DNS Speed Test

What Is ClearDNS

ClearDNS is a DNS filtering service that sits between your device and the internet, resolving domain names while applying content policies in real time. Every DNS query your device makes passes through ClearDNS servers, which check the requested domain against active filter lists before returning an answer. If the domain matches a blocked category, the query is rejected and the connection never happens.

The service was built around a simple premise: most users want to block ads, trackers, and malicious domains but do not want to run software on every device to do it. ClearDNS handles filtering at the DNS layer, which means it works across your entire network without requiring browser extensions, app installations, or device-level configuration beyond changing a single setting.

ClearDNS operates a global anycast network with nodes in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America. Queries are routed to the nearest node automatically, which keeps latency low regardless of where you connect from. The network is designed to handle high query volumes without degrading performance, and the filtering engine uses efficient matching algorithms that evaluate multiple blocklists in parallel rather than sequentially.

Unlike some DNS resolvers that focus exclusively on speed or privacy, ClearDNS combines filtering with encryption. You can use it over standard DNS, DNS-over-HTTPS, or DNS-over-TLS, depending on your device and network requirements. The filtering rules apply identically across all protocols, so your choice of transport does not affect what gets blocked.

ClearDNS is particularly well-suited for families, small businesses, and anyone who wants network-wide content filtering without the complexity of enterprise solutions. The free tier covers the basics, and the paid tiers add advanced categories and per-device policies for users who need more control.

Speed Benchmarks

We tested ClearDNS alongside six other major resolvers using DNS-over-HTTPS queries from eight geographic locations. Each test sent 50 queries for popular domains and measured the round-trip time from query to response. The results below show average latency across all queries per location.

ClearDNS lands in the upper-middle tier for raw resolution speed. Cloudflare leads every location because it operates over 300 points of presence, giving it the shortest possible path to local ISPs. Google wins in Asia-Pacific thanks to its peering agreements with regional carriers. ClearDNS consistently outperforms AdGuard DNS and OpenDNS across all locations, and stays within a few milliseconds of NextDNS and Quad9.

The 2-5 millisecond overhead compared to Cloudflare comes from the filtering layer. When ClearDNS checks a domain against its active blocklists, it adds processing time that unfiltered resolvers skip entirely. This overhead is constant whether you have one filter list or five enabled, because the matching engine evaluates all lists in a single pass using a trie-based algorithm.

For real-world browsing, the speed difference between ClearDNS and Cloudflare is negligible. A typical webpage triggers 20-40 DNS lookups, and the cumulative delay across all those queries is 40-200 milliseconds. Page load times are dominated by server response times, TLS handshakes, and JavaScript execution, not DNS resolution. If anything, ClearDNS can improve perceived browsing speed by blocking ad and tracker domains that add significant page weight and third-party requests.

We also tested ClearDNS under load, sending 500 concurrent queries to simulate a busy household with multiple devices streaming, browsing, and running apps simultaneously. ClearDNS maintained consistent response times without any timeouts or failures, which suggests its infrastructure handles real-world traffic patterns well.

Content Filtering

ClearDNS organizes its filtering into categories that you can toggle independently. The default configuration blocks malware, phishing, and botnet command-and-control domains. These are active by default and should not be disabled unless you have a specific reason to do so.

Beyond the defaults, ClearDNS provides category-based filtering for ads and trackers, adult content, social media platforms, streaming services, gambling sites, and news publishers. Each category has its own toggle in the dashboard, and enabling a category blocks all domains that ClearDNS has classified into that group.

The ad and tracker category targets known advertising networks, analytics scripts, and fingerprinting domains. It covers the major ad providers including Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, and dozens of smaller ad networks. The adult content category blocks explicit material using domain classification, which works without requiring software installation on individual devices. This makes it useful for parental controls on routers where installing filtering software on every device is impractical.

ClearDNS also supports custom domain rules. You can add specific domains to a block list or an allow list directly from the dashboard. The allow list overrides all other filtering, so if a legitimate domain gets caught by a category filter, you can whitelist it without disabling the entire category. The block list lets you target specific domains that may not be covered by the standard categories.

The filtering engine processes queries in real time with no perceptible delay. Each DNS query is checked against all active categories before a response is returned. ClearDNS does not cache filter results separately from DNS results, which means newly blocked domains take effect immediately across all connected devices.

For businesses and schools, ClearDNS offers policy groups that apply different filtering rules to different device categories. You can create a strict policy for student devices that blocks social media and adult content while allowing adults to use less restrictive settings. These policies apply at the DNS level, so they work regardless of what browser or operating system the device runs.

Privacy and No-Log Policy

ClearDNS operates a no-log policy by default. It does not store DNS query logs, browsing histories, IP addresses, or any personally identifiable information tied to individual users. When your device sends a DNS query to ClearDNS, the service resolves it and returns the answer without writing a record of the query to disk.

The only data ClearDNS retains is aggregated and anonymized statistics used for network optimization. These statistics show total query volume per region, the distribution of blocked versus allowed queries, and error rates. They cannot be used to reconstruct individual browsing behavior because they are stripped of all identifying information at the point of collection.

ClearDNS publishes a transparency report that details any government requests for user data, legal demands, and security incidents. The company is based in a jurisdiction with strong privacy protections, and its infrastructure is designed so that even if compelled to produce user data, there is nothing to hand over because the data does not exist.

The privacy model is reinforced by the encryption protocols. When you use ClearDNS over DoH or DoT, your DNS queries are encrypted between your device and the ClearDNS resolver. Your ISP can see that you are connecting to a DNS resolver, but it cannot see which domains you are resolving. ClearDNS never sees your IP address when you use encrypted protocols through certain client configurations, adding another layer of anonymity.

For users who want maximum privacy, ClearDNS supports a setting that disables all analytics collection, including the anonymized statistics. With this enabled, ClearDNS processes your queries and discards all metadata immediately. The tradeoff is that you lose access to the query history dashboard, but your DNS traffic leaves no trace on ClearDNS servers.

DoH and DoT Support

ClearDNS supports both DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS, giving you encrypted DNS resolution regardless of your device or network environment. Both protocols encrypt your DNS queries to prevent ISP surveillance, DNS hijacking, and man-in-the-middle attacks.

DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH)

ClearDNS's DoH endpoint runs on standard HTTPS port 443, making DNS queries indistinguishable from regular web traffic. This is useful on restrictive networks that block dedicated DNS ports but allow HTTPS. Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari all support DoH natively, and you can point them to ClearDNS's DoH endpoint in the browser's privacy or security settings.

DNS-over-TLS (DoT)

ClearDNS's DoT service runs on port 853 and encrypts DNS queries using TLS 1.3. On Android, you can enable DoT system-wide through Settings, then Network and Internet, then Private DNS, by entering ClearDNS's provider hostname. On routers and Linux systems, you can configure DoT through systemd-resolved or custom client configurations.

ClearDNS does not currently support DNS-over-QUIC, which is a newer protocol that reduces connection overhead by combining the TLS handshake and transport into a single round trip. However, ClearDNS's DoH and DoT implementations use TLS 1.3, which already minimizes handshake latency compared to older TLS versions. For most users, the performance difference between DoH/DoT on TLS 1.3 and DoQ is small enough to be irrelevant.

The filtering rules apply identically across all protocols. Whether you query ClearDNS over standard DNS, DoH, or DoT, the same categories are checked and the same domains are blocked. This means you do not have to choose between encryption and filtering — you get both regardless of which protocol your device supports.

Setup Guide for All Platforms

Setting up ClearDNS is straightforward. You change your device's DNS settings to point at ClearDNS servers, and filtering begins immediately. No account is required for the free tier, though creating one unlocks the dashboard and per-device configuration.

Windows 11

Open Settings, go to Network and Internet, click on your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), and select Properties. Find DNS server assignment and click Edit. Choose Manual, enable IPv4, and enter ClearDNS IP addresses. For encrypted DNS, select Encrypted only (DNS over HTTPS) from the dropdown and enter the DoH resolver address from ClearDNS documentation. Click Save and your changes take effect immediately.

macOS

Open System Settings, go to Network, select your active connection, and click Details. Navigate to the DNS tab, click the plus button under DNS Servers, and add the ClearDNS IP addresses. For DoH on macOS Ventura and later, the system supports it natively — add your DoH URL in the DNS settings panel. Alternatively, configure DoH directly in your browser for per-browser protection.

Android

Go to Settings, then Network and Internet, then Private DNS. Select Private DNS provider hostname and enter ClearDNS's DoT hostname. This enables encrypted DNS system-wide across all apps. For DoH in specific browsers, configure the DNS settings within Chrome or Firefox using ClearDNS's DoH endpoint.

iOS

Install the ClearDNS profile from the ClearDNS website, which configures DNS-over-HTTPS system-wide using a local VPN profile that routes only DNS traffic. Alternatively, configure DoH in Safari by going to Settings, then Safari, then Advanced, then DNS, and adding the ClearDNS DoH endpoint. The profile method is simpler for users who want system-wide protection.

Linux

Edit /etc/systemd/resolved.conf and set DNS= with the ClearDNS IP addresses under the [Resolve] section. For DoT, set DNSOverTLS=yes and add your DoH URL if supported. Restart with sudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved. On distributions without systemd-resolved, edit /etc/resolv.conf and replace existing nameserver entries with ClearDNS addresses.

Routers

Log in to your router's admin interface, find the DNS settings under WAN or DHCP, and enter the ClearDNS IP addresses. This applies ClearDNS filtering to every device on the network automatically. Router-level setup is the easiest way to protect an entire household without configuring each device individually. The tradeoff is that all devices share a single filtering configuration, so you cannot apply different rules to different devices.

Browsers (DoH)

In Chrome, go to Settings, Privacy and Security, Security, and under Advanced find Use secure DNS. Toggle it on, select Custom, and enter ClearDNS's DoH endpoint. In Firefox, go to Settings, Privacy and Security, DNS over HTTPS, select Max Protection, and enter ClearDNS's DoH URL as a custom provider. Edge and Brave follow the same pattern as Chrome.

Free Tier and Paid Plans

ClearDNS's free tier is one of its strongest selling points. Unlike many DNS filtering services that impose monthly query caps or limit features behind paywalls, ClearDNS provides full filtering functionality with no query limit on the free plan. You get malware blocking, ad and tracker filtering, adult content filtering, and encrypted DNS support without paying anything.

The free tier covers most individual users and small households. A typical household generates 50,000 to 100,000 DNS queries per month, and ClearDNS handles this volume without restriction. There is no time limit on the free tier — you can use it indefinitely.

The Pro plan adds per-device filtering policies, which let you apply different rules to different devices on the same network. This is useful for households where adults want unrestricted access while children's devices have strict content filtering. The Pro plan also unlocks the full analytics dashboard, which shows query breakdowns by device, category, and time period.

The Business plan is designed for schools, offices, and organizations that need centralized policy management and audit logging. It adds custom domain lists, bulk device provisioning, and priority support. Business customers also get access to ClearDNS's API for integrating DNS filtering into existing network management tools.

All plans include the same core DNS resolution performance. The paid tiers do not give you faster DNS — they give you more control over filtering policies and more visibility into your network's DNS traffic. If your primary goal is ad blocking and malware protection on a personal device, the free tier is sufficient.

ClearDNS vs Alternatives

ClearDNS competes in a crowded field of DNS filtering services. Here is how it compares to the most popular alternatives across the factors that matter most.

ClearDNS vs Cloudflare 1.1.1.1

Cloudflare is faster because it has a larger anycast network and does not perform content filtering. ClearDNS trades a few milliseconds of speed for ad blocking, malware protection, and content filtering. If you want raw speed and nothing else, Cloudflare wins. If you want filtering without installing software, ClearDNS is the better choice.

ClearDNS vs NextDNS

NextDNS offers more customization with over 70 third-party blocklists and detailed per-device analytics. ClearDNS is simpler to set up and provides unlimited queries on its free tier, while NextDNS caps free usage at 300,000 queries per month. NextDNS is better for power users who want granular control. ClearDNS is better for users who want straightforward filtering without configuration.

ClearDNS vs AdGuard DNS

AdGuard DNS has a richer ecosystem with dedicated apps, browser extensions, and VPN integration. Its blocklist system is more customizable than ClearDNS's category-based approach. However, AdGuard DNS limits its free tier to two devices, while ClearDNS has no device limit. For single users, both are comparable. For families or multi-device households, ClearDNS's free tier is more practical.

ClearDNS vs Quad9

Quad9 focuses on security blocking without the ad and content filtering that ClearDNS provides. Quad9 blocks known malware and phishing domains using threat intelligence feeds, but it does not filter ads, adult content, or social media. ClearDNS offers broader filtering categories while maintaining similar security blocking. If you only need malware protection, Quad9 is simpler. If you want content filtering too, ClearDNS covers more ground.

ClearDNS vs OpenDNS

OpenDNS (now Cisco Umbrella) offers similar content filtering but requires a Cisco account and is oriented toward enterprise customers. Its free tier provides basic phishing protection, but full content filtering requires a paid plan. ClearDNS provides content filtering on its free tier with no account requirement for basic use, making it more accessible for individual users and families.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Reading

• DNS Speed Test — Benchmark 17+ Resolvers
• Fastest DNS Servers — Global Benchmarks
• DNS Providers Comparison
• Best DNS Servers for Every Use Case
• DNS over HTTPS (DoH) Explained

Test Your DNS Speed

Find out whether ClearDNS is the fastest resolver from your network. Our DNS speed test benchmarks 17+ servers using real DNS-over-HTTPS queries and measures actual response times from your location. The results will show you exactly how ClearDNS compares to Cloudflare, Google, and other resolvers on your specific connection.

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