Finest DNS Filtering Options for 2026

1. Examine Level

In late 2023, Examine Level acquired Perimeter 81. The product has been rebranded to Examine Level Concord SASE, integrating Perimeter 81’s speedy deployment capabilities with Examine Level’s legendary “ThreatCloud” intelligence.

Specs

• Deployment: SASE Consumer (Agent), World Cloud Gateway.
• Core Characteristic: Community-as-a-Service (NaaS) + FWaaS.
• Integration: Full Examine Level Infinity Platform integration.

Why We Picked It

That is the quickest strategy to exchange a legacy VPN. Examine Level preserved the “15-minute deployment” magic of Perimeter 81 however supercharged it with enterprise-grade menace prevention.

You get a devoted personal community node that applies firewall guidelines and DNS filtering to all site visitors, no matter the place your customers are.

Finest For: Built-in SASE, Zero Belief, and former Perimeter 81 followers.

Execs & Cons

• Execs: Unifies VPN alternative with DNS safety; extremely straightforward to make use of; backed by Examine Level’s large menace intel.
• Cons: Pricing construction has modified post-acquisition; could be overkill should you solely need easy DNS blocking.

2. Cloudflare Gateway

A part of the “Cloudflare One” platform, Gateway replaces your firewall with a cloud-native answer. It leverages the large 1.1.1.1 community the quickest public DNS resolver—to use safety insurance policies.

Specs

• Deployment: WARP Consumer, DoH.
• Scale: 300+ Cities globally.
• Pricing: Free tier (as much as 50 customers), then per-user.

Why We Picked It

The sheer pace of Cloudflare’s infrastructure means including this safety layer usually will increase web pace relatively than reducing it.

The “Free for 50 customers” tier is an unbeatable worth proposition for startups. Moreover, they’re future-proofing their tech stack with superior cryptography.

Finest For: Velocity, Zero Belief Adoption, and World Scale.

Execs & Cons

• Execs: Unbelievable pace; beneficiant free tier; integrates with Cloudflare Employees; Zero Belief native.
• Cons: Logs retention is brief on decrease tiers; assist is notoriously automated/gradual for non-enterprise plans.

3. WebTitan

TitanHQ’s WebTitan is the “folks’s selection” for DNS filtering. It strips away the complexity of Cisco and the excessive price ticket of Zscaler, providing a strong, efficient filtering answer that simply works. It’s notably sturdy within the schooling and SMB sectors.

Specs

• Deployment: Cloud or On-Premise Gateway.
• Goal Viewers: MSPs, Colleges, SMBs.
• Core Characteristic: “Non-public Cloud” for MSPs.

Why We Picked It

Flexibility. WebTitan permits MSPs to host the answer in their very own personal cloud, giving them information sovereignty and management that SaaS-only opponents can’t match.

Their API is open and well-documented, making it straightforward to script buyer onboarding.

Finest For: Finances-Acutely aware MSPs and SMBs.

Execs & Cons

• Execs: Very aggressive pricing; glorious buyer assist (you possibly can discuss to a human); personal cloud choices.
• Cons: UI is practical however unpolished; lacks the total “SASE” breadth of Examine Level or Zscaler.

4. Cisco Umbrella

Previously OpenDNS, Cisco Umbrella is the usual by which different enterprise DNS filters are measured.

It provides deep integration with Cisco’s SD-WAN and Meraki stacks, appearing as the primary line of protection alongside endpoint safety options.

Specs

• Deployment: Cloud-native, AnyConnect integration.
• Menace Intel: Cisco Talos.
• Integration: SD-WAN, Meraki, Cisco Safe Consumer.

Why We Picked It

Unmatched menace intelligence derived from Cisco Talos. If you’re already utilizing Cisco AnyConnect in your VPN, enabling Umbrella is actually a checkbox. It supplies “audit-grade” reporting that’s vital for incident response.

Finest For: Giant Enterprises and Cisco Environments.

Execs & Cons

• Execs: Large menace intelligence database; extremely steady; deep integration with enterprise {hardware}.
• Cons: Costly; the dashboard feels dated in comparison with fashionable startups; assist may be gradual for smaller tiers.

5. NextDNS

NextDNS positions itself because the “firewall for the fashionable web.” It’s beloved by the privateness neighborhood for its means to dam not simply malware, but additionally aggressive monitoring, telemetry, and advertisements on the DNS stage.

Specs

• Deployment: DoH/DoT/DoQ, IP Linking.
• Privateness: No-logging choices, Swiss jurisdiction.
• Analytics: Actual-time stream.

Why We Picked It

The analytics are lovely. You’ll be able to see precisely which gadget is looking which advert server in real-time.

It helps the widest vary of blocklists (OISD, StevenBlack, and many others.), permitting customers to customise their filtering aggression.

Finest For: Privateness Advocates and Prosumers.

Execs & Cons

• Execs: Glorious privateness options; granular blocklist choice; low cost; helps CNAME flattening.
• Cons: No “SLA” or cellphone assist; handbook configuration required for big fleets.

6. Zscaler Web Entry (ZIA)

Zscaler is the chief within the Gartner Magic Quadrant for SSE. ZIA doesn’t simply resolve DNS; it proxies the site visitors and inspects the payload.

It could look inside SSL/TLS encrypted packets to seek out hidden malware {that a} easy DNS filter may miss.

Specs

• Deployment: Z-App (Consumer Connector), GRE Tunnels.
• Safety: Full SSL Inspection, Sandbox.
• Scale: Large international cloud.

Why We Picked It

Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). Whereas different instruments on this listing cease on the area stage, Zscaler appears to be like on the precise file being downloaded.

It’s the gold commonplace for safety depth, although it requires cautious configuration to keep away from vulnerabilities.

Finest For: World Enterprises Requiring Full Inspection.

Execs & Cons

• Execs: Unmatched safety depth; full SSL inspection; integrates with Zscaler Non-public Entry (ZPA).
• Cons: Very costly; advanced implementation requires licensed engineers; heavy agent.

7. DNSFilter

DNSFilter has persistently ranked as one of many quickest DNS resolvers on this planet.

Its “Webshrinker” AI engine categorizes new domains in real-time, which is vital for stopping “contemporary” phishing hyperlinks.

Specs

• Deployment: Roaming Consumer, Relay, Router.
• Menace Intel: Actual-time AI categorization.
• MSP Options: Multi-tenant dashboard, Whitelabeling.

Why We Picked It

It’s the final instrument for Managed Service Suppliers (MSPs). The multi-tenant dashboard is designed to handle tons of of shoppers from a single pane of glass, and the roaming shopper is extremely light-weight.

Finest For: MSPs and Velocity-Acutely aware Organizations.

Execs & Cons

• Execs: Extraordinarily low latency; AI detects zero-day phishing immediately; glorious MSP whitelabeling.
• Cons: Cell app is only practical; superior reporting options may be an add-on value.

8. Quad9

Quad9 (9.9.9.9) is a Swiss-based non-profit basis. They combination menace feeds from over 20 prime suppliers (like IBM X-Pressure, CrowdStrike, and many others.) and block malicious domains without cost.

Specs

• Deployment: DNS IP Change.
• Price: Free.
• Focus: Privateness and GDPR compliance.

Why We Picked It

Belief. They don’t have any shareholders and no incentive to promote your information. For visitor networks or IoT VLANs the place you can not set up an agent, Quad9 is one of the best “set it and neglect it” layer of safety that helps forestall entry to darkish internet nodes.

Finest For: Non-Income, Public Sector, and Fundamental Free Safety.

Execs & Cons

• Execs: Free; privacy-centric; high-quality menace information; straightforward setup.
• Cons: No reporting dashboard; no customization; no whitelisting.

9. SafeDNS

SafeDNS is a veteran within the internet filtering area. They shine in content material categorization, guaranteeing that colleges and libraries can meet compliance requirements (like CIPA) with out over-blocking academic content material.

Specs

• Deployment: Agent, Router.
• Focus: Net Categorization & Compliance.
• Tech: Machine Studying categorization.

Why We Picked It

Accuracy. In academic environments, false positives are a nightmare. SafeDNS has one of many lowest false-positive charges for content material categorization now we have examined. It’s usually used alongside different SaaS safety measures.

Finest For: Schooling and Compliance-Heavy Sectors.

Execs & Cons

• Execs: Excessive categorization accuracy; CIPA compliant; very inexpensive; router-friendly.
• Cons: Dashboard is practical however dated; lacks superior menace looking options.

10. Management D

Management D has disrupted the market by blurring the traces between a DNS resolver and a clear proxy.

It doesn’t simply block unhealthy issues; it permits you to manipulate site visitors movement with unprecedented granularity.

Specs

• Deployment: Agentless (DoH/DoT/DoQ) & Roaming Agent.
• Community: World Anycast Community (100+ places).
• Major Options: Visitors Redirection, Malware Blocking.

Why We Picked It

Management D is the one instrument on this listing that provides “Visitors Redirection” natively. This permits an enterprise to look as if they’re looking from a unique nation for particular domains—invaluable for advert verification or regional testing.

Finest For: Energy Customers, Fashionable Enterprises, and DevOps Groups.

Execs & Cons

• Execs: Quickest decision instances in our exams; helps DoQ; fashionable/intuitive UI; distinctive proxy options.
• Cons: Reporting is much less formal than Cisco’s; newer to the enterprise area.