Acrylic DNS Proxy review
A free Windows DNS proxy for local caching, filtering, and flexible upstream forwarding.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Acrylic DNS Proxy is a local DNS proxy for Windows users who want more control over DNS caching, forwarding, and filtering on an individual machine or Windows-based environment. It caches DNS responses with sliding expiration, supports background DNS updates, and can forward queries to multiple DNS servers at the same time. Windows service and console operating modes give administrators two ways to run it.
The product is free and open source under the GNU General Public License, so its pricing model is straightforward: there is no paid tier structure to compare. Its feature set centers on local DNS handling rather than hosted administration. Custom HOSTS mappings support direct entries, wildcards, regular expressions, and external file inclusion. NXDOMAIN and forwarding rules can also be used for domain filtering. Upstream queries can use UDP, TCP, SOCKS5, or DNS-over-HTTPS, giving the proxy flexibility across different network arrangements.
Acrylic DNS Proxy is a focused choice for Windows DNS caching and filtering, especially when configuration-file management suits the operating environment. It is less appropriate for teams seeking a browser-based management interface, broad platform support, or a complete authoritative or recursive DNS server. The product should also be evaluated as a local proxy rather than as a full DNS hosting platform. Choose it when Windows compatibility, open-source availability, configurable mappings, and varied upstream protocols are priorities; consider another product when authoritative service, recursive resolution, or non-Windows deployment is required.
Acrylic DNS Proxy pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Caches DNS responses with sliding expiration and background updates
- Supports wildcard, regex, NXDOMAIN, and forwarding rules
- Offers DoH, UDP, TCP, and SOCKS5 upstream protocols
- Where it doesn't
- Runs on Windows only
- Uses configuration files as its management interface
- Does not provide authoritative or recursive DNS
Acrylic DNS Proxy fact sheet, pricing and score →
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