Configurable vs opinionated
ArmorDNS vs NextDNS
NextDNS is the best of its kind for people who want to configure everything themselves. ArmorDNS is the same category of tool with the opposite default — opinionated, family-first, and one flat household price.
| ArmorDNS | NextDNS | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it targets | Families and small orgs who want protection out of the box | Technical users who want fine-grained control |
| Default protection | Ads, porn, malware, phishing, gambling, dating, drugs, piracy — on by default | You choose blocklists and configure filters yourself |
| Pricing | $5/mo · $50/yr — one household, up to 25 devices | Free tier (300K queries/mo). Pro $1.99/mo/config or $19.90/yr; unlimited queries |
| Devices per plan | Up to 25 devices on one flat family price | Unlimited devices, but query cap applies on free tier |
| Setup effort | Add device → follow the OS-specific setup card (30 seconds) | Create a config, choose blocklists, apply per device |
| Real-time query log | Yes — every query, blocked or allowed, per device | Yes — with configurable retention |
| SafeSearch enforcement | One toggle per device — enforces Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, YouTube | Yes — per-config setting |
| Managed vs unmanaged devices | Yes — lock down kids, let teens customize their own filters | No equivalent — one config applies uniformly |
| Shared account access | Invite a spouse or trusted ally as a shared admin | Team plans available on Business tier |
| Ad blocking coverage | 625K+ ad and tracker domains, always on | Community blocklists (equivalent coverage; you assemble them) |
| Support | Direct email from the founder | Community forums, email on paid tiers |
| Free trial | 7 days, no credit card | Free tier is ongoing, capped at 300K queries/mo |
NextDNS pricing and features from their public website; check nextdns.io for the current offer. ArmorDNS is not affiliated with NextDNS.
Which one fits your household
Choose NextDNS if
You enjoy picking blocklists, tuning per-category policies, and treating DNS as a hobby. NextDNS gives you every knob and dial and lets you bring your own filters. It's excellent at what it does.
Choose ArmorDNS if
You want to spend zero evenings tuning filters and still know the right things are blocked. Family-safety defaults are on. SafeSearch is one toggle per device. Kids' devices can be locked down; teens can customize their own. Everything is priced for one household — not per configuration or per query — so you don't have to think about it again.
7-day trial · no credit card · cancel anytime