Quick take
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Short answer: Control D is a DNS filtering service that blocks malware, ads and trackers across your devices, with unusually granular controls — down to individual services like TikTok or specific AI tools. Its free public resolvers give basic malware or ad blocking with no account. Paid plans add a dashboard, custom rules and analytics (Some Control, $3/month), and Full Control ($6/month) can route chosen domains through proxies in 100+ locations. It's more powerful than NextDNS, but costs more.
Plans and pricing
Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
Free resolvers | $0 | Public DNS addresses with preset filtering (e.g., malware or ads); no dashboard |
Some Control | $3/month or $30/year | Custom filters, service blocking, custom rules, malware protection, analytics |
Full Control | $6/month or $60/year | Everything above plus traffic redirection through proxies in 100+ locations in 60+ countries |
Business (SMB) | $2 per endpoint/month | Multi-device management and real-time analytics |
Paid plans include a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
What makes Control D different
- Service-level controls: block or allow specific apps and services (social media, streaming, gaming, AI chatbots) with one toggle.
- Traffic redirection (Full Control): send selected domains through a proxy in another country — for example to access region-specific services — without routing your whole connection through a VPN.
- Scheduling: apply different rules at different times (e.g., homework hours).
- Device-level profiles: different filtering for kids' devices, work laptops and IoT.
- Encrypted DNS: DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-QUIC.
Setup
- Try a free resolver first to see whether DNS filtering suits you.
- For full control, start a trial, create a profile and enable malware protection.
- Add the profile to devices with the Control D app, Android Private DNS, an Apple configuration profile or your router.
- Review analytics after a day and allowlist anything that breaks.
Limitations
- Pricier than NextDNS for basic filtering.
- Many options can overwhelm casual users.
- DNS filtering can't block same-domain ads (like YouTube's) — pair with a browser blocker such as uBlock Origin.
- Redirection isn't a VPN — it doesn't encrypt all your traffic or hide your IP from every service.
Control D vs. NextDNS
| Control D | |
|---|---|---|
Free option | Public resolvers, no dashboard | Full dashboard up to 300,000 queries/month |
Entry paid price | $3/month | $1.99/month |
Per-service blocking | Extensive | Good |
Traffic redirection | Yes (Full Control) | No |
Our take: choose NextDNS for the best value; choose Control D if you want per-service controls or built-in redirection.
Verdict
Control D is the most flexible consumer DNS filter available. If you want fine-grained control over services and the ability to redirect specific traffic, it's worth the extra cost; otherwise NextDNS covers most households for less.
Frequently asked questions
Is Control D free?
Its public resolvers are free. The configurable dashboard plans cost $3 or $6 a month, with a 14-day free trial.
Is Control D a VPN?
No. It's a DNS filtering service. Full Control can redirect selected domains through proxies, but it doesn't encrypt all traffic like a VPN.
Can Control D block specific apps?
Yes. Service-level controls let you block or allow individual apps and platforms.
Sources
- Control D, Pricing guide 2026
- Control D, Free DNS resolvers
The bottom line
