If you realize something in regards to how the Internet works, you could have heard about Domain Name Servers.
DNS is likely one of the constructing blocks of the web without which the web as we use and know it in the present day wouldn’t exist. While our Internet Service Providers or ISPs present us with a default DNS server, you will see it is worthwhile to make use of a unique DNS server on some events. I used to be trying on the quickest DNS server out there in India and located that the suggestions, listed below are the 12 greatest DNS servers – each free and public – which you ought to be utilized as an alternate DNS server in 2021.
What to think about when switching your DNS
- Default DNS vs. Third-Party DNS – When you may have web service, your web service supplier (ISP) has a default DNS which your community makes use of to connect with the online. ISPs can accumulate information on clients and their web exercise. A 3rd-party DNS can do the same, although it turns harder to attribute the connection to particular people or households.
- Free DNS vs. Paid DNS – Beyond the apparent monetary distinction between a free and paid DNS, free choices sometimes have fewer options. A paid DNS may have extra superior safety and efficiency performance, in addition to higher buyer assistance and extra customization choices. Generally talking, a free DNS will work for many functions.
- Public DNS vs. Non-Public DNS – A public DNS is obtainable to the overall inhabitants and it sometimes comes out of your web service supplier or a devoted DNS supplier. A personal DNS is usually utilized by firms to offer staff simpler entry to internal-only websites/IP addresses. Typically, you’re on a public DNS at residence and both a personal or public one at work.
Cloudflare DNS
Cloudflare DNS has targeted rather more on the basics. These begin with efficiency, and impartial testing from websites like DNSPerf reveals Cloudflare is the quickest public DNS service round.
Privacy is one other main spotlight. Cloudflare would not simply promise that it will not use your looking information to serve adverts; it commits that it’s going to by no means write the querying IP handle (yours) to disk. Any logs that do exist shall be deleted within 24 hours. And these claims aren’t simply reassuring phrases on an internet site. Cloudflare has retained KPMG to audit its practices yearly and produce a public report to verify the corporate is delivering on its guarantees.
- Primary DNS: 1.1.1.1
- Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.1
Google Public DNS
Google Public DNS service might be one of the most widespread free and public DNS servers on the planet. Launched in December 2009, the Google Public DNS goal is to make the web extra dependable and safe. According to the website, Google Public DNS protects customers in opposition to varied sorts of phishing assaults, particularly in case you are utilizing older hardware to enter the web.
One of the notable benefits you get by shifting to Google Public DNS is enhanced safety and optimized pace. Google makes use of Anycast routing for locating the closest server for information interplay thereby making certain that you simply obtain data within the shortest time doable. To use Google Public DNS, customers might want to configure their community settings to make use of the IP addresses 8.8.8.8 and eight.8.4.4 as their DNS servers. Google Public DNS additionally helps IPv6 addresses.
- Primary DNS: 8.8.8.8
- Secondary DNS: 8.8.4.4
Next DNS
NextDNS launched in 2019 as a public DNS resolver with support for list-based blocking. It added more features gradually and finally exited beta in May 2020. NextDNS’s pricing strategy is almost unbeatable, with great features at much lower costs than many competitors. NextDNS is one of many dedicated DNS resolution services that you can use in place of your ISP’s default provider. NextDNS has a large, frequently updated database of correct IP addresses corresponding to domain names.
The platform also helps you protect your device from hackers and other malicious actors. NextDNS provides excellent features for a very affordable price compared to the competition. We recommend NextDNS to anyone who wants a good DNS resolver, but mostly to privacy-conscious people. The platform’s focus is its focus on user privacy, which is the primary consideration for a subset of internet users.
OpenDNS
Founded in 2005 and now owned by Cisco, OpenDNS is likely one of the greatest names in public DNS.
The free service provides loads of advantages: excessive speeds, 100% uptime, phishing websites blocked by default, optionally available parental controls-type internet filtering to dam websites by content material sort, together with free electronic mail assistance if something goes incorrect.
Commercial plans allow viewing the historical past of your web exercise for as much as the final 12 months, and may optionally lock down your system by permitting entry to particular websites solely. These aren’t going to be must-have options for the common person, however, in case you’re, they are often yours for a modest charge. If you are an outdated hand at swapping DNS, you may get began instantly by reconfiguring your machine to make use of the OpenDNS nameservers.
- Primary DNS: 208.67.222.222
- Secondary DNS: 208.67.220.220
Quad9 DNS
Quad9 DNS is one more free and public DNS server that you need to use to route your visitors away from your ISP-provided DNS servers. Just like different DNS servers on this record, as soon as configured, Quad9 routes your DNS queries by way of a safe community of servers across the globe.
The system makes use of risk intelligence from greater than a dozen of industry-leading cybersecurity firms to offer a real-time perspective on website risk evaluation. Whenever its DNS servers discover a contaminated or cloned website, they block your connection so that your machine and information stay protected.
Another factor value note is that Quad9 DNS can also be very straightforward to arrange and doesn’t require any software program installations. If no one of the above-mentioned DNS servers meets your wants, you may undoubtedly examine this.
- Primary DNS: 9.9.9.9
- Secondary DNS: 149.112.112.112
Comodo Secure DNS
Comodo Group is the ability behind a number of fantastic safety merchandise, so it is no shock that the corporate additionally provides its personal public DNS service. Just as you’d count on, Comodo Secure DNS has a powerful deal with security. It would not simply block phishing websites, but in addition warns in case you attempt to go to websites with malware, spyware, or even parked domains that may overload you with promoting (pop-ups, pop-unders, and extra). Furthermore, you may check out the Comodo Dome Shield service, which provides extra options to Comodo Secure DNS.
Comodo claims its service is smarter than common, too, detecting makes an attempt to go to parked or ‘not in use’ domains and mechanically ahead of you to the place you actually wish to go.
Performance is vital, after all, and the corporate suggests its worldwide community of servers and good routing know-how give it a bonus. Unfortunately, Comodo stats weren’t that spectacular, and in our checks, we acquired a median question time of around 72ms.
- Primary DNS: 8.26.56.26
- Secondary DNS: 8.20.247.20
CleanBrowsing
The CleanBrowsing public DNS resolver focuses on offering filters that allow parental controls and block grown-up content material. In different phrases, its purpose is to make sure the protection of youngsters when looking online. CleanBrowsing is a comparatively small-sized service in comparison with Quad9 or Cloudflare, which explains the targeted method it has.
In phrases of options, the free model of the DNS service helps all widespread security measures, together with DNSCrypt, DoH, DoT, and DNSCrypt. The DNS resolver provides separate IP addresses for households, adults, and safety filters without cost.
However, it primarily provides paid plans for an extra devoted DNS service, which can also be its main enterprise mannequin. The Basic plan begins at $59.99/12 months and provides 19 customized filters and blocks, lively monitoring, and many others.
- Primary DNS: 185.228.168.9
- Secondary DNS: 185.228.169.9
AdGuard DNS
AdGuard DNS is a well-liked and free DNS server that you need to use on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS gadgets. It’s extensively identified for blocking adverts, however, there’s greater than that. With the brand new AdGuard DNS, you may block trackers and analytics instruments system-wide that are at all times looking out to grasp your looking behavior on the net.
Further, it may additionally cease grown-up content material and malicious websites that attempt to redirect you to a number of shady websites. With the Family safety mode, you may implement protected search in varied internet browsers. Basically, the search engine will cease returning websites fully which have grown-up content material.
The better part is that you simply don’t want to put in any app to get all these options. Simply set the AdGuard DNS manually and you can be able to go. Not to say, AdGuard DNS similar to Cloudflare doesn’t log DNS queries or customers’ actions.
- Primary DNS: 94.140.14.14
- Secondary DNS: 94.140.15.15
Alternate DNS
Alternate DNS is a reasonably new DNS server, nevertheless, it provides a surprisingly good pace, and plenty of customers vouch for its reliability and server uptime. Similar to different DNS resolvers, Alternate DNS is constructed on the premise of blocking adverts, trackers, dangerous websites, and naturally, grown-up content material.
Apart from that, Alternate DNS is suitable with each IPv4 and IPv6 protocol so if you would like a higher pace, you may go together with the IPv6 DNS handle. In my temporary utilization, it carried out fairly nicely, however, I might advocate you to make the most of Alternate DNS as a secondary DNS resolver. For a backup, it’s fairly successful and must be useful in case your main DNS server goes down.
- Primary DNS: 76.76.19.19
- Secondary DNS: 76.223.122.150
DNS.Watch
DNS.Watch is a superb third-party DNS server for individuals who wish to surf the web without the ache of any restricted content material. The DNS server is completely free to make use of and doesn’t require any installations.
While the opposite DNS server suppliers additionally assist in opening the geo-restricted content material, DNS. Watch solely dedicates itself to the aim and therefore you should have one of the best-unrestricted web experts right here. The firm additionally believes in in-person privacy thus it doesn’t log any DNS queries despatched by your gadgets. Since there isn’t any logging of information, your information is safely hidden away from the fingers of advert companies that comply with your want sharks throughout the web. That stated, since DNS. Watch is a smaller firm it doesn’t have the assets to convey risk evaluation like among the different DNS server suppliers on this record.
So, you’ll have to safeguard yourself in opposition to phishing, malware, and any such assaults. You must select whether or not you desire an extra open web or a safer one. Keeping all these things in thoughts, DNS. Watch is a dependable DNS server that you need to use to surf online with the specified freedom.
- Primary DNS: 84.200.69.80
- Secondary DNS: 84.200.70.40
Yandex DNS
For a couple of cause, Yandex DNS is a whole DNS server. So, in case you are looking out for an alternate DNS that may ship dependable efficiency in most elements together with pace and safety without costing an arm or a leg, this one can match your wants.
Probably what units this Russia-based DNS server aside is an entire host of options. And with a spread of options comes the liberty to customize all the things in step with your workflow. That apart, it’s additionally among the many quickest servers which might play a significant function in enhancing your productivity. One of my favorite options of Yandex DNS is content material filtering which permits customers to ban offensive or grownup content material. By conserving obscene/offensive content material away, it ensures each enhanced smoothness and safety.
Not to say, Yandex DNS has a sturdy safety characteristic that blocks malware and bots. To match completely different wants, it is available in three modes. While primary provides fast and dependable DNS, Safe delivers safety from viruses and fraud. As for household mode, it’s designed to maintain grown-up content material at bay.
- Primary DNS: 77.88.8.8
- Secondary DNS: 77.88.8.1
Conclusion
That ends our listing of one of the best free and public DNS servers that you should use to take pleasure in quick, free, and safe web in your units. While most of us by no means swap from our ISP-supplied DNS servers, it’s a great observation to take action, particularly in case you are worth your privacy.