AdGuard vs DNSFilter
AdGuard
adguard.comDNSFilter
dnsfilter.comSide by side
| Figure | AdGuard | DNSFilter |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $1/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 3 |
| Spec score · DNS Filtering Services | 8.5 (#7) | 9.0 (#5) |
| Spec score · Internet Filtering Software | 8.6 (#8) | 9.1 (#4) |
| Spec score · DNS Filtering Software | 8.6 (#5) | 9.0 (#3) |
| 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. |
Plans
AdGuard
- Personal — 1 yearPrice not published
- Family — 1 yearPrice not published
- Personal — LifetimePrice not published
- Family — LifetimePrice not published
- Family licensePrice not published
- Personal licensePrice not published
In their own words
AdGuard
AdGuard is a family of apps and services for filtering content across desktop and mobile devices. Its tools include custom filter lists, an element picker and cookie-popup blocking. The listed apps cover Windows, Mac, Android, Android TV, iOS, browsers and Linux, while AdGuard Home can extend coverage across a home network when installed on a router. Security features block phishing, malware, dangerous and malicious sites, and inappropriate content. AdGuard Content Blocker and AdGuard DNS are free products; Content Blocker works in Samsung Internet and Yandex Browser, with fewer features than the Android version. Personal licenses cover three devices and Family licenses cover nine. Licenses are available for one year or a lifetime, with annual billing or a one-time payment, but no prices are listed. Trials last 14 days for Windows, Mac, Android and Android TV, and seven days for iOS Premium. Purchases have a 30-day money-back guarantee for requests within 30 days. Support is available by email 24/7.
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.