DNS Servers Available For Free And Public Use

You can find a list of additional DNS server free of charge in the table at the bottom.

What are DNS Servers?

DNS servers translate the friendly domain name you enter into a browser (like lifewire.com) into the public IP address that's needed for your device to actually communicate with that site.

Your ISP automatically assigns DNS servers when your smartphone or router connects to the internet, but you don't have to use those. You might consider switching to other DNS servers for a variety of reasons (we go into many of them in Why Choose Different DNS Servers? You can read more about privacy and speed in the section below.

Sometimes primary DNS servers will be called preferred DNS Servers, and secondary DNS server may be alternate DNS Servers. Primary and secondary DNS servers can be "mixed and matched" from different providers to protect you if the primary provider has problems.

Best Public & Free DNS Servers (Valid July 20,22)

Here are more details about the best DNS servers free of charge that you can use as an alternative to the ones that you have been assigned.

If you're unsure, consult the IPv4 DNS server list for a provider. These are IP addresses with periods. IPv6 IP addresses use colons.

Google: 8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4

Google Public DNS promises three core benefits: a faster browsing experience, improved security, and accurate results without redirects.

Primary DNS: 8.8.8.8. Secondary DNS: 8.8.4.4

There are also IPv6 versions.

Primary DNS: 2001.4860.4860.


Secondary DNS: 2001.4860.4860::8844

Google can achieve fast speeds with its public DNS servers because they're hosted in data centers all around the world, meaning that when you attempt to access a web page using the IP addresses above, you're directed to a server that's nearest to you. Google offers DNS over HTTPS (DoH), and TLS (DoT) in addition to traditional DNS over UDP/TCP.

Quad9: 9.9.9.9 & 149.112.112.112

Quad9 provides free public DNS servers to protect your computer from cyber threats. These DNS servers automatically and immediately block access by unreliable websites.

Primary DNS: 9.9.9.9


Secondary DNS: 149.112.112.112

There are also Quad 9 DNS servers that support IPv6.

Primary DNS: 2620.fe.


Secondary DNS: 2620.fe:9

Quad9 will not block content-only domains that contain malware or phishing. There is also an unencrypted IPv4 public domain at 9.9.9.10 (i.e., with no malware blocking) (2620:fe.:10 for IPv6). Quad9 supports DoH.

OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222 & 208.67.220.220

OpenDNS claims 100% reliability, up-time, and is used worldwide by tens to millions of users. Two sets of public DNS servers are available for free. One is only for parental controls and the other has dozens of filtering options.

Primary DNS: 208.67.222.222


Secondary DNS: 208.67.220.220

IPv6 addresses are also possible:

Primary DNS: 2620.119.35::35


Secondary DNS: 2620.119:53:53:53

The servers above are for OpenDNS Home, which you can make a user account to set up custom settings. OpenDNS FamilyShield is a DNS service that can be set up to block adult content. It is available at 208.67.222.123 or 208.67.220.123. These servers can also be used to support DNS over HTTPS. A premium DNS offering is available, too, called OpenDNS VIP.

Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 & 1.0.0.1

Cloudflare created 1.1.1.1 to be "internet's fastest DNS director", and will never log or sell your IP address. They also won't use your data to target ads.

Primary DNS: 1.1.1.1


Secondary DNS:

They also have IPv6 public DNS server:

Primary DNS: 2606/4700/4700:1111


Secondary DNS: 2606/4700/4700:1001

The link above provides setup instructions for all of your devices. The 1.1.1.1 app allows you to set up DNS quickly on your mobile and desktop devices. It can also be used as a VPN. There is also 1.1.1.1 For Families that can block malicious content (1.1.1.2), and 1.1.1.3 for malware and other adult content (1.1.1.3). It also supports DNS over HTTPS or TLS.

CleanBrowsing: 185.228.168.9 & 185.228.169.9

CleanBrowsing has three free public DNS server options: a security filter, adult filter, and family filter. Game tolia These DNS servers are the DNS servers for security filter. This is the most basic of the three and it updates hourly to block malware or phishing sites.

Primary DNS: 185.228.168.9.


Secondary DNS: 185.228.169.9

IPv6 is also possible:

Primary DNS: 2a0d.2a00.1:1:2


Secondary DNS: 2a0d.2a00.2:2

CleanBrowsing has two filters: the adult filter (185.228.168.10), which blocks access to adult sites, and the family filter (185.228.168.168.168.168), which blocks proxies and VPNs as well as mixed adult content. For more features, subscribe to a CleanBrowsing's premium plans. This service supports DoH and DoT as well.

Alternate DNS 76.76.19.19 or 76.223.122.150

Alternate DNS is a public DNS service that blocks advertisements before they reach your network.

Primary DNS: 76.76.19.19


Secondary DNS: 76.223.122.150

Alternate DNS has IPv6 DNS servers, too:

Primary DNS: 2602


Secondary DNS: 2602 :fcbc 2::ad

You can sign up with Alternate DNS for free. Alternate DNS also offers a Family Premium Alternate DNS option, which blocks adult content.

AdGuard DNS : 94.140.14.14 and 94.140.15.15.15

AdGuard DNS has two sets of DNS servers that block ads in games, videos, apps, and web pages. The basic set is called the "Default" servers, which block ads and trackers:

Primary DNS: 94.140.14.14


Secondary DNS:

IPv6 is also supported

Primary DNS: doi:2.10.50c0.ad1-ff


Secondary DNS: 2a10.50c0 ::ad2 :ff

There are also "Family protection servers" (94.140.14.15 & 2a10.50c0::bad1 :ff) which block adult content and everything in the "Default" server. If you don't want to block anything, non-filtering servers can be found at 94.140.14.140 or 2a10:50c0.0::1:ff. These servers are also available via DNS over HTTPS or TLS.

Why Use Different DNS Servers

One reason you might want to change the DNS servers assigned by your ISP is if you suspect there's a problem with the ones you're using now. It is easy to check for DNS server issues by simply entering the IP address from a website into a browser. If the website can be reached with the IP address but not the name, the DNS server may be having problems.

If you are looking for a better service, another reason to change DNS servers. Many complain that their DNS servers are slow and cause a slower browsing experience.

Other reasons to use DNS server services from a third party include to prevent logging of web activity, to make your browsing more private, and to circumvent certain website blocking. Not all DNS servers will log traffic. If you're interested, make sure to read through the FAQs of the DNS provider's website to confirm that it can do (or not) what you need.

If, on the contrary, you want to use DNS servers that your ISP (e.g. Verizon, AT&T/XFINITY) has determined are best, then you don’t need to manually assign DNS server addresses.

In case you were wondering, free DNS servers don't give you unlimited internet access. You still need an ISP to connect to for access-DNS servers just translate between IP addresses and domain names so that you can access websites with a human-readable name instead of a difficult-to-remember IP address.

Additional DNS Servers

Here are several other public DNS servers provided by major providers.

These providers may have multiple DNS servers. Visit the link above and select a server that's geographically nearby for the optimal performance.

DNS servers are referred to as all sorts of names, like DNS server addresses, internet DNS servers, internet servers, DNS IP addresses, etc.

Verizon DNS Servers & Other Specific DNS Servers for ISPs

Verizon DNS servers can be found listed elsewhere as 4.2.2.1 and 4.2.2.2, respectively.

Verizon, like most ISPs, prefers to balance their DNS server traffic via local, automatic assignments. For example, in Atlanta, GA, the primary Verizon DNS server is 68.238.120.12, while in Chicago it is 68.238.0.12.

Frequently Asked questions

How do I change my DNS server? You can select a DNS server from the settings of your router. You will need to log in to your router by entering http://192.168.1.1. Next, enter one of these addresses into the DNS settings. How can I fix a DNS server which isn't responding to my requests? There are many reasons why your computer might not be able to connect to a DNS server. To fix a bad DNS connection, check the status of your ISP's connection and your antivirus software. Also, run any network troubleshooting programs your computer has. If none of this works, restart or reset your modem and router.

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