Best DNS Servers 2026: Fastest & Most Secure (+ Speed Test)

Your DNS server is the service that translates every domain name you visit into the IP address your device connects to — and by default, you’re using whatever your internet provider assigned, which is often slower and less private than it needs to be. Switching to a better public DNS server is one of the simplest free upgrades you can make: faster page loads, stronger privacy, and in many cases built-in protection against malicious sites.

This guide ranks the best free public DNS servers for 2026 — by speed, security, and privacy — tells you which one fits your priorities, and shows you exactly how to change your DNS on Windows, macOS, Linux, your router, and mobile.

Why change your DNS server?

Your ISP’s default DNS works, but it’s rarely the best choice. Switching to a reputable public resolver gives you:

• Speed. A slow resolver adds a delay to the first visit to every new site, and many ISP resolvers are slower than the big public ones. The speed test below shows how fast each public resolver answers from your connection. (For the full performance picture, see how to fix slow DNS lookups.)
• Privacy. Many ISPs log your DNS queries — a complete record of every site you visit — and some monetize it. The privacy-focused resolvers below commit to not selling your data and to deleting logs quickly.
• Security. Some resolvers automatically block known malware, phishing, and botnet domains before your browser ever connects.
• Reliability. Major providers run globally distributed anycast networks with very high uptime — often more dependable than a single ISP’s servers, which are also the most common cause of a “DNS server not responding” error.

One limit worth setting up front: changing your DNS doesn’t change your IP address or hide your traffic from your ISP by itself. It changes who resolves your lookups, not your visible IP — masking your IP requires a VPN. And unless you also enable encryption (covered near the end), your ISP can still see which domains you look up.

The best DNS servers in 2026

There’s no single “best” for everyone — it depends on whether you prioritize speed, security, privacy, or filtering. Here are the top free public resolvers with their addresses.

Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) — best all-around. Launched in 2018, Cloudflare’s resolver is one of the fastest public DNS services in global benchmarks, thanks to an anycast network spanning hundreds of cities that puts a nearby node close to almost everyone. Its privacy policy is one of the strongest in the industry: it commits to never selling resolver data or using it for advertising, and to deleting logs quickly. It also offers security variants — 1.1.1.2 blocks malware, and 1.1.1.3 blocks malware plus adult content — handy for families. For most users, this is the recommended choice.

Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8) — most reliable. The world’s most widely used public resolver, running on Google’s massive infrastructure. Speed is excellent and nearly matches Cloudflare in many regions, and uptime is exceptional. Privacy is good but not the strongest here — Google keeps some anonymized data for diagnostics. If you want a rock-solid, universally compatible resolver, 8.8.8.8 is the safe pick.

Quad9 (9.9.9.9) — best for security. A Switzerland-based nonprofit that automatically blocks access to known-malicious domains using threat intelligence from multiple security partners — so a phishing or malware link often just fails to resolve. It doesn’t log personally identifiable information, and benefits from strong Swiss privacy law. Like Cloudflare and Google, it also validates DNSSEC by default — cryptographically checking that DNS answers haven’t been forged in transit. The best choice if you want security and privacy weighted equally.

OpenDNS (208.67.222.222) — best for families. Owned by Cisco and serving DNS since 2006, OpenDNS stands out for configurable content filtering — administrators can block whole categories (adult content, gambling, and so on). Its FamilyShield resolver (208.67.222.123) enforces adult-content filtering with no setup. Reliable, with optional paid tiers for advanced reporting.

AdGuard DNS (94.140.14.14) — best for ad blocking. Filters ads and trackers at the DNS level, network-wide, without installing anything on each device. A good middle ground if you want an ad-light experience everywhere; a non-filtering variant is also available.

Which is fastest for you? Because these providers all use anycast routing, the fastest one depends on your physical location and your ISP’s peering — a resolver that’s fastest in Frankfurt may not be in São Paulo. The rankings above hold globally on average, but the only way to know your fastest is to measure from your own connection, which is exactly what the speed test below does.

DNS speed test: which server is fastest for you?

The rankings above are global averages. This test measures the five providers from your own connection, which is the only result that matters for you: click the button and, in about 5 seconds, you’ll see them ranked by response time, with the two addresses to use.

Best DNS for privacy and security

“Secure” can mean three different things, and no single provider leads on all of them: blocking malicious domains, not keeping your data, and encrypting your queries in transit.

For security, Quad9 is the strongest default: malware blocking is on without any configuration, and it doesn’t log IP addresses. For privacy, Cloudflare and Mullvad keep the least data — Mullvad goes furthest, but it only works over encrypted DNS, so it needs a browser or device that supports DoH or DoT.

⚠️ Whichever you choose, the privacy gain only holds with encryption on. Plain DNS travels unencrypted, so your ISP can still read every lookup no matter which provider answers it.

Which DNS is the default in Chrome?

A common point of confusion: Chrome doesn’t have its own DNS server. By default it uses whatever DNS your operating system is set to — which, unless you’ve changed it, is your ISP’s. What Chrome does have is a “Use secure DNS” setting (Settings → Privacy and security → Security), which enables encrypted DNS (DNS over HTTPS). There you can leave it on your current provider or pick one from a list (Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, and others). So “the DNS Chrome uses” is either your OS setting or, if Secure DNS is on, whichever provider you selected there — not a Chrome-specific server.

How to change your DNS server

You can set DNS on a single device, or once on your router to cover every device on the network. Here’s each method.

Windows

1. Open Settings → Network & Internet, and click your connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
2. Find DNS server assignment and click Edit (or, in older Windows, open the adapter’s Properties → Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) → Properties).
3. Switch to Manual, turn on IPv4, and enter your chosen Preferred and Alternate DNS (e.g., 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1).
4. Save, then flush your DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns) so the change takes effect immediately.

macOS

1. Open System Settings → Network, select your active connection, and click Details.
2. Go to the DNS tab.
3. Under DNS Servers, click + and add your addresses (e.g., 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1). Remove the old ISP entries if present.
4. Click OK.

Linux

On most desktop distributions, edit the connection in Network settings → IPv4, switch DNS from Automatic to Manual, and enter the addresses. From the command line with NetworkManager:

nmcli con mod "Your-Connection" ipv4.dns "1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1"
nmcli con mod "Your-Connection" ipv4.ignore-auto-dns yes
nmcli con up "Your-Connection"

On your router (all devices at once)

Changing DNS on your router applies it to every device on the network — phones, TVs, consoles — without configuring each one. Log in to the router admin panel (commonly 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1), find the DNS settings (often under Internet, WAN, or DHCP), enter your preferred and alternate addresses, and save. This is the most efficient option for a household.

It’s also the only practical option for most smart TVs, streaming boxes and game consoles, which rarely let you change DNS in their own settings.

Android and iOS

• Android: for encrypted DNS, go to Settings → Network & internet → Private DNS, choose Private DNS provider hostname, and enter a hostname like 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com or dns.quad9.net. For plain DNS, edit the Wi-Fi network’s IP settings (set to Static) and enter the addresses.
• iOS: go to Settings → Wi-Fi, tap the ⓘ next to your network, tap Configure DNS → Manual, remove the existing servers, and add your own. (Cloudflare’s free 1.1.1.1 app configures encrypted DNS system-wide.)

After changing on any device, confirm it took effect — if lookups still show your ISP’s servers, flush your DNS cache and reload.

Go further: encrypted DNS (DoH / DoT)

Changing your resolver improves speed and can add filtering — but by default DNS queries still travel in plain text, so your ISP (or anyone on the network) can see which domains you look up, even on HTTPS sites. Encrypted DNS closes that gap: DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT) wrap your queries so they can’t be read in transit. All the major resolvers above support it, and you can enable it in your browser (Chrome’s “Use secure DNS,” Firefox’s DoH) or system-wide. For the full comparison of DoH, DoT, and DoQ and when to use each, see our guide to encrypted DNS.

A note for website owners

Everything above is about the resolver your device uses to look up domains. If you run a site, there’s a second, different DNS decision: the authoritative DNS that answers queries for your domain — hosted by your registrar, your host, or a premium DNS network. That choice affects how fast and reliably visitors worldwide resolve your site.

A fast, globally distributed authoritative DNS lowers lookup time for every visitor; a slow one adds delay before your pages even start loading. For that side of DNS, see how to fix slow DNS lookups and our overview of what DNS is and how it works.

And if you’d rather run your own resolver than use a public one — for a private network, or to cache locally — see how to create a DNS server.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best DNS server?
For most people, Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) is the best all-around choice: it’s one of the fastest public resolvers and has one of the strongest privacy policies. Choose Quad9 (9.9.9.9) for automatic malware blocking, Google (8.8.8.8) for maximum reliability, or OpenDNS for family content filtering. All are free. Since speed depends on where you are, run the speed test above to see which one answers fastest for you.

What is the fastest DNS server?
There’s no single fastest DNS server for everyone. Cloudflare, Google and Quad9 all run global anycast networks, so each query goes to their nearest location, and which one wins depends on where you are and on your internet provider’s routes. The speed test above times the five main providers from your own connection in about 5 seconds and ranks them by median response time.

Is 1.1.1.1 faster than 8.8.8.8?
Neither is faster everywhere. Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and Google (8.8.8.8) both run global anycast networks, so the winner depends on your location and your provider’s routes. Run the speed test above to time both from your connection. If they come within a few milliseconds of each other, you won’t notice the difference, so choose by privacy and features instead.

What are the addresses of the main public DNS servers?
Use the first address as primary and the second as secondary. Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1111 and 2606:4700:4700::1001). Google: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (IPv6: 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844). Quad9: 9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112 (IPv6: 2620:fe::fe and 2620:fe::9). OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. AdGuard DNS: 94.140.14.14 and 94.140.15.15.

Which DNS is best for privacy and security?
For security, Quad9: it blocks known-malicious domains by default and doesn’t log IP addresses. For privacy, Cloudflare deletes query logs within about a day, and Mullvad DNS keeps none at all, though it only works over encrypted DNS. Whichever you pick, turn on DoH or DoT: without encrypted DNS, your ISP can still read every lookup.

Is it safe to change my DNS server?
Yes. Switching to a reputable public DNS provider like Cloudflare, Google or Quad9 is safe and fully reversible, and these services are used by millions of people. If anything feels off, you can switch back to automatic DNS at any time.

Does changing DNS make my internet faster?
It can make the first connection to each website faster by resolving domain names more quickly, especially if your ISP’s resolver is slow. It doesn’t increase your bandwidth or download speed, so a 4K stream won’t download faster, but pages can start loading sooner, which feels faster in everyday browsing. To see how fast each public provider answers from your connection, run the speed test above.

Is there a best DNS for gaming?
Not in the way it’s usually sold. DNS is only used when your console or PC looks up the game server’s address; once connected, it plays no part in your ping or lag. A faster resolver can shorten the time to reach a lobby or the store, but no DNS server lowers in-game latency. For that, look at your connection, Wi-Fi versus cable, and the game server region.

What is the best DNS server for my country?
The same providers, in almost every country. Cloudflare, Google and Quad9 use anycast networks with locations worldwide, so a query is answered by the nearest one wherever you are. What varies is which of them is fastest from your internet provider, and the speed test above measures exactly that.

Can I use one provider as primary and another as secondary?
You can, but the secondary isn’t just a standby. Many routers and some operating systems spread lookups across both addresses, and others switch to the secondary whenever the primary is slow to answer. Mixing is fine for speed and redundancy, but it defeats filtering: if you pair Quad9 with a non-filtering resolver, some lookups skip the malware blocking entirely. If filtering matters, use both addresses from the same service.

Which DNS server does Chrome use by default?
Chrome doesn’t have its own DNS server: it uses your operating system’s DNS, which is your ISP’s unless you changed it. Chrome does offer a Use secure DNS option that turns on encrypted DNS with a provider you select, but the resolver itself is still one of the public providers, not a Chrome-specific one.

Does changing my DNS hide my browsing or change my IP?
No. Changing DNS only changes which service resolves your domain lookups. It doesn’t change your public IP address (that needs a VPN) and, unless you turn on encrypted DNS, your ISP can still see your queries. DNS choice is about speed, security and filtering, not anonymity.

Should I change DNS on each device or on my router?
The router is the most efficient option: it applies the new DNS to every device on your network automatically. Configuring individual devices is better for laptops and phones that move between networks, so they keep your preferred DNS wherever they connect.

What is the best DNS for a smart TV or streaming?
Any of the fast public resolvers works, and most smart TVs and streaming boxes don’t let you change DNS in their own settings, so the practical route is changing it on the router. Keep expectations right: DNS affects how quickly the app connects, not buffering or video quality, which depend on your bandwidth.

Conclusion

Switching your DNS server is a two-minute change with real payoff: faster lookups, better privacy, and — depending on the provider — automatic protection against malicious sites. For most people Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) is the best starting point; pick Quad9 for security, Google for reliability, or OpenDNS for family filtering. Set it once on your router to cover every device, flush your DNS cache so it takes effect, and — if privacy matters — turn on encrypted DNS so your queries aren’t sent in the clear. Just remember what it does and doesn’t do: better DNS means speed, security, and filtering — not a new IP address.