The main difference between Control D and DNSFilter is that Control D offers much better pricing while including the same functionality as DNSFilter.
This article does a deeper dive into Control D vs DNSFilter and analyzes them based on the following criteria:
- Plans
- Pricing
- General Features
- Clients & Applications
- Integrations
- Analytics & Reporting
- Support
- Privacy Policy
- Performance
Each criterion will contain a short description emphasizing their differences where applicable.
Let’s get into the details.
Plans
One of the main differences between Control D and DNSFilter is the structure of the tiered plans.
DNSFilter offers three plans – Basic, Pro, and Enterprise – each with different features. There’s also a distinction between organization type, i.e., businesses, MSPs, schools, and those operating a Guest WiFi network, as there’s a different pricing structure for each – more on that later.
Conversely, Control D does not have plans and does not gatekeep features for different users. This ensures that all users and organization types have access to the full suite of features Control D offers, without incurring additional costs.
Pricing
DNSFilter's pricing starts at $1 for the Basic plan, increasing to $2 for Pro and $3 for Enterprise. On the other hand, Control D charges a standard rate of $1 per Endpoint per month for MSPs and $2 per Endpoint per month for Enterprises.
DNSFilter also has a minimum monthly user count for schools and a minimum monthly spend for MSPs. For example, pricing for MSPs starts at $150 per month, and once per-user costs go above this amount, costs are calculated at a rate of $1 - $3 per user per month (depending on the plan).
Control D does not have a minimum monthly spend, and the only instance where a minimum user count is applied is when setting up a router or firewall, in which case there is a minimum user count of 5.
This makes Control D more cost-effective than DNSFilter and ensures that start-ups and SMBs are not charged more than their usage.
To highlight this point, let's compare the pricing structure between DNSFilter and Control D for MSPs with varying Endpoints/users.
Control D is up to 6x more affordable at lower Endpoint ranges and 3x more affordable at higher Endpoint ranges. As we’re about to explore next, this price differential is particularly of note when factoring in the list of features between both services.
👉 Read our post about the best DNSFilter alternatives
General Features
Blockable Services
While both platforms allow you to block specific content categories from resolving, i.e., Social Media, Gambling, and Adult Content, the most significant difference comes when trying to block applications and platforms.
DNSFilter’s AppAware allows you to block over 80 apps, whereas Control D’s Services allows you to block over 1,000. However, Services not only include apps, but also tools, vendors, websites, and groups of websites – e.g., Google, Amazon, OpenAI, etc. – giving you granular control over what is resolved on your network and device.
Third-party Blocklists
DNSFilter allows you to import CSV files to create your own Allow and Block Lists, as well as import CSV files into its Universal Lists, which are applied to all current and future filtering policies.
The same features are available in Control D – called Custom Rules and Global Profiles, respectively – but you also have the ability to choose from 15 “well-known” third-party blocklists within the Dashboard, something which is not possible in DNSFilter. This streamlines the process so you don’t have to manually import CSV files each time.
Examples of Control D’s third-party blocklists include those from Hagezi, OSID, AdGuard, StevenBlack, and more. You can use these in addition to your own custom blocklists.
Note: If you have your own curated blocklist hosted elsewhere, Control D allows you to use it as a ‘Third-Party Filter’ directly in the Dashboard. It will be exclusive to your user account and will not be made available to other users.
Geo-Custom Rules
A feature unique to Control D is Geo-Custom Rules. They function exactly like regular Custom Rules but differ in that they leverage the geo-location data associated with the source IP address making a DNS query, and the destination IP address to which the query is resolving to. This gives you the ability to enforce the following rules:
- Block queries resolving to IPs in a particular country.
- Redirect queries that don’t resolve to IPs in a particular country.
- Bypass queries made from IPs in a particular country.
- Block queries made from IPs not in a particular country.
- Block or allow queries that resolve to IPs in a specific ASN.
- Combine any of the above rules.
For instance, you may want to block queries made to/from IPs in Russia or China as this may suggest your network or device has been compromised.
Dual Stack Ready
Control D is dual stack ready, meaning you can utilize both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols simultaneously, ensuring compatibility for all devices. This is not possible with DNSFilter.
Traffic Redirection
Another feature unique to Control D is Traffic Redirection. In addition to blocking domains, Traffic Redirection allows you to redirect DNS traffic through a proxy server in one of over 100 exit locations worldwide.
This allows you to change (spoof) your IP address – thereby masking the source IP to destination websites – without a VPN.
Single Sign-on
DNSFilter has Single Sign-on capability which is compatible with OpenID Connect, Okta, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Azure.
This is not yet available with Control D. However, this feature is in the works and will soon be available to all Organization accounts.
Malware Filter Effectiveness
An independent test examined the effectiveness of various public DNS resolver’s malware filters. It found that Control D ranked first, outperforming all competitors with a 99.97% block rate.
This high success rate is due to our AI-powered malware filter, which can accurately detect potential malware domains before they appear on blocklists while minimizing false positives.
Note: Although DNSFilter was not included in the test, we considered it important to highlight how Control D’s malware filter compares to most competitors on the market.
Clients & Applications
iOS, Android, and Linux Support
Control D has iOS, Android, and Linux support for all organization types, whereas DNSFilter only has iOS and Android support for Enterprise users and does not support Linux at all.
Integrations
Zapier Integration
A handy feature unique to DNSFilter is its compatibility with Zapier. Zapier integration allows you to automate repetitive tasks across two or more applications, thus streamlining your workflow. This feature is not available with Control D.
Analytics & Reporting
Data Export & SIEM Streaming
Leveraging data is crucial to keeping your network and devices secure. Control D allows you to export all your data as a CSV file or stream it to an SIEM tool at no additional cost.
DNSFilter allows you to export data as a CSV file, but that data is limited to information on threats and requests. To export all additional data, you must utilize a SIEM streaming tool, costing $0.25/user/month or $1.25/access point/month.
Query Log Retention
Control D stores 7 day’s worth of query log data for all users. DNSFilter stores 3, 6, and 9 day’s worth of query logs for the Basic, Pro, and Enterprise plan, respectively.
Reporting Retention
Reports in Control D are saved for 30 days with hourly time-series granularity or 1 year with daily time-series granularity. DNSFilter offers 30, 60, and 90 days of reports for the Basic, Pro, and Enterprise plans, respectively.
Data Storage Regions
Control D gives you the ability to choose from three different storage locations – Sydney, New York, and Amsterdam – and the option to choose a custom data storage location (for an additional cost), both of which you cannot do with DNSFilter.
Support
Chat Support
While both services have chat support available, they operate differently.
DNSFilter's chatbot attempts to solve your query by first directing you to a help article. If this does not suffice, you can contact the support desk by leaving a message.
Control D also has chat support, but it is in the form of Barry, a chatbot powered by machine-learning technology that encompasses all information in the documentation and the collective knowledge of all Control D employees.
Barry can assist with everything from general information about the company and services to creating ctrld toml files and troubleshooting issues. If further assistance is required, you can reach out to the support desk.
Read our blog post to learn more about Barry's genesis and capabilities.
Support Add-On
With the purchase of support add-ons (a 20% additional cost to your monthly bill), DNSFilter offers Pro and Enterprise users:
- Enhanced SLA
- Permanent API Token
- Prioritized Case Handling
- Zoom Consultation Calls
Enhanced SLA
DNSFilter Pro and Enterprise users receive an enhanced response SLA target of 30 minutes for email and 15 minutes for phone support.
Control D does not have such response targets in place. However, Barry can often resolve all queries in real time, and tickets to the support desk are answered promptly.
Permanent API Token
DNSFilter offers Pro and Enterprise users a permanent API token. All Control D organization users are provided this at no additional cost.
Prioritized Case Handling
DNSFilter Pro and Enterprise users can take advantage of prioritized case handling ahead of standard tier support cases. This service is not offered by Control D.
Zoom Consultation Calls
DNSFilter offers two Zoom Consultation Calls per month for users in the Pro and Enterprise plan. While Control D does not explicitly offer this service, you can arrange video calls at any time – with no monthly limit – by talking to your account manager.
Privacy Policy
Collection of User Information
DNSFilter collects the following user information:
- Personal Information – Name, email address, mailing address, phone number.
- Professional Information – Name, email address, mailing address, company name, job title.
- Payment Information – Bank account number, debit/credit card details, financial account details.
- Device Data – Device OS, manufacturer and model, browser type, screen resolution, unique identifiers, source IP address, city/state/geographical location.
- From Third Parties – social media platforms and other public sources
Control D is a privacy-focused DNS service that does not collect or store data that can identify individual users, nor does it share data with any third party. The only user information collected is:
- Email address associated with your account.
- Date of registration.
- Transaction ID of payments.
- Device Data – Source IP address, language, screen resolution, referring website, browser user-agent, timestamp of last activity.
Sharing of Personal Information
DNSFilter may share your personal information with:
- Related companies
- Third-party service providers
- Third-party advertising partners
- Professional advisors
- Law enforcement
Control D does not share your personal information with a third party. The only exception to this rule is if required to do so by a valid Canadian subpoena explicitly denoting the email address associated with your account. The information shared is limited to the collected information mentioned above.
Read the full privacy policy:
Performance
All data used in this section has been sourced from dnsperf.com and will be updated monthly.
Latency
Across all public DNS resolvers, DNSFilter ranks first for performance with a query speed of 16.05 ms, whereas Control D ranks third with a query speed of 18.75 ms.
Uptime
Control D has superior uptime compared to DNSFilter with 99.92% and 98.39%, respectively.
Quality
Control D outperforms DNSFilter in the Quality metric with a score of 99.91% compared to DNSFilter’s 98%.
Final Thoughts
We hope this article has been enlightening and has quenched your thirst for a detailed comparison between Control D and DNSFilter.
Based on the information gathered, Control D provides a better, more secure DNS service all around. But if you think we’re biased, don’t take our word for it.
Book a demo with our team or start your 30-day free trial today to experience it firsthand.