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Head-to-head · DNS Filtering Services

NextDNS vs Cloudflare Gateway

  • 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
Cloudflare Gateway #5 in DNS Filtering Services 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 7 features Visit Cloudflare

NextDNS leads on 0 checks, Cloudflare Gateway 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 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #5.

NextDNS is the better fit for privacy-focused users needing advanced DNS controls. Cloudflare Gateway is the better fit for organizations needing DNS plus network filtering.

  • NextDNS fits best

    Privacy-focused users needing advanced DNS controls

  • Cloudflare Gateway fits best

    Organizations needing DNS plus network filtering

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Side by side

Feature NextDNS 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Cloudflare Gateway 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 9.0
Ranking #2 in DNS Filtering Services #5 in DNS Filtering Services
Best for Privacy-focused users needing advanced DNS controls Organizations needing DNS plus network filtering
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — —
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support Email, Community, Docs Community, Live chat, Tickets, Phone
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features NextDNS 1/7 · Cloudflare Gateway 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
  • Free plan includes DNS filtering, SafeSearch, schedules, identity policies, and logs
  • Supports DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, packet, port, and protocol policies
  • Works across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, network DNS, and API
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
  • Free plan is intended for teams under 50 users or proof-of-concept tests
  • Free plan includes up to 24 hours of standard log retention
  • Contract pricing is custom, so costs require a tailored quote
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 →

Cloudflare Gateway is a cloud-delivered secure web gateway for organizations that need more than domain blocking. It filters DNS, network, and HTTP traffic, with policies for malware, phishing, content categories, applications, hostnames,…

Read the review →
  1. NextDNSDNS Filtering Services 9.3Free plan
  2. Cloudflare GatewayDNS Filtering Services 9.0Free 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

  • Cloudflare Gateway — where it wins

    • Free plan includes DNS filtering, SafeSearch, schedules, identity policies, and logs
    • Supports DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, packet, port, and protocol policies
    • Works across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, network DNS, and API

    Where it doesn't

    • Free plan is intended for teams under 50 users or proof-of-concept tests
    • Free plan includes up to 24 hours of standard log retention
    • Contract pricing is custom, so costs require a tailored quote

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