Is NextDNS a good choice for privacy and ad-blocking?

1. How NextDNS works as a network firewall

NextDNS operates at the DNS layer, resolving and blocking domain name requests before a connection is established, which prevents ads, trackers and malicious domains from loading across apps and browsers; the company advertises real-time, popular blocklists and native tracking protections to stop third-party trackers and even some disguised trackers ^{[1] [7]}. Because blocking happens at DNS resolution, it reduces outbound connections and background “noise” without client-side resource impact, and it supports DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS to encrypt queries between devices and NextDNS servers ^{[5] [1] [2]}.

2. Privacy strengths and the logging question

NextDNS emphasizes privacy by default and supports encrypted DNS transport, and independent reviews and comparisons note a “strong privacy policy” and promises not to log personal browsing history—features reviewers cite when recommending it to privacy-minded users ^{[8] [2]}. The service also offers per-configuration logs and analytics that let users inspect blocked requests and tune filters, which is powerful for transparency but introduces a trade-off: those logs are optional but can be enabled, so privacy-conscious users must understand what they enable in their dashboard ^{[1] [9]}.

3. Ad-blocking capabilities — powerful but not omnipotent

NextDNS’s DNS-level approach blocks many ads and trackers before page scripts run, delivering noticeable speed and cleanliness gains for many users and devices ^{[5] [9]}. However, DNS blocking has inherent limits: some services (notably YouTube) use delivery techniques that cannot be blocked at the DNS level, and the NextDNS help documentation explicitly says such ads require in-browser extensions like uBlock Origin to stop ^[4]. In short, NextDNS handles wide swaths of ad and tracker domains very effectively but is not a one-stop replacement for all ad-blocking techniques.

4. Customization, management and real-world usability

NextDNS offers deep customization—multiple configurations, granular allow/block rules, parental controls, app/site blocking, and an ecosystem of popular blocklists—making it closer to a cloud-based Pi-hole for many households ^{[1] [7] [9]}. That power can be a double-edged sword: reviews and community threads note excellent control for power users but a steeper learning curve for nontechnical users, and the help center clarifies limits such as the inability to upload custom blocklists in some cases ^{[6] [4]}.

5. Alternatives, comparisons and hidden agendas

Comparisons to competitors like Cloudflare and AdGuard highlight differences: NextDNS wins on customization, analytics and parental controls, while alternatives may prioritize raw performance, simpler defaults, or integrated client software—reviewers point to NextDNS as “better for granular control” but not necessarily the fastest resolver in every scenario ^{[3] [8]}. Commercial reviews and customer testimonials on platforms like Trustpilot tend to be positive about blocking and speed, but users should consider vendor lock-in, the visibility created by analytics, and whether a local solution (Pi-hole) or an all-in-one desktop adblocker better matches their needs ^{[10] [9]}.

6. Verdict — who should pick NextDNS?

NextDNS is a strong choice for privacy-aware users who want DNS encryption, robust blocklists, cross-device coverage and deep customization; it’s especially valuable for households and multi-device setups where centralized filtering simplifies management ^{[1] [7]}. It is less suitable as the sole tool for blocking all in-page or streaming ads (e.g., YouTube), and less ideal for users who want a zero-configuration, single-click adblocker or who insist on hosting everything locally without any cloud analytics enabled ^{[4] [6]}. For most privacy-motivated users willing to learn the dashboard and combine DNS filtering with selective browser extensions, NextDNS is a very good option.