NextDNS vs Cisco Umbrella

NextDNS9.2Visit Cisco Umbrella8.8Visit

Higher score NextDNS #3 in DNS Filtering Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit NextDNS

vs

Cisco Umbrella #5 in DNS Filtering Software 8.8/10 Pricing on request · 14-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Cisco Umbrella

• NextDNS fits best

  Privacy-focused personal and family filtering

• Cisco Umbrella fits best

  Large organizations using Cisco infrastructure

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Side by side

Feature	NextDNS 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Cisco Umbrella 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.8
Ranking	#3 in DNS Filtering Software	#5 in DNS Filtering Software
Best for	Privacy-focused personal and family filtering	Large organizations using Cisco infrastructure
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	Pricing on request · 14-day trial
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Tickets, Phone, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features NextDNS 0/4 · Cisco Umbrella 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	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Encrypted DNS support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free plan includes all features and unlimited devices Blocks malware, phishing, ads, trackers, and selected content Supports encrypted DNS, schedules, logs, and custom domain rules	Blocks malware, phishing, botnets, ransomware, and unwanted categories Supports identity-based policies, schedules, SafeSearch, and custom lists Connects with Cisco infrastructure plus APIs, exports, and AWS S3
Cons	Free usage is limited to 300,000 queries per month Custom blocklists must be entered manually rather than uploaded Business and Education pricing is tied to employee or student groups	Pricing requires contacting sales, with no free plan Umbrella is transitioning toward Cisco Secure Access Scheduling is documented for SIG policies, not necessarily DNS-only policies
Our verdict	NextDNS is a DNS-based Internet filtering and security service for individuals, families, schools, and businesses. It applies filtering policies across computers, mobile devices, routers, and other supported network environments. Core… Read the review →	Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-delivered security service for organizations that need to control access to malicious or unwanted internet destinations. It combines DNS-layer threat blocking with category-based web filtering, custom allow and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• NextDNS — where it wins

  • Free plan includes all features and unlimited devices
  • Blocks malware, phishing, ads, trackers, and selected content
  • Supports encrypted DNS, schedules, logs, and custom domain rules

  Where it doesn't

  • Free usage is limited to 300,000 queries per month
  • Custom blocklists must be entered manually rather than uploaded
  • Business and Education pricing is tied to employee or student groups

• Cisco Umbrella — where it wins

  • Blocks malware, phishing, botnets, ransomware, and unwanted categories
  • Supports identity-based policies, schedules, SafeSearch, and custom lists
  • Connects with Cisco infrastructure plus APIs, exports, and AWS S3

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires contacting sales, with no free plan
  • Umbrella is transitioning toward Cisco Secure Access
  • Scheduling is documented for SIG policies, not necessarily DNS-only policies

• NextDNS9.2/10 · Free plan

  Flexible DNS filtering for families, personal privacy, schools, and businesses.

  Visit NextDNSFull verdict →
• Cisco Umbrella8.8/10 · Pricing on request · 14-day trial

  Broad DNS, web, identity, and reporting controls for Cisco-centered enterprises.

  Visit Cisco UmbrellaFull verdict →