What is Control D used for?

Control D is a customizable DNS filtering and traffic routing service with native clients for major operating systems and per-endpoint pricing. It is a good fit for MSPs applying DNS policy across client endpoints, blocking trackers and unwanted apps for teams, and collecting DNS evidence for compliance audits.

How much does Control D cost?

Paid plans for Control D start at $2 per seat per month, and there is no free plan. A free trial is available.

Is Control D open source?

No. Control D is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Control D include Pi-hole, AdGuard Home and Technitium DNS Server.

What are some alternatives to Control D?

Control D competes with NextDNS, Cisco Umbrella and Cloudflare. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Control D alternatives.

Control D: features, pricing and alternatives

About Control D

Control D is a hosted DNS filtering service that blocks malware, trackers and unwanted apps and lets administrators customize what each device or group can reach. It uses encrypted DNS and offers native clients for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android so that one policy applies across all of them.

Beyond blocking, it can reroute traffic for specific services, and it supports query logging, SIEM streaming and API access on every plan. Its homepage promotes silent installs and updates, analytics retention for compliance evidence, and a calculator that compares DNS costs against current spending.

Control D is a commercial service that is priced per endpoint rather than with large minimums, and it offers a free trial. It targets engineering teams, managed service providers and universities, as well as individuals who want fine-grained control of their DNS.

Key features

Encrypted DNS filtering for malware and trackers
Native clients for desktop and mobile platforms
Custom rules for blocking apps and services
Traffic rerouting for selected services
Query logs with SIEM streaming
API access on every plan

Good fit for

→MSPs applying DNS policy across client endpoints
→Blocking trackers and unwanted apps for teams
→Collecting DNS evidence for compliance audits

Tags: dns; dns-filtering; privacy; malware-protection; msp; traffic-routing

Control D: questions and answers

What is Control D used for?: Control D is a customizable DNS filtering and traffic routing service with native clients for major operating systems and per-endpoint pricing. It is a good fit for MSPs applying DNS policy across client endpoints, blocking trackers and unwanted apps for teams, and collecting DNS evidence for compliance audits.
How much does Control D cost?: Paid plans for Control D start at $2 per seat per month, and there is no free plan. A free trial is available.
Is Control D open source?: No. Control D is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Control D include Pi-hole, AdGuard Home and Technitium DNS Server.
What are some alternatives to Control D?: Control D competes with NextDNS, Cisco Umbrella and Cloudflare. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Control D alternatives.