What FirewallDNS offers
FirewallDNS is a network-level DNS firewall. You register your network's public IP address in the dashboard and point your router, firewall or DHCP server at the FirewallDNS resolver. Every device on that network is then filtered according to your settings. The protections described on our feature pages are malware protection, phishing protection, newly registered domain blocking, content categories (adult content, gambling and social media), custom allowlists and blocklists, and near real-time query logs. Pricing is $2.90 per device per month, with Starter, Business and MSP plans.
Overview of Control D
[VERIFY: Control D company background and relationship to Windscribe.] [VERIFY: Control D consumer, business and MSP offerings.] [VERIFY: Control D deployment methods.]
Filtering approach
FirewallDNS focuses on blocking: malware, phishing and newly registered domains, content categories and custom lists, with blocked queries answered by 0.0.0.0 or NXDOMAIN.
[VERIFY: Control D filters, service-level rules and traffic redirection/unblocking features.]
Logs and privacy
FirewallDNS keeps query logs per registered network for a set retention period and deletes them automatically. Each customer sees only their own data.
[VERIFY: Control D logging options, retention and storage regions.]
MSP and multi-customer use
FirewallDNS includes an MSP model where the administrator adds customers, sets their price and invoices them.
[VERIFY: Control D organisation/MSP features and billing.]
Pricing
FirewallDNS costs $2.90 per device per month.
[VERIFY: Control D pricing model and plan tiers.]
Switching from Control D to FirewallDNS
If you currently use Control D and want to try FirewallDNS, you do not need to switch everything at once. Create a FirewallDNS account, register the public IP address of one network or site, and change the DNS servers on that network's router, firewall or DHCP server. Keep your existing service running elsewhere while you compare. [VERIFY: any Control D agents, apps or profiles that should be removed from devices to avoid conflicts]
Export or note your existing allowlist and blocklist entries before you start, and add them to FirewallDNS so users are not surprised by different decisions. After a week, compare the query logs from both services and decide based on what you see on your own network.
Questions to ask before choosing
Whichever service you choose, ask the same questions of each provider and check the answers in writing.
- Which threats are blocked, and how often are threat lists updated?
- Is newly registered domain blocking available, and is the threshold configurable?
- What is logged, where is it stored, for how long, and who can see it?
- How are devices or users counted for billing?
- Is there a data processing agreement and a published list of sub-processors?
- How does Control D handle these points? [VERIFY: answers from Control D documentation]
Who each option may suit
FirewallDNS may suit networks that need blocking, logs and multi-customer management rather than traffic redirection. It is priced per device, deployed at the network edge and managed from one dashboard, with each customer seeing only their own settings, logs and cost.
[VERIFY: the types of customers Control D targets, based on its own website and documentation.] Because the two services may be built for different audiences, the right choice depends less on a feature checklist and more on how you run your network, who manages it and how you want to pay. Shortlist both, test both on a real network for at least a week, and involve the people who will handle support tickets in the decision.
How to choose
Rather than relying on any comparison page, including this one, test both services against your own requirements. Write down what matters most: the threats you want to block, the devices you need to cover, whether devices leave the network, who needs access to logs, which regions your data may be stored in, and your budget per device. Then trial each option on a small part of your network and compare the query logs side by side.
Look at how each service handles false positives, how quickly you can allow a blocked domain, and how clearly the dashboard explains why a request was blocked. These day-to-day details often matter more than feature lists. Finally, check each provider's privacy policy and data processing terms yourself, since logging and retention practices vary between services. For Control D, rely on its official documentation and current price list.