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It's a split decision.
Choose DNSFilter if the lower entry price matters: its pricing page lists Core at $1/license/month annually or $1.15 monthly, with $240 annual and $23 monthly minimums. Choose Control D for AI-agent destination policies, four modern DNS protocols, or 30-day query logs and one-year analytics; its SMB plan starts at $2/endpoint/month. Both have no free plan and a 14-day trial. DNSFilter also lists minimums on Plus; compare total seat costs before switching.
01Side by side
| Control D | DNSFilter | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $2/endpoint/month; annual price not published | $1 annual or $1.15 monthly per license |
| Free plan | No free plan; 14-day trial | No free plan; 14-day trial |
| Best for | Self-serve SMBs; AI-agent access policies | Remote protection; app controls and security reporting |
| Core strength | 99.98% malware block rate, verified by Nexxwave in 2025 | Detects newly registered threats up to 10 days early |
| Learning curve | Review notes a learning curve; ease score 6.5/10 | Ease score 7/10 in published review |
| Data & reporting | 30-day query logs; analytics retained up to one year | Detailed logs; CyberSight reporting |
| Team / seat costs | $2 per endpoint monthly; minimum not published | $23 Core and $62.50 Plus monthly minimums |
| Support | Review support score: 5/10 | Review support score: 5/10 |
Control D Choose Control D if
- Choose Control D if you need AI-agent destination policies.
- Choose Control D if stated log retention matters.
- Choose Control D if you want self-serve SMB deployment.
DNSFilter Choose DNSFilter if
- Choose DNSFilter if the lower listed license price matters.
- Choose DNSFilter if users need off-network protection.
- Choose DNSFilter if you want AppAware and CyberSight reporting.
02Pricing compared
DNSFilter has the lower listed entry price: Core is $1 per license/month with annual billing or $1.15 monthly, according to its pricing page. Minimums change the real cost: $240 annually or $23 monthly. Plus costs $2.25 per license/month annually or $2.50 monthly, with $750 annual or $62.50 monthly minimums.
Control D’s SMB plan starts at $2 per endpoint/month. Its annual price is not published, and School / Non-profit, MSP and Enterprise rates are not listed. Both products offer a 14-day trial and no free plan. DNSFilter also lists custom Enterprise pricing and MSP partner pricing starting at $150/month. Compare your seat count, billing term and minimum before switching; the entry price alone can be misleading.
03Features and depth
Both products filter DNS requests to block malicious or unwanted domains. DNSFilter’s feature set includes remote protection for users on and off the network, Insights reporting and AppAware, which shows accessed apps and can block their underlying domains. Its CyberSight feature surfaces shadow IT and can help identify wasted SaaS spend. DNSFilter says it detects newly registered and weaponized domains up to 10 days before third-party threat feeds.
Control D stands out for policy and protocol options. Its homepage lists controls for the internet destinations AI agents can access, with visibility into every lookup; it also says more than 1,000 apps and services can be blocked. Supported DNS options include DNS-over-HTTPS/3, DNS-over-TLS, DNS-over-QUIC and Legacy DNS. Native clients are listed for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. Every plan includes 30-day query log retention and analytics for up to one year. Control D’s homepage reports a 99.98% malware block rate, verified by Nexxwave in 2025.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Control D’s review flags a learning curve, even though its SMB plan includes self-serve deployment. Its multiple deployment methods may suit teams managing different device types, but the published product information does not explain how setup compares step by step with DNSFilter.
DNSFilter’s Plus plan lists Roaming Clients on any platform, and its Core plan is positioned for organizations needing core DNS protection. That does not establish that deployment is simpler. The published review scores rate ease of use at 6.5 for Control D and 7 for DNSFilter. Treat that as a small directional difference, not a guarantee: check the plan details and trial both against your device and policy needs.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Control D or DNSFilter?
DNSFilter has the lower listed starting price: Core is $1 per license/month annually or $1.15 monthly. But it has minimums of $240 annually or $23 monthly. Control D SMB starts at $2 per endpoint/month, and its annual rate is not published. Compare your actual seat count and billing term.
Do Control D and DNSFilter offer free plans or trials?
Neither product lists a free plan. Both list a 14-day free trial. DNSFilter Core’s pricing details also list its monthly and annual minimums, so check those before treating the trial or starting rate as a guide to your ongoing bill.
Which product offers AI-agent controls and more DNS protocols?
Control D’s homepage lists policies for the destinations AI agents can access and visibility into every lookup. It also lists DNS-over-HTTPS/3, DNS-over-TLS, DNS-over-QUIC and Legacy DNS. The published DNSFilter information does not list those AI-agent policies or protocol options.
Which product is better for an MSP?
Both list MSP options, but the pricing structures differ. Control D lists multi-tenancy with per-client profiles and billing, while its MSP price is not published. DNSFilter lists MSP partner pricing starting at $150/month, with a monthly minimum, multi-tenancy and branding.