[rndomsrmn]

Or you just use a very basic dnsmasq installation and make use of a list like: https://github.com/notracking/hosts-blocklists that allows you to also block full domains.

Been using this list for several months now without any issues.

Besides that, it's worth reading in to dnsmasq's configuration in more detail, in the end pi-hole is just a preconfigured dnsmasq installation with a user interface to manage hostname based blocklists.

[ophelia]

OP here, it's true. Actually, Pi-hole relies on dnsmasq to resolve, block and cache DNS requests. However, Pi-hole with its friendly web interface allows people with less technical knowledge to block ads, trackers and C2 servers.