Yes, NextDNS has a permanent free tier alongside its paid plans. The free plan includes 300,000 queries per month. FreeTier.co estimates the free tier at about $1.99/mo, and no credit card is required to sign up.

About

NextDNS is a DNS-based security and privacy service that filters queries to block malware, phishing, cryptojacking, ads, trackers, and selected content categories. It supports DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS, works across home, cellular, work, and public Wi‑Fi networks, and applies protections at the DNS layer rather than on-device.

The service includes configurable security protections, parental controls, analytics and real-time logs, custom allowlists and denylists, rewrites, DNSSEC validation, and multiple configurations per account. The free plan includes 300,000 queries per month, unlimited devices, unlimited configurations, and access to all features.

  • 300,000 DNS queries monthly
  • Unlimited devices and configurations
  • DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS
  • Malware, phishing, and tracker blocking
  • Parental controls and SafeSearch filtering
  • Real-time logs and analytics
  • Custom allowlist and denylist rules

Free Tier Value

53
FTV score
Est. value$1.99 / month
Credit cardNot required
Feature parity95%

This free tier is genuinely usable: it includes the same core feature set as the paid plans, with the main limit being 300,000 queries per month. Since the cheapest paid plan is Pro at $1.99/month for unlimited queries, the free tier is worth about $1.99/month; it is also available without a signup or credit card, which lowers friction, but it remains capped rather than unlimited.

What's included in the free tier

Verified

  • 300,000 queries per month.
  • Unlimited devices.
  • Unlimited configurations.
  • Access to all features.
  • Community support.

Paid plans

Pro

$1.99 / mo
queries
unlimited
devices
unlimited
configurations
unlimited
  • Unlimited queries
  • Unlimited devices
  • Unlimited configurations
  • Access to all features
  • Community support

Business

$19.9 / unit / mo
employees
per every 50 employees
queries
unlimited
devices
unlimited
configurations
unlimited
  • Unlimited queries
  • Unlimited devices
  • Unlimited configurations
  • Access to all features
  • Email support

Education

$19.9 / unit / mo
students
per every 250 students
queries
unlimited
devices
unlimited
configurations
unlimited
  • Unlimited queries
  • Unlimited devices
  • Unlimited configurations
  • Access to all features
  • Email support

Pricing extracted from NextDNS's pricing page. Always verify current pricing before committing.

Common questions

Is NextDNS free forever?

Yes. NextDNS has a permanent free tier alongside its paid plans, though the allowance typically resets each month.

Does NextDNS require a credit card?

No. You can start on NextDNS's free tier without entering card details.

What happens when you exceed NextDNS's free tier?

You move to a paid plan. NextDNS's cheapest paid plan is Pro at $1.99 / month.

What is NextDNS's free tier worth?

NextDNS's free tier is worth about $1.99 per month. That maps to an FTV score of 53/100. The FTV score is explained at freetier.co/ftv.