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 Quad9
[VERIFY: Quad9 organisation type (e.g. non-profit), headquarters and funding.] [VERIFY: Quad9 resolver addresses and service variants (filtered, unfiltered, ECS).] [VERIFY: Quad9 privacy and logging policy.]
Public resolver vs configurable firewall
FirewallDNS is a closed resolver: it only answers registered IP addresses, and each customer configures their own filtering, categories and lists, and sees their own query log.
[VERIFY: whether Quad9 offers any per-user configuration, accounts, dashboards or logs.]
Security filtering
FirewallDNS blocks malware, phishing and newly registered domains, each as a separate switch.
[VERIFY: Quad9 threat intelligence sources and the threats it blocks.]
Content filtering and lists
FirewallDNS offers adult, gambling and social media categories and custom allowlists and blocklists.
[VERIFY: whether Quad9 offers content categories or custom lists.]
Cost and business use
FirewallDNS costs $2.90 per device per month and includes an MSP model for multi-customer management.
[VERIFY: Quad9 cost to users and any business or support offerings.]
Switching from Quad9 to FirewallDNS
If you currently use Quad9 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 Quad9 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 Quad9 handle these points? [VERIFY: answers from Quad9 documentation]
Who each option may suit
FirewallDNS may suit anyone who needs their own settings, custom lists, query logs or multi-customer management. 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 Quad9 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 Quad9, rely on its official documentation and current price list.