CleanBrowsing vs SafeDNS

CleanBrowsing8.5Visit SafeDNS8.4Visit

Higher score CleanBrowsing #7 in DNS Filtering Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit CleanBrowsing

vs

SafeDNS #8 in DNS Filtering Software 8.4/10 15-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 4 features Visit SafeDNS

• CleanBrowsing fits best

  Families and small networks needing profiles

• SafeDNS fits best

  Families and organizations wanting detailed controls

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Side by side

Feature	CleanBrowsing 8.5/10 Visit ↗	SafeDNS 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.5	8.4
Ranking	#7 in DNS Filtering Software	#8 in DNS Filtering Software
Best for	Families and small networks needing profiles	Families and organizations wanting detailed controls
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$75/yr	$25.95/yr
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	15 days
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Docs	Email, Phone, Live chat, Docs · 24/7
Integrations	6 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features CleanBrowsing 0/4 · SafeDNS 0/4
Category filtering	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Custom domain policies	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Roaming protection	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Activity reports	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment modes	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Device limit	25 devices	Not checked yet
Encrypted DNS support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Profiles group device policies by user or network need Encrypted DNS supports DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, and DNSCrypt Works across major operating systems, routers, and network devices	Filters across 66 content categories with custom allowlists and denylists Adds AppBlocker, schedules, per-user policies, and Safe Search Supports routers, roaming clients, OpenWRT, and major desktop and mobile platforms
Cons	Free public filters provide less dashboard customization than paid plans Basic plans cap devices at 25 and profiles at 3 Self-service plans do not include a trial	No free plan is available Advanced business controls are distributed across higher paid tiers Deployment requires choosing among router, DNS, or agent-based approaches
Our verdict	CleanBrowsing is a DNS-based internet filtering service for families, schools, businesses, public Wi-Fi providers, and other organizations. It applies predefined content and platform filters to domain requests, while custom allow and block… Read the review →	SafeDNS is a cloud-based DNS security and internet-filtering service for households, schools, small and midsize businesses, enterprises, managed service providers, internet service providers, and Wi-Fi providers. It filters traffic at the… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• CleanBrowsing — where it wins

  • Profiles group device policies by user or network need
  • Encrypted DNS supports DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, and DNSCrypt
  • Works across major operating systems, routers, and network devices

  Where it doesn't

  • Free public filters provide less dashboard customization than paid plans
  • Basic plans cap devices at 25 and profiles at 3
  • Self-service plans do not include a trial

• SafeDNS — where it wins

  • Filters across 66 content categories with custom allowlists and denylists
  • Adds AppBlocker, schedules, per-user policies, and Safe Search
  • Supports routers, roaming clients, OpenWRT, and major desktop and mobile platforms

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Advanced business controls are distributed across higher paid tiers
  • Deployment requires choosing among router, DNS, or agent-based approaches

• CleanBrowsing8.5/10 · Free plan

  A flexible DNS filter for families and small networks that need profiles and schedules.

  Visit CleanBrowsingFull verdict →
• SafeDNS8.4/10 · 15-day trial

  Detailed DNS controls for households and organizations, with paid plans for broader management.

  Visit SafeDNSFull verdict →