Maza is a free, open-source Bash-based DNS ad blocker for macOS, Linux, BSD and WSL. See how it works, key features, pricing and top alternatives like Pi-hole.
Maza is a lightweight, open-source ad blocker distributed as a single Bash script rather than a full application or service. It is designed to be a simpler alternative to Pi-hole for people who only need to protect one machine and do not want to set up a dedicated server, router change, or piece of hardware.
The tool works by rewriting DNS resolution at the operating system level, so once installed it blocks known ad and tracking domains for every browser and application on the machine, not just a single browser extension's scope.
Maza ships with the Yoyo (Peter Lowe) block list by default, covering roughly 3,700 known ad-serving domains, and can be reconfigured in one line to use larger community lists such as Steven Black's hosts file, which covers well over 135,000 domains.
Because it relies entirely on native OS tooling, Maza has no background daemon, browser extension, or account to manage. Custom domains can be added to a local config file, and the whole block list is refreshed with a single command, which keeps the tool easy to audit and modify for technically inclined users.
Maza is completely free and open source under the Apache License 2.0. There is no paid tier, subscription, or account system of any kind.
Because there is no company monetizing the project, users get the full functionality of the script at no cost, but should also expect community-level support rather than commercial SLAs or dedicated customer service.
Maza is a free, open-source Bash script that blocks ads and trackers by rewriting DNS resolution on the local operating system, similar in concept to Pi-hole but without needing a separate device.
Pi-hole runs as a network-wide DNS server, typically on separate hardware, protecting every device on a network. Maza instead runs locally on a single machine using that machine's own DNS tools, so it only protects the device it is installed on.
Yes, because it blocks domains at the DNS level rather than inside a single browser, Maza affects all browsers and any other software on the machine that makes network requests.
Yes, Maza is free and open source under the Apache License 2.0, with no paid plans or subscriptions.
Maza is documented to work on macOS, Linux, BSD, and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
Yes, users can add custom domains to a local configuration file, and can also swap the default Yoyo list for larger third-party lists such as Steven Black's hosts file.