shouldiuse.io

Categories

VERDICT

NextDNS Review

Worth it

Should I use NextDNS?

NextDNS protects you from all kinds of security threats, blocks ads and trackers on websites and in apps and provides a safe and supervised Internet for kids — on all devices and on all networks. - nextdns.io

· 14 hours ago

Buy if you're an individual or household wanting network-wide ad, tracker, and malware blocking with deep configuration. Skip if you need VPN-style privacy, guaranteed performance, or enterprise-grade support.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 40+ public sources; many snippets truncated, so quotes and numbers are partial.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo direct support evidence found
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Paid$20/year (user-reported)

Best for

  • Privacy-conscious individuals
  • Households wanting kid-safe filtering
  • Whole-network ad blocking across devices
  • Tinkerers wanting granular DNS control

Not for

  • Anyone expecting VPN-level privacy — DNS filtering doesn't hide traffic or IP
  • Enterprises needing SLAs, audits, and dedicated support
  • Networks whose ISPs block third-party DNS
  • Light users fine with free AdGuard DNS

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Free tier hard-caps 300,000 queries/month; busy households or small offices will exceed it

medium

Some ISPs block or interfere with third-party DNS before you commit

medium

Support runs through community forums; multiple public 'giving up' threads exist

low

Reddit PSA: many light users should not pay for the subscription at all

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Blocks ads, trackers, and malware on all devices and networks
  • Generous free plan for basic use
  • Deeply customizable blocking profiles
  • Named by Mozilla as a trusted Firefox DNS alongside Cloudflare

Cons

  • Users report it feels slower than AdGuard DNS
  • Some users report severe slowdowns and site breakage
  • Trust complaints; churners migrated to AdGuard or Control D
  • Not a VPN substitute; some pair it with one for fuller privacy

Sources & method

- 9 sources - No CVEs found in sources reviewed; one reported abuse of a NextDNS config for iCloud theft scams.

official x2review x5security x1news x1
  • Malicious public config used in iCloud theft scams, A NextDNS configuration (ID eab6bf) was reported abused for Apple iCloud theft scams; platform abuse, not a product vulnerability.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 9

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free tier; user-reported $20/yr paid plan
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Described as effortless setup across devices
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Deep customization and blocking controls praised
  • Support quality. No direct support evidence found
  • Security posture: 4/5. Encrypted DNS supported; no public CVEs found
  • $20/yr Starting price Per user reports on Hacker News
  • Yes Free tier Capped at 300K queries/month
  • Trusted DNS Mozilla listing Second Firefox resolver after Cloudflare

Pricing

Free

$0

  • 300,000 queries per month
  • Core ad, tracker, and malware blocking

Paid

$20/year (user-reported)

  • Uncapped query allowance (Guess)
  • Reported by Hacker News users

Security

No CVEs found in sources reviewed; one reported abuse of a NextDNS config for iCloud theft scams.

  • Malicious public config used in iCloud theft scamsA NextDNS configuration (ID eab6bf) was reported abused for Apple iCloud theft scams; platform abuse, not a product vulnerability.⁶

What users say

Users praise NextDNS's effectiveness and configurability, but a vocal minority reports slowdowns, trust concerns, and migration to AdGuard or Control D.

“I love NextDNS. The one (fairly huge) issue that I have is ...”
Hacker News
“PSA: Do NOT pay for nextdns subscription unless you're ...”
Reddit, r/nextdns
“Same here, I left NextDNS because I didn't trust it anymore.”
Hacker News

Companies that use it

Full analysis

Based on 40+ public sources; many snippets truncated, so quotes and numbers are partial.

Cheap DNS-level ad and malware blocking for individuals; generous free tier, but no VPN and thin enterprise support.

Methodology

Based on 40+ public sources; many snippets truncated, so quotes and numbers are partial.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. NextDNS - The new firewall for the modern Internetnextdns.io
    official
  2. PSA: Do NOT pay for nextdns subscription unless you're ...reddit.com
    review
  3. Why does NextDNS only have 300.000 per month?help.nextdns.io
    official
  4. NextDNS is $20 and stands ... (HN discussion)news.ycombinator.com
    review
  5. Why does NextDNS feel slower than Adguard DNSreddit.com
    review
  6. Urgent abuse report: malicious NextDNS configuration for iCloud theft scamshelp.nextdns.io
    security
  7. Mozilla announces NextDNS joining Cloudflare as second Firefox DNSfacebook.com
    news
  8. NextDNS Customer Reviewsca.trustpilot.com
    review
  9. NextDNS vs. Cloudflare: How Do They Compare?controld.com
    review

Rate this review

Anonymous. You can change your vote.

Loading votes…

Comments

One queue. No nested comments. Give a display name first. Limit: 200 words per comment and 7 comments per day. You can edit or delete yours.

Save a name to write a comment.

0 / 200 words

No comments yet.