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 NextDNS
[VERIFY: NextDNS company background, when the service launched and who it is aimed at.] [VERIFY: NextDNS deployment model — e.g. configuration profiles, apps, router setup, linked IP.] [VERIFY: whether NextDNS offers a free tier and what its limits are.]
Filtering and security
FirewallDNS blocks malware, phishing and newly registered domains using automatically updated lists and registry data. Each protection is a separate switch, and your allowlist and blocklist override automatic decisions.
[VERIFY: NextDNS threat intelligence features, including newly registered domain blocking and any other security options.] [VERIFY: NextDNS blocklist options for ads and trackers.]
Privacy, logs and data location
FirewallDNS records query time, domain, type and allow/block result for each registered network, keeps logs for a set retention period and deletes them automatically. Each customer sees only their own data.
[VERIFY: NextDNS logging options, retention choices and log storage locations.]
Parental controls
FirewallDNS offers category filters for adult content, gambling and social media, plus custom lists for individual sites and apps.
[VERIFY: NextDNS parental control features such as service blocking, SafeSearch, recreation time and bypass prevention.]
Pricing and MSP use
FirewallDNS is priced per device at $2.90 per month and includes an MSP model where the administrator adds customers, sets their price and invoices them.
[VERIFY: NextDNS pricing model (per query, per user or per device), business plans and MSP/reseller options.]
Switching from NextDNS to FirewallDNS
If you currently use NextDNS 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 NextDNS 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 NextDNS handle these points? [VERIFY: answers from NextDNS documentation]
Who each option may suit
FirewallDNS may suit households, businesses and MSPs who want network-level filtering with an MSP billing model. 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 NextDNS 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 NextDNS, rely on its official documentation and current price list.