NextDNS
NextDNS is a cloud-based DNS filtering service that blocks ads, trackers, and malware at the DNS level, functioning as a cloud-hosted alternative to self-hosted solutions like Pi-hole. It offers customizable blocklists, parental controls, and encrypted DNS protocols (DoH/DoT) for individuals, families, and small businesses.
Score generated by AI agents based on publicly cited evidence and reviewed by the project maintainer. Not independently validated.
Score History
Timeline events are AI-curated from public reporting. Score trajectory is derived from documented events.
NextDNS launches as a free beta DNS filtering service founded by two former Dailymotion engineers. The service is entirely free with no query limits, offering customizable blocklists and encrypted DNS protocols. With only two founders — one simultaneously employed at Netflix — the team is extremely lean, but the product is focused and functional with no monetization pressures.
NextDNS achieves major validation through Mozilla's Trusted Recursive Resolver program and Firefox 73 integration, becoming only the second DNS provider alongside Cloudflare to be built into Firefox. The service exits beta in May 2020 with a freemium model: 300,000 queries/month free, then $1.99/month for unlimited. A November 2020 Hacker News report exposes unauthorized data sharing with Intercom, a notable lapse for a privacy-focused product.
NextDNS matures into a full-featured platform with native iOS 14 encrypted DNS support, AI-Driven Threat Detection, Pegasus spyware blocking, multi-jurisdiction log storage, and Apple configuration profile generation. The pricing remains stable at $1.99/month with no increases. Minor issues accumulate: the business tier shows limitations, PayPal billing bugs surface, and the privacy policy is identified as incomplete per GDPR requirements. The product is well-regarded but the 3-person team is stretched thin.
The founders launch dns0.eu, a European public DNS service, in early 2023, diverting attention from NextDNS. Development stagnation becomes visible: the iOS app hasn't been updated since January 2021, GitHub pull requests go unreviewed, and support goes dark for extended periods. Tech bloggers begin documenting switches to competitors like Control D and AdGuard DNS. The core DNS service continues to function reliably, but the product is no longer evolving while competitors ship weekly updates.
NextDNS remains a functional, privacy-respecting DNS service with an unchanged $1.99/month price and a generous free tier, but development stagnation is now the dominant concern. The Bypass Age Verification feature in August 2025 shows some pulse, and dns0.eu's October 2025 shutdown may free founders' attention. Competitors continue gaining ground while support remains unreliable. The product works well for what it does — the question is whether 'good enough' is sustainable against actively developing alternatives.
Alternatives
Free, self-hosted network-level DNS ad blocker. Requires a Raspberry Pi or Linux machine and 30-60 minutes of setup, but gives you full control over your DNS data with no third-party trust required. A good choice if you're comfortable with self-hosting and want to avoid cloud dependency.
Cloud-based DNS filtering from AdGuard, a well-established privacy company. Free tier with 300,000 queries/month, paid plans from $2.49/month. More actively developed than NextDNS with regular feature updates and responsive support.
Cloud DNS filtering service with advanced features like device-level profiles, geo-unblocking, and frequent updates. Free tier available; paid plans from $2/month. More actively maintained than NextDNS with weekly feature releases, though it's a newer company with less track record.
Dimensional Breakdown
Summaries below were written by AI agents based on the cited evidence. They are editorial interpretations, not independent research findings.
Dimension History
Timeline (25 events)
NextDNS launches as public beta DNS resolver
Romain Cointepas and Olivier Poitrey, both former Dailymotion engineers, launch NextDNS in beta as a cloud-hosted DNS filtering service with customizable blocklists. Poitrey simultaneously serves as Director of Engineering at Netflix. The service is free during beta with no query limits.
Privacy-friendly EDNS Client Subnet implementation launched
NextDNS introduces a modified EDNS0 Client Subnet (ECS) implementation that uses Autonomous System numbers instead of user IP subnets, maintaining CDN performance while preventing DNS servers from identifying individual users. This is the first cross-platform privacy-preserving ECS implementation.
First DNS service to block CNAME cloaking trackers
NextDNS becomes the first cross-platform DNS service to detect and block CNAME cloaking, a technique where tracking companies disguise third-party trackers as first-party domains using CNAME DNS records. The company publishes an open-source CNAME cloaking blocklist on GitHub.
Mozilla accepts NextDNS into Trusted Recursive Resolver program
Mozilla announces NextDNS as the second DNS provider in its Trusted Recursive Resolver (TRR) program, joining Cloudflare. The TRR program requires strict privacy standards: data used only for operating the service and deleted within 24 hours. This validates NextDNS's privacy practices by an independent third party.
NextDNS integrated as DoH provider in Firefox 73
Firefox 73 ships with NextDNS as a built-in DNS-over-HTTPS provider option alongside Cloudflare, allowing Firefox users to select NextDNS directly from browser settings. This gives NextDNS distribution through one of the world's most popular browsers without any acquisition cost.
Multi-jurisdiction log storage launched for GDPR compliance
NextDNS announces support for storing DNS query logs in different jurisdictions: United States (default), European Union, and Switzerland. Users can choose where their data is stored and which privacy laws apply, with configurable retention from 1 hour to 2 years or full no-logs mode.
NextDNS exits beta with freemium pricing model
NextDNS exits its year-long beta, introducing a 300,000 queries/month free tier and a $1.99/month Pro plan with unlimited queries. After exceeding the free limit, the service gracefully degrades to a standard DNS resolver rather than cutting off access entirely. Users are notified at 250k and 300k thresholds.
Hacker News exposes Intercom data sharing without GDPR consent
A Hacker News post reveals that NextDNS sends user email addresses to Intercom (a third-party customer support tool) during account registration without obtaining GDPR consent. Cookies from intercom.io are set without user knowledge, contradicting NextDNS's privacy-focused positioning. The company subsequently addresses the issue.
iOS app updated to use native encrypted DNS on iOS 14
NextDNS releases an iOS app update that leverages iOS 14's native Encrypted DNS setting, eliminating the need for a 'fake' VPN workaround. The update also introduces Apple configuration profiles (.mobileconfig) that can be generated at apple.nextdns.io for installing NextDNS on any Apple device without the app.
AI-Driven Threat Detection feature launched in beta
NextDNS introduces AI-Driven Threat Detection, a proprietary machine learning engine analyzing DNS queries in real-time with hundreds of signals and terabytes of training data. The system detects and blocks malicious domains within hours of registration, before they appear in traditional blocklists. The feature adds a non-transparent algorithmic layer to an otherwise deterministic service.
NextDNS blocks 1,400+ Pegasus spyware domains via threat feeds
Following the July 2021 Pegasus Project revelations that NSO Group's spyware targeted 50,000+ phone numbers, NextDNS adds over 1,400 domains linked to Pegasus command-and-control infrastructure to its Threat Intelligence Feeds. This provides DNS-level protection against the surveillance tool for all NextDNS users.
Open-source CLI client reaches maturity with v3.0
The NextDNS CLI client, licensed under MIT, reaches version 3.0 with a kernel extension replacing the TAP interface on Windows. The client works with any DoH provider, not just NextDNS, and is available across all major platforms. The NextDNS GitHub organization maintains 22 open-source repositories.
NextDNS founders launch dns0.eu European DNS service
Romain Cointepas and Olivier Poitrey launch dns0.eu, a non-profit European public DNS resolver operated by Dutch non-profit Stichting NLnet Labs and French organization Fondation RESTENA. The service runs 62 servers across 27 European cities. Community members immediately question whether this signals divided attention from NextDNS.
Blog post raises alarm about NextDNS development stagnation
A widely-read blog post titled 'Something is up with NextDNS' documents unmerged pull requests on GitHub, sporadic server latency issues, and the founders' attention shifting to dns0.eu. The author reports that a PR submitted in February 2023 to remove outdated Energized blocklists received no response from developers.
iOS app compatibility issues with iOS 17 go unaddressed
Users report that NextDNS stops working properly after updating to iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The iOS app had not been updated since January 2021 — over two years — and lacked compatibility with newer iOS networking APIs. Multiple bug reports in the help center receive no developer response.
Privacy policy identified as incomplete per GDPR requirements
Community members document that NextDNS's privacy policy lacks required GDPR elements including Data Protection Officer contact information and clear processes for Data Subject Access Requests. The policy states 'no data is logged' by default while logging is actually enabled by default with 3-month US retention.
Indian users unable to pay for subscriptions due to RBI compliance gap
For over three years, NextDNS fails to implement Stripe's Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) required by India's Reserve Bank regulations for recurring payments. Indian users cannot complete credit card payments because NextDNS's checkout does not prompt for the mandatory OTP verification step. Multiple help center reports receive no resolution.
Tech blogger documents switch from NextDNS to Control D
Derek Seaman publishes a widely-read post explaining his migration from NextDNS to Control D, citing NextDNS's stagnant development, only 43 service-level blocking options versus Control D's 1,000+, and unresponsive support. The post becomes a reference point in community discussions about NextDNS alternatives.
Users report ongoing billing charges after account deletion
Multiple Trustpilot and help center reports document users being charged via PayPal after deleting their NextDNS accounts. The issue stems from PayPal recurring payment authorizations not being automatically cancelled when accounts are deleted, requiring users to manually revoke authorization in PayPal separately.
Community asks 'What is going on with NextDNS?' amid support silence
A NextDNS Help Center discussion thread titled 'What is going on with NextDNS?' documents widespread frustration with zero support responses to paid subscribers. Users report critical bug reports ignored for months, with the help center showing periods of complete developer absence.
Help center thread asks if NextDNS has been abandoned
A NextDNS Help Center discussion titled 'NextDNS abandoned?' surfaces community concerns about the product's future. Users note the iOS app hasn't been updated since January 2021, GitHub pull requests go unreviewed, and no official communication addresses the development slowdown. NextDNS responds that backend services receive routine updates.
Bypass Age Verification feature launched for all users
NextDNS releases a DNS-level geographic spoofing feature that bypasses mandatory age verification on websites in the UK, US states, and other jurisdictions. The feature intercepts DNS requests and redirects through proxy servers in countries without verification requirements. Available to all users including free tier, though results are mixed.
Hacker News user warns against using abandoned NextDNS
A highly-upvoted Hacker News comment states 'Do not promote or use NextDNS, it's essentially abandoned' and documents a user whose service stopped working after renewing an annual subscription with zero support response. The thread sparks widespread debate about whether a stable DNS service needs active development.
Privacy Guides community debates NextDNS as 'dead product'
A Privacy Guides Community thread titled 'NextDNS seems to be dead as a product' catalogues concerns: iOS app not updated in 4+ years, GitHub PRs ignored, inconsistent support, and founders' attention divided by dns0.eu. Some members defend it as a 'stable product' needing minimal updates while others recommend switching to alternatives.
Founders' dns0.eu project shuts down due to lack of resources
DNS0.EU, the European public DNS resolver launched by NextDNS founders in 2023, permanently discontinues service, stating it 'was not sustainable for us in terms of time and resources.' The shutdown frees the founders' attention back to NextDNS but raises questions about the sustainability of small-team projects. DNS0.EU recommends users switch to DNS4EU or NextDNS.