DNS filtering decides which domain names a device may resolve, so a block happens before any page loads. This guide ranks twelve services, from free community resolvers to managed suites sold through sales.
Rankings reward independent vendors, published terms, a clear unit of billing and a way to leave, and they place corporate gateways lower.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
In short
What DNS filtering services software does
A DNS filtering service answers domain lookups for devices or networks and refuses names on malware, ad, adult-content or custom lists, using a resolver address, an app or an agent.
Ranking criteria for this DNS filtering services tool list, applied top to bottom: effort to get started, cost in practice, data return, ability to leave, buyer fit. One rule sits on top of those tests: places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category, wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. The reasoning behind the five tests, and behind having no score out of ten, is set out on the how we work page.
Donation-funded German resolver with four selectable filter levels
Ranked #1 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingEurope
The service offers Normal, which covers ads, tracking and malware, then Clean, which adds youth protection and SafeSearch, then Hard with stricter lists and no whitelists, and Blank with no filtering.
Blocklists come from third-party sources refreshed daily. Setup guides cover Android, iOS and three browsers, and a leak test is included. Servers sit only in Germany, so distant users should expect longer round trips than a multi-country network gives.
What stands out
Four filter levels
Servers only in Germany
DoT, DoH and DoQ
Where it costs you
The pages read describe four fixed levels, not custom policies per user or group.
No reporting or admin console is mentioned, so an organisation gets no query history.
Operation depends on voluntary donations, which gives no service commitment.
Right for
Households and small offices wanting a simple filter level without any account
Wrong for
Schools needing per-group policies, reporting and a contractual support route
GermanyFree to use, financed by voluntary donations; no paid plans named
Swiss foundation resolver funded by grants, partnerships and donations
Ranked #2 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingEurope
Quad9 is operated by the Quad9 Foundation, whose footer address is c/o SWITCH in Zurich. It describes itself as a not-for-profit financed through grants, partnerships and donations, with no sign-up needed.
Resolver clusters run in more than 110 countries, with Equinix named as a hosting partner in a testimonial. What the pages do not show is any admin console, so there is nothing to configure per user or per network.
What stands out
Not-for-profit foundation
Clusters in 110+ countries
No personal data collected
Where it costs you
The page read lists no category filters or custom allow and block lists.
It is a cloud resolver only, with no self-hosted option described.
No licence for the DNS service is stated, so reuse of its code cannot be assumed.
Right for
Anyone wanting a not-for-profit resolver with no account and no personal data collected
Wrong for
Organisations that need policy editing, reporting or SafeSearch enforcement
SwitzerlandFree to use with no sign-up or contract; funded by grants and donations
Tiered DNS blocking with parental controls and four encrypted protocols
Ranked #3 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingEurope
The product covers ad, tracker and malware blocking, with parental control that blocks adult content on a schedule. Encrypted DNS runs over DNSCrypt, DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-QUIC, with DNSSEC, across 15+ locations and 100+ servers.
Enterprise lifts devices, servers and requests to unlimited. A GitHub repository for AdGuard DNS is linked, though the page names no licence, so treat reuse rights as unconfirmed.
What stands out
Parental schedules
DoH, DoT, DoQ, DNSCrypt
Per-device DNS stats
Where it costs you
Neither paid plan gives an amount or caps on the page read.
Enterprise has no published price and is billed per user or per 100M requests.
The licence of the linked source code is not stated on the page.
Right for
Families and small teams wanting device-level stats and parental schedules
Wrong for
Buyers who must compare plan limits and amounts before any sign-up
CyprusFree Starter plan by default; Personal and Team billed monthly or annually, plus VAT; Enterprise quoted
Per-endpoint DNS control with native clients, API, CLI and log streaming
Ranked #4 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
The tool blocks more than 1,000 apps and services and speaks DoH/3, DoT, DoQ and legacy DNS. Native clients exist for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, while network-level deployment needs no agent.
A full API, a CLI and SIEM log streaming come on every plan. The trial includes every feature of the paid version. Retention is 30 days of query logs regardless of plan, so longer history must be exported.
What stands out
Per-endpoint price
API and CLI
SIEM log streaming
Where it costs you
School, non-profit, MSP and Enterprise pricing is not published.
Query logs expire after 30 days whatever the plan, which may be short for audits.
The page describes no ongoing tier after the 14-day trial ends.
Right for
IT teams wanting scripted DNS policy across mixed Mac, Windows and mobile fleets
Wrong for
Households wanting a zero-cost resolver they never have to configure
CanadaPublished per-endpoint monthly rate, billed monthly or annually; 14-day trial without card; other plans negotiated
Family, school and organisation DNS plans capped by devices or requests
Ranked #5 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
Plans step from 25 devices or 3.75M requests a month, through 50 devices and 7.5M requests, to 100 devices and 15M requests with 25 networks and API access. Above 15M requests the price moves to sales.
Blocking spans malware, command-and-control, phishing, botnets and adult content, plus SafeSearch on Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo and YouTube. The network runs from 70 data centres on anycast routing, and no self-hosting is described.
What stands out
Device and request caps
SafeSearch enforcement
Custom allow and block lists
Where it costs you
Allowed and blocked domain lists are capped per plan, starting at 100 and 500.
Self-service plans have no trial, so evaluation means paying for a month.
The terms give a Texas address but name no country of establishment.
Right for
Schools and libraries wanting published tiers sized by device count
Wrong for
Teams wanting a trial period before they commit to any plan
Not stated by the vendorPublished monthly or annual plans by device and request cap; custom plan above the top cap; no trial on self-service plans
Android firewall app with encrypted DNS and 190+ blocklists
Ranked #6 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
The cloud DNS plans are monthly, half-yearly at 10% off and annual at 25% off, shown in dollars with no currency code. The service blocks malware, spyware, ads and trackers across 190+ blocklists, with servers in 300+ locations.
The app is described as free and open source, with code under github.com/celzero and serverless-dns, but no licence name is given, so the licence terms remain unconfirmed.
What stands out
190+ blocklists
Per-app Android firewall
Encrypted DNS only
Where it costs you
No legal entity, address or country appears in the privacy policy or homepage.
Device and query limits for the paid plans are not listed.
The homepage says a free tier is planned, but the pricing page shows none.
Right for
Android users who want an app-level firewall plus a low-cost resolver
Wrong for
Organisations needing a named legal entity and a managed admin console
Not stated by the vendorPublished monthly, half-yearly and annual plans for the cloud DNS service; limits not listed
Android ad and tracker blocker with optional paid VPN and family plans
Ranked #7 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingEurope
Blokada 5 blocks ads and trackers across apps and browsers and needs no subscription. Blokada 6 is cloud-based and works with DNS over TLS and HTTPS. Blokada Family adds safe search, malware protection and social-media blocking with parental controls.
Plus is paid, covers up to five devices and offers a 7-day trial, with refunds possible within 7 days of purchase. The repository is linked but no licence name appears.
What stands out
Android .apk app
Plus VPN, 5 devices
7-day refund window
Where it costs you
Subscription prices differ by country and store and are not shown on the page.
Blokada 5 is distributed as an Android .apk only.
No admin console or per-group policy is described for organisations.
Right for
Individual Android users wanting an ad and tracker blocker without a subscription
Wrong for
IT departments that need central policy across Windows, Mac and iOS
SwedenFree app on Android; Blokada Plus subscription with 7-day trial; prices shown at checkout
Managed DNS filtering sold in bundles with per-network and per-user policies
Ranked #8 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Pricing on requestEurope
The trial is described as fully supported and carries no commitment. The service blocks malware, filters by category such as adult, gambling and social media, and checks links at the time of click for phishing.
Policies attach to a network, group, user or device. Admins get two-factor sign-in and an API for remote management. The contact-sales step and the CyberSentriq ownership change are the main things to settle before signing.
What stands out
Bundles by tier
Time-of-click phishing checks
Two-factor admin and API
Where it costs you
No prices are shown, so budgeting needs a sales conversation.
The bundles named Secure, Protect, Shield and Complete add a layer between product and price.
The webtitan.com domain redirects to titanhq.com, and TitanHQ now belongs to CyberSentriq.
Right for
Managed service providers and offices wanting policy per user and per device
Wrong for
Buyers who need an amount on a pricing page before any contact
IrelandQuoted per bundle through sales; trial of the cloud service offered without commitment
Network and endpoint DNS security variants with a trial button
Ranked #9 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Two variants are named: DNS Network Security and DNS Security - Endpoint. The page presents both as protection against web-based attacks, malware and data breaches using AI and ML.
A Start Free Trial button leads to a separate page, and Get Pricing and Pricing and Bundles links lead to enquiries. Because the page names no limits, categories, protocols or retention, those must be confirmed with the vendor before comparison with the published plans above.
What stands out
Network and endpoint variants
AI and ML claims
Copenhagen address
Where it costs you
No prices, plan names or per-user rates appear on the page read.
Trial length and contents are not stated.
The AI and ML description gives no detail a buyer could check.
Right for
Buyers already shopping Heimdal products who want a quote for DNS security
Wrong for
Anyone who needs published limits, features and prices before talking to sales
Not stated by the vendorQuoted through a pricing and bundles enquiry; trial button, length not stated
Router-level malware and adult-content blocking with two fixed address pairs
Ranked #10 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingNorth America
Two address pairs do the work: 1.1.1.2 and 1.0.0.2 block malware, while 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3 block malware and adult content. Setup means editing the router's IP settings, with per-device guides linked, and the page mentions no account.
The page promises free protection for a home network and lists no paid tier. Its fixed design is the trade: nothing to configure, and nothing to tune when a legitimate site is blocked.
What stands out
Router DNS change
Malware-only option
Adult-content option
Where it costs you
Only two fixed options exist, with no custom lists or schedules described.
The adult-content control is always on in the second option.
Cloudflare is a large U.S. company, which may matter to independence-minded buyers.
Right for
Households wanting a router-level malware and adult-content block at no cost
Wrong for
Organisations needing per-user policy, reporting or custom block lists
United StatesFree home protection; no paid tier mentioned
DNS policies inside Cloudflare's Zero Trust suite, enforced by client or resolver
Ranked #11 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
Gateway DNS policies inspect each query and block risky domains before any content loads. The docs recommend blocking security threat categories. Two deployment routes exist: the Cloudflare One Client for coverage per device, or DNS resolver configuration, which applies DNS policies alone.
The Zero Trust plans page points to a proof-of-concept sign-up and a contact form for packaging, with no per-user amounts. For a buyer wanting only DNS filtering, the suite context adds scope.
What stands out
Zero Trust suite
WARP client coverage
DNS policy categories
Where it costs you
The plans page shows no per-user prices, limits or trial terms.
Resolver-address deployment enforces only DNS policies, not the wider suite.
The free plans page does not mention Gateway DNS filtering.
Right for
Companies already running Cloudflare Zero Trust and adding DNS policy to it
Wrong for
Small teams wanting a standalone DNS filter with a printed price
United StatesQuoted through a contact form for SASE packaging; proof-of-concept plan sign-up offered
Cloud secure web gateway where DNS security is one protection feature
Ranked #12 of 12 in Best DNS Filtering Services in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The DNS Security feature sits under Cyberthreat Protection and is described as filtering risky and malicious domains and stopping the use of DNS tunnelling. The platform is presented as a cloud-native secure web gateway and SSE built on the vendor's security cloud.
Buying runs through demo and contact requests, and the contact page lists Zscaler, Inc. in Santa Clara, California. Judged as a DNS filter alone, the scope and sales route are the cost.
What stands out
Secure web gateway
DNS tunnelling checks
Sold through sales
Where it costs you
The product page shows no prices and sends buyers to demo and contact forms.
DNS filtering is a side feature of a wider gateway platform.
No self-hosted option is described, and the contact page names no country.
Right for
Large organisations replacing a web gateway where DNS is one required control
Wrong for
Teams that only want to filter DNS and publish a price
Not stated by the vendorQuoted through demo and contact requests; no prices on the product page
A DNS filtering service answers domain lookups for devices or networks and refuses names on malware, ad, adult-content or custom lists, using a resolver address, an app or an agent. These are the questions that actually differ between vendors, in the order we would ask them.
01
Check who publishes a price
4 vendors on this page sell by quote, while 8 publish a pricing model you can read today: dnsforge.de, Quad9, AdGuard DNS, Control D, CleanBrowsing, RethinkDNS, Blokada, Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families.
02
Ask which country the contract runs through
Check the vendor's home market (Europe 5, Elsewhere 4, North America 3), because that is where subpoenas and data requests arrive first, whatever region holds your files.
Router, app or agent: Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families, Control D and Cloudflare Gateway cover different ground
Where the filter sits decides what it can see. Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families works by changing DNS addresses on a home router, so every device behind it is covered and nothing is installed. Control D offers native clients for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, and also network-level deployment that needs no agent.
Cloudflare Gateway applies per-device coverage through its WARP client, while plain resolver configuration enforces only DNS policies. A router setting cannot follow a laptop to a cafe, and an agent cannot cover a printer. Map your devices first, then choose the layer, rather than the reverse, and test one roaming laptop on a mobile hotspot before you roll anything out.
List which devices leave the office or home network
Ask whether resolver configuration alone enforces your policies
Check client support for each operating system you run
Billing units differ: devices at CleanBrowsing, endpoints at Control D and users at AdGuard DNS
DNS filtering prices rarely compare directly. CleanBrowsing caps its plans by devices or monthly requests, and moves to a custom plan above 15M requests. Control D charges per endpoint per month. AdGuard DNS Enterprise bills per user or per 100M requests, while its Personal and Team plans show no amounts on the page.
WebTitan sells bundles called Secure, Protect, Shield and Complete through sales, and RethinkDNS lists a flat monthly, half-yearly and annual rate. Count your devices, users and approximate query volume before asking for quotes, because a tidy-looking plan can run out of requests or networks sooner than expected. Write the numbers down and give every vendor the same figures.
Count devices, users and networks separately
Estimate monthly query volume before comparing request caps
Ask what changes when you pass the top published tier
Filter depth: dnsforge.de, RethinkDNS and CleanBrowsing publish different amounts about their lists
A resolver is only as useful as the lists behind it. dnsforge.de names four levels and says its lists come from 24, 40 and 7 sources for Normal, Clean and Hard, refreshed daily. RethinkDNS cites more than 190 blocklists, and CleanBrowsing describes categories, SafeSearch on four search engines, and custom allow and block lists capped per plan.
Quad9's page read gives no category detail at all. Decide whether you need ad blocking, malware protection, youth filtering or all three, then check which service describes that coverage in words you can verify. Test a few known-bad and known-good domains during any trial, and keep a short record of what each service blocked, so the comparison rests on results instead of feature lists.
Match the filter categories to your actual risks
Look for stated list sources and update frequency
Test known-good domains for false blocks
Logs, encryption and leaving: what Quad9, Control D and AdGuard DNS tell you before you switch
Privacy and exit terms are easy to skip. Quad9 reports collecting no personal data, while Control D keeps query logs for 30 days on every plan and streams logs to a SIEM. AdGuard DNS offers DNSCrypt, DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-QUIC, with real-time stats per device, and RethinkDNS accepts encrypted DNS only.
Switching away is usually a matter of changing addresses, but your custom lists and per-device profiles stay behind unless you export them. Check retention, supported protocols and list export before you build years of policy inside one dashboard that you cannot take elsewhere, and write the exit steps down while the account is still new. Ask each vendor what leaves with you.
Ask how long query logs are kept, who can read them and whether you can export them
Confirm which encrypted protocols your devices can use
Export custom allow and block lists before any switch
What goes wrong most often when buying DNS filtering services software
Choosing a router-level resolver for staff laptops that spend most of the week on other networks.
Comparing the monthly price of an endpoint plan with a device-capped plan without converting both to your headcount.
Treating a free resolver as a managed filter and then missing reporting when a school or auditor asks for it.
Skipping a block-page test on known-good business sites, so a strict list silently breaks a payroll or CRM login.
07
Frequently asked questions
6 answers
What is the best DNS filtering services in 2026?
First of 12 on this page is dnsforge.de. dnsforge.de takes first place because a household or small office can pick a filter level, point a device at it and pay nothing.
Normal, Clean, Hard and Blank cover ads, youth protection and stricter lists. The gap is organisational: there is no per-user policy, no account dashboard and no reporting described, and the repository or licence of the resolver is not stated.
Which DNS filtering services tools publish their pricing?
Published pricing exists for 8 products on this page:
dnsforge.de: Free to use, financed by voluntary donations; no paid plans named.
Quad9: Free to use with no sign-up or contract; funded by grants and donations.
AdGuard DNS: Free Starter plan by default; Personal and Team billed monthly or annually, plus VAT; Enterprise quoted.
Control D: Published per-endpoint monthly rate, billed monthly or annually; 14-day trial without card; other plans negotiated.
CleanBrowsing: Published monthly or annual plans by device and request cap; custom plan above the top cap; no trial on self-service plans.
RethinkDNS: Published monthly, half-yearly and annual plans for the cloud DNS service; limits not listed.
Blokada: Free app on Android; Blokada Plus subscription with 7-day trial; prices shown at checkout.
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families: Free home protection; no paid tier mentioned.
The other 4 quote per organisation.
Is there a free DNS filtering services tool?
dnsforge.de, Quad9, AdGuard DNS, Blokada, Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families offer a free tier or a free self-hosted edition.
Where are these DNS filtering services vendors established?
Vendor countries on this page, Europe 5, Elsewhere 4, North America 3:
dnsforge.de: Germany.
Quad9: Switzerland.
AdGuard DNS: Cyprus.
Control D: Canada.
CleanBrowsing: Not stated by the vendor.
RethinkDNS: Not stated by the vendor.
Blokada: Sweden.
WebTitan: Ireland.
Heimdal DNS: Not stated by the vendor.
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families: United States.
Cloudflare Gateway: United States.
Zscaler Internet Access: Not stated by the vendor.
What should you use instead of dnsforge.de?
Second is Quad9, which suits anyone wanting a not-for-profit resolver with no account and no personal data collected. Third is AdGuard DNS, which suits Families and small teams wanting device-level stats and parental schedules.
Who should not buy dnsforge.de?
Schools needing per-group policies, reporting and a contractual support route. The pages read describe four fixed levels, not custom policies per user or group..
Makers of DNS filtering services products can ask us to look at theirs. Say what it does and who uses it. We choose what to add, and nothing can be bought; see software advice for what a listing means.
