Top 10 Best DNS Servers in 2026
#1 — Cloudflare 1.1.1.1
Average speed: ~11 ms | Best for: Overall performance | Cost: Free
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 is the fastest public DNS resolver we tested, period. It responds in roughly 11 milliseconds on average from most locations, and its p95 (worst-case) latency is still lower than what most competitors manage on average. The secret is scale: Cloudflare runs resolver nodes in over 300 cities across 100+ countries, so you are almost always hitting a server physically close to you.
Privacy is solid. Cloudflare logs zero DNS query data for 1.1.1.1 and publishes quarterly transparency reports. The company has engaged KPMG to independently audit its no-logging claims annually. DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS are supported out of the box. If you care about encryption, your queries are encrypted end to end.
The main knock against Cloudflare is the lack of built-in security features. The standard 1.1.1.1 resolver does not block anything. For malware protection, you need to switch to 1.1.1.2, and for family-friendly filtering, use 1.1.1.3. The setup is simple, but it requires you to know which variant to use.
IPs: 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1 | DoH: https://cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query | DoT: 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com
Visit 1.1.1.1 · How to set up
#2 — Google Public DNS 8.8.8.8
Average speed: ~20 ms | Best for: Reliability | Cost: Free
Google Public DNS has been running since 2009, making it the oldest major public resolver. It is not the fastest by raw numbers, but it is arguably the most reliable DNS service on the planet. Google's infrastructure gives it nearly 100% uptime over its entire history, and the company has the engineering resources to handle any scale of attack or outage.
Speed is good but not class-leading. At around 20 ms average, Google trails Cloudflare in most regions. In parts of Asia-Pacific, however, Google's peering relationships with local ISPs can give it a slight edge. If you are in Japan, South Korea, or Singapore, it is worth testing both.
Privacy is where Google loses some points. The company temporarily logs DNS queries for 24 to 48 hours for debugging, then anonymizes the data. This is better than most ISPs, but it is not zero-logging. Google does not sell DNS data to advertisers, and the company publishes a transparency report about government requests.
IPs: 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4 | DoH: https://dns.google/dns-query | DoT: dns.google
Visit Google Public DNS · How to set up
#3 — Quad9 9.9.9.9
Average speed: ~19 ms | Best for: Security | Cost: Free
Quad9 is the DNS resolver you use when you want protection without thinking about it. Run by a Swiss nonprofit, it blocks known-malicious domains by default, pulling from over 25 threat intelligence feeds including abuse.ch, Symantec, and PhishTank. Your device never connects to a phishing site or malware server because Quad9 kills the connection at the DNS level before it starts.
The speed is competitive at roughly 19 ms average, which puts it in the same ballpark as Google. In parts of Europe, particularly Germany and Switzerland, Quad9 often beats both Cloudflare and Google on latency. It has over 200 anycast locations worldwide, and the network is expanding.
Privacy is excellent. Quad9 does not log any personal data, does not sell data, and is governed by Swiss privacy laws, which are among the strictest in the world. The organization enforces DNSSEC validation on all responses, so you get cryptographic proof that the DNS answer has not been tampered with. Quad9 publishes an annual transparency report and has been audited by independent security researchers.
IPs: 9.9.9.9, 149.112.112.112 | DoH: https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query | DoT: dns.quad9.net
Visit Quad9 · How to set up
#4 — NextDNS
Average speed: ~15 ms | Best for: Customization | Cost: Free tier (300K queries/mo), paid plans from $0.99/mo
NextDNS is the power user's DNS resolver. It gives you a dashboard where you can toggle exactly what gets blocked: ads, trackers, malware, specific domains, specific categories. You get query logs, analytics, and per-device profiles. No other DNS service comes close to this level of control.
Speed is excellent at around 15 ms average. NextDNS has an anycast network with nodes in 30+ locations, and it supports DoH, DoT, and DoQ (DNS over QUIC). The free tier includes 300,000 queries per month, which is enough for most individual users. The paid tier starts at $0.99 per month and removes the query limit.
Privacy depends on your configuration. By default, NextDNS can log your queries for analytics. You can disable logging entirely, or configure exactly what is retained. The transparency is appreciated, but it means you need to actively choose your privacy level. For users who want full control over their DNS, this is a feature. For users who want zero-config privacy, Quad9 is simpler.
Setup: Create an account at nextdns.io, get your unique DoH/DoT endpoint, and configure your devices. Visit NextDNS · How to set up
#5 — OpenDNS 208.67.222.222
Average speed: ~30 ms | Best for: Families | Cost: Free (basic), paid plans for advanced filtering
Owned by Cisco, OpenDNS has been around since 2003 and remains one of the best options for families who want content filtering. The free Home plan blocks phishing sites and provides basic protection. The paid Home VIP plan ($19.95/year) adds faster resolvers and more detailed stats.
Speed is its weakest point. At around 30 ms average, OpenDNS is noticeably slower than Cloudflare or Google. It still works fine for general browsing, but if you are optimizing for raw speed, there are better options. The tradeoff is that OpenDNS provides content filtering at the network level, which is useful for parents who want to block adult content without installing software on every device.
The real value of OpenDNS is the dashboard. You can create custom blocklists, set time-based access rules, and see which categories of websites are being accessed on your network. For families with children, this level of control is more valuable than shaving 15 milliseconds off DNS lookups. Cisco also runs its own threat intelligence through Talos, which feeds into OpenDNS's security features.
IPs: 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220 | DoH: https://doh.opendns.com/dns-query
Visit OpenDNS · How to set up
#6 — AdGuard DNS 94.140.14.14
Average speed: ~18 ms | Best for: Ad blocking | Cost: Free (unlimited queries), paid for advanced features
AdGuard DNS does one thing and does it well: it blocks ads and trackers at the DNS level. Set it up once, and every device on your network stops loading advertisements, analytics scripts, and tracking pixels. No browser extensions needed. No app required. It works on smart TVs, gaming consoles, and IoT devices that cannot run traditional ad blockers.
Speed is strong at around 18 ms average, which puts it ahead of Google and competitive with Quad9. AdGuard operates an anycast network with good global coverage, and it supports both DoH and DoT. The free tier includes unlimited queries with basic ad and tracker blocking. The paid tier adds more filter lists, parental controls, and a custom rules feature.
AdGuard DNS offers three variants: the standard server (ads and trackers blocked), the family server (also blocks adult content), and the non-filtering server (no blocking, just fast resolution). This flexibility makes it useful for different scenarios. The main limitation is that ad blocking at the DNS level cannot handle first-party ads served from the same domain as the content, so you will still see some ads on YouTube and social media.
IPs: 94.140.14.14, 94.140.15.15 | DoH: https://dns.adguard-dns.com/dns-query
Visit AdGuard DNS · How to set up
#7 — Cloudflare for Families 1.1.1.2
Average speed: ~11 ms | Best for: Parental controls | Cost: Free
Cloudflare for Families is the same 1.1.1.1 infrastructure with a different filtering policy. The 1.1.1.2 variant blocks known malware domains. The 1.1.1.3 variant blocks both malware and adult content. Both run on the same 300+ city network, so you get the same speed as standard Cloudflare with added protection.
The speed advantage over dedicated family DNS services like OpenDNS is significant. Where OpenDNS averages around 30 ms, Cloudflare for Families comes in at roughly 11 ms. For families who want both speed and filtering, this is the best combination available.
Setup is simple: just point your DNS to 1.1.1.2 (malware blocking) or 1.1.1.3 (malware + adult content blocking). There is no dashboard, no account, and no configuration beyond choosing the right IP. This simplicity is both a strength and a limitation. If you need fine-grained control over what gets blocked, OpenDNS or NextDNS give you more options. But for most families, the default filtering is exactly right.
IPs: 1.1.1.2, 1.0.0.2 (malware) | 1.1.1.3, 1.0.0.3 (family) | DoH: https://family.cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query
Visit Cloudflare for Families · How to set up
#8 — Comodo Secure DNS
Average speed: ~25 ms | Best for: Business | Cost: Free for individuals, paid for enterprises
Comodo Secure DNS is designed for business environments where security is non-negotiable. It blocks phishing sites, malware domains, and spyware by default, and the filtering is more aggressive than most free alternatives. For companies that need DNS-level protection without deploying endpoint software, Comodo is a practical choice.
Speed is decent at around 25 ms average, though it trails the top-tier providers. The network is smaller than Cloudflare or Google, which means higher latency in regions where Comodo has fewer points of presence. The real value for businesses is the integration with Comodo's broader security ecosystem, including their endpoint protection and SSL certificates.
The free tier is limited to 500,000 queries per month, which is enough for individual use but not for a business network. The paid plans start at around $2.50 per user per month and include advanced reporting, policy management, and priority support. For small businesses that want DNS security without a full security stack, Comodo fills a useful niche.
IPs: 8.26.56.26, 8.20.247.20
Visit Comodo Secure DNS · How to set up
#9 — GreenTeamDNS
Average speed: ~28 ms | Best for: Content filtering | Cost: Free
GreenTeamDNS is a lesser-known resolver focused on content filtering and safety. It blocks adult content, violence, drugs, gambling, and other categories that schools, libraries, and businesses want to restrict. The filtering is more granular than Cloudflare for Families, letting you choose which categories to block rather than applying a one-size-fits-all filter.
Speed is not its selling point. At around 28 ms average, it is slower than the top providers. But for institutions that need content filtering without the complexity of OpenDNS's dashboard, GreenTeamDNS is straightforward. You pick your DNS IP based on the filtering level you want, and it works.
The service is maintained by a small team and does not have the same infrastructure as Cloudflare or Google. In regions where it lacks nearby servers, latency can spike. For schools and public libraries that need basic content filtering on a budget, it is a functional option. For home users who want speed and filtering together, Cloudflare for Families or NextDNS are better picks.
IPs: 199.85.126.10, 199.85.127.10
Visit GreenTeamDNS · How to set up
#10 — Yandex DNS
Average speed: ~35 ms | Best for: Russia/CIS | Cost: Free
Yandex DNS is the best choice for users in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Yandex operates its own DNS infrastructure with strong presence in Russian cities, giving it excellent performance in a region where Western providers often have limited coverage. Response times from Russian locations are typically under 10 ms.
For users outside the CIS region, Yandex DNS is not recommended. The network is concentrated in Russia, so latency from North America, Europe, or Asia-Pacific is significantly higher. The service offers three modes: basic (no filtering), safe (blocks malicious domains), and family (blocks both malicious and adult content).
Privacy policies are governed by Russian law, which is less privacy-friendly than Swiss or EU jurisdiction. Yandex does log some query data. If you are in Russia and want fast local resolution, it is the best option. If privacy is a concern, use a different resolver with DNS-over-HTTPS to encrypt your queries regardless of which server you choose.
IPs: 77.88.8.8, 77.88.8.1 | DoH: https://common.dot.dns.yandex.net/dns-query
Visit Yandex DNS · How to set up
Best DNS Server by Use Case
The "best" DNS server depends entirely on what you need it for. Here is a quick reference for different scenarios:
Best DNS for Gaming
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 delivers the lowest p95 latency of any public resolver, which matters more for gaming than average speed. One slow DNS lookup can cause a noticeable hitch in online gameplay, so you want consistent response times, not just fast ones. Google 8.8.8.8 is a solid backup. Avoid resolvers with small networks, because geographic distance creates latency that no amount of optimization can fix. See our full guide on the best DNS servers for gaming.
Best DNS for Streaming
Streaming services use CDN edge servers, and your DNS resolver determines which edge server you connect to. Cloudflare and Google both excel here because their anycast networks are integrated with major CDNs. If your streaming provider uses Cloudflare's CDN (many do), using Cloudflare DNS may give you a slight routing advantage. For Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube, either Cloudflare or Google will work well. Check our detailed analysis of the best DNS servers for streaming.
Best DNS for Privacy
Quad9 leads on privacy: Swiss nonprofit, zero personal data logging, DNSSEC enforced, and governed by Swiss privacy law. Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 is a close second with its zero-logging policy and annual KPMG audits. Both support encrypted DNS protocols (DoH and DoT). For maximum privacy, combine either resolver with DNS-over-HTTPS in your browser, which encrypts queries so your ISP cannot see what domains you visit. Read more in our best DNS servers for privacy guide.
Best DNS for Security
Quad9 is the best free option for security. It blocks known-malicious domains by default, pulling from over 25 threat intelligence feeds. Your device never connects to phishing sites, malware servers, or botnet command-and-control domains because Quad9 kills the connection at the DNS level. Cloudflare 1.1.1.2 provides similar protection. For enterprise-level security, Comodo Secure DNS offers more aggressive filtering. See our best DNS servers for security page for more options.
Best DNS for Families
Cloudflare for Families (1.1.1.3) is the best combination of speed and filtering. It blocks malware and adult content with zero configuration, and it runs on the same fast infrastructure as standard Cloudflare. OpenDNS provides more granular control through its dashboard, which is useful if you want to set time-based rules or custom blocklists. NextDNS gives you the most flexibility with per-device profiles. For most families, Cloudflare for Families is the right default. If you need more control, see our guide to changing DNS settings.