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

NextDNS vs CleanBrowsing

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score NextDNS #2 in DNS Filtering Services 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 7 features Visit NextDNS
CleanBrowsing #8 in DNS Filtering Services 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 7 features Visit CleanBrowsing

NextDNS leads on 0 checks, CleanBrowsing 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 scoreNextDNS · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth

NextDNS scores higher on our rubric for dns filtering services: 9.3 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #8.

NextDNS is the better fit for privacy-focused users needing advanced DNS controls. CleanBrowsing is the better fit for families managing up to 25 devices.

  • NextDNS fits best

    Privacy-focused users needing advanced DNS controls

  • CleanBrowsing fits best

    Families managing up to 25 devices

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 NextDNS 9.3/10 Visit ↗ CleanBrowsing 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.7
Ranking #2 in DNS Filtering Services #8 in DNS Filtering Services
Best for Privacy-focused users needing advanced DNS controls Families managing up to 25 devices
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — $75/yr
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support Email, Community, Docs Email, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features NextDNS 1/7 · CleanBrowsing 1/7
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 ✓ ✓
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan includes malware, ad, parental, and SafeSearch controls
  • Supports encrypted DNS, analytics, scheduling, and DNS rewrites
  • Works across desktop, mobile, Linux, routers, and API environments
  • Profiles, custom lists, SafeSearch, schedules, and activity logging
  • Encrypted DNS through DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, and DNSCrypt
  • Supports major operating systems, routers, browsers, and API access
Cons
  • Free plan is limited to 300,000 queries per month
  • Custom blocklists cannot be uploaded
  • Business and Education pricing applies per employee or student bundle
  • Paid self-service plans do not include a trial
  • Basic plans limit coverage to 25 devices and 3 profiles
  • API access is limited to the Pro 100 plan
Our verdict

NextDNS is a DNS-based filtering and security service for individuals, families, schools, universities, and businesses. It applies policies across computers, mobile devices, routers, and other supported network environments, with apps and…

Read the review →

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 supporting custom…

Read the review →
  1. NextDNSDNS Filtering Services 9.3Free plan
  2. CleanBrowsingDNS Filtering Services 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • NextDNS — where it wins

    • Free plan includes malware, ad, parental, and SafeSearch controls
    • Supports encrypted DNS, analytics, scheduling, and DNS rewrites
    • Works across desktop, mobile, Linux, routers, and API environments

    Where it doesn't

    • Free plan is limited to 300,000 queries per month
    • Custom blocklists cannot be uploaded
    • Business and Education pricing applies per employee or student bundle

  • CleanBrowsing — where it wins

    • Profiles, custom lists, SafeSearch, schedules, and activity logging
    • Encrypted DNS through DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, and DNSCrypt
    • Supports major operating systems, routers, browsers, and API access

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid self-service plans do not include a trial
    • Basic plans limit coverage to 25 devices and 3 profiles
    • API access is limited to the Pro 100 plan

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