# Public recursive name server

A public recursive name server (also called public DNS resolver) is a name server service that networked computers may use to query the Domain Name System (DNS), the decentralized Internet naming system, in place of (or in addition to) name servers operated by the local Internet service provider (ISP) to which the devices are connected. Reasons for using these services include:
* speed, compared to using ISP DNS services
* filtering (security, ad-blocking, porn-blocking, etc.)
* reporting
* avoiding censorship
* redundancy (smart caching)
* access to unofficial alternative top level domains not found in the official DNS root zone
* temporary unavailability of the ISP's name server
Public DNS resolver operators often cite increased privacy as an advantage of their services; critics of public DNS services have cited the possibility of mass data collection targeted at the public resolvers as a potential risk of using these services. Most services now support secure DNS lookup transport services such as DNS over TLS (DoT), DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over QUIC (DoQ).
Public DNS resolvers are operated either by commercial companies, offering their service for free use to the public, or by private enthusiasts to help spread new technologies and support non-profit communities.

## Notable public DNS service operators

| Provider | Privacy policy | DNS over UDP/TCP (Do53) | DNSSEC | DNS over TLS (DoT) | DNS over HTTPS (DoH) | DNS over QUIC (DoQ) | EDNS Padding | DNSCrypt | Hostname | IPv4 addresses | IPv6 addresses | Filters | Remarks |
| AdGuard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | dns.adguard-dns.com | 94.140.14.14 94.140.15.15 | 2a10:50c0::ad1:ff 2a10:50c0::ad2:ff | Default: ads and trackers | |
| AdGuard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | family.adguard-dns.com | 94.140.14.15 94.140.15.16 | 2a10:50c0::bad1:ff 2a10:50c0::bad2:ff | Family: ads, trackers, and adult content | |
| AdGuard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | unfiltered.adguard-dns.com | 94.140.14.140 94.140.14.141 | 2a10:50c0::1:ff 2a10:50c0::2:ff | None | |
| Alibaba | ? | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | No | ? | No | dns.alidns.com | 223.5.5.5 223.6.6.6 | 2400:3200::1 2400:3200:baba::1 | ? | Chinese regulations |
| CleanBrowsing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | family-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.org | 185.228.168.168 185.228.169.168 | 2a0d:2a00:1:: 2a0d:2a00:2:: | Family | Designed to be used on devices of kids under 13. |
| CleanBrowsing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | adult-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.org | 185.228.168.10 185.228.169.11 | 2a0d:2a00:1::1 2a0d:2a00:2::1 | Adult | |
| CleanBrowsing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | security-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.org | 185.228.168.9 185.228.169.9 | 2a0d:2a00:1::2 2a0d:2a00:2::2 | Security | |
| Cloudflare | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | one.one.one.one 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com | 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1 | 2606:4700:4700::1111 2606:4700:4700::1001 | None | |
| Cloudflare | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | security.cloudflare-dns.com | 1.1.1.2 1.0.0.2 | 2606:4700:4700::1112 2606:4700:4700::1002 | Malware, Phishing | |
| Cloudflare | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | family.cloudflare-dns.com | 1.1.1.3 1.0.0.3 | 2606:4700:4700::1113 2606:4700:4700::1003 | Malware, Phishing, Adult content | |
| Cloudflare | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | dns64.cloudflare-dns.com | — | 2606:4700:4700::64 2606:4700:4700::6400 | None | Intended to be IPv6-only. See NAT64 and DNS64. |
| Google | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | dns.google | 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4 | 2001:4860:4860::8888 2001:4860:4860::8844 | None | |
| Google | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | dns64.dns.google | — | 2001:4860:4860::6464 2001:4860:4860::64 | None | Intended for networks with NAT64 gateway. |
| Gcore | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | — | 95.85.95.85 2.56.220.2 | 2a03:90c0:999d::1 2a03:90c0:9992::1 | None | |
| Mullvad | Only for VPN service available | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | dns.mullvad.net | 194.242.2.2 | 2a07:e340::2 | None | Can be used without its VPN service |
| Mullvad | Only for VPN service available | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | adblock.dns.mullvad.net | 194.242.2.3 | 2a07:e340::3 | Ads, and trackers | Can be used without its VPN service |
| Mullvad | Only for VPN service available | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | base.dns.mullvad.net | 194.242.2.4 | 2a07:e340::4 | Ads, trackers, and malware | Can be used without its VPN service |
| Mullvad | Only for VPN service available | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | extended.dns.mullvad.net | 194.242.2.5 | 2a07:e340::5 | Ads, trackers, malware, and social media | Can be used without its VPN service |
| Mullvad | Only for VPN service available | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | all.dns.mullvad.net | 194.242.2.9 | 2a07:e340::9 | Ads, trackers, malware, social media, gambling and adult content | Can be used without its VPN service |
| Vercara (formerly Neustar Security Services) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | ? | 64.6.64.6 64.6.65.6 | 2620:74:1b::1:1 2620:74:1c::2:2 | None | Verisign transferred its public DNS to Neustar. |
| Vercara (formerly Neustar Security Services) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | ? | 156.154.70.1 156.154.71.1 | 2610:a1:1018::1 2610:a1:1019::1 | None | |
| Vercara (formerly Neustar Security Services) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | ? | 156.154.70.2 156.154.71.2 | 2610:a1:1018::2 2610:a1:1019::2 | Malware, ransomware, spyware, phishing | |
| Vercara (formerly Neustar Security Services) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | ? | 156.154.70.3 156.154.71.3 | 2610:a1:1018::3 2610:a1:1019::3 | Low security + gambling, pornography, violence, hate | |
| Vercara (formerly Neustar Security Services) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | ? | 156.154.70.4 156.154.71.4 | 2610:a1:1018::4 2610:a1:1019::4 | Medium security + gaming, adult, drugs, alcohol, anonymous proxies | |
| Vercara (formerly Neustar Security Services) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | ? | 156.154.70.5 156.154.71.5 | 2610:a1:1018::5 2610:a1:1019::5 | None | Will not redirect non-existent domains to a landing page. |
| Cisco Umbrella (OpenDNS) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | dns.opendns.com dns.umbrella.com | 208.67.222.222 208.67.220.220 | 2620:119:35::35 2620:119:53::53 | Basic Security filtering + user defined policies | |
| Cisco Umbrella (OpenDNS) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | familyshield.opendns.com | 208.67.222.123 208.67.220.123 | 2620:119:35::123 2620:119:53::123 | FamilyShield: adult content | |
| Cisco Umbrella (OpenDNS) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | sandbox.opendns.com | 208.67.222.2 208.67.220.2 | 2620:0:ccc::2 2620:0:ccd::2 | None | Sandbox addresses that provide no filtering. |
| Oracle (formerly Dyn) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | resolver1.dyndnsinternetguide.com resolver2.dyndnsinternetguide.com rdns.dynect.net | 216.146.35.35 216.146.36.36 | — | None | |
| Quad9 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | dns.quad9.net | 9.9.9.9 149.112.112.112 | 2620:fe::9 2620:fe::fe | Phishing, malware, and exploit kit domains | |
| Quad9 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | dns11.quad9.net | 9.9.9.11 149.112.112.11 | 2620:fe::11 2620:fe::fe:11 | Phishing, malware, and exploit kit domains | Passes EDNS Client Subnet. |
| Quad9 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | dns10.quad9.net | 9.9.9.10 149.112.112.10 | 2620:fe::10 2620:fe::fe:10 | None | |
| Wikimedia | Informal | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | wikimedia-dns.org | 185.71.138.138 | 2001:67c:930::1 | None | |
| Yandex | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | common.dot.dns.yandex.net | 77.88.8.8 77.88.8.1 | 2a02:6b8::feed:0ff 2a02:6b8:0:1::feed:0ff | None | |
| Yandex | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | safe.dot.dns.yandex.net | 77.88.8.88 77.88.8.2 | 2a02:6b8::feed:bad 2a02:6b8:0:1::feed:bad | Safe: fraudulent / infected / bot sites | |
| Yandex | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | family.dot.dns.yandex.net | 77.88.8.7 77.88.8.3 | 2a02:6b8::feed:a11 2a02:6b8:0:1::feed:a11 | Family: fraudulent / infected / bot / adult sites | |