The lighter way to edit your hosts file.

Everything you'd expect from a proper table editor, plus a safety net under every save.

• Toggle, don't delete — flip an entry off without losing it
• Bulk paste multiple "IP hostname" lines at once, with column sorting and live search
• Auto-backup before every save — rotating archive per profile (15 kept on the default profile, 10 each on profiles 2 and 3)
• Diff preview before writing, plus post-save verification
• Import/export to .txt or .csv
• Safety limit of 20,000 active entries in the hosts file — protects the Windows DNS Client, and saving above the limit is blocked
• One-click Repair — the Repair button removes duplicates and invalid lines, turns wildcard entries (*.example.com) into plain domains, and lowercases host names. Changes show up in the table and reach the file only when you save
• Restore the default Windows hosts file in one click
• DNS cache flushed automatically after every save

The same domain and malware checks as the full app — catches entries that are quietly broken or actively dangerous.

• Domain existence check — queries Google/Cloudflare public DNS directly and in parallel, bypassing your local hosts file
• Malware scanner — checks entries against a dozen-plus risk signals:
  redirected system/payment domains redirect to public IP raw-IP hostnames Unicode homoglyphs zero-width characters Punycode hostnames fuzzy-matched typosquatting
• Known-safe subdomains and CDNs are auto-whitelisted, plus a per-entry ignore list so confirmed-safe results stop reappearing

The two headline additions in Lite — neither exists in the full HOTS Hosts.

• 3 saved profiles — full snapshots of your hosts file, saved to their own slots. Switch instantly with one click, no manual save step
• Per-app Firewall blocking — block a program's outbound and/or inbound traffic independently, backed by real Windows Firewall rules (netsh advfirewall). Search installed apps or point at any .exe. For programs that live in version-numbered folders (browsers such as Edge, Discord and similar), the rule follows the program to its current version after an update — when HOTS Hosts Lite starts or you open the Features page. A program updated while HOTS Hosts Lite is closed stays unblocked until you start the app
• Missing-file cleanup — flags entries whose .exe disappeared (e.g. after an uninstall) and offers to remove them; skips removable/network drives so it won't nuke a rule for a USB app that's simply unplugged

The two enforcement tools kept from the full app's Parental/Privacy modules, merged into one Features tab.

• 🔒 Hosts file lock — denies write/delete access to the hosts file at the Windows permission level, so entries can't be edited from outside the app
• 📝 Custom domain blocklist — a free-text list for any domain you want blocked, stored separately so it survives a hosts restore or an uninstall
• Both live as toggle-able cards right next to Profiles and Firewall — one tab, no hunting through menus

Check your connection and your DNS without leaving the app.

• Internet speed test — download, upload and ping (with jitter), a history of past results, and a quick rating for web browsing, gaming, streaming and live video calls. It uses your full connection for a few seconds and transfers a fair amount of data, so avoid it on a metered connection
• DNS speed test — asks your DNS server and Cloudflare, Google, Quad9 and OpenDNS for eight very popular sites (bypassing the hosts file and the system cache) and shows how fast each one answers, with a plain-language verdict
• One-click DNS switch — set any of the tested public DNS servers as your DNS. The app remembers what you had before, so you can restore your previous DNS or go back to automatic DNS whenever you like — the uninstaller can restore it too