DNSFilter vs NextDNS
DNSFilter
dnsfilter.comNextDNS
nextdns.ioSide by side
| Figure | DNSFilter | NextDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1/mo | £1.79/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | 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 | 3 | 5 |
| Spec score · Internet Filtering Software | 9.1 (#4) | 9.0 (#5) |
| Spec score · DNS Filtering Services | 9.0 (#5) | 9.0 (#6) |
| Spec score · DNS Filtering Software | 9.0 (#3) | 9.0 (#4) |
| Rating on G2 | 4.6 out of 5 from 272 reviews | 4.7 out of 5 from 3 reviews. |
| Rating on Google Play | 3.2 out of 5 from 51 reviews | 4.2 out of 5 from about 1.86K ratings for the unofficial NextDNS Manager app. |
| Rating on Trustpilot | 3.0 out of 5 from 3 reviews | 2.8 out of 5 from 38 reviews. |
| Support | DNSFilter describes responsive email support and extensive knowledge-base documentation; premium support add-ons include prioritized handling, enhanced response targets, and Zoom consultations. | The pricing page lists community support for Free and Pro, and email support for Business and Education. |
| What it does | DNSFilter provides AI-powered DNS content filtering and threat blocking for phishing, malware and unwanted content. | NextDNS is a cloud DNS firewall that blocks security threats, ads and trackers and provides supervised internet controls across devices and networks. |
Plans
NextDNS
- FreeFree
- FreeFree
- Pro£1.79 a month
- Business£17.90 a month
- Education£17.90 a month
In their own words
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.
NextDNS
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.