The 7 Best DNS Servers to Block Ads on the Internet

DNS servers are one of the best ways to protect yourself while you surf, and also one of the ways that big companies can get your information. But they can also help you avoid online ads that you find intrusive or particularly invasive.

If you want to protect your privacy or block ads on the internet as you browse, ad blocking DNS servers are a great way to do that, no matter what device you’re using. Here, we take a look at seven of the best servers you can use to block ads.

First up on this list is NextDNS. With over 130 different server locations and considered Mozilla’s preferred DNS, NextDNS is definitely one of the more popular entries on this list.

Basically, NextDNS aims to protect its users from a wide variety of security threats while simultaneously blocking ads and trackers on websites and apps across the Internet. Setting up and configuring a custom DNS with NextDNS is easy and takes just a couple of minutes.

In addition to this, NextDNS provides comprehensive logging and analytics data that you can use to measure how effectively you protect your privacy. This can be an effective way to see which websites and trackers you’re interrupting, and if you’d rather not be logged in, you can always opt out.

If you have kids, NextDNS is also a great choice. NextDNS comes with built-in parental control options that you can activate and adjust to your liking. This includes setting a recess time, when certain games and sites are available, as well as options to permanently restrict certain types of content.

Next, we have AdGuard DNS. AdGuard DNS uses several powerful filters to target ads and trackers on any device connected to your wireless network.

This means that you won’t see ads on any device you browse on, and what’s more, AdGuard also includes a number of other useful features that you can use to protect yourself and those around you while they use the Internet.

The easiest way to achieve this is to examine the extensive statistical information provided by AdGuard. You can filter DNS requests by device and find usage faults for each device.

From here, you can change your DNS filtering rules on the fly to better protect yourself. This, combined with custom filtering options and strong parental control options, means you can have a great deal of control over the information you’re giving away.

If you’re looking for a DNS that you can use to not only block ads on any device but also bypass censorship, then LibreDNS is an excellent option.

LibreDNS uses a crowdsourced list of known advertising and tracking domains that it uses to block ads. Additionally, LibreDNS keeps no logs of any kind and only keeps the minimum amount of data required to function.

This means that LibreDNS is not only a DNS server that blocks ads, it is also a DNS server that keeps you safe.

Other than that, LibreDNS is relatively straightforward. All you have to do is learn how to change your DNS settings and you should be good to go.

Next on this list comes Control D. Control D is a free DNS service that prevents ads, malware, and trackers from having unrestricted access to your computer.

Control D is an interesting ad blocking DNS server as it aims to do more than just block ads. Control D doubles as a productivity tool and pseudo-VPN.

There are many ways to hide or spoof your location in the browser, but Control D lets you do it without VPN applications or additional programs to install. All you have to do is use Control D and you can set a default location that is different from your current location.

If you are looking for a feature-rich ad blocking DNS server, then DeCloudUs could be the ideal solution for you. DeCloudUs is a DNS server that blocks ads, trackers, malware, phishing and more.

Additionally, DeCloudUs is highly customizable and comes with a full suite of features like parental controls, full DNS customization, custom filter lists, and more.

DeCloudUs’ biggest drawback, however, is that many of these features are locked behind premium plans. For more server options, custom DNS profiles, DNS statistics, and more, you’ll need a premium account. You can use DeCloudUs completely free, but this will limit you to a single server in Germany and cut you off from accessing many other features as well.

BlahDNS is a hobby project that aims to create a serious DNS server that can block ads with the best of them. The UI and layout leave something to be desired, but the ad blocking DNS server itself couldn’t be more different.

BlahDNS filters ads, trackers, malware and more. It doesn’t store any logs, which is great if you’re concerned about privacy, though a drawback if you like to monitor and fine-tune your ad filter. When it comes to figuring out how to block ads using DNS, BlahDNS is a pretty solid option as once you set it up you don’t need to think much, if at all, into it.

Finally, we have AhaDNS Blitz. AhaDNS Blitz is a highly configurable cloud DNS firewall that blocks ads, trackers, malware and more.

AhaDNS Blitz is built with security at the forefront. Use multiple servers to ensure there is little downtime and all traffic sent is fully encrypted. Also, AhaDNS Blitz blocks ads and trackers so you don’t have to worry about annoying ads while you browse.

Block ads no matter where you browse

As you can see, blocking ads is easy. Once you learn how to set up your own DNS, you don’t even need an ad blocker anymore. All you need is the right DNS server for you and you’ll be good to go. Before delving into any of these options, make sure you’re familiar with how to change DNS settings.