Best DNS Filtering Software in 2026
Updated
In short: AdGuard DNS is ranked #1 of 22 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Control D and NextDNS. The best-ranked option with a free plan is NextDNS. The lowest first paid tier on this page is ScoutDNS at $0.21/mo.
22 dns filtering software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment modes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AdGuard DNS | 8.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 2 | Control D | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $2/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 3 | NextDNS | 8.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | £1.79/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 4 | CleanBrowsing | 8.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $6.25/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 5 |  Technitium DNS Server | 8.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 6 |  DNSFilter | 8.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 7 | ScoutDNS | 7.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $0.21/mo | No | — | — | View |
| 8 | Pi-hole | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 9 | Quad9 | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 10 | GoGuardian DNS | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | dns | View |
| 11 |  NxFilter | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 12 | RethinkDNS | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 13 |  SafeDNS | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 14 | AdGuard | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 15 |  Webroot DNS Protection | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 16 | WebTitan Cloud | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 17 |  OpenDNS FamilyShield | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 18 |  Blocky | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | dns | View |
| 19 | Comodo Secure DNS | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 20 | RAV Endpoint Protection | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 21 | CloudVeil | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 22 |  Smart DNS Proxy | 4.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which dns filtering software is ranked first on Inferse?
AdGuard DNS is ranked #1 of 22 with a score of 8.9. Control D is second and NextDNS third.
How many of these have a free plan?
4 of the 22 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, ScoutDNS has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.21/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.