Private DNS resolvers
Your DNS resolver sees every site you visit. These resolvers support encrypted DNS and state that queries are not logged, or only in anonymized form.
1. Unbound Grade B
Validating, recursive and caching DNS resolver from NLnet Labs for running your own resolver, with DNS over TLS and DNS over HTTPS support.
Based in the Netherlands (Nine Eyes). Score 85/100.
2. Cloudflare Grade C
Public DNS resolver from Cloudflare with DNS over HTTPS and TLS, DNSSEC validation, and privacy commitments examined by KPMG.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Score 72/100.
3. Digitale Gesellschaft DNS Grade C
Public DoH and DoT resolver run by Digitale Gesellschaft, a Swiss non-profit digital rights association. It validates DNSSEC, uses no blocklists and publishes its live configuration.
Based in Switzerland. Score 67/100.
4. DNS.SB Grade C
Free public DNS resolver operated by xTom GmbH in Germany on an anycast network. It supports DoH and DoT, validates DNSSEC and does not send EDNS Client Subnet.
Based in Germany (Fourteen Eyes). Score 65/100.
5. LibreDNS Grade C
Public encrypted DNS resolver run by the volunteer LibreOps collective, with DoH and DoT endpoints and an optional ad-blocking endpoint.
Based in Greece. Score 65/100.
6. Quad9 Grade C
Public DNS resolver run by the Swiss non-profit Quad9 Foundation that blocks known malicious domains and validates DNSSEC.
Based in Switzerland. Score 65/100.
7. AdGuard Grade C
Public DNS resolver from AdGuard that blocks ads, trackers and malicious domains, with open-source server software and DoH, DoT, DoQ and DNSCrypt support.
Based in Cyprus. Score 63/100.
8. Control D Grade C
DNS resolver service from ControlD Inc. in Canada, founded by the team behind Windscribe. It offers free filtering resolvers and paid plans with custom rules, over legacy DNS, DoH, DoT and DNS over QUIC.
Based in Canada (Five Eyes). Score 63/100.
9. Mullvad DNS Grade C
Free encrypted DNS resolver from Mullvad with optional ad, tracker and malware blocking. Mullvad has announced it is shutting the public service down.
Based in Sweden (Fourteen Eyes). Score 63/100.
10. NextDNS Grade C
Configurable DNS resolver that blocks ads, trackers and malicious domains, with optional parental controls and per-user query logs.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Score 61/100.
11. UncensoredDNS Grade C
Free public DNS resolver in Denmark, run by an individual, that does not apply censorship filters. It offers anycast and unicast servers over plain DNS, DoT and DoH.
Based in Denmark (Nine Eyes). Score 61/100.
12. Applied Privacy DNS Grade D
Public DNS over HTTPS and DNS over TLS resolver run by the Foundation for Applied Privacy, a non-profit association in Vienna. It validates DNSSEC and uses QNAME minimisation.
Based in Austria. Score 57/100.
13. BlahDNS Grade D
Hobby ad-blocking DNS resolver run by one person, with servers in Singapore and Germany and support for DoH, DoT, DoQ and DNSCrypt.
Score 54/100.
14. Google Public DNS Grade D
Free public DNS resolver run by Google at 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 that validates DNSSEC and supports DNS over HTTPS and DNS over TLS.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Score 45/100.
15. Clean Browsing Grade D
DNS filtering service with free family, adult and security filters and paid custom filtering, supporting DoH, DoT and DNSCrypt.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Score 43/100.
16. DNS4EU Grade D
Public DNS resolver co-funded by the European Union and operated by a consortium led by Whalebone in the Czech Republic. It offers protective, child-safe, ad-blocking and unfiltered variants over DoH and DoT.
Based in Czechia. Score 41/100.
17. OpenNIC Grade D
Volunteer-run alternative DNS root with public resolvers that answer for both ICANN domains and OpenNIC's own top-level domains such as .libre and .oss.
Score 41/100.
How this list is made
Entries are ranked with our picks first, then by score against public criteria. Every answer links to evidence, and hosted services are tested automatically. Only entries answering no query logs with evidence are included. The list updates when ratings change.
Compare all: DNS resolvers. Criteria and scoring.
Questions
How do I use a private DNS resolver?
Most systems and browsers support DNS over HTTPS or TLS. On Android, use the Private DNS setting with the resolver's hostname.