NextDNS

Overview

NextDNS is a DNS filtering service for households and organizations that want threat blocking, tracker controls, or supervised access for children across devices and networks. Its combination of detailed family settings and user-controlled logging makes it a strong fit for people who want DNS filtering they can tune; the free query cap is the main drawback for continuous use.

Key features

Threat and privacy filtering

NextDNS blocks malware and phishing as well as cryptojacking, DNS rebinding, IDN homographs, typosquatting, domain generation algorithms, and newly registered domains. Its ad and tracker controls also cover operating-system-level trackers and third-party trackers disguised as first-party. That breadth suits people who want more than ad blocking alone, though it remains DNS filtering rather than a general device-security suite.

Family controls and configuration

Parents can block content categories, specific sites, apps, and games, enable SafeSearch and YouTube Restricted Mode, and schedule Recreation Time. These controls make NextDNS useful for managing access across a household, while the ability to maintain unlimited configurations helps separate settings for different needs. Custom allowlists and denylists, customizable block pages, DNS rewrites, DNSSEC validation, and experimental Handshake support give technically inclined users more room to tailor DNS behavior.

Encrypted DNS and privacy controls

DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS encrypt DNS connections. IPv4 linked-IP setup is unencrypted, so users who need encrypted traffic should choose DoH or DoT instead. Logging can be disabled or set to retain data from one hour up to two years, with storage choices in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, or Switzerland. Users can view, export, or delete their data. NextDNS says it discards DNS request and response data after replying and logs data only when requested or needed for a feature.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and includes all features, unlimited devices and configurations, community support, and 300,000 queries per month. It is a useful way to use the full feature set without paying, but once the quota is exceeded NextDNS answers queries as a classic non-blocking DNS service, so filtering no longer continues for the rest of that usage.

Pro costs £1.79 a month, billed £1.79/month or £17.90/year, with a 17% annual saving. It keeps unlimited queries, devices, configurations, all features, and community support, and is intended for personal and close family use. It is the straightforward upgrade for a household that would outgrow the free cap.

Business costs £17.90 a month, billed £17.90/month or £179/year, for every 50 employees, with a 17% annual saving. It includes unlimited queries, devices, configurations, all features, and email support, and is aimed at small and medium businesses. Education has the same rates and annual saving, charged for every 250 students, with unlimited usage and email support for schools and universities. These per-group terms matter when comparing costs at different organization sizes. There is no free trial.

Platforms

NextDNS supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, routers, and major operating systems, alongside API, browser extension, web, and self-hosted options. Its Apple setup page generates configuration profiles for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS. The help center also covers device and router setup, and its CLI can run on some routers.

Who it's for

NextDNS is best suited to families seeking configurable controls across devices, privacy-conscious users who want control over logging and storage jurisdiction, and organizations that need a DNS filtering plan sized for employees or students. It is less suitable for anyone who needs the free tier to keep filtering indefinitely at high query volumes, or who expects IPv4 linked-IP setup to encrypt DNS traffic.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Broad threat filtering covers risks beyond malware and phishing, including cryptojacking and typosquatting.
• Pro: Family controls combine category and app blocking with SafeSearch, YouTube restrictions, and scheduled Recreation Time.
• Pro: Users can disable logs or choose their retention period and storage jurisdiction.
• Con: The free plan's 300,000-query monthly cap switches to non-blocking DNS after it is exceeded.
• Con: IPv4 linked-IP setup is unencrypted; encrypted DNS requires DoH or DoT.

Alternatives

AdGuard DNS is worth considering for readers who want a freemium DNS option with an open-source codebase they can inspect; it also offers a free trial. Choose Quad9 for a free DNS service with no contract or sign-up process. Technitium DNS Server is a free, open-source self-hosted DNS server, making it the alternative for readers who specifically want to host their own server.

AdGuard is a freemium alternative with personal and family plans covering three and nine devices respectively. CleanBrowsing offers a Basic plan at $8.99 a month, with up to 25 devices or 3.75 M requests/month and custom filters. Control D is another freemium option with a free trial and an SMB plan at $2 a month. GoGuardian DNS uses customized pricing and offers volume discounts by school or district size. Infoblox Cloud Network Automation uses token-based licensing, with pricing available by contacting Infoblox.

Browse DNS Filtering Software or Internet Filtering Software for more options.

Verdict

Choose NextDNS if you want one configurable DNS service for threat filtering, tracker blocking, family controls, and privacy-conscious log management. Its main advantage is the range of controls across personal and organizational plans; look elsewhere if you need free filtering without a monthly query ceiling or require every setup method to encrypt DNS traffic.