DNS Sinkhole vs ZeroAds
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DNS Sinkhole
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Choose encrypted DNS without replacing your VPN. Sinkhole helps you understand, select, and configure a trusted DNS-over-HTTPS provider on iPhone and iPad. It adds an encrypted DNS configuration for the provider you choose, using the system API iOS provides for this. SIMPLE GUIDED SETUP Choose your goal — privacy and security, family protection, or advanced custom DNS — then follow clear installation steps designed for everyone. CURATED PROVIDERS Compare privacy and security-focused options from established public DNS providers. Depending on your selection, provider-side filtering may cover known malware, phishing, trackers, ads, or adult content. ADVANCED MODE Use a trusted custom HTTPS DNS endpoint from a service you control or configure, including compatible self-hosted resolvers. HONEST STATUS Sinkhole reads its own state from iOS: whether a configuration exists, and whether iOS has it active. It also sends a single DNS test request to confirm the selected endpoint is reachable, and keeps that separate from activation. PRIVACY BY DESIGN • No Sinkhole account • No LorisLabs DNS server • No VPN tunnel and no VPN configuration • No advertising or analytics SDK • No DNS query or browsing history received by Sinkhole Once active, DNS requests go directly from your device to the provider you selected. That provider's privacy policy and filtering behavior apply. Sinkhole cannot see or fabricate per-domain statistics. IMPORTANT iOS asks for your approval before Sinkhole can add a DNS configuration, and only you can select it in Settings > General > VPN & Device Management > DNS. You can switch away or remove it there at any time, without the app. A VPN may choose to override system DNS settings; behavior depends on that VPN.
ZeroAds
This app modifies your device's DNS settings to block ads and trackers across apps and Safari. It offers various free filter lists and includes a Safari content blocker for comprehensive ad removal without using a VPN.
- DNS resolver modification
- Multiple free filter lists
- Safari content blocker
- No VPN usage
- Instant filtering on/off
- AdGuard, Cloudflare, Quad9 integration
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ZeroAds changes which DNS resolver iOS uses. That is all it does. Pick a filter list and ZeroAds points your iPhone at the public encrypted-DNS resolver that publishes it. That operator declines to resolve advertising and tracking domains, so those domains never load — in apps and in Safari, not just in the browser. Filtering happens on the operator's servers, using their own published list. EVERY FILTER LIST IS FREE • Ads & Trackers — AdGuard DNS Default. Declines to resolve advertising and tracking domains. • Cloudflare Filtered — Cloudflare 1.1.1.2. Cloudflare's own flagged-domain list. Advertising domains are not on it, so ads still load. • Quad9 Filtered — Quad9 9.9.9.9. A non-profit resolver applying its published block list. Advertising domains are not on it, so ads still load. • Family — AdGuard Family. Advertising and tracking domains plus adult-content domains. Switch lists whenever you like. Changing list is instant, and so is turning filtering on and off. A SAFARI RULE LIST IS INCLUDED ZeroAds ships a content blocker for Safari that you switch on in Settings. It handles what DNS cannot reach: ad slots left behind in the page layout, and cookie-consent banners served by the site itself. You turn it on under Settings › Apps › Safari › Extensions › ZeroAds. NO VPN ZeroAds does not use a VPN or a packet tunnel. There is no VPN icon in your status bar, nothing runs in the background, and there is no battery cost from a tunnel. iOS sends DNS queries straight to the resolver you chose. WHAT ZEROADS DOES NOT DO • It does not scan your device, check it for viruses or malware, or look for security or privacy problems. • It does not inspect your traffic. • It runs no server of its own and never receives your DNS queries. • It shows no count of what was blocked. iOS gives the app no visibility into what the resolver did, so any number here would be invented. HOW iOS HANDLES THIS iOS keeps the choice of DNS resolver with you. When you turn the filter on, iOS may ask you to allow it — tap Allow and you are done. If it does not ask, the choice lives in Settings and ZeroAds walks you there. You can switch back to Automatic at any time under Settings › General › VPN, DNS & Device Management. Filter lists are operated by AdGuard, Cloudflare and Quad9. Each operator's privacy policy is linked inside the app. ——— All four filter lists are free in this version. ZeroAds Pro subscriptions (monthly, yearly) and a one-time Lifetime purchase remain available to supporters. They are not required for any feature. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is switched off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of that period. Manage or cancel subscriptions in Settings › your Apple Account › Subscriptions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://aifinitysolutions.com/zero-ads-privacy-policy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DNS Sinkhole at none against ZeroAds's 3. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. ZeroAds sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. DNS Sinkhole asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | DNS Sinkhole | ZeroAds |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.8 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 12 — better |
| Update frequency | — | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christine Martin | Aifinity Solutions |
In-app purchases
DNS Sinkhole
No in-app purchases
ZeroAds
- Monthly$1.991 Month
- Yearly$9.991 Year
- Lifetime$19.99









