Network-level blockers are very crude and tend to cause errors that are hard to debug and fix. I get it if you have no other option and they work well enough with a very conservative blocklist, but in my experience a dedicated extension will block more ads, block them better (no blank spots in pages), break legitimate content less often and when it does be far easier to temporarily bypass.

I've tracked down the "legitimate content" a few times and these are usually trackers, just baked in so deeply they break the content too.

Sure but the point is a browser level adblockers can separate the tracker content from the legitimate content while a network level blocker can either block both or neither.

Yes, but I can't install browser ad blockers on gaming consoles, TVs, and whatever other appliances the internet of shit will produce.

Also other apps.

So many large sites have started serving ads through the hostnames that serve their applications. It feels like a losing battle to keep only blocking at the DNS level.

It's true this is nice, but it's no replacement for a browser extension, and only does anything while you're at home.

I haven't left my home in what feels like 1000 years

Unless you’re also automating a VPN connection to your home network when you leave it, which can be very helpful if you’re running something like pihole

I've had pinhole straight up break real sites. Took me a bit to figure out it was pihole and not some browser extension.