AdGuard DNS vs DNSFilter
AdGuard DNS
adguard-dns.ioDNSFilter
dnsfilter.comSide by side
| Figure | AdGuard DNS | DNSFilter |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $2.49/mo | $1/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 7 | 3 |
| Spec score · Internet Filtering Software | 9.5 (#1) | 9.1 (#4) |
| Spec score · DNS Filtering Services | 9.5 (#1) | 9.0 (#5) |
| Spec score · DNS Filtering Software | 9.5 (#1) | 9.0 (#3) |
| API | A REST User API supports API-key and OAuth bearer-token authentication for devices, DNS servers, settings, logs, statistics, and limits. | All plans include API access for exporting DNS data and automating integrations. |
| Company legal name | The maker is Adguard Software Limited, incorporated on June 1, 2009, and registered in Limassol, Cyprus. | Crunchbase lists the legal entity as DNSFilter, Inc. |
| Company size | LinkedIn lists AdGuard as a privately held IT services and consulting company with 51–200 employees. | LinkedIn lists DNSFilter as having 51–200 employees. |
| Founded | 2009 | DNSFilter says it was founded in October 2015 by Ken Carnesi and Brian Gillis. |
| Headquarters | Limassol, Cyprus | The company lists Washington, District of Columbia as headquarters. |
| Licence | The AdGuard DNS resolver source is released under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3. | The terms grant customers a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use downloadable software with the service; the product is not offered as open-source software. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | The AdGuard DNS app has 3.6 out of 5 from 40 ratings. | 4.6 out of 5 from 870 ratings |
| Rating on Capterra | Adguard has 4.6 out of 5 from 56 reviews. | 4.7 out of 5 from 86 reviews |
| Rating on G2 | AdGuard has 4.4 out of 5 from 32 reviews. | 4.6 out of 5 from 272 reviews |
| Rating on GetApp | Adguard has 4.6 out of 5 from 56 verified reviews. | 4.8 out of 5 from 88 reviews |
| Rating on Google Play | The AdGuard DNS Android app shows 3.6 out of 5 from 578 reviews in the store header, with a ratings section showing 555 reviews. | 3.2 out of 5 from 51 reviews |
| Rating on Software Advice | Adguard has 4.6 out of 5 from 56 reviews. | 4.8 out of 5 from 88 reviews |
| Rating on Trustpilot | AdGuard DNS scores 4.1 out of 5 from 13 reviews. | 3.0 out of 5 from 3 reviews |
| Support | AdGuard lists technical support at [email protected]; enterprise customers are offered priority support, technical documentation, setup guides, API documentation, and email support. | DNSFilter describes responsive email support and extensive knowledge-base documentation; premium support add-ons include prioritized handling, enhanced response targets, and Zoom consultations. |
Plans
AdGuard DNS
- AdGuard DNS StarterFree
- AdGuard DNS StarterFree
- AdGuard DNS Personal$19.99 a month
- AdGuard DNS Personal$29.88 a year
- AdGuard DNS Team$239.99 a month
- AdGuard DNS Team$359.77 a year
- AdGuard DNS EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
AdGuard DNS
AdGuard DNS has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
DNSFilter
DNSFilter provides protective DNS and content filtering for organizations managing threats and workplace internet use. It categorizes billions of domains with Webshrinker machine-learning categorization, while AppAware can block more than 100 risky applications. DNSFilter says its real-time threat categorization can identify threats 10 days faster than other threat feeds. Deployments include network configuration, a DNS relay, and roaming clients for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Chrome. Listed controls include DNS encryption such as DNS-over-TLS, custom blocklists, safe search, filtering schedules, and advanced activity reports. Active Directory Sync Tool supports up to 500,000 users and applies policies by user or group. Integrations include Microsoft Entra, Active Directory, Zapier, API access, and an MCP Connector. Data Export supports Amazon S3 and Splunk, with Microsoft Sentinel also named. API access is included in all plans, with rate limits but no overall usage cap. Pricing starts at $1/mo (annual), with a 14-day trial and no free plan.