2 categories · RankedNextDNS
NextDNS is a cloud DNS resolver that filters DNS traffic and blocks trackers · nextdns.io ↗
Read the same way at every company size.
The standing depends on who is buying. Every model is asked the same questions for each company size.
DNSFilter is first at 40%.
DNSFilter is first at 52%. 0 of 14 models made it the first choice when asked directly.
Cisco Umbrella is first at 52%.
Why models recommend it
“For most privacy-conscious users, NextDNS or Mullvad DNS offer the best balance of customization, transparency, and security.”Qwen 3.7 Flash · Negative question · first choice
“Customizable filtering (ads, trackers, malware, adult content) with strong no-log policies, audits, and per-device configs.”Grok 4.20 · Negative question · first choice
“If you can spend ~$20/month, NextDNS Business offers the best value with full features and unlimited devices.”Kimi K2 · Budget-constrained question · first choice
“NextDNS offers the best value-to-feature ratio for individuals”DeepSeek V4 Flash · Comparative question · first choice
What gives them pause
“if logging/analytics are left enabled the provider can retain query history, device identifiers and custom lists... a privacy risk for users who want no history”Muse Glimmer 30B · Negative question · warning
“NextDNS and similar configurable services expose more policy controls; neither should be treated as a substitute for endpoint protection.”Perplexity Sonar · Negative question · warning
“NextDNS and AdGuard Private DNS, for example, offer user-visible logs and settings to control logging or retention.”GPT-6 Luna · Negative question · warning
“NextDNS (which is otherwise well-regarded) enables logging by default when you create an account”DeepSeek V4 Flash · Negative question · warning
Also on the shortlist
The products named in the same answers as NextDNS, over the 88 answers that named it, and how often each was the first choice instead.
| Product | Named together | Picked instead | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 10 | Compare → | |
| 59 | 20 | Compare → | |
| 49 | 14 | Compare → | |
| 48 | 4 | View → | |
| 38 | 5 | Compare → | |
| 22 | 0 | View → | |
| 18 | 2 | View → | |
| 18 | 1 | View → | |
| 17 | 0 | View → | |
| 16 | 13 | View → |
What the models named instead of NextDNS →
A side-by-side page exists where both products are among a category's top eight.
At a glance
Stated on NextDNS's own site, not checked by Gane.
- Customers named
- Firefox
How this is measured
Fourteen AI models from 12 labs are asked the same buying questions six ways, for three company sizes. Standings refresh every edition.
Gane sells AI visibility software. No company can pay to change a result.
Read the method →Sources returned with these answers
Fourteen of the fourteen models returned a source list in this edition: five return the pages they cited and nine the search results they consulted. These counts come from 74 of the 88 answers that named NextDNS and are not a share of its labels.
Domains cited
225 of the 247 domain citations in answers naming NextDNS came from a third party's page.
Pages cited
Pages are listed as the models cited them.
By model
| Model | First choice | Alternative | Mention | Warning | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| GPT-5.4 mini | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Perplexity Sonar | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Grok 4.20 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Mistral Small | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Llama 4 Maverick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Kimi K2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| MiniMax M2.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| GPT-6 Luna | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Muse Glimmer 30B | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |