Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Cisco Umbrella VS Pi-hole

Compare Cisco Umbrella VS Pi-hole and see what are their differences

Cisco Umbrella logo Cisco Umbrella

Cisco Umbrella is a cloud security platform that provides the first line of defense against threats on the internet.

Pi-hole logo Pi-hole

Pi-hole is a multi-platform, network-wide ad blocker.
  • Cisco Umbrella Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-07-23
  • Pi-hole Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-12

Cisco Umbrella features and specs

  • Comprehensive Security
    Cisco Umbrella offers a wide range of security features including DNS-layer security, secure web gateway, firewall, and cloud-delivered threat intelligence which collectively provides multi-layered protection against cyber threats.
  • Ease of Deployment
    Cisco Umbrella can be deployed quickly and easily across different types of networks, including on-premises, remote offices, and mobile users, without requiring significant changes to existing infrastructure.
  • High Availability
    Built on a globally distributed network, Cisco Umbrella ensures high availability and redundancy, making it a reliable option for companies that cannot afford downtime.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The centralized and intuitive dashboard makes it easy for administrators to monitor network activities, manage policies, and generate reports, reducing the complexity of security management.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Cisco Umbrella integrates well with other security tools and Cisco products, allowing organizations to build a more cohesive and comprehensive security strategy.

Possible disadvantages of Cisco Umbrella

  • Cost
    Cisco Umbrella can be expensive, especially for smaller organizations with limited budgets, which might find the cost prohibitive relative to their needs.
  • Complexity of Advanced Features
    While the basic features are easy to use, some of the more advanced features require specialized knowledge and training to fully leverage, which can be a barrier for some organizations.
  • Dependence on Internet Connectivity
    Being a cloud-based solution, Cisco Umbrella requires continuous internet connectivity to function effectively. Any disruption in internet service can impact its performance and reduce its effectiveness.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Because it involves routing all DNS queries through its servers, there could be potential privacy concerns for organizations worried about data sovereignty and confidentiality.
  • Limited Offline Protection
    Cisco Umbrella primarily provides online protection. For devices that need security while offline, additional measures need to be implemented, which could complicate the security strategy.

Pi-hole features and specs

  • Ad Blocking
    Pi-hole effectively blocks unwanted advertisements across all devices on the network, enhancing the user experience by reducing clutter and improving page load times.
  • Privacy Protection
    Pi-hole helps protect user privacy by preventing ads and trackers from collecting data on browsing habits.
  • Low-Cost Solution
    Pi-hole can be run on inexpensive hardware like a Raspberry Pi, making it a cost-effective solution for network-wide ad blocking.
  • Customizable
    Users can create custom blocklists and whitelists, allowing for a tailored ad-blocking experience.
  • Network-Wide Coverage
    Since Pi-hole acts as a DNS sinkhole, it applies its filtering to all devices connected to the network without needing individual configurations.
  • Resource Efficient
    Pi-hole is lightweight and consumes minimal system resources, allowing it to run efficiently on small, low-power devices.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, Pi-hole benefits from community contributions, transparency, and regular updates.

Possible disadvantages of Pi-hole

  • Requires Technical Knowledge
    Setting up and maintaining Pi-hole may require a certain level of technical expertise, which could be a barrier for non-technical users.
  • Possible Overblocking
    Pi-hole may block legitimate content inadvertently, which can necessitate manual adjustments to the blocklists or whitelists.
  • Dependency on Device
    If the device running Pi-hole fails or experiences issues, DNS resolution could be disrupted for all connected devices.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some web services and applications may not function correctly if they rely on content that Pi-hole blocks.
  • Limited Blocking Methods
    Pi-hole primarily blocks content through DNS filtering. More sophisticated ads that bypass DNS-based blocking mechanisms may not be effectively blocked.
  • Manual Updates Needed
    Users may need to manually update blocklists and Pi-hole software to ensure optimal performance and security.

Analysis of Cisco Umbrella

Overall verdict

  • Cisco Umbrella is generally regarded as a strong and effective security solution for protecting users and networks from online threats. Its robust features and reliable performance make it a preferred option for businesses seeking to enhance their cybersecurity posture.

Why this product is good

  • Cisco Umbrella is often considered a good choice for internet security due to its comprehensive protection against threats such as malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. It offers DNS-layer security, providing a first line of defense against potential threats by blocking dangerous domains before a connection is established. Additionally, Cisco Umbrella is cloud-delivered, meaning it can be rapidly deployed and easily scaled to meet the needs of different organizations.

Recommended for

    Cisco Umbrella is recommended for businesses of all sizes looking to improve their network security. This includes organizations in sectors that handle sensitive data, such as finance, healthcare, and education. It's also suitable for remote and distributed workforces owing to its cloud-based architecture, which provides protection regardless of a user's location.

Cisco Umbrella videos

How IT Works: Security at the DNS Layer with Cisco Umbrella

More videos:

  • Review - Cisco Umbrella Product Packages
  • Review - Cisco Umbrella Customer Review: Cisco IT
  • Review - What is Cisco Umbrella?
  • Review - Unleash the Power of Cisco Umbrella: A Comprehensive Review

Pi-hole videos

Block EVERY Online Ad with THIS - Pi-Hole on Raspberry Pi

More videos:

  • Review - I tried Pi-Hole for the first time... (DNS level Ad Blocker)
  • Review - Pi-hole -- Worth it? Gotchas?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Cisco Umbrella and Pi-hole)
Cyber Security
100 100%
0% 0
Security & Privacy
11 11%
89% 89
Ad Blockers
0 0%
100% 100
Monitoring Tools
37 37%
63% 63

User comments

Share your experience with using Cisco Umbrella and Pi-hole. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Cisco Umbrella and Pi-hole

Cisco Umbrella Reviews

We have no reviews of Cisco Umbrella yet.
Be the first one to post

Pi-hole Reviews

22 NextDNS Alternatives
Pi-hole App contains an informative web interface that shows stats on all the domains being queried on the network that you are using. Pi-hole - Network-wide Ad Blocking is a signifying ad-blocking platform that helps its global users to block all the harmful and unhealthy advertisements on your online networks. You can run Pi-hole in a container or deploy it right to...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Pi-hole seems to be a lot more popular than Cisco Umbrella. While we know about 1196 links to Pi-hole, we've tracked only 3 mentions of Cisco Umbrella. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Cisco Umbrella mentions (3)

  • Amazon Outage
    Cisco Umbrella | Leader in Cloud Cybersecurity and SASE Solutions. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How are Vpns blocked?
    A combination of subscription ip blocklists like that sold by MaxMind combined with DNS and application filtering services like Umbrella would catch most services. For good measure I'd toss in local .exe application whitelisting running on each of the schools machines to only allow the applications the school wants using something like applocker which is included in windows so it probably fits into their budget. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Blocking sites
    We've been very happy with Cisco's Umbrella product. A few years back I "test drove" the free version, but thats a very poor substitute for the paid product. It's not cheap, but it has worked very well for us. Over 70% of our users are remote since the start of COVID, so we opted for the "roaming client" installation on every endpoint. We have a "basic" network profile for our office locations that slightly... Source: over 2 years ago

Pi-hole mentions (1196)

  • Tools for thoughts1 Date:03/2025 Moderator:Daniel.J.Q.Goh
    This part can be link to Pi-Hole Before proceed to configuring VPN, recommended to get "Free DNS" for yourself at MyDNS to manage your own network. - Source: dev.to / 17 days ago
  • Using Raspberry Pi Computers For OSINT And Self-Quantification
    One of my favorite uses of a Raspberry Pi computer is Pi-hole. Which is promoted as a network-wide advertisement blocker. By installing Pi-hole on a RPi and attaching said device to your home LAN, a whole new world of OSINT and self-quantification is opened up. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • uBlock Origin is no longer available on the Chrome Store
    Time to set up Pi-Hole on my Rapsberry Pi 4 https://pi-hole.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Sniffnet – monitor your Internet traffic
    Tools like https://pi-hole.net does this for the whole house. It comes with a default set of blocked domains and you can easily add to it. It acts as your local DNS for the network. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • What if your computer beeps each time it sends data to Google?
    Https://pi-hole.net/ Easier than you might think to set up. Set and forget. Do it for your family and friends maybe. Sell routers pre-configured maybe. Not /the/ answer. Just one not-nothing step. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Cisco Umbrella and Pi-hole, you can also consider the following products

Kaspersky Security for Internet Gateways - Kaspersky Security for Internet Gateways offers secure internet access for the employees.

NextDNS - Block ads, trackers and malicious websites on all your devices.

McAfee SmartFilter - McAfee Web Protection is a web security solution that includes an on-premises secure web gateway and SaaS-based web security delivered from the cloud.

Blokada - The best ad blocker for Android. Free and open source.

OpenDNS Umbrella - Cloud Security

AdGuard - Surf the Web Ad-Free and Safely. Shield up!