AdGuard DNS vs CleanBrowsing: Which Family Filter Wins in 2026?

🏆 Higher Blocking Rate: AdGuard DNS (93.8%)

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Why We Tested These DNS Providers

AdGuard DNS and CleanBrowsing are among the most popular family-friendly DNS providers in 2026. Both offer free family protection plans, but our comprehensive testing reveals significant differences in their blocking effectiveness and feature sets.

Testing Methodology

We tested both DNS providers using 500 carefully selected websites from the Hagezi and StevenBlack blocklists, including:

• Adult content websites - Testing parental control effectiveness
• Gambling sites - Checking addiction protection features
• Safe search enforcement - Verifying search engine filtering
• Legitimate websites - Ensuring no false positives

Detailed Performance Comparison

🛡️ Blocking Effectiveness

AdGuard DNS dominates with a 93.8% blocking rate, successfully blocking 469 out of 500 tested websites. CleanBrowsing achieved a respectable 70.2%, blocking 351 websites. This 23.6 percentage point difference represents 118 additional threats blocked by AdGuard DNS.

🔍 Safe Search Enforcement

Both providers performed identically in safe search enforcement, achieving 71.4% effectiveness across our 7 tested search engines (successfully enforcing safe search on 5 out of 7 engines). This indicates reliable search engine filtering capabilities from both services.

Feature Comparison

Pricing and Plans

AdGuard DNS

• Free Plan: Family protection for up to 3 devices
• Personal ($2.99/month): Up to 10 devices, custom rules
• Family ($5.99/month): Up to 50 devices, advanced features

CleanBrowsing

• Free Plan: Basic family filter
• Pro ($8.99/month): Custom filtering, network tools

Setup Guide

Both services offer simple DNS server changes for setup. Just change your DNS servers to the addresses below:

AdGuard DNS provides additional setup methods including mobile apps for iOS and Android, router configuration guides, DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS support, and browser extensions.

Test Results Summary

Based on our testing with 500 websites, AdGuard DNS achieved higher blocking effectiveness (93.8% vs 70.2%). This 23.6 percentage point difference means AdGuard blocked 118 more threats than CleanBrowsing in our test.

Both services offer solid family protection with free plans. Your choice may depend on factors like device limits, ease of setup, and specific filtering needs for your family.

Test Your Current DNS Protection

Frequently Asked Questions

Are both services really free?

Yes, both AdGuard DNS and CleanBrowsing offer free family protection plans. AdGuard's free plan supports up to 3 devices, while CleanBrowsing's free tier has no device limit but offers more basic filtering.

Which service blocks more threats?

Based on our testing with 500 websites, AdGuard DNS blocked 93.8% of threats compared to CleanBrowsing's 70.2%. This means AdGuard prevented 118 more threats from reaching users.

Can I switch between these services easily?

Yes, switching between DNS services only requires changing your DNS server addresses. You can test both services to see which works better for your family's needs.