Control D review
A low-cost DNS filtering platform with detailed controls, analytics, and broad platform support.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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 apply category and service filtering, enforce Safe Search on supported search engines, create per-device profiles, and schedule filtering by time and day. Its platform coverage includes web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, browser extensions, APIs, routers, and self-hosted deployment.
Pricing is split between personal and SMB plans. Free DNS costs $0 per month and includes preset filtering resolvers, encrypted DNS protocols, no account requirement, and no individual query logging. Some Control costs $3 per month and adds custom rules, per-device profiles, more than 1,000 blockable services, analytics, and 20 content filter categories. Full Control costs $6 per month, includes Some Control features, and adds traffic redirection with proxy locations in more than 60 countries. SMB costs $2 per endpoint per month with self-serve deployment, endpoint-based billing, and real-time analytics. A 14-day free trial is also available.
The standout feature is the depth of DNS-level control. Custom rules can block, bypass, redirect, or use wildcard matching for domains, while encrypted DNS is supported through DoH, DoT, DoQ, and DoH3. Router deployment through the ctrld daemon extends filtering beyond individual applications, and historical and real-time DNS analytics provide visibility when logging is enabled. Control D suits buyers who want flexible filtering across mixed platforms without starting with a high subscription cost. Buyers seeking traffic redirection must choose Full Control, while organizations should compare the SMB endpoint model with the personal plans before selecting a tier.
Control D pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free DNS filtering with encrypted protocols and no account requirement
- Custom rules, profiles, schedules, Safe Search, and analytics
- Supports endpoints, browsers, routers, APIs, and self-hosted deployment
- Where it doesn't
- Traffic redirection and proxy locations require the Full Control plan
- Personal and SMB pricing use different plan structures
- Some advanced controls require paid plans
Control D fact sheet, pricing and score →
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