Mullvad's DNS is free for everyone, you should consider it

DNS & Network
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Mullvad’s DNS service is one of the under-recognized privacy benefits in the encrypted DNS landscape. Unlike NextDNS or ControlD, Mullvad DNS is free for everyone (not just Mullvad VPN customers) and aligned with the same principled-privacy ethos that makes Mullvad’s VPN service distinctive.

This is the practical assessment of when Mullvad DNS is the right answer versus the alternatives.

What Mullvad DNS is

Mullvad operates encrypted DNS resolvers with several variants:

Each is accessible via DoH (DNS over HTTPS), DoT (DNS over TLS), and standard plain DNS (port 53, not encrypted, included only for legacy compatibility).

The service is free. No account required. You point your devices at the server URL of your chosen variant and the service works.

The infrastructure is on Mullvad’s own servers (the same physical hardware that runs Mullvad VPN exit nodes in some locations). Latency is competitive with Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 in regions where Mullvad has presence.

What Mullvad DNS does well

The price is zero, with no account required. This is meaningfully different from NextDNS and ControlD, which require accounts even for their free tiers.

The privacy posture is genuinely strong. Mullvad’s DNS does not log queries, does not sell data, and is operated by a company whose entire business model is structured around not collecting user data. The trust relationship is the same as Mullvad VPN: structural rather than promised.

The blocking is well-curated. Mullvad’s blocklist for ads, trackers, and malware is conservative enough to avoid breaking common sites while catching the most-egregious tracking infrastructure.

The variants are useful. Different devices can use different variants based on need (the kid’s tablet uses family, your work laptop uses extended, your gaming console uses base).

The integration with Mullvad VPN is seamless. If you use Mullvad VPN, the DNS is automatically routed through Mullvad’s encrypted DNS while connected, with optional ad blocking enabled in the VPN client.

The setup is documented well. Mullvad publishes clear instructions for configuring devices to use their DNS via DoH or DoT.

What Mullvad DNS does less well

The configurability is limited. Unlike NextDNS or ControlD, you cannot create custom blocklists, custom rules, per-device profiles, or query logs. You pick one of the five variants and that is what you get.

The query log does not exist. If you want to see what your devices are looking up, Mullvad DNS does not provide this; it is by design (no logging means no query log to show you).

The geographic coverage is limited compared to Cloudflare or Google. Mullvad has DNS resolvers in fewer locations, which can mean higher latency from some regions.

The brand is less established as a DNS provider. Most users associate Mullvad with VPN; the DNS service is less well-known.

How Mullvad DNS compares

Feature Mullvad DNS NextDNS Cloudflare 1.1.1.1
Cost Free Free (limited) / $20/year Free
Account required No Yes No
Custom blocklists No Yes No
Per-device profiles No (use different variants) Yes No
Query log No Yes No
Variants 5 (different blocking levels) Highly customizable 3 (1.1.1.1, .2, .3)
Privacy posture Excellent Good Good
Latency Variable Excellent Excellent

For users who want zero-config privacy DNS without an account: Mullvad DNS or Cloudflare 1.1.1.1.

For users who want configurable blocking, custom rules, query logs: NextDNS or ControlD.

Use cases where Mullvad DNS wins

You want free encrypted DNS without creating any account.

You specifically want a provider aligned with privacy values.

You are already a Mullvad VPN customer (in which case Mullvad DNS through the VPN is essentially automatic).

You want one of the curated blocking variants (ads, trackers, malware, family content) without configuring custom lists.

You do not care about query logs or per-device profiles.

Use cases where Mullvad DNS loses

You want extensive customization. NextDNS or ControlD.

You want query logs for diagnostic purposes.

You need maximum geographic coverage with lowest latency. Cloudflare 1.1.1.1.

You want per-device profiles managed centrally. NextDNS.

A specific recommendation

For users wanting free encrypted DNS without configuration: Mullvad DNS at adblock.dns.mullvad.net (for general use with ad blocking) or extended.dns.mullvad.net (for more aggressive blocking).

For Mullvad VPN customers: enable ad blocking in the Mullvad VPN client; the DNS is then automatically Mullvad’s with blocking active.

For users wanting customization: NextDNS Pro at $20/year.

For users wanting maximum performance from a major provider: Cloudflare 1.1.1.1.

Mullvad DNS | NextDNS | Cloudflare 1.1.1.1

Related: Encrypted DNS friendly guide, Why I keep recommending Mullvad, NextDNS deep review