Best Free and Public DNS Servers 2024, Use 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for Google’s DNS service. Here are more options from other companies, Every month, I update this page with the best public DNS servers you can use for free. As of January, my top picks include Google, Control D, Quad9, OpenDNS, Cloudflare, CleanBrowsing, Alternate DNS, and AdGuard DNS.
Here’s a quick reference if you already know what you’re doing, but I get into these services a lot more later in this article:
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The Top Free Public DNS Servers |
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Provider |
Secondary DNS |
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8.8.8.8 |
8.8.4.4 |
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76.76.2.0 |
76.76.10.0 |
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9.9.9.9 |
149.112.112.112 |
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208.67.222.222 |
208.67.220.220 |
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1.1.1.1 |
1.0.0.1 |
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185.228.168.9 |
185.228.169.9 |
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76.76.19.19 |
76.223.122.150 |
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94.140.14.14 |
94.140.15.15 |
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Those are just my top choices. A list of additional free DNS servers can be found in the table near the bottom of the page.
What Are DNS Servers?
DNS servers translate the friendly domain name you enter into a browser (like lifewire.com) into the public IP address that’s needed for your device to actually communicate with that site.
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Your ISP automatically assigns DNS servers when your smartphone or router connects to the internet, but you don’t have to use those. For a lot of reasons, you might want to try alternative ones (more on this a bit further down the page), but privacy and speed are two big wins you could see from switching.
Primary DNS servers are sometimes called preferred DNS servers and secondary DNS servers sometimes alternate DNS servers. Primary and secondary DNS servers can be “mixed and matched” from different providers to protect you if the primary provider has problems.
Best Free & Public DNS Servers
Below are more details on the best free DNS servers you can use instead of the ones assigned to your device automatically.
DNS servers are referred to as all sorts of names, like DNS server addresses, internet DNS servers, internet servers, DNS IP addresses, etc., but they all mean the same thing.
Google: 8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4
Google Public DNS promises three core benefits: a faster browsing experience, improved security, and accurate results without redirects. It’s what I use on my devices.
There are also IPv6 versions:
Google can achieve fast speeds with its public DNS servers because they’re hosted in data centers all around the world, meaning that when you attempt to access a web page using the IP addresses above, you’re directed to a server that’s nearest to you. In addition to traditional DNS over UDP/TCP, Google provides DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and TLS (DoT).
As you can see above, IPv6 IP addresses use colons. If you’re not sure which one to use for Google’s servers or any of the others on this page, stick with IPv4.
Control D: 76.76.2.0 & 76.76.10.0
Control D is unique in that it has several DNS servers to pick from, each categorized by theme. The “Uncensored” resolver proxies the commonly blocked websites in most countries to bypass IP blocking of various news websites. Others can be used to stop malicious websites, block ads and trackers, or block social networks or adult content. The basic option, “Unfiltered,” provides DNS query privacy and security:
IPv6 is supported, too:
Something unique about Control D that I love to see is the custom configurations. For example, I could join trackers and ads, malware, phishing, and government sites to make a custom filter to block all of that content. Premium filters are available for a low cost that can block things like crypto exchanges and VPNs. Control D also supports DoH and DoT.
Quad9: 9.9.9.9 & 149.112.112.112
Quad9 has free public DNS servers that protect your computer and other devices from cyber threats by immediately and automatically blocking access to unsafe websites. One thing I appreciated while researching this company is that it works without storing your personal data; their website clearly states that when you use Quad9, “no data containing your IP address is ever logged.”
There are also Quad 9 IPv6 DNS servers:
Quad9 doesn’t filter content—only domains that are phishing or contain malware will be blocked. There’s also has an unsecured IPv4 public DNS (i.e., no malware blocking) at 9.9.9.10 (2620:fe::10 for IPv6). Quad9 also supports DoH.
OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222 & 208.67.220.220
OpenDNS claims 100 percent reliability and uptime (since 2006!), and is used by tens of millions of users around the world. They offer two sets of free public DNS servers, one of which is just for parental controls with dozens of filtering options.
IPv6 addresses are also available:
The servers above are for OpenDNS Home, which you can make a user account for to set up custom settings like to block or redirect websites. I did this for years (coupled with a DDNS service) and was very pleased with how it worked.
For DNS servers that block adult content, you can use OpenDNS FamilyShield: 208.67.222.123 and 208.67.220.123. Those two also support DNS over HTTPS. A premium DNS offering is available, too, called OpenDNS VIP.
Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 & 1.0.0.1
Cloudflare built 1.1.1.1 to be the “internet’s fastest DNS directory” (here’s how DNSPerf ranks them). I like them for the privacy commitment—they will never log your IP address, never sell your data, and never use your data to target ads.
They also have IPv6 public DNS servers:
There are setup directions for all your devices through the link above. Another way to use it is through the 1.1.1.1 app, which provides quick DNS setup on mobile and desktop devices; it also doubles as a VPN. 1.1.1.1 for Families can block malware (1.1.1.2) or malware and adult content (1.1.1.3). It supports DNS over HTTPS and TLS as well.
CleanBrowsing: 185.228.168.9 & 185.228.169.9
CleanBrowsing has three free public DNS server options: a security filter, adult filter, and family filter. These are the DNS servers for the security filter, the most basic of the three that updates hourly to block malware and phishing sites:
IPv6 is also supported:
The adult filter (185.228.168.10) prevents access to adult domains, and the family filter (185.228.168.168) blocks proxies, VPNs, and mixed adult content. They both also block the same domains supported by the security filter. For more features, subscribe to a CleanBrowsing’s premium plans. This service supports DoH and DoT as well.
Alternate DNS: 76.76.19.19 & 76.223.122.150
Alternate DNS is a free public DNS service that blocks ads before they reach your network. It works pretty well in my experience, but it’s not 100 percent perfect.
Alternate DNS has IPv6 DNS servers, too:
You can sign up with Alternate DNS for free, but there’s also a Family Premium DNS option that blocks adult content.
AdGuard DNS: 94.140.14.14 & 94.140.15.15
AdGuard DNS has two sets of DNS servers that block ads in games, videos, apps, and web pages. I used these “Default” servers for several months to block ads and trackers, and I was pleased with its performance, despite ads slipping through at times:
IPv6 is supported, too:
There are also “Family protection” servers (94.140.14.15 and 2a10:50c0::bad1:ff) that block adult content, plus everything included in the “Default” servers. Non-filtering servers are available if you’re not interested in blocking anything: 94.140.14.140 and 2a10:50c0::1:ff. These servers are also available as DNS over HTTPS, TLS, and QUIC, as well as DNSCrypt. Compared to paid AdGuard DNS plans, free users have zero customer support and limits monthly requests, device access, rules, and servers.
Why Use Different DNS Servers?
One reason you might want to change the DNS servers assigned by your ISP is if you suspect there’s a problem with the ones you’re using now. An easy way to test for a DNS server issue is by typing a website’s IP address into the browser. If you can reach the website with the IP address, but not the name, then the DNS server is likely having issues.
Another reason to change DNS servers is if you’re looking for better performing service. Many people complain that their ISP-maintained DNS servers are sluggish and contribute to a slower overall browsing experience. If your existing DNS servers are really bad, you might find that you can even double your internet speed by just changing these servers.
Other common reasons to use DNS servers from a third party is to prevent logging of your web activity so that you can have a more private browsing experience, and to circumvent the blocking of certain websites. Know, however, that not all DNS servers avoid traffic logging. If that’s what you’re interested in, make sure you read through the FAQs on the DNS provider’s site to make sure it’s going to do (or not do) what you’re after.
If, on the other hand, you want to use the DNS servers that your specific ISP, like Verizon, AT&T, Comcast/XFINITY, etc., has determined is best, then don’t manually set DNS server addresses at all—just let them auto assign.
Finally, in case there was any confusion, free DNS servers do not give you free internet access. You still need an ISP for access—DNS servers just translate between IP addresses and domain names so that you can access websites with a human-readable name (like lifewire.com) instead of a difficult-to-remember IP address.
Additional DNS Servers
Here are several more public DNS servers:
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More Free DNS Servers |
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Provider |
Primary DNS |
Secondary DNS |
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8.26.56.26 |
8.20.247.20 |
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CenturyLink (Level3) |
205.171.3.65 |
205.171.2.65 |
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149.112.121.10 |
149.112.122.10 |
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138.197.140.189 |
162.243.19.47 |
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216.146.35.35 |
216.146.36.36 |
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77.88.8.8 |
77.88.8.1 |
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74.82.42.42 |
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94.130.180.225 |
78.47.64.161 |
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185.236.104.104 |
185.236.105.105 |
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80.80.80.80 |
80.80.81.81 |
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Some of these providers have several DNS servers. Visit the link above and select a server that’s geographically nearby for the optimal performance, or one that has the features you’re interested in.
FAQ
You can specify a DNS server in the settings for your router. Specific instructions will differ depending on the model, but generally, you’ll log in to the hardware by entering http://192.168.1.1 and then enter one of the addresses above into the DNS settings.
Your computer may fail to connect to a DNS for several reasons. To fix a faulty DNS connection, check your ISP’s connection status and your antivirus software, and run any network troubleshooting software your computer has. If none of this works, restart or reset your modem and router.
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