DNS for Family vs NextDNS

DNS for Family is a free DNS service for blocking adult websites and other harmful domains across computers, phones, browsers, and Wi-Fi routers. Its filtering covers advertisements, malware, ransomware, scams, phishing, gambling, drugs, proxy sites, and some dating sites. Safe Search is enforced for Google, YouTube, Brave, Ecosia, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yandex, while social services such as Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and WhatsApp are not blocked. The maker says its blacklist is updated daily. Supported protocols include DNSSEC, DNS-over-TLS, DNS-over-HTTPS, DNSCrypt v2, and IPv6. Developers can query a JSON API to check up to 100 hostnames at once. The listed plan costs nothing, with no hidden fees; unusually high query volumes are subject to fair-use limits. The privacy policy says DNS requests contain the queried domain, visit time, and user IP, retained for rate limiting. Queries are forwarded to Google through DNSDist without sending user IP addresses or personal data to Google.

NextDNS filters internet traffic to block security threats, ads, and trackers, and offers controls for supervising children's access across devices and networks. Its listed threat protections include malware, phishing, cryptojacking, DNS rebinding, lookalike domains, typosquatting, domain generation algorithms, and newly registered domains. Parental controls include category blocking, SafeSearch, YouTube Restricted Mode, and blocks for specific sites, apps, and games, plus scheduled Recreation Time. DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS provide encrypted DNS connections. Users can disable logging or choose retention from one hour to two years and select storage in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, or Switzerland. The free plan costs nothing and includes 300,000 queries per month; after the limit, it continues answering as a non-blocking DNS service. Pro costs £1.79 a month. Business and Education each cost £17.90 a month, for every 50 employees or 250 students respectively. Free and Pro list community support; Business and Education list email support.