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Self-hosted alternatives to NextDNS

NextDNS is a hosted DNS service that blocks security threats, ads and trackers and offers parental controls on every device and network. One listed app does its main job and runs in your own Cloudflare account.

Each answer comes from the app’s README and source code, compared with the features NextDNS describes on its own site.

  • DNS Worker analytics with query totals, blocked queries and top domains

    Filtering DNS resolver with blocklists, query logs and per-device profiles, served as DNS over HTTPS from your Cloudflare account

    Deploy
    One-click
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    GitHub stars
    22 stars
    Last commit

NextDNS features, app by app

FeatureDNS Worker
Threat protectionPartly
Ad and tracker blockingYes
Parental controlsPartly
Analytics and logsYes
Allowlists and denylistsYes
Encrypted DNS (DoH and DoT)Partly
Setup on devices and networksPartly

Filtering DNS resolver with blocklists, query logs and per-device profiles, served as DNS over HTTPS from your Cloudflare account

What a NextDNS user would miss
On Workers it serves only DNS over HTTPS, so routers and Android Private DNS need the standalone server, and threat protection depends on the blocklists you add.
What it adds
Query logs stay in your own Cloudflare account, and the same project runs as a standalone server with classic DNS and DNS over TLS.
  • Partly Threat protection. Blocks malware domains through the blocklists you subscribe to; no threat-intelligence feed of its own.
  • Yes Ad and tracker blocking. Blocklist subscriptions plus wildcard rules.
  • Partly Parental controls. Separate profiles per device or person; no SafeSearch or age-based controls listed.
  • Yes Analytics and logs. Analytics page and a query log for each lookup.
  • Yes Allowlists and denylists. Rules and custom overrides per profile.
  • Partly Encrypted DNS (DoH and DoT). DoH on Workers; DoT only with the standalone server.
  • Partly Setup on devices and networks. Setup guide for browsers, Apple devices, Windows, Linux and Android; routers need the standalone server.

Sources:github.com/Obein/DNS-Worker#key-highlightsobein.github.io/DNS-Worker/deployment/matrix/workersnative.directory/api/apps/dns-worker