Hosts

This project provides a sophisticated, automated solution for creating comprehensive hosts files that block malicious and unwanted domains at the system level. By consolidating multiple trusted blocklists into a single, optimized hosts file, it offers network-wide protection without requiring browser extensions or additional software.

The power lies in its flexibility and extensibility. Beyond core ad and malware blocking, developers can selectively enable category-specific filters for gambling sites, adult content, fake news sources, or social media platforms. The Python-based build system automatically fetches, deduplicates, and merges sources from well-maintained community blocklists, ensuring up-to-date protection.

Unlike application-specific blockers, hosts file blocking works universally across all programs, browsers, and network requests on your system. This makes it particularly valuable for developers managing multiple environments, testing scenarios, or seeking lightweight protection that doesn't impact browser performance. The project includes automated update scripts, custom whitelist support, and generates variants for different blocking preferences.

With nearly 30,000 stars and active maintenance, this has become the de facto standard for hosts-based blocking in the developer community, offering a simple yet powerful approach to privacy and security that requires minimal system resources.