{"slug": "nextdns", "name": "NextDNS", "category": "networking", "category_name": "Networking and VPN", "description": "Cloud-based DNS resolver that blocks ads, trackers and unwanted sites with configurable profiles.", "recommenders": 17, "commenters": 25, "warners": 5, "score": 11.595, "rising": 3.73, "first": "2025-12-07", "latest": "2026-10-14", "why": "HN commenters use it for DNS-level ad blocking on phones and desktops, with per-device blocking profiles that also work for parental controls.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 18, "neutral": 2, "compare": 1, "warn": 5}, "spark": [0, 3, 2, 0, 1, 0, 0, 2, 2, 1, 5, 2], "listed": true, "loved": ["Ad blocking", "Custom profiles"], "caveat": "Customer support", "short_quote": "It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles", "icon": true, "domain": "nextdns.io", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://nextdns.io", "pricing": "freemium", "aliases": ["NextDNS"], "verdict": [{"text": "HN commenters use it for DNS-level ad blocking on phones and desktops", "cites": [{"id": 801371938, "item_id": 50085746, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50085746", "by": "ornornor", "date": "2026-10-14", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "With that and NextDNS, I have no ads anywhere.", "excerpt": "AFAIK on iOS all browsers are safari anyway. Apple doesn\u2019t allow you to use anything but safari\u2019s engine (WebKit) for browsers so chrome, Firefox, etc all run WebKit on that platform. Might as well use safari as it\u2019s better integrated. And it supports uBlock origin (lite). With that and NextDNS, I have no ads anywhere. For the YouTube app, I use proton\u2019s Albania vpn and no ads there either. Now on desktop, use Firefo", "context": "", "use_case": "ad blocking DNS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple: Switch to Safari (From Chrome)"}, {"id": 796995968, "item_id": 49812248, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49812248", "by": "ornornor", "date": "2026-09-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use NextDNS on my iPhone and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen these ads in years of usage", "excerpt": "I use NextDNS on my iPhone and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen these ads in years of usage. I lay my coups dollars a month for iCloud family storage but that\u2019s it.", "context": "iPhone user", "use_case": "blocking iOS ads", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple has added persistent 'ads' to iOS, and it's driving users crazy"}, {"id": 739029824, "item_id": 46189364, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46189364", "by": "ahmetcadirci25", "date": "2025-12-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "DNS blocking is active via NextDNS.", "excerpt": "My Personal Ad/Block Management Strategy Here is the block management setup I personally use regularly: Desktop * DNS blocking is active via NextDNS. * I use Ungoogled Chromium as my primary browser. * I use the uBlock ad-blocking extension along with its filters. * The SponsorBlock extension is very useful for skipping sponsored segments within YouTube videos. Mobile * DNS blocking is active via NextDNS. * To block ", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "How I block all online ads"}]}, {"text": ", with per-device blocking profiles that also work for parental controls.", "cites": [{"id": 793163552, "item_id": 49572722, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49572722", "by": "windexh8er", "date": "2026-09-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles", "excerpt": "I've been using NextDNS [0] for a long time. It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles and have different ones on different devices, allows you to have overrides for local network items (or internals like on a Tailnet, Pangolin, Wireguard, etc) and a lot more. The ad blocking ends up working so well a lot not only are ads blocked on web pages but it works with some streaming", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "Shutting down our public encrypted DNS"}, {"id": 744236048, "item_id": 46514753, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46514753", "by": "g8oz", "date": "2026-01-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "NextDNS.io gives you fine grained controls - you can set up a custom profile to apply to her device.", "excerpt": "NextDNS.io gives you fine grained controls - you can set up a custom profile to apply to her device. If you're going to run Linux she will enjoy using TuxPaint and playing Tux Racer.", "context": "", "use_case": "parental controls for child's device", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What kind of setup do you run for your children?"}, {"id": 794943329, "item_id": 49683958, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49683958", "by": "a_lifters_life", "date": "2026-09-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "paired this with nextdns to auto-block obvious blacklisted sites", "excerpt": "i use google family link - which allows me to limit any apps/websites my child could view. i paired this with nextdns to auto-block obvious blacklisted sites (porn, etc) for a child. Works really well.", "context": "parent", "use_case": "blocking adult sites for child", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What's a good \"semi-dumb\" phone/watch for kids?"}]}, {"text": " The most common complaint is absent customer support", "cites": [{"id": 799764192, "item_id": 49985262, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49985262", "by": "pogue", "date": "2026-10-06", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I used NextDNS for a long time, but they offer absolutely zero support for their customers.", "excerpt": "I used NextDNS for a long time, but they offer absolutely zero support for their customers. I ended up just switching to Control D's free tier using the Hagezi blocklist. You can try Normal, Pro & Pro+ for typical usage (I stick to pro normally). That + Brave and I'm pretty much ad free. https://docs.controld.com/docs/free-dns", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "System-level ad-blocking in Android"}, {"id": 738998544, "item_id": 46187409, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46187409", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2025-12-07", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I have used them both paid and free and they are not good. I will pick just one point - support.", "excerpt": "> but I've heard good things about NextDNS I have used them both paid and free and they are not good. I will pick just one point - support. It's pathetic. Maybe because it's non existent. I stopped paying for it, started using free, then removed it altogether. uBlock Origin really is that good as others are saying. I haven't really needed anything else. Ads in other apps? Well, that's a hit or miss but then a lot of ", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "How I block all online ads"}, {"id": 799784785, "item_id": 49986549, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49986549", "by": "splatter9859", "date": "2026-10-07", "stance": "warn", "quote": "NextDNS literally not innovating at all and having no customer suppport", "excerpt": "I used NextDNS for years and moved over to ControlD this year due to NextDNS literally not innovating at all and having no customer suppport. I've been much happier.", "context": "used it for years", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "System-level ad-blocking in Android"}]}, {"text": ", including one report of an ignored refund request.", "cites": [{"id": 777089248, "item_id": 48568078, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48568078", "by": "d7w", "date": "2026-06-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "They ignored my request, were no answers at all.", "excerpt": "I stopped using NextDNS when I forgot to cancel subscription and contacted then immediately to issue a refund. They ignored my request, were no answers at all. I am not alone, this is a typical behavior. At least it was 3 years ago. I use AdGuard DNS now.", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "NetNewsWire Status"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Ad blocking", "summary": "Blocks ads system-wide, including on iPhone and in some streaming audio and video ads.", "quotes": [{"id": 801371938, "item_id": 50085746, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50085746", "by": "ornornor", "date": "2026-10-14", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "With that and NextDNS, I have no ads anywhere.", "excerpt": "AFAIK on iOS all browsers are safari anyway. Apple doesn\u2019t allow you to use anything but safari\u2019s engine (WebKit) for browsers so chrome, Firefox, etc all run WebKit on that platform. Might as well use safari as it\u2019s better integrated. And it supports uBlock origin (lite). With that and NextDNS, I have no ads anywhere. For the YouTube app, I use proton\u2019s Albania vpn and no ads there either. Now on desktop, use Firefo", "context": "", "use_case": "ad blocking DNS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple: Switch to Safari (From Chrome)"}, {"id": 796995968, "item_id": 49812248, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49812248", "by": "ornornor", "date": "2026-09-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use NextDNS on my iPhone and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen these ads in years of usage", "excerpt": "I use NextDNS on my iPhone and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen these ads in years of usage. I lay my coups dollars a month for iCloud family storage but that\u2019s it.", "context": "iPhone user", "use_case": "blocking iOS ads", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple has added persistent 'ads' to iOS, and it's driving users crazy"}, {"id": 793163552, "item_id": 49572722, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49572722", "by": "windexh8er", "date": "2026-09-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles", "excerpt": "I've been using NextDNS [0] for a long time. It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles and have different ones on different devices, allows you to have overrides for local network items (or internals like on a Tailnet, Pangolin, Wireguard, etc) and a lot more. The ad blocking ends up working so well a lot not only are ads blocked on web pages but it works with some streaming", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "Shutting down our public encrypted DNS"}]}, {"label": "Custom profiles", "summary": "Fine-grained control with different blocking profiles per device and local network overrides.", "quotes": [{"id": 793163552, "item_id": 49572722, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49572722", "by": "windexh8er", "date": "2026-09-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles", "excerpt": "I've been using NextDNS [0] for a long time. It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles and have different ones on different devices, allows you to have overrides for local network items (or internals like on a Tailnet, Pangolin, Wireguard, etc) and a lot more. The ad blocking ends up working so well a lot not only are ads blocked on web pages but it works with some streaming", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "Shutting down our public encrypted DNS"}, {"id": 744236048, "item_id": 46514753, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46514753", "by": "g8oz", "date": "2026-01-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "NextDNS.io gives you fine grained controls - you can set up a custom profile to apply to her device.", "excerpt": "NextDNS.io gives you fine grained controls - you can set up a custom profile to apply to her device. If you're going to run Linux she will enjoy using TuxPaint and playing Tux Racer.", "context": "", "use_case": "parental controls for child's device", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What kind of setup do you run for your children?"}, {"id": 756284464, "item_id": 47267779, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47267779", "by": "cdrnsf", "date": "2026-03-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use a restrictive nextDNS profile that also blocks Apple's native tracking", "excerpt": "I have 26 apps on my phone. Of those, four are Safari extensions, one is a PWA and another I wrote myself. I use a restrictive nextDNS profile that also blocks Apple's native tracking (as best they can) and don't use social media. I feel like that's the best I can realistically do.", "context": "", "use_case": "blocking trackers", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Government Uses Targeted Advertising to Track Your Location"}]}, {"label": "Easy setup", "summary": "Simple option that needs nothing running locally and supports most devices and well-known blocklists.", "quotes": [{"id": 796450320, "item_id": 49778145, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49778145", "by": "eevahr", "date": "2026-09-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "For simplicity I highly recommend https://nextdns.io.", "excerpt": "For simplicity I highly recommend https://nextdns.io. Supports most devices, and probably most, if not all, well known blacklists.", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "ChatGPT now knows what you do on other websites via ad collector"}, {"id": 741150144, "item_id": 46321884, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46321884", "by": "varenc", "date": "2025-12-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I recommend it to non-techies as the easiest way to get something like pi-hole/dnscrypt-proxy.", "excerpt": "Besides what others have said, another dead simple option is to use Nextdns: https://nextdns.io Doesn't require running anything locally and supports various block rules and lists and allows you to enable full log retention if you want. I recommend it to non-techies as the easiest way to get something like pi-hole/dnscrypt-proxy. (but of course not being self-hosted has downsides) edit: For Roku, DNS blocking like th", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS blocking and logging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Texas is suing all of the big TV makers for spying on what you watch"}, {"id": 784274770, "item_id": 49017173, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49017173", "by": "Melatonic", "date": "2026-07-22", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The combo of NextDNS + Kagi + occasional VPN", "excerpt": "Kagi is awesome. Highly recommend it. And Orion as well. The combo of NextDNS + Kagi + occasional VPN (currently on Windscribe since they had a deal through Kagi and seem to have the most real vs fake VPN endpoints) is super seamless and easy", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "Back to Kagi"}]}, {"label": "Works with VPNs", "summary": "Pairs with Tailscale or a VPN for mobile DNS blocking.", "quotes": [{"id": 780305360, "item_id": 48769085, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48769085", "by": "philips", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use nextdns with tailscale.", "excerpt": "I use nextdns with tailscale. https://tailscale.com/docs/integrations/nextdns", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS blocking alongside Tailscale", "switched_from": "", "story": "Immich v3.0.0 Released"}, {"id": 791781745, "item_id": 49486359, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49486359", "by": "paradox460", "date": "2026-08-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "throw a couple bucks at something like nextdns and not have to use the VPN bit for mobile DNS ad block", "excerpt": "Tailscale can do this very easily Or you can just throw a couple bucks at something like nextdns and not have to use the VPN bit for mobile DNS ad block I use both", "context": "", "use_case": "mobile DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "\u201cIt works better in the app\u201d"}, {"id": 778414705, "item_id": 48650919, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48650919", "by": "sitzkrieg", "date": "2026-06-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "i also like you can set custom dns while active, i use along nextdns", "excerpt": "the billing options, the server selections and technology, come to mind. also should not mention but some regional vpns (dig around the area you like) quite often do not get get hellflagged as vpn ip. cloudflare usually gets it but it has never been obnoxious like i\u2019ve seen on others. oh and most importantly, i have 5gbit symmetrical fiber and most close servers nearly saturate both ways and i dont think ive ever see", "context": "", "use_case": "custom DNS alongside VPN", "switched_from": "", "story": "Mullvad to China: Block This. We Dare You"}]}, {"label": "Parental controls", "summary": "Parents use custom profiles to block adult and other unwanted sites on children's devices.", "quotes": [{"id": 794943329, "item_id": 49683958, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49683958", "by": "a_lifters_life", "date": "2026-09-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "paired this with nextdns to auto-block obvious blacklisted sites", "excerpt": "i use google family link - which allows me to limit any apps/websites my child could view. i paired this with nextdns to auto-block obvious blacklisted sites (porn, etc) for a child. Works really well.", "context": "parent", "use_case": "blocking adult sites for child", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What's a good \"semi-dumb\" phone/watch for kids?"}, {"id": 744236048, "item_id": 46514753, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46514753", "by": "g8oz", "date": "2026-01-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "NextDNS.io gives you fine grained controls - you can set up a custom profile to apply to her device.", "excerpt": "NextDNS.io gives you fine grained controls - you can set up a custom profile to apply to her device. If you're going to run Linux she will enjoy using TuxPaint and playing Tux Racer.", "context": "", "use_case": "parental controls for child's device", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What kind of setup do you run for your children?"}, {"id": 744278530, "item_id": 46517408, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46517408", "by": "Desafinado", "date": "2026-01-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Once the flood breaks and they discover the internet we'll be using NextDNS.", "excerpt": "I converted my Windows PC to Linux Mint and let my kids play GCompris on there, which is an educational, non-addictive game suite. As of now neither of them know that the internet exists, and my wife and I keep them away from screens as much as possible. Once the flood breaks and they discover the internet we'll be using NextDNS.", "context": "parent", "use_case": "filtering kids' internet", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What kind of setup do you run for your children?"}]}, {"label": "Value", "summary": "Users call the free tier generous and the paid plan worth the cost.", "quotes": [{"id": 742707264, "item_id": 46419204, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46419204", "by": "rpgbr", "date": "2025-12-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "NextDNS is so good, and their free tier so generous", "excerpt": "I use NextDNS since 2021, after a frustrating experience with Pi-Hole in a Raspberry Pi 3b (system broke by itself every other month, I think because faulty SD cards). NextDNS is so good, and their free tier so generous, that sometimes I feel bad for not having to pay for it. Can\u2019t recommend enough.", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "Pi-hole", "story": "NextDNS is my new favourite DNS service \u00b7 Stan's blog"}, {"id": 793163552, "item_id": 49572722, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49572722", "by": "windexh8er", "date": "2026-09-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles", "excerpt": "I've been using NextDNS [0] for a long time. It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles and have different ones on different devices, allows you to have overrides for local network items (or internals like on a Tailnet, Pangolin, Wireguard, etc) and a lot more. The ad blocking ends up working so well a lot not only are ads blocked on web pages but it works with some streaming", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "Shutting down our public encrypted DNS"}, {"id": 793137488, "item_id": 49571093, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49571093", "by": "extr", "date": "2026-09-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use NextDNS at home. It's great to have lots of control around DNS", "excerpt": "I use NextDNS at home. It's great to have lots of control around DNS while also running a locked-down router (Eero). I personally use it in combination with a raspberry pi to run a version of this https://cazander.ca/2024/realfakeframe.io/ that redirects Fujifilm camera uploads to my Google Photos account rather than the proprietary frame.io integration. Well worth the cost!", "context": "", "use_case": "home DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "NextDNS: fully configurable DNS, accepts money from customers as business model"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Customer support", "summary": "Several users say support is nonexistent, and one says a refund request was ignored.", "quotes": [{"id": 799764192, "item_id": 49985262, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49985262", "by": "pogue", "date": "2026-10-06", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I used NextDNS for a long time, but they offer absolutely zero support for their customers.", "excerpt": "I used NextDNS for a long time, but they offer absolutely zero support for their customers. I ended up just switching to Control D's free tier using the Hagezi blocklist. You can try Normal, Pro & Pro+ for typical usage (I stick to pro normally). That + Brave and I'm pretty much ad free. https://docs.controld.com/docs/free-dns", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "System-level ad-blocking in Android"}, {"id": 738998544, "item_id": 46187409, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46187409", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2025-12-07", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I have used them both paid and free and they are not good. I will pick just one point - support.", "excerpt": "> but I've heard good things about NextDNS I have used them both paid and free and they are not good. I will pick just one point - support. It's pathetic. Maybe because it's non existent. I stopped paying for it, started using free, then removed it altogether. uBlock Origin really is that good as others are saying. I haven't really needed anything else. Ads in other apps? Well, that's a hit or miss but then a lot of ", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "How I block all online ads"}, {"id": 777089248, "item_id": 48568078, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48568078", "by": "d7w", "date": "2026-06-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "They ignored my request, were no answers at all.", "excerpt": "I stopped using NextDNS when I forgot to cancel subscription and contacted then immediately to issue a refund. They ignored my request, were no answers at all. I am not alone, this is a typical behavior. At least it was 3 years ago. I use AdGuard DNS now.", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "NetNewsWire Status"}]}, {"label": "Slow development", "summary": "One long-time user left for ControlD, citing a lack of innovation.", "quotes": [{"id": 799784785, "item_id": 49986549, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49986549", "by": "splatter9859", "date": "2026-10-07", "stance": "warn", "quote": "NextDNS literally not innovating at all and having no customer suppport", "excerpt": "I used NextDNS for years and moved over to ControlD this year due to NextDNS literally not innovating at all and having no customer suppport. I've been much happier.", "context": "used it for years", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "System-level ad-blocking in Android"}]}, {"label": "Not self-hosted", "summary": "Being a hosted service has downsides, and one user prefers their own free Pi-hole setup.", "quotes": [{"id": 741150144, "item_id": 46321884, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46321884", "by": "varenc", "date": "2025-12-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I recommend it to non-techies as the easiest way to get something like pi-hole/dnscrypt-proxy.", "excerpt": "Besides what others have said, another dead simple option is to use Nextdns: https://nextdns.io Doesn't require running anything locally and supports various block rules and lists and allows you to enable full log retention if you want. I recommend it to non-techies as the easiest way to get something like pi-hole/dnscrypt-proxy. (but of course not being self-hosted has downsides) edit: For Roku, DNS blocking like th", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS blocking and logging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Texas is suing all of the big TV makers for spying on what you watch"}, {"id": 793119794, "item_id": 49569987, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49569987", "by": "LetsGetTechnicl", "date": "2026-09-04", "stance": "compare", "quote": "I used to use NextDNS but this is so much better and free!", "excerpt": "I've been loving the Pihole setup I just set up. It uses Quad9 as the upstream provider and then I do all the blocking myself. I used to use NextDNS but this is so much better and free!", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "Shutting down our public encrypted DNS"}]}, {"label": "Device bypass", "summary": "Devices like Roku or some Google hardware may ignore the configured DNS and use their own resolver.", "quotes": [{"id": 741150144, "item_id": 46321884, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46321884", "by": "varenc", "date": "2025-12-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I recommend it to non-techies as the easiest way to get something like pi-hole/dnscrypt-proxy.", "excerpt": "Besides what others have said, another dead simple option is to use Nextdns: https://nextdns.io Doesn't require running anything locally and supports various block rules and lists and allows you to enable full log retention if you want. I recommend it to non-techies as the easiest way to get something like pi-hole/dnscrypt-proxy. (but of course not being self-hosted has downsides) edit: For Roku, DNS blocking like th", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS blocking and logging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Texas is suing all of the big TV makers for spying on what you watch"}]}, {"label": "archive.today access", "summary": "One user reports years of problems reaching archive.today through NextDNS.", "quotes": [{"id": 782349265, "item_id": 48896829, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48896829", "by": "eth0up", "date": "2026-07-13", "stance": "warn", "quote": "have been having problems for years, especially with NextDNS", "excerpt": "See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48894441 The NextDNS (and others) blocking of archive.today goes back far beyond 2026 and this specific DDOS event. Perhaps that contributed to the hostility behind it, I don't know. But citing that event for other examples does not apply well. Please do not misinterpret this as an excuse or pardon of anything. I love archive.today and all their subdomains. I use it regularly ", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Graph That Should Be Front-Page News"}]}], "who": [{"by": "ornornor", "context": "iPhone user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49812248", "date": "2026-09-23"}, {"by": "a_lifters_life", "context": "parent", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49683958", "date": "2026-09-13"}, {"by": "givinguflac", "context": "iOS 27 beta user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48585907", "date": "2026-06-18"}, {"by": "Desafinado", "context": "parent", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46517408", "date": "2026-01-06"}], "tags": ["for parents", "for iOS users", "Pi-hole alternative", "for non-techies", "works with Tailscale"], "use_cases": ["dns ad blocking", "dns filtering", "dns privacy", "ad blocking dns", "dns-level blocking", "ad blocking via dns"], "compared": [{"slug": "pi-hole", "name": "Pi-hole", "co": 4, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "controld", "name": "ControlD", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 2}, {"slug": "ublock-origin", "name": "uBlock Origin", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "adguard-dns", "name": "AdGuard DNS", "co": 1, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "mullvad", "name": "Mullvad", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "tailscale", "name": "Tailscale", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "firefox", "name": "Firefox", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "brave", "name": "Brave", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49983647", "title": "System-level ad-blocking in Android", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49568579", "title": "Shutting down our public encrypted DNS", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47249387", "title": "CBP Tapped into the Online Advertising Ecosystem to Track Peoples' Movements", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46513089", "title": "Ask HN: What kind of setup do you run for your children?", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46185816", "title": "How I block all online ads", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50085112", "title": "Apple: Switch to Safari (From Chrome)", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {"warn": 1, "recommend": 3}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {"warn": 1, "recommend": 2}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 2, "warn": 1}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 5, "compare": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 2, "warn": 2}}, "quotes": [{"id": 801371938, "item_id": 50085746, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50085746", "by": "ornornor", "date": "2026-10-14", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "With that and NextDNS, I have no ads anywhere.", "excerpt": "AFAIK on iOS all browsers are safari anyway. Apple doesn\u2019t allow you to use anything but safari\u2019s engine (WebKit) for browsers so chrome, Firefox, etc all run WebKit on that platform. Might as well use safari as it\u2019s better integrated. And it supports uBlock origin (lite). With that and NextDNS, I have no ads anywhere. For the YouTube app, I use proton\u2019s Albania vpn and no ads there either. Now on desktop, use Firefo", "context": "", "use_case": "ad blocking DNS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple: Switch to Safari (From Chrome)"}, {"id": 799784785, "item_id": 49986549, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49986549", "by": "splatter9859", "date": "2026-10-07", "stance": "warn", "quote": "NextDNS literally not innovating at all and having no customer suppport", "excerpt": "I used NextDNS for years and moved over to ControlD this year due to NextDNS literally not innovating at all and having no customer suppport. I've been much happier.", "context": "used it for years", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "System-level ad-blocking in Android"}, {"id": 799764192, "item_id": 49985262, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49985262", "by": "pogue", "date": "2026-10-06", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I used NextDNS for a long time, but they offer absolutely zero support for their customers.", "excerpt": "I used NextDNS for a long time, but they offer absolutely zero support for their customers. I ended up just switching to Control D's free tier using the Hagezi blocklist. You can try Normal, Pro & Pro+ for typical usage (I stick to pro normally). That + Brave and I'm pretty much ad free. https://docs.controld.com/docs/free-dns", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "System-level ad-blocking in Android"}, {"id": 799748784, "item_id": 49984299, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49984299", "by": "somebudyelse", "date": "2026-10-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Highly recommend https://nextdns.io, great for all kinds of blocking stuff.", "excerpt": "Highly recommend https://nextdns.io, great for all kinds of blocking stuff. Plus Firefox or Edge for uBlock support.", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS-level blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "System-level ad-blocking in Android"}, {"id": 798146578, "item_id": 49884161, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49884161", "by": "AbstractH24", "date": "2026-09-28", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use NextDNS so most of ads will be blocked anyway", "excerpt": "Main reason I keep using Brave is its \"good enfough.\" The CTO at my company recommended Brave in 2019; I figured why not and have found a compelling reason to change. The \"elephant in the room\" paragraph actually is making me consider Vivaldi. Its still Chromium, so it will support all my plugins, and I use NextDNS so most of ads will be blocked anyway. And its not like its amazing, but I've just never heard anyone r", "context": "", "use_case": "ad blocking via DNS", "switched_from": "", "story": "I switched to Brave"}, {"id": 796995968, "item_id": 49812248, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49812248", "by": "ornornor", "date": "2026-09-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use NextDNS on my iPhone and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen these ads in years of usage", "excerpt": "I use NextDNS on my iPhone and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen these ads in years of usage. I lay my coups dollars a month for iCloud family storage but that\u2019s it.", "context": "iPhone user", "use_case": "blocking iOS ads", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple has added persistent 'ads' to iOS, and it's driving users crazy"}, {"id": 796450320, "item_id": 49778145, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49778145", "by": "eevahr", "date": "2026-09-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "For simplicity I highly recommend https://nextdns.io.", "excerpt": "For simplicity I highly recommend https://nextdns.io. Supports most devices, and probably most, if not all, well known blacklists.", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "ChatGPT now knows what you do on other websites via ad collector"}, {"id": 794943329, "item_id": 49683958, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49683958", "by": "a_lifters_life", "date": "2026-09-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "paired this with nextdns to auto-block obvious blacklisted sites", "excerpt": "i use google family link - which allows me to limit any apps/websites my child could view. i paired this with nextdns to auto-block obvious blacklisted sites (porn, etc) for a child. Works really well.", "context": "parent", "use_case": "blocking adult sites for child", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What's a good \"semi-dumb\" phone/watch for kids?"}, {"id": 793163552, "item_id": 49572722, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49572722", "by": "windexh8er", "date": "2026-09-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles", "excerpt": "I've been using NextDNS [0] for a long time. It's worth the price because you can set up all kinds of different blocking profiles and have different ones on different devices, allows you to have overrides for local network items (or internals like on a Tailnet, Pangolin, Wireguard, etc) and a lot more. The ad blocking ends up working so well a lot not only are ads blocked on web pages but it works with some streaming", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "Shutting down our public encrypted DNS"}, {"id": 793137488, "item_id": 49571093, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49571093", "by": "extr", "date": "2026-09-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use NextDNS at home. It's great to have lots of control around DNS", "excerpt": "I use NextDNS at home. It's great to have lots of control around DNS while also running a locked-down router (Eero). I personally use it in combination with a raspberry pi to run a version of this https://cazander.ca/2024/realfakeframe.io/ that redirects Fujifilm camera uploads to my Google Photos account rather than the proprietary frame.io integration. Well worth the cost!", "context": "", "use_case": "home DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "NextDNS: fully configurable DNS, accepts money from customers as business model"}, {"id": 793119794, "item_id": 49569987, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49569987", "by": "LetsGetTechnicl", "date": "2026-09-04", "stance": "compare", "quote": "I used to use NextDNS but this is so much better and free!", "excerpt": "I've been loving the Pihole setup I just set up. It uses Quad9 as the upstream provider and then I do all the blocking myself. I used to use NextDNS but this is so much better and free!", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "Shutting down our public encrypted DNS"}, {"id": 793118720, "item_id": 49569920, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49569920", "by": "ornornor", "date": "2026-09-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Been using them for years. The price is reasonable too.", "excerpt": "Been using them for years. The price is reasonable too. It\u2019s the only way I found to block ads everywhere on iOS (except the YT app, Mullvad\u2019s Albania wireguard did that)", "context": "", "use_case": "ad blocking on iOS", "switched_from": "", "story": "Shutting down our public encrypted DNS"}, {"id": 791781745, "item_id": 49486359, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49486359", "by": "paradox460", "date": "2026-08-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "throw a couple bucks at something like nextdns and not have to use the VPN bit for mobile DNS ad block", "excerpt": "Tailscale can do this very easily Or you can just throw a couple bucks at something like nextdns and not have to use the VPN bit for mobile DNS ad block I use both", "context": "", "use_case": "mobile DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "\u201cIt works better in the app\u201d"}, {"id": 784274770, "item_id": 49017173, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49017173", "by": "Melatonic", "date": "2026-07-22", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The combo of NextDNS + Kagi + occasional VPN", "excerpt": "Kagi is awesome. Highly recommend it. And Orion as well. The combo of NextDNS + Kagi + occasional VPN (currently on Windscribe since they had a deal through Kagi and seem to have the most real vs fake VPN endpoints) is super seamless and easy", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "Back to Kagi"}, {"id": 782349265, "item_id": 48896829, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48896829", "by": "eth0up", "date": "2026-07-13", "stance": "warn", "quote": "have been having problems for years, especially with NextDNS", "excerpt": "See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48894441 The NextDNS (and others) blocking of archive.today goes back far beyond 2026 and this specific DDOS event. Perhaps that contributed to the hostility behind it, I don't know. But citing that event for other examples does not apply well. Please do not misinterpret this as an excuse or pardon of anything. I love archive.today and all their subdomains. I use it regularly ", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Graph That Should Be Front-Page News"}, {"id": 780305360, "item_id": 48769085, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48769085", "by": "philips", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use nextdns with tailscale.", "excerpt": "I use nextdns with tailscale. https://tailscale.com/docs/integrations/nextdns", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS blocking alongside Tailscale", "switched_from": "", "story": "Immich v3.0.0 Released"}, {"id": 778414705, "item_id": 48650919, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48650919", "by": "sitzkrieg", "date": "2026-06-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "i also like you can set custom dns while active, i use along nextdns", "excerpt": "the billing options, the server selections and technology, come to mind. also should not mention but some regional vpns (dig around the area you like) quite often do not get get hellflagged as vpn ip. cloudflare usually gets it but it has never been obnoxious like i\u2019ve seen on others. oh and most importantly, i have 5gbit symmetrical fiber and most close servers nearly saturate both ways and i dont think ive ever see", "context": "", "use_case": "custom DNS alongside VPN", "switched_from": "", "story": "Mullvad to China: Block This. We Dare You"}, {"id": 777374512, "item_id": 48585907, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48585907", "by": "givinguflac", "date": "2026-06-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use NextDNS instead of Pi-hole, and don\u2019t have this issue on iOS 27 beta.", "excerpt": "I use NextDNS instead of Pi-hole, and don\u2019t have this issue on iOS 27 beta. I also never use the mentioned assist feature as I don\u2019t want things going over cellular unless I need them to.", "context": "iOS 27 beta user", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ads Evading Pi-hole with iOS 27"}, {"id": 777089248, "item_id": 48568078, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48568078", "by": "d7w", "date": "2026-06-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "They ignored my request, were no answers at all.", "excerpt": "I stopped using NextDNS when I forgot to cancel subscription and contacted then immediately to issue a refund. They ignored my request, were no answers at all. I am not alone, this is a typical behavior. At least it was 3 years ago. I use AdGuard DNS now.", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "", "story": "NetNewsWire Status"}, {"id": 756316064, "item_id": 47269754, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47269754", "by": "Scrounger", "date": "2026-03-05", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use a VPN and NextDNS.io.", "excerpt": "> https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/ I get \"Our tests indicate that you have some protection against Web tracking, but it has some gaps.\" but nothing of too much importance I think. I use a VPN and NextDNS.io.", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS privacy", "switched_from": "", "story": "CBP Tapped into the Online Advertising Ecosystem to Track Peoples' Movements"}, {"id": 756315680, "item_id": 47269730, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47269730", "by": "Scrounger", "date": "2026-03-05", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use a VPN and NextDNS.io.", "excerpt": "> Try to beat this: https://fingerprint.com I beat it, I think... nothing much there. I use a VPN and NextDNS.io.", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS privacy", "switched_from": "", "story": "CBP Tapped into the Online Advertising Ecosystem to Track Peoples' Movements"}, {"id": 756284464, "item_id": 47267779, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47267779", "by": "cdrnsf", "date": "2026-03-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use a restrictive nextDNS profile that also blocks Apple's native tracking", "excerpt": "I have 26 apps on my phone. Of those, four are Safari extensions, one is a PWA and another I wrote myself. I use a restrictive nextDNS profile that also blocks Apple's native tracking (as best they can) and don't use social media. I feel like that's the best I can realistically do.", "context": "", "use_case": "blocking trackers", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Government Uses Targeted Advertising to Track Your Location"}, {"id": 744278530, "item_id": 46517408, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46517408", "by": "Desafinado", "date": "2026-01-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Once the flood breaks and they discover the internet we'll be using NextDNS.", "excerpt": "I converted my Windows PC to Linux Mint and let my kids play GCompris on there, which is an educational, non-addictive game suite. As of now neither of them know that the internet exists, and my wife and I keep them away from screens as much as possible. Once the flood breaks and they discover the internet we'll be using NextDNS.", "context": "parent", "use_case": "filtering kids' internet", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What kind of setup do you run for your children?"}, {"id": 744236048, "item_id": 46514753, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46514753", "by": "g8oz", "date": "2026-01-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "NextDNS.io gives you fine grained controls - you can set up a custom profile to apply to her device.", "excerpt": "NextDNS.io gives you fine grained controls - you can set up a custom profile to apply to her device. If you're going to run Linux she will enjoy using TuxPaint and playing Tux Racer.", "context": "", "use_case": "parental controls for child's device", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What kind of setup do you run for your children?"}, {"id": 742707264, "item_id": 46419204, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46419204", "by": "rpgbr", "date": "2025-12-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "NextDNS is so good, and their free tier so generous", "excerpt": "I use NextDNS since 2021, after a frustrating experience with Pi-Hole in a Raspberry Pi 3b (system broke by itself every other month, I think because faulty SD cards). NextDNS is so good, and their free tier so generous, that sometimes I feel bad for not having to pay for it. Can\u2019t recommend enough.", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS filtering", "switched_from": "Pi-hole", "story": "NextDNS is my new favourite DNS service \u00b7 Stan's blog"}, {"id": 741150144, "item_id": 46321884, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46321884", "by": "varenc", "date": "2025-12-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I recommend it to non-techies as the easiest way to get something like pi-hole/dnscrypt-proxy.", "excerpt": "Besides what others have said, another dead simple option is to use Nextdns: https://nextdns.io Doesn't require running anything locally and supports various block rules and lists and allows you to enable full log retention if you want. I recommend it to non-techies as the easiest way to get something like pi-hole/dnscrypt-proxy. (but of course not being self-hosted has downsides) edit: For Roku, DNS blocking like th", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS blocking and logging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Texas is suing all of the big TV makers for spying on what you watch"}, {"id": 739029824, "item_id": 46189364, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46189364", "by": "ahmetcadirci25", "date": "2025-12-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "DNS blocking is active via NextDNS.", "excerpt": "My Personal Ad/Block Management Strategy Here is the block management setup I personally use regularly: Desktop * DNS blocking is active via NextDNS. * I use Ungoogled Chromium as my primary browser. * I use the uBlock ad-blocking extension along with its filters. * The SponsorBlock extension is very useful for skipping sponsored segments within YouTube videos. Mobile * DNS blocking is active via NextDNS. * To block ", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "How I block all online ads"}, {"id": 738998544, "item_id": 46187409, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46187409", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2025-12-07", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I have used them both paid and free and they are not good. I will pick just one point - support.", "excerpt": "> but I've heard good things about NextDNS I have used them both paid and free and they are not good. I will pick just one point - support. It's pathetic. Maybe because it's non existent. I stopped paying for it, started using free, then removed it altogether. uBlock Origin really is that good as others are saying. I haven't really needed anything else. Ads in other apps? Well, that's a hit or miss but then a lot of ", "context": "", "use_case": "DNS ad blocking", "switched_from": "", "story": "How I block all online ads"}]}