Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · DNS Filtering Services

Control D vs RethinkDNS

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Control D #3 in DNS Filtering Services 9.2/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 7 features Visit Control D
RethinkDNS #7 in DNS Filtering Services 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 7 features Visit RethinkDNS

Control D leads on 0 checks, RethinkDNS on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreControl D · 9.2/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Control D
  • Most featuresControl D · 1 of 7

Control D scores higher on our rubric for dns filtering services: 9.2 against 8.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #7.

Control D is the better fit for power users wanting flexible DNS policies. RethinkDNS is the better fit for open-source Android and self-hosted users.

  • Control D fits best

    Power users wanting flexible DNS policies

  • RethinkDNS fits best

    Open-source Android and self-hosted users

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Control D 9.2/10 Visit ↗ RethinkDNS 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.8
Ranking #3 in DNS Filtering Services #7 in DNS Filtering Services
Best for Power users wanting flexible DNS policies Open-source Android and self-hosted users
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $2/device/mo Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial 14 days —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Mobile, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Web, Android
Integrations 20 integrations 4 integrations
Features Control D 1/7 · RethinkDNS 0/7
Malware blocking Not checked yet Not checked yet
Ad blocking Not checked yet Not checked yet
Adult content filtering Not checked yet Not checked yet
Per-device policies Not checked yet Not checked yet
Activity logs Not checked yet Not checked yet
Analytics dashboard Not checked yet Not checked yet
Custom blocklists ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Custom rules support block, bypass, redirect, and wildcard actions
  • Schedules, profiles, Safe Search, and analytics support detailed control
  • DoH, DoT, DoQ, DoH3, and router deployment broaden compatibility
  • More than 190 blocklists cover security, privacy, and parental categories
  • Android firewall supports per-application and domain-level rules
  • Searchable logs and suspicious-connection reports improve visibility
Cons
  • Some advanced features require paid plans
  • Traffic redirection is limited to the Full Control plan
  • Personal and SMB pricing uses different plan structures
  • Its strongest controls are centered on Android devices
  • Browser and device setup depends on compatible DNS support
  • Cloud DNS services have separate free and paid tiers
Our verdict

Control D is a cloud-based DNS filtering and security platform for individuals, families, businesses, and organizations. It blocks malware, phishing, ads, trackers, unwanted content, and selected services at the DNS level. Users can create…

Read the review →

RethinkDNS combines a DNS resolver with an Android firewall for users who want device-level filtering and network visibility. It blocks ads, trackers, malware, ransomware, phishing domains, and other predefined categories through…

Read the review →
  1. Control DDNS Filtering Services 9.2Free plan · 14-day trial
  2. RethinkDNSDNS Filtering Services 8.8Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Control D — where it wins

    • Custom rules support block, bypass, redirect, and wildcard actions
    • Schedules, profiles, Safe Search, and analytics support detailed control
    • DoH, DoT, DoQ, DoH3, and router deployment broaden compatibility

    Where it doesn't

    • Some advanced features require paid plans
    • Traffic redirection is limited to the Full Control plan
    • Personal and SMB pricing uses different plan structures

  • RethinkDNS — where it wins

    • More than 190 blocklists cover security, privacy, and parental categories
    • Android firewall supports per-application and domain-level rules
    • Searchable logs and suspicious-connection reports improve visibility

    Where it doesn't

    • Its strongest controls are centered on Android devices
    • Browser and device setup depends on compatible DNS support
    • Cloud DNS services have separate free and paid tiers

More comparisons

All DNS filtering services comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update