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Best free public DNS servers in 2026

Your ISP's DNS is fine, but public DNS servers like Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Google 8.8.8.8, and Quad9 9.9.9.9 are usually faster, more private, and easier to remember. Here's how they compare.

May 6, 20266 min read

Most people use whatever DNS server their internet service provider sets by default. It works. But you can usually do better — sometimes a lot better — by switching to a public DNS resolver.

A public DNS server is just another DNS resolver, run by a company or non-profit, available for anyone to point their device or router at. The good ones are faster than ISP DNS, support modern security features, and don't try to monetize your queries by tracking you. Best of all, they're free and trivial to switch to.

Here are the resolvers worth knowing about, what they're good at, and how to switch.

Quick comparison

ProviderIPv4IPv6DoT/DoHSpecial features
Cloudflare1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.12606:4700:4700::1111, ::1001YesFast, no-log policy
Google8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.42001:4860:4860::8888, ::8844YesReliable, ubiquitous
Quad99.9.9.9, 149.112.112.1122620:fe::fe, 2620:fe::9YesBlocks malware domains
OpenDNS208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.2202620:119:35::35YesFamily/content filtering tiers
AdGuard DNS94.140.14.14, 94.140.15.152a10:50c0::ad1:ffYesBlocks ads & trackers
NextDNS45.90.28.0, 45.90.30.0(per-account)YesConfigurable, dashboard
Mullvad DNS194.242.2.22a07:e340::2YesPrivacy-focused, content-filterable

DoT = DNS over TLS. DoH = DNS over HTTPS. Both encrypt your queries so your ISP can't see them.

The recommendations

Cloudflare — 1.1.1.1

The fastest globally-available resolver in most independent benchmarks. Cloudflare runs DNS on the same anycast network that powers their CDN, so it's geographically close to most users.

Pros

  • Extremely fast.
  • Strong privacy stance: a third-party audit (KPMG) has confirmed they don't keep query logs longer than 24 hours and don't sell them.
  • Easy to remember: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1.
  • Native DoT, DoH, and DNSSEC support.
  • For-families variant at 1.1.1.3 blocks adult content; 1.1.1.2 blocks malware.

Cons

  • You're trusting Cloudflare with all your DNS queries.
  • Outage in October 2020 affected many users — rare, but it happened.

Pick this if you want the fastest, easiest, most-likely-to-work option.

Google — 8.8.8.8

The OG public DNS. Boring, reliable, well-known. Used worldwide as a fallback when ISP DNS misbehaves.

Pros

  • Famously reliable — uptime in the four-nines range for over a decade.
  • Globally distributed.
  • Fast almost everywhere.

Cons

  • It's Google. They don't log DNS queries personally according to their policy, but you're handing operational data to a company whose business is data.
  • Slightly slower than Cloudflare on average.

Pick this if you want a known-quantity fallback, or if Cloudflare's happens to be blocked.

Quad9 — 9.9.9.9

A non-profit run by IBM, PCH, and Global Cyber Alliance. Blocks malware, phishing, and known bad domains automatically using threat intelligence feeds.

Pros

  • Genuinely blocks malware at the DNS layer — domain doesn't resolve, drive-by exploit doesn't load.
  • Run by a non-profit with a strong privacy policy.
  • Switzerland-based, GDPR-friendly.

Cons

  • Slightly slower than Cloudflare or Google in some regions.
  • Occasional false positives — legitimate sites sometimes blocked.

Pick this if you want passive malware protection without installing anything.

AdGuard DNS — 94.140.14.14

Like Quad9 but blocks ads and trackers in addition to malware.

Pros

  • Stops most ads at the network level — works in apps and on smart devices that don't support ad-blocking extensions.
  • Free tier is fully featured.
  • Has a non-filtering tier (94.140.14.140) if you want clean DNS without ad-blocking.

Cons

  • Some sites break when their tracker scripts can't load.
  • Less mainstream than the big three.

Pick this if you're tired of ads on devices that can't run uBlock Origin (smart TVs, set-tops, kid's tablets).

NextDNS — 45.90.28.0

A configurable DNS service with an admin dashboard. You sign up, get a unique resolver address, and customize what gets blocked, what gets logged, and how queries are routed.

Pros

  • Per-domain rules — block specific trackers but not all ads, etc.
  • Optional logging gives you query history for troubleshooting.
  • 300,000 queries/month free; cheap paid tier removes limits.

Cons

  • Setup is more involved (you get a personalized resolver IP/URL).
  • The "personal" model means a unique identifier for your traffic — privacy is good only as far as you trust NextDNS.

Pick this if you want fine control or you're a power user who wants visibility into what your devices are doing.

Mullvad DNS — 194.242.2.2

The Swedish privacy-focused VPN provider also runs a public DNS. No accounts, no logs, no surveillance.

Pros

  • Strong privacy reputation by extension from their VPN business.
  • Free, no signup, no logging.
  • Optional content-filtering variants (block ads, trackers, malware, social media).

Cons

  • Smaller global footprint than the giants — slower in some regions.
  • Less familiar brand for non-privacy nerds.

Pick this if you want the privacy of a paid service for free, in exchange for slightly more variability in latency.

How to switch

The cleanest place to switch is your router. One change covers every device on your network. Some ISP-provided routers don't let you, in which case change it on each device.

Router (every device)

Log into your router (192.168.1.1 or your router's printed address). Look for "DNS settings" or "WAN" or "Internet." Set primary and secondary to your chosen pair. Save and reboot if prompted.

Windows

Settings → Network & internet → click your connection → IP assignment and DNS server assignment → Edit → choose Manual, enable IPv4, enter your two DNS servers. Repeat for IPv6 if you want.

macOS

System Settings → Network → select your connection → Details → DNS tab → click + and add the IPs.

iPhone / iPad

Settings → Wi-Fi → tap your network's (i) → Configure DNS → Manual → add servers.

Android

Settings → Network & internet → Private DNS → enter 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com (or dns.google, dns.quad9.net, dns.adguard.com). This uses DoT (encrypted DNS) automatically, which is even better than just IPs.

Should you change it?

For most people: yes, the switch is worth it. ISP DNS tends to be slower, occasionally inserts ad redirects on typo'd domains, and is the easiest way for your ISP to log every site you visit. A reputable public DNS removes all three problems for free.

If you're already using a VPN with bundled DNS, don't change anything else — let the VPN handle it. (And check that DNS isn't leaking.)

TL;DR

  • Want speed and a no-fuss default: Cloudflare 1.1.1.1.
  • Want passive malware blocking: Quad9 9.9.9.9.
  • Want ad-blocking on every device: AdGuard DNS or NextDNS.
  • Want max privacy without complexity: Mullvad DNS.
  • Don't know yet: start with Cloudflare. You can always change it later.

DNS is one of the cheapest, easiest privacy and performance upgrades available. Five minutes of setup, every site you visit slightly faster forever.