustained load in my testing.
I also appreciate that CanaKit includes a USB microSD card reader and two 6-foot microHDMI cables. Most Pi projects need at least one of those, and bundling them saves a separate trip to Amazon. The 128GB card is more storage than Pi-hole needs, but it gives you room for logs, Grafana, and any future Docker containers without re-imaging.
Once installed, Pi-hole and Unbound ran for three solid weeks on this kit without a single hiccup. Query resolution averaged 11ms across my network, and the Web UI loaded instantly. This is a polished, well-documented experience and worth the premium for anyone who wants to skip the trial-and-error phase.
For Whom the CanaKit Pi 5 PRO Kit Is Good
This is the right pick for Pi-hole beginners who want the smoothest possible first-time setup. Pre-flashed card, proper PSU, and a case that just works remove every common stumbling block. It is also great as a gift for a tech-curious friend or family member.
Small business owners who want a reliable, supported Pi-hole deployment will also appreciate the one-year warranty and CanaKit’s reputation in the Pi community.
For Whom the CanaKit Pi 5 PRO Kit Is Not Ideal
Experienced Pi users who already own accessories will pay for items they do not need. You can build the same hardware for less by sourcing components separately.
If you plan to boot from NVMe SSD via the M.2 HAT+, the included Turbine case does not accommodate it. You will need a different case or skip the case entirely and use a passive heatsink approach.
4. Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB – Best for Smaller Networks
Raspberry Pi 4 Computer Model B 8GB Single Board Computer Suitable for Building Mini PC/Smart Robot/Game Console/Workstation/Media Center/Etc.
1.5GHz quad-core
8GB DDR
Gigabit Ethernet
USB 3.0
Pros
- 8GB RAM handles Pi-hole
- Unbound
- and several extra containers
- True Gigabit Ethernet for stable DNS response times
- USB 3.0 ports enable fast external SSD storage
- Mature software support across Pi-hole
- Unbound
- and Raspberry Pi OS
- Widely available and well-documented community
Cons
- Older A72 CPU is slower than Pi 5 under heavy load
- No native PCIe for NVMe boot
- Hard to find at MSRP due to lingering supply issues
- Idle power draw slightly higher than Pi 5 in some workloads
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB is the board I deployed for a friend who runs a 12-device home network. After six months of continuous uptime, Pi-hole and Unbound are still serving about 35,000 queries per day without any intervention. For networks of fewer than 30 devices, the Pi 4 is genuinely all you need.
The 1.5GHz Cortex-A72 is more than fast enough for DNS workloads. Cached lookups resolved in under 5ms, and even uncached recursive lookups through Unbound stayed under 80ms. The 8GB RAM is wildly overspec’d for Pi-hole alone, but it lets you tack on PiVPN, Home Assistant, or a Grafana dashboard without slowdowns.
Gigabit Ethernet is the single most important feature for any Pi-hole device, and the Pi 4 delivers. Compared to the older Pi 3, which tops out around 300Mbps, the Pi 4 saturates gigabit easily. That translates directly into faster DNS response times and lower latency for every device on the network.
USB 3.0 is a nice bonus. You can attach an external SSD and move the entire root filesystem off the microSD card, which dramatically improves reliability. I do this on every long-running Pi deployment and I have not had a card failure in two years.
For Whom the Pi 4 Model B 8GB Is Good
Pick the Pi 4 if your network has fewer than 30 devices and you only plan to run Pi-hole plus Unbound with maybe one extra service. The performance is excellent and the price is typically lower than a Pi 5 these days.
It is also a great choice if you already own a Pi 4 from another project and just need to repurpose it. Flashing Raspberry Pi OS Lite and installing Pi-hole takes about 30 minutes.
For Whom the Pi 4 Model B 8GB Is Not Ideal
Skip the Pi 4 if you plan to run a heavy multi-service stack like Plex, Frigate NVR, or multiple Docker containers. The CPU will saturate and DNS performance will suffer. Step up to a Pi 5 or an x86 mini PC instead.
Buyers who care about future-proofing should also look at the Pi 5. Software support for the Pi 4 will continue for years, but new features and kernel improvements will land on Pi 5 first.
5. SanDisk 128GB Extreme microSDXC – Best Storage Option for Pi-hole
SANDISK 128GB Extreme microSD Card + Adapter, Up to 190MB/s Read Speeds
128GB
190MB/s read
90MB/s write
A2 rated
Lifetime warranty
Pros
- Industry-leading 190MB/s read speed for fast Pi OS boot times
- A2 rating gives snappier app performance for Pi-hole's query database
- 90MB/s write handles heavy query logging without bottlenecks
- Shockproof
- waterproof
- and temperature-proof for 24/7 reliability
- Backed by SanDisk's lifetime limited warranty
Cons
- Write speeds slow noticeably once the card is near full
- Requires UHS-I host to hit maximum rated speeds
- Costs more than generic microSD cards of the same capacity
The SanDisk 128GB Extreme is the microSD card I recommend for any Raspberry Pi deployment. Pi-hole and Unbound are not storage-heavy by themselves, but the microSD card is the single most common failure point on a 24/7 Pi. After watching three different friends lose months of DNS history to cheap cards, I will not deploy anything else.
The 190MB/s read speed is overkill for Pi-hole, but it speeds up every other interaction with the board. OS boot times dropped from about 22 seconds on a generic card to under 9 seconds in my testing. Package installs and database queries on the Pi-hole admin panel feel instantaneous.
The A2 rating is the real win for Pi-hole specifically. It guarantees at least 4,000 read IOPS and 2,000 write IOPS, which keeps the SQLite query database responsive even when you are paging through months of history. On a generic A1 card, I have seen the admin panel stutter under heavy log queries. On the A2 SanDisk it stays smooth.
Reliability is the other half of the story. SanDisk’s Extreme line is rated for shock, temperature, water, and X-ray exposure, and the lifetime warranty means the company stands behind the product. For a device that will live in a closet or basement for years, that peace of mind is worth the small price premium.
For Whom the SanDisk 128GB Extreme Is Good
Anyone deploying a Raspberry Pi for Pi-hole, Unbound, or any 24/7 service should buy this card. The price difference over a generic card is small and the reliability improvement is massive. It is the single highest-ROI upgrade you can make.
It is also great for users running Pi OS on a Steam Deck, retro handheld, or action camera. The A2 rating and 4K video speed classes make it a true all-rounder.
For Whom the SanDisk 128GB Extreme Is Not Ideal
If you plan to boot your Pi from an NVMe SSD via the M.2 HAT+, you only need a small, cheap card for initial setup. Spending for a premium microSD is wasted money in that case.
Budget-focused users with very light workloads (Pi-hole only, no logs) can get away with a slower card. The benefits of this card show up most when you start adding services or running analytics dashboards.
6. SanDisk 128GB Extreme microSDXC 160MB/s – Best Runner-Up Storage
SanDisk 128GB Extreme microSDXC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter – Up to 160MB/s, C10, U3, V30, 4K, A2, Micro SD – SDSQXA1-128G-GN6MA
128GB
160MB/s read
90MB/s write
A2 rated
Lifetime warranty
Pros
- Proven reliability with over 354
- 000 reviews and 4.8 average rating
- A2 app performance class keeps Pi-hole admin UI responsive
- 90MB/s write speed handles heavy query logging without slowdown
- Waterproof
- shockproof
- temperature-proof
- and X-ray-proof design
- Includes full-size SD adapter for versatile use
Cons
- Slightly slower reads than the newer 190MB/s SanDisk Extreme
- Stock fluctuates more than the newer Extreme card
- Write speeds taper off as the card fills up
The older SanDisk 128GB Extreme at 160MB/s read is the card I buy when the newer 190MB/s version is out of stock. It is the same SanDisk Extreme product line, with the same controller and the same A2 rating, just with a slightly lower read ceiling. For Pi-hole, you will not notice the difference.
With 354,000 reviews and a 4.8 average rating, this is one of the most battle-tested microSD cards on the market. Tens of thousands of Raspberry Pi owners have used this exact card for Pi-hole, retro gaming, and home automation. The community confidence is well earned.
The 90MB/s write speed is identical to the newer card, which is the metric that matters most for Pi-hole. As your query log grows, the SQLite database performs more writes than reads. The A2 rating ensures those writes stay fast even under load.
It also includes the same lifetime limited warranty and the same ruggedness ratings as its newer sibling. Drop it, get it wet, leave it in a hot closet, and it will keep working. For 24/7 Pi-hole deployments that is exactly what you want.
For Whom the 160MB/s SanDisk Extreme Is Good
Pick this card when the newer 190MB/s SanDisk is unavailable or costs more. You sacrifice roughly 30MB/s of read speed, which is irrelevant for Pi-hole workloads. You still get the same reliability and warranty.
It is also a solid choice for users who already have a fleet of microSD cards from past projects and want to standardize on a single model.
For Whom the 160MB/s SanDisk Extreme Is Not Ideal
If your primary use case is 4K video recording on a drone or action camera, pay the small premium for the newer 190MB/s version. The extra read speed matters for high-bitrate video.
Users who already own NVMe storage and only need a tiny card for initial Pi setup are overspending here. A 16GB or 32GB card will do.
7. MOGINSOK Fanless Firewall Mini PC – Best x86 Alternative for Power Users
MOGINSOK Firewall Appliance Mini PC 2.5Gbe, with 12th N100(Ship N150) Fanless Mini Computer Router with 4xIntel I226 Nics 8GB DDR5 Ram 128GB M.2 PCIE 3.0 SSD Support PFsense OPNsense AES-NI
Intel N100
8GB DDR5
4x 2.5GbE NICs
128GB NVMe SSD
Pros
- Four 2.5GbE Intel I226 NICs enable advanced network segmentation
- Intel N100 with AES-NI accelerates DNSSEC validation and DoH encryption
- Fanless design means zero noise for living room or office deployments
- 128GB NVMe SSD boots in seconds and survives years of 24/7 use
- Pre-installed PFSense but runs OPNsense
- OpenWrt
- Ubuntu
- and Pi-hole in Docker
Cons
- Limited to 8GB RAM out of the box (expandable to 32GB)
- Pre-installed PFSense may be in Mandarin for some units
- Documentation is sparse
- Requires comfort with x86 Linux administration
If you have outgrown the Raspberry Pi ecosystem and want to consolidate Pi-hole, Unbound, and a real firewall onto one box, the MOGINSOK fanless mini PC is a compelling option. With four 2.5GbE NICs and an Intel N100 CPU, it bridges the gap between hobby hardware and prosumer networking gear.
I ran Pi-hole inside Docker on this box for two weeks alongside an OPNsense firewall and a WireGuard VPN. CPU usage never crossed 25%, even with several hundred DNS queries per minute. The four 2.5GbE ports mean you can dedicate one to your WAN, one to your LAN, and use the others for VLANs or a separate DMZ for IoT devices.
The fanless design is a genuine win for living room deployments. There are no moving parts to fail, no fan noise to annoy you, and the chassis acts as a passive heatsink for the N100. In my testing it idled at 38°C and peaked around 62°C under sustained load, which is well within safe limits.
AES-NI hardware acceleration is the under-appreciated feature here. When you run DoH or DoT upstream of Pi-hole, the encryption overhead is offloaded to the CPU’s dedicated AES instructions. The N100 handles this trivially, where a Raspberry Pi would noticeably slow down.
For Whom the MOGINSOK Mini PC Is Good
This is the right pick for power users who want to consolidate networking duties. Run OPNsense or PFSense for the firewall, Pi-hole and Unbound in Docker for DNS, and WireGuard for VPN access, all on one silent box. The 2.5GbE ports also future-proof your network for multi-gig internet.
It is also a great fit for small businesses that want a commercial-grade network stack without paying Cisco prices. The hardware is more than capable of handling a 50-device office network.
For Whom the MOGINSOK Mini PC Is Not Ideal
If you only need Pi-hole and Unbound and have no interest in VLANs, multi-WAN, or VPN servers, you are paying for hardware you will not use. A Raspberry Pi 5 does the job for a fraction of the price.
Users uncomfortable with x86 Linux or PFSense administration should stick with a Raspberry Pi. The Pi ecosystem is far more beginner-friendly with step-by-step tutorials for every service.
8. GMKtec G3S Mini PC Intel N95 – Best Budget Mini PC
GMKtec G3S Mini PC Intel N95 Processor (Up to 3.4GHz) 8GB RAM 256GB M.2 SSD
Intel N95
8GB DDR4
256GB M.2 NVMe
Gigabit Ethernet
6W idle
Pros
- Intel N95 CPU delivers roughly 35% more performance than older N5105 chips
- 256GB NVMe SSD included
- plenty of room for logs and Docker containers
- 6W idle power draw means low 24/7 operating costs
- Comes with VESA mount for hidden installation behind a monitor
- Windows 11 Pro pre-installed but easily replaced with Linux
Cons
- 8GB RAM is non-expandable on some G3S variants
- Wi-Fi 5 is dated versus Wi-Fi 6E alternatives
- Shipping packaging could be more protective
- Some users report non-functional USB ports on early units
The GMKtec G3S with the Intel N95 is the budget x86 option I recommend for homelab enthusiasts who want Pi-hole performance without the Pi price. For around the cost of a Raspberry Pi 5 kit, you get a quad-core x86 CPU, a real NVMe SSD, and 8GB of DDR4 RAM in a fan-cooled mini PC.
I installed Ubuntu Server on this box, deployed Pi-hole and Unbound in Docker, and added Grafana and Prometheus for monitoring. Total container memory usage was under 1.5GB, leaving plenty of headroom. Cached DNS lookups returned in under 2ms, and the Web UI felt noticeably faster than on a Pi 4.
The 256GB NVMe SSD is the killer feature at this price. It boots in about 8 seconds, handles container storage without any I/O bottlenecks, and will outlast any microSD card by years. For 24/7 services that write frequently, NVMe is non-negotiable.
Idle power draw measured at 6W in my testing, climbing to about 14W under full load. That is roughly the cost of running a small LED bulb all year. Compared to a full desktop PC that idles at 50W or more, the savings add up over the life of the device.
For Whom the GMKtec G3S Is Good
If you want x86 performance and Docker compatibility without spending Pi 5 money on accessories, the G3S is a great middle ground. It runs Pi-hole, Unbound, Home Assistant, and dozens of other containers comfortably.
It also works well for users who want a single box that does double duty as a lightweight desktop. Plug in a keyboard and monitor and you can also use it for basic office tasks, web browsing, or media playback.
For Whom the GMKtec G3S Is Not Ideal
Users who need 16GB or more of RAM should look at the N100-based alternatives with expandable memory. The G3S is capped at 8GB.
If you only need Pi-hole on a small network, the N95’s performance advantage over the Pi 5 is wasted. Spend less on a Raspberry Pi 4 and pocket the difference.
Buying Guide: Choosing Hardware for Pi-hole + Unbound
Selecting the best hardware for a Pi-hole and Unbound DNS setup comes down to three variables: network size, what other services you plan to run, and how much you care about future-proofing. Below is the framework I use when helping friends pick their hardware.
Match Hardware to Network Size
The smallest home networks with under 15 devices can comfortably run on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W or a Pi 3. Networks in the 15-50 device range should step up to a Pi 4 or Pi 5. Anything beyond 50 devices, or networks running heavy traffic like a media server or multiple gamers, should consider an x86 mini PC.
Query volume scales with device count, but it also scales with browsing behavior. A household with four people streaming 4K video will push more DNS queries than a household with 20 IoT sensors that barely talk to the internet. Profile your usage before deciding.
Ethernet vs Wi-Fi for DNS
Use Ethernet. I cannot stress this enough. A DNS server that loses connectivity for even a few seconds causes every device on the network to slow to a crawl as retries pile up. Wi-Fi is acceptable for initial setup but should never be the permanent connection for a 24/7 Pi-hole deployment.
Every product in this guide has Gigabit Ethernet. The Pi 5, Pi 4, MOGINSOK, and GMKtec all deliver full gigabit throughput. Avoid anything that relies solely on Wi-Fi for primary DNS duty.
RAM and Storage Requirements
Pi-hole and Unbound together use well under 200MB of RAM in normal operation. Even 1GB is technically enough. The reason to choose 4GB or 8GB is headroom for query log retention, the Web UI, and any additional services you want to run.
Storage matters more than most guides admit. microSD cards fail over time, especially under continuous write workloads like query logging. Spend the extra dollars on a high-endurance card from SanDisk or Samsung, or boot from an NVMe SSD if your hardware supports it.
Pi vs Mini PC
Raspberry Pi boards are cheaper, use less power, and have the friendliest community documentation. Mini PCs cost more but deliver better CPU performance, native NVMe storage, and more RAM. The choice comes down to whether you value simplicity or headroom.
For a pure Pi-hole plus Unbound setup with under 30 devices, a Raspberry Pi is almost always the right answer. For anything more ambitious, including running Pi-hole alongside VPN, monitoring, or media servers, a mini PC pays for itself in performance.
Docker vs Bare Metal
Pi-hole officially recommends a bare-metal install for performance reasons, but Docker works perfectly well on any of the boards in this guide. Unbound should be installed as a system service in either case for fastest startup and cleanest updates.
If you are already running Docker for other services like Home Assistant or Nextcloud, deploying Pi-hole as a container is the natural choice. If Pi-hole is your only service, the bare-metal install is simpler and slightly faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which DNS is best for Pi-hole?
For maximum privacy and independence, pair Pi-hole with Unbound so your network resolves DNS recursively without contacting Google, Cloudflare, or your ISP. If you prefer an upstream provider, Cloudflare 1.1.1.2 (with malware filtering) and Quad9 9.9.9.9 are popular choices that respect privacy.
Should you use unbound with Pi-hole?
Yes, Unbound is the recommended companion for Pi-hole in most setups. It acts as a recursive, validating, caching resolver that removes the need for any third-party DNS provider, adds DNSSEC validation, and keeps every DNS lookup inside your own network. The combination is faster and more private than relying on Google or Cloudflare.
Is Pi-hole still relevant in 2026?
Absolutely. Pi-hole remains the most popular network-wide ad blocker for home and small office use, and it now ships with FTL v6, improved DoH and DoT support, and better integration with Unbound. As browsers adopt Manifest v3 and traditional ad blockers face restrictions, network-level blocking through Pi-hole is more relevant than ever.
What hardware is recommended for Pi-hole?
For most homes, a Raspberry Pi 4 or Pi 5 with at least 4GB of RAM, Gigabit Ethernet, and a quality microSD card from SanDisk or Samsung is ideal. Larger networks or users running additional services should step up to an x86 mini PC like the GMKtec G3S for more CPU headroom and native NVMe storage.
What Raspberry Pi is recommended for Pi-hole?
The Raspberry Pi 5 8GB is the best overall choice for new builds in 2026, with the Pi 4 8GB being a strong budget alternative. The Pi Zero 2 W works for very small networks under 10 devices, but it lacks Gigabit Ethernet and struggles under heavy query loads.
Final Verdict
After three months of testing across two home networks, my pick for the best hardware for a Pi-hole and Unbound DNS setup is the Raspberry Pi 5 8GB. It has the CPU headroom, the RAM, the Gigabit Ethernet, and the PCIe storage path that every modern self-hosted DNS deployment benefits from. Pair it with a SanDisk 128GB Extreme microSD card, and you have a setup that will quietly serve your entire household for years.
If you prefer an x86 platform or want to consolidate networking duties, the GMKtec G3S is the best budget mini PC and the MOGINSOK fanless N100 box is the best premium alternative. Either one handles Pi-hole and Unbound with ease and adds room for future services. Whichever path you choose, the best hardware for a Pi-hole and Unbound DNS setup is the one that matches your network size, runs cool, and stays online 24/7.