NextDNS AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Firewalls

The best Firewall alternative to NextDNS is Pi-hole, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to NextDNS and 15 are Firewalls so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Firewall alternatives to NextDNS are AdGuard, Portmaster, RethinkDNS and AdGuard Home.

filter to find the best alternatives

NextDNS alternatives are mainly Ad Blockers, but if you're looking for Firewalls or Privacy Tools you can filter on that. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to NextDNS.
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Alternatives list

  1. Pi-hole icon
     198 likes

    Blocks ads for all connected devices at the DNS layer without client setup. Provides web control, in-app ad and tracker blocking, DHCP and API support, regex filtering, privacy modes, audit logs, and long-term query analytics for network management.

    44 Pi-hole alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • CentOS
    • Fedora
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    • Raspberry Pi OS
    • Raspberry Pi
     
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    2
    Pi-hole vs NextDNS Comments
    Eriko
    Positive
    2

    Basically a Self Hosted NextDNS. Its meant for more advanced users.

    Guest
    Positive
    5

    The same in both purpose and method

    • Pi-hole is Free and Open SourceNextDNS is Freemium and Open Source
  2. AdGuard icon
     302 likes

    Ad-blocking solution eliminating intrusive ads and preventing tracking, with malware protection. Filters pop-ups, banners, and more for clean browsing. Works in the background for ad-free surfing, protects data privacy with Spyware filter, and controls ad display in apps.

    133 AdGuard alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Vivaldi
    • Google Chrome
    • Samsung Galaxy Store
    • Safari
    • F-Droid
    • Android TV
    • Yandex Browser
    • Opera
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
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    2
    AdGuard vs NextDNS Comments
    heyomayo
    0

    AdGuard is a good alternative but NextDNS seems more trustworthy.

    smed79
    Negative
    -8

    AdGuard is an Adblock browser extension not a DNS service.

    • AdGuard is Freemium and Open SourceNextDNS is also Freemium and Open Source
  3. Portmaster icon
     200 likes

    Free, open-source privacy suite monitoring all network activity, blocking unwanted connections, using trusted filter lists for ads and malware, enforcing DNS-over-TLS, providing custom app and global rules, and supporting advanced privacy management.

    37 Portmaster alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  4. RethinkDNS icon
     67 likes

    An OpenSnitch-inspired firewall and network monitor + a pi-hole-inspired DNS over HTTPS client with blocklists.

    50 RethinkDNS alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
     
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    2
    RethinkDNS vs NextDNS Comments
    Shaz Shah
    Positive
    3

    Like NextDNS, RethinkDNS is a DNS resolver that aim to provide a safer and more private browsing experience by offering ad-blocking and tracking protection. On the plus side it is open source and the free tier with unlimited queries. The free tier of NextDNS is limited to (I think) 300,000 queries. If you want a free and open source alternative this is it. At the time of writing, their website does state that paid plans are on their way.

    ezdketsuban
    0

    RethinkDNS allows you to check if a domain is blocked or not in the lists you choose, but it doesn't allow for personalized allowlists or blocklists, nor does it have a comprehensive log (besides using the app).

    • RethinkDNS is Free and Open SourceNextDNS is Freemium and Open Source
  5. AdGuard Home icon
     35 likes

    AdGuard Home is a network-wide software for blocking ads & tracking. After you set it up, it'll cover ALL your home devices, and you don't need any client-side software for that.

    12 AdGuard Home alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • FreeBSD
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Cloudron
    • Snapcraft
    • Docker
     
  6. Irbis Zen icon
     19 likes

    Zen is an open-source system-wide ad-blocker and privacy guard for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. It works by setting up a proxy that intercepts HTTP requests from all applications, and blocks those serving ads, tracking scripts that monitor your behavior, malware, and other...

    63 Irbis Zen alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  7. DNS66 icon
     32 likes

    DNS66 blocks advertisements on Android by intercepting DNS requests using Android's VPN layer and blocking requests for blacklisted hosts.

    27 DNS66 alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
     
  8. AhaDNS icon
     11 likes

    A zero logging DNS with support for DNS-over-HTTPS & DNS-over-TLS.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
     
  9. CacheGuard Gateway is a free, open-source network security appliance for startups, growing businesses, and SMEs/SMBs that need enterprise-grade protection without the complexity or cost.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • VirtualBox
    • Self-Hosted
    • VMware vSphere Hypervisor
    • Microsoft Hyper-V Server
    • Proxmox Virtual Environment
     
  10. Firewalla icon
     Like

    Firewalla is a vital security addition to every home and small business with network and IoT devices.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android
     
12 of 15 NextDNS alternatives