DNS Speed Test

Cloudflare DNS vs Quad9: Overview

Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) and Quad9 (9.9.9.9) are two of the most popular alternatives to Google DNS. Both are free, both respect privacy, and both outperform most ISP DNS servers. But they are built with different priorities.

Cloudflare DNS is built for speed. It is the fastest public DNS resolver in most regions. Cloudflare operates one of the largest global networks in the world. Their DNS infrastructure sits on the same Anycast network that serves their CDN and DDoS protection services. That means there is a Cloudflare data center near almost every internet user.

Quad9 is built for security. It blocks known malicious domains using threat intelligence from over 20 cybersecurity companies. When you visit a website that hosts malware or phishing, Quad9 returns a null response and stops the connection. This protection is automatic and does not require any configuration beyond setting Quad9 as your DNS.

Speed Comparison

Cloudflare is almost always faster in real-world testing. Its massive global network means you are likely closer to a Cloudflare data center than a Quad9 one. In our own tests across multiple locations, Cloudflare was faster about 80% of the time.

Quad9 adds a few milliseconds to each query because it checks each domain against threat intelligence databases before responding. That overhead is small (usually 5-10ms), but it exists. For most uses, the difference is not noticeable.

Run our DNS speed test to see which is faster from your specific location. The right answer depends on your geography and ISP routing.

Privacy Policies

Both providers have strong privacy policies. Neither sells your data or serves ads.

Cloudflare collects minimal data for operational purposes. According to their policy, they retain only the query source IP address in ephemeral logs for 24 hours, then strip the IP and keep only anonymized statistics. Cloudflare has submitted to independent privacy audits by KPMG and publishes the results.

Quad9 also does not log personal data. They retain query data for a short period for threat intelligence purposes, but the data is aggregated and anonymized. Quad9 is operated as a not-for-profit by the Packet Clearing House, which removes any commercial incentive to monetize user data.

Both are GDPR compliant. Both support encrypted DNS protocols. From a privacy standpoint, there is no meaningful difference between them for the average user.

Security Features

This is where the two providers diverge. Quad9's main selling point is automatic malware blocking. Quad9 maintains a blocklist of domains associated with malware, phishing, botnets, and other threats. When you resolve a domain on that list, Quad9 returns 0.0.0.0 or the NXDOMAIN response, effectively blocking the connection.

Cloudflare DNS does not block any domains by default. Cloudflare's philosophy is that DNS should be a neutral transport layer. They offer phishing and malware protection through their Gateway product (part of Cloudflare Zero Trust), but that requires an account and configuration.

Quad9 also supports DNSSEC validation by default. Cloudflare supports DNSSEC but leaves validation to the client by default. Both are equal on that front.

If security is your priority, Quad9 wins. The automatic malware blocking protects you even on devices where you cannot install security software.

Encryption Support

Both providers support all major encrypted DNS protocols:

• DNS over HTTPS (DoH) — Both support it. Cloudflare: https://cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query, Quad9: https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query
• DNS over TLS (DoT) — Both support it. Cloudflare: 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com, Quad9: dns.quad9.net
• DNSSEC — Both support it. Quad9 validates by default.

Verdict: Which Should You Use?

Choose Cloudflare if: You want the absolute fastest DNS resolution. You are a gamer, streamer, or just want web pages to load as fast as possible. You do not need automatic malware blocking at the DNS level.

Choose Quad9 if: Security is your priority. You want automatic blocking of malware and phishing domains. You have family members who might click on dangerous links. You value threat intelligence integration from multiple sources.

Use both: Set Cloudflare as primary DNS and Quad9 as secondary. This gives you fast resolution with a security fallback. The secondary DNS is only used if the primary fails, so you get speed most of the time and protection the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions