Every program, not just the browser
Games, launchers, mail clients, updaters and chat apps all resolve names through Windows. Wardline sits exactly there, so one blocklist applies to all of them at once, with no per-app setup.
Wardline for Windows 10 and 11
Ads and trackers stop before they load.
Wardline answers every DNS request on your PC. Names on the filter lists never resolve, so ads, trackers and malware domains never reach your browser, your games or the apps running in the background.
No accounts, no telemetry Encrypted DNS by default EasyList, EasyPrivacy, AdGuard and more
187,000+domains blocked with the default lists
17curated filter lists, six on by default
0accounts, telemetry or data leaving your PC
1 clickto pause, allow or block, from the tray or the log
What you get
One filter for the whole computer
Browser extensions protect one browser. Wardline works one layer lower, where every program asks Windows for an address.
Encrypted DNS built in
Allowed names go out over DNS-over-HTTPS to Cloudflare, Google, AdGuard, Quad9 or a resolver of your own. Your ISP sees ciphertext.
Pause from the tray
5, 30 or 60 minutes. Protection returns on its own, and your original DNS settings come back the moment you stop or uninstall.
Your rules win
Allow or block any domain with one click in the log or on the dashboard. A rule of yours overrides every list, subdomains included.
A log you can actually read
Time, domain, action and the list that matched. One page load becomes one row, so the counters mean what they say.
Browser cleaner
Cookies, cache and temporary files of Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi and Opera, per profile, with sizes. Delete only what you tick.
How it works
A resolver that says no
Every connection starts with a name lookup. Wardline is the one answering.
Your programsask Windows for an address
Wardline service on 127.0.0.1filter lists and your rules, checked in memory
Blocked: 0.0.0.0the request never leaves the PC
Allowed: your resolverencrypted with DNS-over-HTTPS
Install and say yes once
One installer. Wardline registers a Windows service and, after your consent, points the network adapters at itself. Nothing changes before you agree.
Every lookup is checked locally
The service compares the name with the lists and rules in memory. A match is answered with 0.0.0.0 at once; everything else goes to the resolver you chose.
You stay in charge
Read the query log, allow a false positive with one click, pause for a game session, or turn it off. Uninstalling restores your DNS settings.
Screenshots
Calm on the surface, busy underneath
Light and dark, English and German. The window shows what the service does; the tray icon shows whether you are protected.
Blocked queries today and over the week, the block ratio, the loaded lists and the most blocked domains with an Allow button next to each.
Every lookup as it happens, searchable, filtered by Blocked or Allowed, with the list that matched and a one-click rule.
Seventeen curated lists by category: ads, privacy, security, annoyances, regional. Add your own by URL; updates run on a schedule.
Your own allow and deny domains. They beat every list and cover subdomains; removing one can be undone.
A card per browser profile. Tick cookies, cache or temporary files, confirm the total, done. A running browser is left alone.
DNS upstream, blocking mode, automatic updates, adapters to exclude such as a company VPN, language and start with Windows.
Cleaner
Clear out what browsers leave behind
Blocking stops new trackers. The cleaner deals with what is already on the disk.
- Cookies, cache and temporary files per browser profile, each with its file count and size
- Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Brave, Vivaldi, Chromium, Opera and Mozilla Firefox
- Nothing is touched while the browser runs, and folders are emptied, never deleted, so the browser starts normally afterwards
Compared
Where DNS blocking wins, and where it does not
An honest table. Wardline and a browser extension complement each other; use both if you want a spotless page.
| Capability | Wardline | Browser extension | Editing the hosts file |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covers every program | Yes | One browser | Yes |
| Encrypted DNS (DoH) | Yes | No | No |
| Hides empty ad placeholders | No | Yes | No |
| Lists update automatically | Yes | Yes | No |
| Pause with one click | Yes | Yes | No |
| Query log with one-click rules | Yes | Partly | No |
| Setup | One installer | Once per browser | Manual edits as administrator |
DNS blocking stops the request for an ad; it does not rewrite the page. Most sites collapse the space, a few keep an empty slot. An extension can hide those and runs fine next to Wardline.
Reviews
What people say
Wardline on their own machines: a home office, a family PC, a test box at work.
Sample quotes for this preview. Real, consented reviews replace them before the page goes live.
Questions
Before you install
Will pages show empty boxes where ads used to be?
Sometimes. Wardline blocks the request for the ad; it does not change the page itself. Most sites collapse the space, a few keep an empty placeholder. A browser extension can hide those slots and works alongside Wardline.
Does Wardline see my browsing?
The service runs on your PC and keeps the query log in memory only. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account. Allowed names go to the DNS provider you pick, encrypted with DNS-over-HTTPS by default; that provider's own policy applies to what it receives.
What happens to my DNS settings?
Wardline backs them up before changing anything and restores them when you pause, turn protection off, stop the service or uninstall. Adapters you exclude, for example a company VPN, are never touched.
A site stopped working. What now?
Open the query log, find the blocked name and click Allow. Your rule beats every list. In a hurry? Pause for five minutes from the tray icon.
Which Windows versions are supported?
Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) and later, and Windows 11, 64-bit. The installer carries the WebView2 runtime, so it also works without an internet connection during setup.
Download
Get Wardline for Windows
Version 0.2.0 for Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit. Setup asks for administrator rights once, to register the service.
Unsigned preview builds show a SmartScreen notice. Signed builds and the Store listing are published by the Wardline team.