DNSFilter vs. SafeDNS: What's the Better Choice?

The internet is full of distractions and risks, which is why more organizations are turning to DNS filtering to stay safe and focused.

In this article, we’re comparing two well-known platforms, DNSFilter and SafeDNS, to see how they stack up in terms of features, pricing, and performance.

And if neither feels quite right, we’ll introduce you to Control D, a flexible alternative that might be a better fit for your needs.

What are DNSFilter and SafeDNS?

DNSFilter was founded in 2015. It’s a cloud-based DNS filtering service that protects users from harmful websites, phishing, and malware. It’s often used by schools, businesses, and IT providers. DNSFilter also uses artificial intelligence to find new threats quickly.

SafeDNS has been around since 2010. It also helps people block unwanted websites and protect against online threats. SafeDNS is used by homes, small businesses, and some public Wi-Fi networks. It offers different filtering options based on the type of user.

DNSFilter: Pros and Cons

Best for: Businesses and IT providers that want a fast and simple DNS filtering service with AI-powered threat protection.

Key Features

• AI-based threat detection
• Fast DNS resolution through a global Anycast network
• Simple dashboard that’s easy to manage

✅ Pros

• Easy to use and set up
• Strong protection against online threats
• Clear, simple pricing plans

❌ Cons

• Extra charges for important features like SIEM integration and data exports
• Not as flexible in blocking specific sites or Services
• Limited customization for advanced users
• Only supports DNS-over-TLS (DoT), not other modern DNS protocols
• Server performance and uptime could be better

Our Take on DNSFilter

DNSFilter is a strong option for small to mid-sized businesses that want solid, AI-based security without needing a tech expert to set it up. It’s fast, easy to use, and connects well with business tools. 

However, it lacks some advanced filtering options, customization capabilities, and full protocol support. Plus, important features like data export and SIEM access cost extra, something to watch out for if you're on a tight budget.

SafeDNS Pros and Cons

Best for: Home users, small businesses, and public Wi-Fi networks looking for basic filtering at a lower cost.

Key Features

• Easy website blocking by category
• Flexible filtering rules for different users
• Affordable plans for small networks

✅ Pros

• Good for beginners and families
• Budget-friendly pricing
• Responsive and reliable customer support

❌ Cons

• Limited advanced filtering options compared to other services
• Premium features are gated behind higher-tier plans
• Basic reporting features
• Lacks full modern DNS protocol support – only DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), which is reserved for the Pro plan

Our Take on SafeDNS

SafeDNS is a good pick for people who want basic filtering without spending too much. It’s simple and does the job for home use or small setups. But if you need advanced features or you have a complex setup requiring more flexibility and stronger threat protection, you may want to look elsewhere.

DNSFilter vs. SafeDNS

Plans & Pricing

DNSFilter is open about its pricing structure, offering three main tiers:

• Basic – $1.15/user/month
• Pro – $2.30/user/month
• Enterprise – $3.00/user/month

They also make a distinction on organization type as this further affects pricing:

• MSPs – Starts at $150 per month (minimum)
• Schools – $4 per student per year (minimum of 125 students)
• Public Wi-Fi providers – $5 per access point per month

SafeDNS offers a similar tiered pricing model based on the level of features you need:

• Basic – $1/user/month
• Pro – $1.80/user/month
• Pro+ – $2.50/user/month

For schools and non-profits, SafeDNS uses a separate pricing model:

• $400 per year covers up to 100 users per campus
• Each additional user costs $4/month annually

This makes SafeDNS a more budget-friendly option compared to DNSFilter

Features, Clients, and Integrations

As mentioned earlier, both platforms offer basic DNS-level protection you’d expect from such a service, including:

But, there are some differences, too:

Although SafeDNS offers Linux support, which DNSFilter does not, it reserves per-user policies and Active Directory support for Pro plan users, while DNSFilter offers this to all users. Additionally, it doesn’t support legacy DNS, something that’s still required for many businesses.

As such, DNSFilter wins in this category.

Analytics

• Query Log Retention: SafeDNS offers a considerably longer query log retention period of 1 year compared to DNSFilter’s 9 days
• Report Retention: Again, SafeDNS offers a far longer report retention period of 1 year compared to DNSFilter’s 90 days
• Data Export: SafeDNS allows you to export your data at any time, whereas DNSFilter requires you to purchase an add-on to do so
• SIEM Log Streaming: SafeDNS reserves this feature for Pro+ plan users, while DNSFilter requires you to purchase an add-on to unlock this feature
• Per-user Reporting: SafeDNS allows Pro plan subscribers to see reports per user, while DNSFilter makes this available to all tiers
• Scheduled Reporting: Similarly, SafeDNS reserves this feature for Pro plan subscribers, while DNSFilter makes this available to all users

Both platforms certainly have their pros and cons in this category, but SafeDNS wins due to its longer query log and report retention periods, as well as not charging extra for data exporting and SIEM log streaming.

Support

Both platforms provide email support and documentation. But, DNSFilter provides community support, which SafeDNS does not. However, while SafeDNS offers chat support to all users, DNSFilter charges extra for this feature.

Also, both offer prioritized case handling, but as is common in this comparison, DNSFilter requires you to purchase an add-on to unlock this feature. SafeDNS reserves this for users on the Pro+ plan.

As such, SafeDNS wins.

DNSFilter vs. SafeDNS vs. Control D

DNSFilter and SafeDNS both offer decent content filtering and threat protection, but they come with limitations in customization, cost, and performance flexibility. 

If you're looking for a more powerful, enterprise-grade alternative minus the enterprise-level cost, consider Control D. It combines the best of both DNSFilter and SafeDNS without the compromises.

Here’s why industry experts trust Control D for their DNS protection.

Easy Onboarding & Transparent Pricing

Control D doesn’t do tiered plans, hidden upgrades, or gatekeeping features for higher-tier users. You pay a flat rate per Endpoint, and you get access to every feature out of the box. Only a distinction is made between organization types, as this will affect pricing:

• Enterprises – $2/Endpoint/month
• MSPs – $1/Endpoint/month
• Schools & Non-Profits – Discounted rates available

Onboarding is equally smooth and takes only a few minutes. Whether you're deploying to five devices or five thousand, Control D works with your favorite RMM tools to make it fast and easy, but you also have the option to set it up manually if you choose to.

Best-in-Class Malware Protection

Control D’s malware filter blocks 99.97% of known malicious domains, using one of the most accurate DNS-based filters available. Its malware filter beat out all other competitors in the independent test, including major names such as Cloudflare, Google, and Quad9.

An important thing to note is that Control D doesn’t rely solely on static lists. It also uses AI and machine learning to detect and stop threats in real time. This keeps users safe from malware, phishing, ransomware, spyware, and more, without any action needed from the user.

All protection happens before a connection is made, and devices stay protected silently in the background, no matter the OS.

Ad & Tracker Blocking

Control D scrubs out ads and trackers before they have a chance to load since everything is blocked at the DNS level. This means pages load faster, data usage drops, and your browsing stays private, without having to install extensions or mess with your settings.

You also control how strict it is. Choose between Relaxed, Balanced, or Strict modes. Want fewer breakages? Pick Relaxed. Want a cleaner, faster web experience with no ad networks in sight? Go Strict.

The filter works across your whole network, from phones to laptops to smart TVs, without needing to configure each device.

Blockable Services

Although Control D offers 20 built-in Filters for a quick broad stroke approach, it goes beyond that by giving you over 1,000 individually blockable Services – apps, websites, platforms, and tools. 

You can toggle access to TikTok, Discord, Zoom, ChatGPT, or any other popular service without touching domain lists or writing rules. This allows for precise filtering at scale. 

Need to block Reddit for some employees, but allow it for your support team? Done. Want Instagram off for interns, but open for marketing? Easy. It’s flexible and built to be customizable depending on your specific needs.

For comparison, DNSFilter offers fewer than 100 Services, and SafeDNS offers zero.

Traffic Redirection

Control D lets you choose how your DNS traffic is routed around the world, thanks to its Traffic Redirection feature. With more than 100 proxy locations across 60+ countries, you’re not stuck with one location. You can pick where to send your traffic globally, and do it without running a VPN.

You can set a default location for all queries, or go deeper and assign specific Services to specific regions. For example, route YouTube through a country in Europe, but route everything else through your home country for better compliance or latency.

It’s all managed in a clean interface with a simple toggle, no technical setup needed. And it works for every device on your network, all at once.

This level of control is ideal for global teams or anyone who wants to avoid the one-size-fits-all model of traditional DNS tools. This feature is not available with DNSFilter or SafeDNS.

Geo-Custom Rules

Control D’s Geo-Custom Rules feature helps you filter DNS traffic by both geography and network ownership. This includes blocking, bypassing, or redirecting queries based on the country or ASN of the source or destination.

You can set rules such as:

• Block queries resolving to IPs in a specific country or ASN
• Redirect queries that don't resolve to IPs in a specific country or ASN
• Bypass queries made from IPs in a specific country or ASN
• Block queries made from IPs not in a specific country or ASN
• Or any combination of the above

These tools are especially helpful for businesses that operate in sensitive industries, deal with regional regulations, or want to reduce risks from high-risk locations.

Other DNS providers may allow some form of geo-blocking, but few offer the ability to manage both source and destination logic with ASN support. Control D does.

In-Depth Analytics & Monitoring

Control D gives you deep insight into analytics data without making it hard to understand. You get live logs, historical data, and smart visuals that help you spot trends, threats, or unusual patterns quickly.

You can monitor your whole network in one place, track blocked domains, high-traffic Services, or sudden changes that may signal a problem.

If you’re already using a SIEM tool, you can stream real-time query logs right into it, helping your security team keep an eye on things without switching platforms.

For less hands-on tracking, set up automated email reports. You choose how often they arrive – daily, weekly, or monthly – and they include a full snapshot of your network’s activity.

Advanced Chatbot

Barry gives you the power of Control D’s support team in chatbot form. He understands technical features, reads context, and solves 99% of problems in seconds, whether you’re onboarding new devices or troubleshooting a complex issue.

His responses come from the collective knowledge of our Control D team, in-depth documentation, and constant learning from users just like you. The more people ask questions, the sharper Barry gets.

Of course, should your query fall in the 1%, Barry can easily escalate your question to our human support team.

Full Cross-Platform Support

Control D is built to run on everything. Whether your business runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, or Android, Control D supports it all. It also works at the router level and directly through the browser for quick deployment.

IT admins can go further with built-in support for enterprise tools like Active Directory, SIEMs, RMM platforms, and even Single Sign-On tools like Okta.

Dual Stack Ready & Modern Protocol Support

Control D supports every major DNS protocol you might need. It’s dual-stack ready, which means it runs smoothly over both IPv4 and IPv6 networks.

On the security side, Control D offers full support for encrypted protocols like DoH, DoT, DoH3, and DoQ. These encrypt your DNS traffic and hide it from external snoopers.

If some parts of your network still rely on older DNS setups, don’t worry. You don’t need to upgrade everything overnight. Control D can work across both modern and legacy environments at the same time.

Full API Access

The Control D API gives you everything you need to automate and scale DNS management for no additional charge. 

You can handle profile changes, policy updates, IP list modifications, and endpoint management right from your own tools. It’s fully documented, stable, and available from the start.

Custom Data Storage Region

Not every business has the same privacy or legal requirements. That’s why Control D gives you full control over where your data is stored. Choose between North America, Europe, or Australia for standard storage, depending on your needs.

And if you have stricter rules about data residency, like needing to store logs within your own country, Control D offers a custom storage region option (available for a small additional fee).

Performance

Control D leads the charge in query speed with a score of 17.51 ms, followed by DNSFilter with 18.47 ms, and finally SafeDNS in last place with 25.81 ms.

SafeDNS has a 99.9% Uptime score, but is followed closely behind by Control D with 99.88%. DNSFilter comes in last place with a score of 99.66%.

Control D outperforms the other two with a score of 99.88% in the Quality metric. In second place is SafeDNS with 99.86%, followed by DNSFilter in last place with 99.48%