Best Free DNS Filtering Platforms of 2025

Control D is a customizable DNS filtering and traffic redirection platform that leverages Secure DNS protocols like DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-QUIC, with support for Legacy DNS. With Control D you can: block malicious threats, block unwanted types of content network wide (ads & trackers, IoT telemetry, adult content, socials, and more), redirect traffic using transparent proxies and gain visibility on network events and usage patterns, with client level granularity. Think of it as your personal Authoritative DNS resolver for the entire Internet that gives you granular control over what domains get resolved, redirected or blocked.

Cloudflare is the foundation of your infrastructure, applications, teams, and software. Cloudflare protects and ensures the reliability and security of your external-facing resources like websites, APIs, applications, and other web services. It protects your internal resources, such as behind-the firewall applications, teams, devices, and devices. It is also your platform to develop globally scalable applications. Your website, APIs, applications, and other channels are key to doing business with customers and suppliers. It is essential that these resources are reliable, secure, and performant as the world shifts online. Cloudflare for Infrastructure provides a complete solution that enables this for everything connected to the Internet. Your internal teams can rely on behind-the-firewall apps and devices to support their work. Remote work is increasing rapidly and is putting a strain on many organizations' VPNs and other hardware solutions.

At SafeDNS, we are committed to creating a safer and more secure online environment for SMBs, enterprises, ISPs, MSPs, OEMs, and Education. We have a global footprint, making the internet safer for millions of users in over 60 countries. With years of experience in the field of cybersecurity and DNS filtering, we offer cutting-edge solutions to safeguard your digital life. Our innovative technologies help you stay protected against malware, phishing attacks, inappropriate content, and more. SafeDNS currently serves over 4000 institutions and home users around the world.

It is very difficult to find data to show people who don’t care about malware. Although people may not be able to provide the exact details, almost everyone is aware that it's a serious threat. FlashStart blocks botnets, ransomware, malware, and other threats using global, top-class protection streams. You can block any web content that you find inappropriate by using content filtering. These sites could be dangerous, distracting, and unsavoury. Pro+ includes a secure, downloadable app. All devices are protected by centralized FlashStart protection at the home-office, cafe, and anywhere else. No router dependency. The idea is to optimize the filter to meet your individual needs. This is not an appliance. It is a lightweight application that runs on the existing IT systems of the end user. It should allow a low latency performance of less than 5ms.

NextDNS offers comprehensive protection from various security risks, effectively blocking advertisements and trackers across websites and applications while ensuring a secure and monitored online experience for children on all devices and networks. You can assess your security needs and customize your protection by activating over ten different safety measures. By utilizing reliable threat intelligence feeds that contain millions of harmful domains and update constantly, you can enhance your defense mechanisms. Our system goes beyond merely tracking domains; it evaluates DNS queries and responses instantaneously, allowing for the swift identification and prevention of harmful activities. Given that there is often only a brief window of hours from when a domain is registered to when it is used in an attack, our advanced threat intelligence framework is designed to identify malicious domains more efficiently than traditional security methods. Additionally, you can effectively eliminate advertisements and trackers in both websites and applications, including even the most sophisticated ones, by leveraging the most widely used ad and tracker blocklists, which include millions of domains that are refreshed in real-time. Ultimately, NextDNS empowers users with tools to create a safer browsing environment tailored to their specific security needs.

AdGuard DNS is an easy to set up solution designed to shield all devices on your network from ads, trackers, and online threats. It offers unlimited scalability, making it ideal for businesses of any size, from small companies to large enterprises, with both on-site and remote teams. AdGuard DNS will block phishing sites and harmful content, protect your devices from unauthorized tracking and profiling, and ensure a safer environment for all users. You can set up custom filters with up to 50 thousand unique rules, blocking specific sites or granting access to certain categories based on your needs. There is no need to invest in new hardware or spend hours adjusting complex configurations: AdGuard DNS integrates smoothly with your existing IT setup to enhance security and performance. The domain name service handles 3.4 million queries per second. An intuitive dashboard lets you review stats and adjust filters anytime. Test the service risk-free for 30 days to see how it meets your needs

Cisco Umbrella offers robust defense mechanisms against various online threats, including malware, phishing, and ransomware. OpenDNS serves as a collection of consumer-oriented tools designed to enhance your internet experience by making it faster, safer, and more dependable. Through our extensive network of global data centers and strategic peering collaborations, we optimize internet routing, significantly speeding up access. With options for filtering and pre-set protections, families can shield themselves from inappropriate content and other risks. This service provides a straightforward method for implementing parental controls and content filtering across all devices in your household. Setting up OpenDNS in your home is quick and uncomplicated, with no advanced technical expertise required. Our user-friendly guides and comprehensive knowledge base ensure that installation is simple and efficient. The system effectively blocks over 7 million harmful domains and IP addresses while maintaining excellent performance levels. Additionally, it identifies more than 60,000 new malicious destinations, including domains, IPs, and URLs, on a daily basis. With an impressive capacity to handle over 620 billion DNS queries each day, our global network stands as a reliable guardian against online threats. This level of security and efficiency makes OpenDNS an essential tool for anyone looking to enhance their internet safety.

You have the option to either run Pi-hole inside a container or directly install it on a supported operating system using our automated installer. This smart installer simplifies the process by asking you a series of questions before setting everything up for you automatically. After completing the installation, the next step is to configure your router’s DHCP settings to ensure that all clients utilize Pi-hole as their DNS server, or you can opt to manually set each device to connect to Pi-hole. To enhance your experience, consider pairing Pi-hole with a VPN, which allows for ad-blocking on mobile devices, thus conserving precious bandwidth on limited data plans. By centralizing ad-blocking with Pi-hole rather than relying on browser extensions or separate software installations for each computer, your entire network benefits from enhanced protection. This network-level blocking enables you to eliminate advertisements from various sources, including mobile applications and smart televisions, independent of the hardware or operating system in use. Since ads are blocked before they have the opportunity to download, you'll notice an improvement in network performance, resulting in a quicker and more efficient online experience. Moreover, this streamlined approach to ad-blocking can significantly reduce distractions and enhance user satisfaction across all devices connected to your network.

Quad9 offers a complimentary service that substitutes your standard ISP or enterprise Domain Name Server (DNS) settings. Whenever your device engages in any online activity that relies on DNS—an occurrence that is quite common—Quad9 effectively obstructs access to harmful domain names by utilizing a constantly updated database of threats. This proactive blocking shields your computers, mobile devices, or IoT systems from various dangers such as malware, phishing attempts, spyware, and botnets, while also enhancing performance and ensuring your privacy. The Quad9 DNS service is managed by the Quad9 Foundation, which is based in Switzerland and is dedicated to fostering a safer and more resilient Internet for all users. Furthermore, when utilizing Quad9, your IP address is never recorded in any of their systems, ensuring an additional layer of privacy protection. This commitment to user safety and anonymity makes Quad9 an appealing choice for individuals and organizations alike.

Artica Tech is a powerful, yet simple-to-use solution that is often reserved for large multinational companies. Artica Proxy is available at a low starting price of 99 EUR and has more than 62 000 servers. Artica Proxy is an entire system that provides a complete appliance. We recommend not using an existing production server with Artica. Artica Proxy CDROM ISO is one of the options to obtain Artica. Community or Enterprise Artica is "Open Source software", which means that you can display source code under the GPL3 license. Artica Proxy, documentation, and screenshots Copyright (C), 2014 Artica Tech SARL.

DeCloudUs is a customizable DNS service that prioritizes privacy and aims to strengthen online security by blocking ads, trackers, malware, phishing attempts, and harmful websites. Users can create multiple custom DNS profiles, which allow for specific filtering rules and parental controls tailored to their needs. The service supports encrypted DNS protocols like DNSCrypt, DNS over TLS (DoT), and DNS over HTTPS (DoH), ensuring that DNS queries remain secure and private. Operating on a self-hosted infrastructure, DeCloudUs avoids reliance on third-party cloud services and adheres to a stringent zero-logs policy to protect user privacy. Subscription plans grant access to a variety of DNS servers, each with unique filtering capabilities that cater to different user requirements. In addition, DeCloudUs is suitable for all devices, making it an ideal solution for entire home networks, providing comprehensive protection against various online threats. This ensures that users can enjoy a safer browsing experience across all platforms and devices.

RethinkDNS is an innovative and open-source application aimed at improving online security and privacy for users of Android devices. It integrates a DNS resolver, firewall, and VPN client into one comprehensive tool, empowering users to effectively block ads, trackers, malware, and spyware across all applications. Supporting more than 190 blocklists, including those utilized by leading ad blockers like uBlock Origin, the app enhances user experience. By encrypting DNS queries through DNS over HTTPS (DoH) or DNS over TLS (DoT), RethinkDNS guarantees secure and private internet connections. Furthermore, it features a flexible firewall that allows users to manage internet access for each app individually, along with a built-in WireGuard VPN client for securing outgoing connections. Available for download on both the Google Play Store and F-Droid, RethinkDNS aims to transform Android devices into user-controlled agents that align with their specific needs and preferences, ultimately fostering a more personalized online experience. This ambition to enhance user autonomy reflects the growing demand for greater control over digital privacy.

NxFilter is a free and efficient DNS filtering tool that ensures high performance while minimizing latency within your network. It includes a range of sophisticated features such as integration with Active Directory, support for DNS over HTTPS, management of screen time, data limitations, user-specific reporting, filtering for remote users, and the ability to cluster for enhanced performance. This solution is versatile, catering to a wide array of settings, including businesses, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, charitable organizations, and family safety needs, allowing for tailored filtering policies dependent on user groups. By caching DNS responses from upstream servers, NxFilter not only decreases DNS traffic but also improves overall efficiency. The software accommodates various user authentication options, notably through Active Directory, and provides keyword filtering capabilities to block unwanted search terms. Known for its reliability, NxFilter can operate continuously for extended periods without the need for restarts, making it a scalable option capable of serving thousands of users effectively. Additionally, its user-friendly interface and comprehensive support documentation contribute to a seamless implementation experience.

personalDNSfilter is a Java-based DNS filtering proxy that captures domain name resolutions, redirecting filtered domains to the loopback address. It is compatible with secure DNS protocols such as DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT), functioning on any device that supports Java. This application is designed to be efficient in memory use, enabling it to filter millions of domains while only utilizing a modest amount of RAM. For Android devices running version 4.2 or later, personalDNSfilter serves as a robust solution for blocking ads, malware, and tracking services without the need for root access. It can seamlessly integrate with any upstream DNS server, facilitating local filtering without external queries. The software is equipped with preloaded ad host filter lists, and users have the flexibility to incorporate additional lists as needed. Moreover, personalDNSfilter can be deployed either on an individual device or as a centralized DNS server to manage network-wide filtering. This versatility makes it an ideal choice for users looking to enhance their online privacy and security.

A contemporary method for DNS-based content filtering and security allows users to easily manage what content is accessible online. This solution is particularly beneficial for families and also serves as a robust tool for businesses. CleanBrowsing provides a DNS-based filtering service designed to ensure a safe browsing experience by preventing unwanted surprises. It accomplishes this by intercepting domain requests and blocking sites according to your specific filtering preferences. For instance, the complimentary family filter effectively prevents access to pornographic, obscene, and adult material, while still permitting safe access to popular sites like Google, YouTube, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. The service offers three distinct filters that cater to a global audience—namely, Security, Adult, and Family filters. The Family filter not only blocks adult and obscene content but also enforces Safe Search settings on various search engines like Google, Bing, and Yandex. On the other hand, the Security filter is exclusively aimed at limiting exposure to malicious websites, ensuring a safer online experience overall. By utilizing these tools, users can create a tailored internet environment that aligns with their individual needs and values.