Replaces OpenDNS
European alternatives to OpenDNS
Public DNS resolvers operated in Europe
Browse the category: Public DNS resolvers · VPN services
OpenDNS is a public DNS resolver, now part of Cisco. Rather than using the resolver your internet provider hands you, you point a device or a router at its addresses and it answers the lookups that turn domain names into IP addresses. It is often chosen for its filtering options, which can block whole categories of sites across a network.
DNS queries add up to a complete list of every service you contact, which makes the resolver an unusually revealing piece of infrastructure. Schools, companies and households that care where that log lives can change it in minutes, since this is a setting rather than a migration. A European alternative to OpenDNS is a straight swap. DNS4EU is a European resolver initiative, quad9 is a widely used non profit resolver, and UncensoredDNS and Mullvad DNS are smaller operators.
European options
| service | Country | Hosting | Open source | Free plan | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 quad9 |
 Switzerland |
— | ✓ | EU controlled | |
 Mullvad DNS |
 Sweden |
— | ✓ | EU controlled | |
 Mullvad VPN |
Sweden |
— | — | EU controlled | |
 Digitalcourage |
 Germany |
— | ✓ | EU controlled | |
 restena |
 Luxembourg |
— | ✓ | EU controlled | |
 Digitale Gesellschaft |
Switzerland |
— | ✓ | EU controlled | |
| Artikel10 | Germany |
— | ✓ | EU controlled |
quad9
Free public DNS resolver from Switzerland
Quad9 is a public DNS resolver operated by a Swiss non-profit organisation. It is one of the few globally active resolvers, with DNS servers in more than 200 locations worldwide, and it focuses on data security, encryption and privacy. It is currently in a legal dispute with Sony Music about whether sites that infringe copyright can be excluded from the resolver.
SwitzerlandFree planEU controlled
Mullvad DNS
Free public DNS resolver from Sweden
SwedenFree planEU controlled
Mullvad VPN
Swedish VPN with one flat price
SwedenEU controlled
Digitalcourage
Uncensored public DNS from Germany
GermanyFree planEU controlled
restena
Public DNS resolver from Luxembourg
LuxembourgFree planEU controlled
Digitale Gesellschaft
Public DNS resolver from Switzerland
SwitzerlandFree planEU controlledArtikel10
Free encrypted DNS run by a German civil-rights association
GermanyFree planEU controlledServices without verified European control
Kept here for transparency, but excluded from the European options and totals. How we classify services →
DNS4EU
Public DNS resolver funded by the European Union
Czech RepublicEU hostedFree plan Ownership reviewed, controller unresolved
DNS.SB
No logging public DNS from Germany
GermanyOpen sourceFree plan Ownership reviewed, controller unresolved
Foundation for Applied Privacy
Public DNS from an Austrian non-profit
AustriaFree plan Ownership reviewed, controller unresolved
FFMUC DNS
Public DNS from a German non-profit
GermanyEU hostedOpen sourceFree plan Ownership reviewed, controller unresolved
UncensoredDNS
Free public DNS resolver from Denmark
DenmarkFree plan Ownership reviewed, controller unresolved
dnsforge
Ad filtering public DNS from Germany
GermanyEU hostedOpen sourceFree plan Ownership reviewed, controller unresolvedQuestions
How do I switch DNS resolver?
You replace the resolver addresses in your router or in each device's network settings, and the change takes effect immediately. DNS4EU, quad9 and DNS.SB all publish the addresses and the encrypted DNS endpoints to use.
Do European resolvers offer filtering?
Some do and some deliberately do not. quad9 and DNS4EU describe filtering of known malicious domains, while UncensoredDNS and Foundation for Applied Privacy take a more neutral approach.
Is encrypted DNS supported?
Encrypted DNS over TLS or HTTPS is common in this group, including at Mullvad DNS, quad9 and FFMUC DNS. Check each operator's page for the exact hostnames your device needs.