Growth · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Hostsctl – Control /etc/hosts easily, block ads, social networks, etc

Hostsctl is a command-line tool for managing the /etc/hosts file on Linux systems. It allows users to easily block websites by adding entries to their hosts file, with built-in blocklists for ads, social networks, and… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Prices are shown for the 1 we have checked on their own sites, 1 of them free or with a free tier. Hostsctl – Control /etc/hosts easily, block ads, social networks, etc launched in 2017; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   lcl.host▲308

   Get HTTPS in your local dev environment

   2024 · lcl.host · its alternatives →

2. 2OH
   One hostname to rule them all▲111

   2017 · onehostname.com · its alternatives →

3. 3
   NSL – WSL for Linux▲167

   WSL-style Linux machines for Linux hosts.

   24d ago · frostyard.github.io · its alternatives →

4. 4
   uTerminal▲89

   A desktop terminal built for day-to-day remote access

   Apr 2026 · uterminal.app · its alternatives →

5. 5
   A proactive way of securing your Linux server▲143

   A rest application to update firewalld rules on a linux server - GitHub - prashantgupta24/firewalld-rest: A rest application to update firewalld rules on a linux server

   2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

6. 6ZZ
   Zectl – ZFS Boot Environment Manager for Linux▲119

   2020 · ramsdenj.com · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Local Panel▲84

   Local SSH server manager with no subscriptions or installs

   May 2026 · nesdzo.co.uk · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Gretl▲88

   Visual control panel for localhosts

   May 2026 · gretl.dev · its alternatives →

9. 9BY
   Block yourself from the Internet until you write or code each day▲118

   2012 · blockr.me · its alternatives →

10. 10
    ActivShield▲117

    Control your website traffic with click and block technology

    2017 · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Local development with .local domains and HTTPSfree tier, from $8/mo▲84

    Hi HN! I'm Jarek, and I've built this tool that allows publishing .local domains on the local network using mDNS. It also has a reverse proxy that handles HTTPS termination and port forwarding. I'm working on adding more features, like an index page with all available domains or allowing proxy redirects, so you could redirect from HTTP to HTTPS. Let me know if you have any questions or feedback!

    2023 · localcan.com · its alternatives →

12. 12PA
    Pesky Adblock – Blocks site access to visitors without an adblocker▲119

    2018 · gitgud.io · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Adblock-rust Manager – Firefox extension to enable the Brave ad blocker▲95

    Firefox 149 ships adblock-rust (Brave's Rust engine, MPL-2.0) completely disabled with no UI. It's controlled by two about:config prefs with no WebExtension API, so you can't touch them programmatically from a standard extension. This extension gives it a UI: ETP toggle (via browser.privacy API, instant), filter list manager with clipboard helpers for the manual about:config steps, and 8 preset lists. You can also add your own if you so desire.

    Apr 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Dockhand▲133

    Docker management for everyone

    Aug 2026 · dockhand.pro · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Ad Pruner▲73

    Prune ads on any device

    2021 · its alternatives →

16. 16
    SwitchHosts▲83

    Free and open source hosts management & switching app

    2018 · oldj.github.io · its alternatives →

17. 17
    EXPOSE▲118

    Your no-install & no-config tool to expose local services

    2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Hostful▲99

    Fastest way to host your websites & PDFs

    2023 · hostful.io · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Can I Haz Privacy▲10

    Merge, simplify, automate: a unified host file weekly

    2024 · canihazprivacy.com · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Picosnitch – a reliable and lightweight security/privacy tool for Linux▲92

    Per-executable network bandwidth monitoring for Linux

    2022 · elesiuta.github.io · its alternatives →

21. 21
    Osint tool that finds exposed files on domains▲58

    hey guys, wanted to show one of my side projects i just made public. the idea is basically another osint tool for pentesters and bug bounty hunters. it watches certificate transparency logs and checks newly-seen domains for exposed stuff like .env files, open .git dirs, config files, db dumps and so on, and puts whatever it finds into a searchable db. you just search a domain (or part of one) and see what's exposed. it's read-only and free. one thing i've been thinking about adding is a way to register for certain keywords and get notified when something new shows up for that search. would…

    Jul 2026 · search.cerast-intelligence.com · its alternatives →

22. 22
    sbctl – Secure Boot key manager▲57

    :computer: :lock: :key: Secure Boot key manager. Contribute to Foxboron/sbctl development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

23. 23
    1Panel▲28

    Top-Rated web-based Linux server management tool

    2024 · its alternatives →

24. 24LS
    Linux server management over SSH – written in Rust and Tauri▲49

    Serverbox is an agentless desktop control panel for Linux servers. Dashboards, terminals, file management, Docker, services, cron, users, firewalls and SSH tunnels — over plain SSH, with nothing installed on your servers. Free for macOS, Windows and Linux.

    Aug 2026 · serverbox.stupidlabs.lol · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →