Alternatives to Control D
Customisable DNS filtering service with per-device profiles. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Control D
Customisable DNS filtering service with per-device profiles.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Control D.
NextDNS
Cloud DNS filtering with per-device profiles and detailed logs.
NextDNS offers similar per-device profiles with detailed analytics and router-level setup, limiting its free tier by monthly queries instead of gating features.
AdGuard DNS
Public filtering DNS resolver with encrypted transports.
AdGuard DNS works through Android Private DNS with no app and supports DNS-over-QUIC, though custom rules and statistics need a paid account.
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1
Fast public DNS resolver with a filtered option for families.
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 is entirely free with a Families filtering option, but offers far fewer filtering options and no per-device profiles.
Quad9
Free public DNS resolver that blocks known malicious domains.
Quad9 is free and needs no account, blocking only malicious domains, with no advertising blocking and no per-device customisation on its public resolvers.
CleanBrowsing
A DNS filtering service that blocks malware, phishing and adult content at the network level.
CleanBrowsing focuses on malware, phishing and adult content blocking with enforced Safe Search, suited to families and schools.
OpenDNS Home
A public DNS service from Cisco with phishing protection and optional content filtering for home networks.
OpenDNS Home is a free Cisco service with phishing protection and parental content filtering, without granular per-device profiles.
DNS4EU
A free public DNS resolver hosted in the EU that blocks malware, phishing and ransomware domains.
DNS4EU is a free EU-hosted resolver with fixed filtering variants and no custom block lists for individuals.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Control D as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
CIRA Canadian Shield
A free protective DNS service from Canada's domain registry that blocks malware, phishing and scams.
Control D offers per-device profiles and granular per-service rules with apps for every major platform, though most useful features need a paid plan.
NxFilter
A self-hosted DNS filter with per-user policies, reports and Active Directory integration.
Control D is a hosted freemium service with per-device profiles and granular per-service rules, so filtering happens on its infrastructure rather than your own server.
Pi-hole
A DNS server for your home network that refuses to look up ad and tracker domains, for every device at once.
Control D is a hosted freemium filter with per-device profiles and apps for every major platform, so its infrastructure sees your lookups instead of a home server.
Safe Surfer
A parental-control DNS filtering service that blocks harmful content on phones, computers and home routers.
Control D offers per-device profiles and granular per-service rules with apps for all major platforms, with most useful features on a paid plan.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
AdGuard Home
Network-wide ad and tracker blocking in a single binary, with encrypted DNS built in rather than bolted on.
dnscrypt-proxy
Encrypts your DNS lookups so your internet provider cannot read or tamper with them, and blocks domains while it is there.
AdGuard Ad Blocker
System-wide ad and tracker blocker apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS with DNS filtering.
