Installing AdGuard Home: Docker vs Native — Complete Setup Guide

What Is AdGuard Home?

AdGuard Home is a self-hosted DNS server that blocks ads and trackers at the network level — before they ever reach any device on your network. Unlike browser extensions, it works for every device connected to your router: phones, smart TVs, consoles, and everything else.

You can install it in two ways:

• Docker — isolated, easy to update, no impact on the host system.
• Native (system install) — runs directly on the OS, slightly lighter, integrates naturally with systemd.

Both approaches are covered below. Choose whichever fits your setup.

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Method 1 — Docker

Prerequisites

• Docker installed and running
• Port 53 available on the host (not already used by another DNS service)

On Ubuntu 22.04+, systemd-resolved listens on port 53 by default. You’ll need to disable it first or configure AdGuard to use a different port.

sudo systemctl disable --now systemd-resolved
sudo rm /etc/resolv.conf
echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf

1. Create the Required Directories

AdGuard Home needs two persistent directories for its configuration and working data:

mkdir -p ~/adguard/work ~/adguard/conf

2. Run the Container

docker run -d \
  --name adguardhome \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -v ~/adguard/work:/opt/adguardhome/work \
  -v ~/adguard/conf:/opt/adguardhome/conf \
  -p 53:53/tcp \
  -p 53:53/udp \
  -p 3000:3000/tcp \
  adguard/adguardhome

Flag	Purpose
--restart unless-stopped	Restart automatically on reboot or crash, unless manually stopped
-v ~/adguard/work	Persists runtime data across container restarts
-v ~/adguard/conf	Persists your configuration
-p 53:53	Exposes the DNS port (TCP + UDP)
-p 3000:3000	Exposes the initial setup web UI

3. Complete the Setup

Open your browser and go to http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:3000. The setup wizard will guide you through creating an admin account and choosing the DNS listening port (usually 53).

After setup is complete, the web dashboard moves to port 80 by default (or whichever port you configure).

4. Verify the Restart Policy

docker inspect -f '' adguardhome

Expected output:

unless-stopped

Updating the Restart Policy on an Existing Container

If you already have a running container without a restart policy:

docker update --restart unless-stopped adguardhome

No restart required — Docker applies the policy immediately.

Useful Docker Commands

# Check if the container is running
docker ps

# View live logs
docker logs -f adguardhome

# Stop the container
docker stop adguardhome

# Update to the latest image
docker pull adguard/adguardhome
docker stop adguardhome && docker rm adguardhome
# Re-run the same docker run command from Step 2

Your configuration and data are safe during updates because they live in the mounted volumes (~/adguard/work and ~/adguard/conf), not inside the container.

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Method 2 — Native System Install

Use this if you prefer running AdGuard Home directly on the OS without Docker.

1. Download and Install

AdGuard provides an automated install script:

curl -s -S -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome/master/scripts/install.sh | sh -s -- -v

The script detects your architecture, downloads the correct binary, installs it to /opt/AdGuardHome/, and registers it as a systemd service automatically.

2. Complete the Setup

Same as Docker — open http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:3000 and follow the wizard.

3. Enable Auto-Start on Boot

The installer usually handles this, but verify and enable it manually to be sure:

sudo systemctl enable AdGuardHome
sudo systemctl start AdGuardHome

Check the current status:

sudo systemctl status AdGuardHome

You should see active (running).

4. Configure a Resilient Restart Policy

By default, systemd may not restart AdGuard Home if it crashes unexpectedly. Fix this with a drop-in override — this is cleaner than editing the unit file directly because it survives package updates:

sudo systemctl edit AdGuardHome

This opens a blank editor. Paste the following:

[Service]
Restart=always
RestartSec=5

Save and exit, then apply the changes:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart AdGuardHome

Verify the override is active:

sudo systemctl show AdGuardHome --property=Restart,RestartUSec

Expected output:

Restart=always
RestartUSec=5s

sudo systemctl edit creates a drop-in file at /etc/systemd/system/AdGuardHome.service.d/override.conf. It does not modify the original service file, so updates won’t overwrite your changes.

Useful Native Commands

# Check status
sudo systemctl status AdGuardHome

# Stop the service
sudo systemctl stop AdGuardHome

# View live logs
sudo journalctl -u AdGuardHome -f

# Update AdGuard Home
sudo /opt/AdGuardHome/AdGuardHome -update

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Method Comparison

	Docker	Native
Isolation	✅ Fully isolated	❌ Runs on host
Updates	Manual (pull + re-run)	Built-in -update flag
Resource overhead	Slightly higher	Minimal
Port conflicts	Easier to manage	Needs manual resolution
Persistence on reboot	--restart unless-stopped	systemctl enable + override
Best for	Servers already running Docker	Minimal setups, dedicated DNS boxes

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Conclusion

Both methods result in a fully functional AdGuard Home instance that survives reboots and restarts automatically on failure. Docker is the better choice if you’re already managing other containers; the native install is simpler and lighter if AdGuard Home is the primary workload on the machine.

Once it’s running, point your router’s DNS to the server’s IP address to start filtering ads and trackers for every device on your network.