7 Best European Alternatives to Google Public DNS (2026), Compared

The best European alternative to Google Public DNS is Quad9 (Switzerland): free, run by a not-for-profit foundation, with 230+ resolver clusters in more than 110 countries, malware blocking by default and no logging of your IP address. If you want a resolver that is hosted only in the EU, pick DNS4EU from Czech-based Whalebone – it also has ready-made ad-blocking and child-protection addresses.

I wrote this ranking for people who typed 8.8.8.8 into their router or phone years ago and now want their DNS lookups – the list of every website and app your devices contact – with a European operator instead of Google LLC. Google is open about what it keeps: according to its own privacy page, Google Public DNS stores your full IP address with your queries in temporary logs that are deleted within 24–48 hours, and keeps a sample of queries permanently, with the IP address replaced by your city or region. Google says it does not use this data for ads. The European resolvers below are free too, and most of them promise to log less. I compared fourteen public resolvers from Europe and kept seven that can replace Google’s addresses one to one. For each one you get who runs it, where it runs, the exact addresses and what you lose compared with Google.

What are the best European alternatives to Google Public DNS?

If you only have a minute: these are the European resolvers I would switch to from 8.8.8.8, in order. Each one is reviewed in detail below.

1. Quad9 (Switzerland) – global network, blocks malware, no IP logging. Best for most people leaving Google Public DNS.
2. DNS4EU (Czech Republic) – the EU-backed resolver, hosted only in the EU, with five filter options. Best for keeping DNS inside the EU.
3. AdGuard DNS (Cyprus) – free ad and tracker blocking for the whole network. Best for blocking ads on every device.
4. DNS.SB (Germany) – no-logs, unfiltered resolver on 30 anycast locations. Best plain, neutral replacement.
5. dnsforge (Germany) – donation-funded, four filter levels, servers only in Germany. Best German resolver with filters.
6. UncensoredDNS (Denmark) – one-person, no-logs resolver running since 2009. Best for avoiding DNS censorship.
7. FFMUC DNS (Germany) – the Munich Freifunk community resolver. Best community-run option in Germany.

Google Public DNS alternatives compared

Prices from public pricing pages. Affiliate links and sponsored placements are labelled.

“Data hosted in” shows where each resolver answers from, based on its published IPv4 address and an ASN lookup on RIPEstat (25 Oct 2026). “Anycast” means the same address is served from many locations, so you reach the nearest one.

How I compared the Google Public DNS alternatives

I looked at fourteen public DNS resolvers run by European organisations and kept seven. The order is driven by how much of Google Public DNS you keep after switching – plain IP addresses you can type into a router, IPv6, encrypted DNS (DoH and DoT), DNSSEC and a global network that answers quickly – then by privacy and data sovereignty, then by price. All of them are free, so price only matters for the paid extras. Concretely, I weighed five things:

• Jurisdiction and operator – who runs the resolver, where the organisation is registered and on whose network the servers sit.
• Drop-in match with 8.8.8.8 – plain IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, DoH and DoT endpoints, DNSSEC validation and the number of locations.
• Logging and privacy – whether IP addresses or queries are stored, and for how long, according to the operator’s own policy.
• Filtering – whether you can choose between an unfiltered resolver and malware, ad or child-protection filters.
• Sustainability – who pays for the service (foundation, EU grant, company, donations or one individual) and how likely it is to still exist next year.

I left out five European resolvers that only accept encrypted connections and so cannot replace 8.8.8.8 in a router’s plain DNS fields: Digitale Gesellschaft (Switzerland), the Foundation for Applied Privacy (Austria), Digitalcourage (Germany, DNS over TLS only), Artikel10 (Germany) and RESTENA (Luxembourg). They are all good choices for phones and browsers and are ranked in Best European public DNS resolvers. I also left out Mullvad’s public DNS, because Mullvad’s help page says it will be discontinued on 2 November 2026 (Mullvad says it is sponsoring Quad9 instead), and dns0.eu, which its website says has been discontinued. US resolvers such as Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 are not eligible. All data comes from the operators’ own service, privacy and imprint pages, RIPEstat and Trustpilot, checked on 25 October 2026.

The best European alternatives to Google Public DNS, reviewed

Every resolver below gets the same treatment: who runs it, what users say, what it replaces from Google Public DNS and what it does not, the exact addresses, its pros and cons, and my opinion on who should switch to it.

1. Quad9

The closest European match for 8.8.8.8 – a global, not-for-profit resolver that blocks malware and does not record your IP address

Quad9 is run by the Quad9 Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation based in Zürich, Switzerland (c/o SWITCH, the Swiss academic network). The service went online in August 2016; its founding organisations are Global Cyber Alliance, IBM and Packet Clearing House, and it is funded by grants, partnerships and individual donors. Quad9 runs on its own network (AS19281) with 230+ resolver clusters in more than 110 countries. Its foundation council is chaired by Bill Woodcock of Packet Clearing House and includes the director of Switzerland’s National Cyber Security Centre.

What users say. Quad9 has no reviews on Trustpilot yet (checked 25 October 2026).

What it replaces from Google Public DNS – and what it doesn’t. You keep easy-to-remember addresses (9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112), IPv6, DNS over HTTPS, DNS over TLS, DNSCrypt, DNSSEC validation and a worldwide anycast network – the closest thing in Europe to Google’s footprint. On top, Quad9 blocks domains used for phishing and malware, using threat feeds from 25+ providers, and returns “domain does not exist” for them. On privacy it goes further than Google: its policy says it “does not collect or record user IP addresses” – they stay in memory for milliseconds – and that it keeps only counters such as query types per location. What you lose: the default service does not send your subnet to websites (EDNS Client Subnet), which some large content networks use to pick a nearby server; Quad9 offers separate ECS addresses (9.9.9.11) if you need it. There is no ad blocking, and a wrongly blocked domain has to be reported to Quad9 support.

Facts: HQ Switzerland (Zürich) · online since 2016 · free · IPv4 9.9.9.9, 149.112.112.112 · IPv6 2620:fe::fe, 2620:fe::9 · DoH https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query · DoT dns.quad9.net · unfiltered option 9.9.9.10 · ECS option 9.9.9.11 · DNSSEC · GDPR and Swiss FADP.

Switching from Google Public DNS: easy – replace 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 with 9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112 in your router, and set dns.quad9.net as Private DNS on Android.

My take: Quad9 is the one I would set first. It keeps what made 8.8.8.8 popular – short addresses, a global network and every modern protocol – and adds malware blocking without storing who asked for what. It is Swiss rather than EU, which matters only if you need data strictly inside the EU; then take DNS4EU. Best for: anyone leaving Google Public DNS who wants the same reach. Not for: people who want ads blocked at DNS level.

Visit quad9.net →

Full Quad9 review →

2. DNS4EU

The EU-backed resolver – hosted only in the EU, with five ready-made filter options

DNS4EU started as a project co-funded by the European Union from 2023 to 2025 (project 101095329), developed by a consortium led by Whalebone. Whalebone, s.r.o. was founded in 2016 in Brno, Czech Republic, and builds DNS security for telecom operators; its site says the European Commission picked its consortium of 13 members from 10 countries. Since 2026 DNS4EU is fully owned and operated by Whalebone. The resolvers are “hosted and operated entirely within the European Union” on Whalebone’s own network (AS198121); the joindns4.eu website itself runs behind Cloudflare.

What users say. DNS4EU has no reviews on Trustpilot yet (checked 25 October 2026).

What it replaces from Google Public DNS – and what it doesn’t. You get IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, DoH and DoT for every variant and a free service for individuals in Europe. Instead of one resolver you pick one of five: Protective (blocks malware, phishing and botnet domains), Protective with child protection, Protective with ad blocking, both combined, or Unfiltered. DNS4EU says your IP address is anonymised before logging, and queries are not sold or used for advertising profiles. What you lose: the public service is meant for individuals, not business networks; court-ordered domain blocks apply to all variants, including Unfiltered; and the addresses (86.54.11.x) are harder to remember than 8.8.8.8. DNS4EU publishes no retention period for resolver logs on its pages – the privacy policy only covers the website.

Facts: Operator Whalebone, s.r.o., Brno (Czech Republic) · EU co-funded 2023–2025 · free for individuals · Protective IPv4 86.54.11.1, 86.54.11.201 · IPv6 2a13:1001::86:54:11:1, 2a13:1001::86:54:11:201 · DoH https://protective.joindns4.eu/dns-query · DoT protective.joindns4.eu · Unfiltered 86.54.11.100, 86.54.11.200 (unfiltered.joindns4.eu) · ad blocking 86.54.11.13, 86.54.11.213 (noads.joindns4.eu).

Switching from Google Public DNS: easy – pick a variant, enter its two addresses in your router or its hostname as Private DNS on Android.

My take: DNS4EU is the most important European newcomer: an EU-hosted resolver with sensible filters built in. It sits second because Quad9 has the bigger network and a clearer, published logging policy, and because even the unfiltered variant applies court-ordered blocks. Best for: people who want their DNS strictly inside the EU, with optional ad blocking. Not for: companies and people who want zero blocking of any kind.

Visit joindns4.eu →

3. AdGuard DNS

Free network-wide ad and tracker blocking from a Cypriot company

AdGuard DNS is run by AdGuard Software Limited, a company registered in Limassol, Cyprus, which also makes the AdGuard ad blocker and AdGuard VPN. The public resolvers run on AdGuard’s own network (AS212772) with 15+ locations and 100+ servers, and its privacy policy says personal data is stored in its own data centre in Frankfurt, Germany.

What users say. On Trustpilot AdGuard has 4.6/5 from 9,741 reviews, but that profile covers the whole company and the reviews are mostly about the ad blocker, not the DNS service. Reviewers praise effective ad blocking and fast support; complaints mention settings reset after updates.

What it replaces from Google Public DNS – and what it doesn’t. You get IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, DoH, DoT, DNS over QUIC and DNSCrypt, plus port 5353 if port 53 is blocked. The Default servers block ads and trackers for every device that uses them – smart TVs and apps included – while Family adds adult-content blocking and Unfiltered behaves like 8.8.8.8. AdGuard’s privacy policy says it processes no personal data on the public servers and keeps only aggregated statistics and an anonymous list of domains requested in the last 24 hours. What you lose: fewer locations than Quad9 or Google, and ad blocking at DNS level can break some sites and apps, which you can only fix with a paid private server. Private plans with your own rules start with a free Starter tier (300,000 requests a month, 5 devices); Personal costs €26.45 a year plus VAT.

Facts: Operator AdGuard Software Limited, Limassol (Cyprus) · free public servers · Default IPv4 94.140.14.14, 94.140.15.15 · IPv6 2a10:50c0::ad1:ff, 2a10:50c0::ad2:ff · DoH https://dns.adguard-dns.com/dns-query · DoT dns.adguard-dns.com · Unfiltered 94.140.14.140, 94.140.14.141 · Family 94.140.14.15, 94.140.15.16 · DoQ and DNSCrypt.

Switching from Google Public DNS: easy – enter the Default addresses in your router; switch to Unfiltered if a site breaks.

My take: AdGuard DNS is the easiest way to block ads for a whole home network without installing anything. It is third because ad blocking changes what you see, which Google Public DNS never does, and its network is smaller than Quad9’s. Use the Unfiltered addresses if you only want a European 8.8.8.8. Best for: households that want ads and trackers blocked on every device. Not for: people who want a neutral resolver that never blocks anything.

Visit adguard-dns.io →

4. DNS.SB

A neutral, no-logs resolver from a Düsseldorf hosting company, on 30 anycast locations

DNS.SB is made by xTom GmbH, a hosting and network company registered in Düsseldorf, Germany (HRB 86779, Amtsgericht Düsseldorf). It runs on xTom’s global anycast network from 30 locations on six continents. The resolver prefix is announced as AS24013 (“SB Professional Services”) according to RIPEstat.

What users say. I found no Trustpilot profile for DNS.SB.

What it replaces from Google Public DNS – and what it doesn’t. DNS.SB is the closest European copy of Google’s idea: an unfiltered resolver with short addresses (185.222.222.222 and 45.11.45.11), IPv6, DoH and DoT. Its promise is “no logs, forever”. It also lists unicast DoH addresses for individual cities – Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Berlin, Amsterdam and Tallinn among them – if you want a fixed European location. What you lose: no malware or ad filtering, and very little documentation – the website does not describe DNSSEC or EDNS Client Subnet handling, and gives no retention details beyond the no-logs claim.

Facts: Operator xTom GmbH, Düsseldorf (Germany) · free · IPv4 185.222.222.222, 45.11.45.11 · IPv6 2a09::, 2a11:: · DoH https://doh.dns.sb/dns-query · DoT dot.sb · 30 anycast locations on six continents · European unicast DoH in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Berlin, Amsterdam, London and Tallinn.

Switching from Google Public DNS: easy – two addresses in the router, dot.sb as Private DNS on Android.

My take: DNS.SB is what you pick if you liked Google Public DNS exactly as it was – unfiltered – and just want it from a German company that promises no logs. It sits below Quad9 and DNS4EU because it documents far less about how it works. Best for: people who want a neutral European resolver with nothing added. Not for: people who want malware protection.

Visit dns.sb →

5. dnsforge

A donation-funded German resolver with four filter levels and servers only in Germany

dnsforge.de is run by the adminForge team, a community offering free, open-source services; the adminForge imprint names Stefan Giebel in Cologne, Germany. All servers are in Germany, on Hetzner’s network (AS24940), and the service is financed by voluntary donations.

What users say. dnsforge has no reviews on Trustpilot yet.

What it replaces from Google Public DNS – and what it doesn’t. You get plain IPv4 and IPv6, DoT, DoH and DNS over QUIC, with DNSSEC validation and, according to the site, the query log switched off. You choose a level: Normal blocks ads, trackers and malware; Clean adds youth protection, SafeSearch and blocks adult and gambling sites; Hard uses strict lists that can break some services; Blank does not filter. What you lose: a limit of 100 requests per 10 seconds, no global network – everything answers from Germany – and a small volunteer team instead of a company or foundation behind it.

Facts: Operator adminForge (Cologne, Germany) · free, donation-funded · Normal IPv4 49.12.67.122, 91.99.154.175, 176.9.93.198, 176.9.1.117 · DoH https://dnsforge.de/dns-query · DoT dnsforge.de · Blank (unfiltered) 138.199.149.249, 78.47.71.194, blank.dnsforge.de · DNSSEC · DoQ · servers in Germany (Hetzner).

Switching from Google Public DNS: easy – choose a level and enter two of its addresses in your router.

My take: dnsforge is a well-made German alternative to AdGuard: several filter levels, servers in Germany and no query log. It sits fifth because it depends on donations and a small team, and its rate limit makes it a better fit for single devices than for busy networks. Best for: German users who want ad and youth-protection filters from a German resolver. Not for: large households or networks with many devices.

Visit dnsforge.de →

6. UncensoredDNS

A Danish no-logs resolver run by one person since 2009, built against DNS censorship

UncensoredDNS is run by Thomas Steen Rasmussen, who started it in 2009 after working at a Danish internet provider that had to run Denmark’s censored DNS servers. He runs it as an individual “with my own money”, on his own network (AS198794). The anycast address is served from nodes in Lyngby, Denmark, and Washington, USA; a separate unicast server is also available.

What users say. UncensoredDNS has no reviews on Trustpilot.

What it replaces from Google Public DNS – and what it doesn’t. You get two IPv4 and two IPv6 addresses, DoT and DoH on both the anycast and unicast servers, and a firm promise: the FAQ says “absolutely nothing is being logged”, apart from total query graphs. The operator is strongly against filtering, so nothing is blocked. What you lose: there is no organisation behind it, only a few locations, one of the anycast nodes is in the USA, and DNSSEC is not mentioned on its pages.

Facts: Operator Thomas Steen Rasmussen (Denmark) · since 2009 · free · anycast IPv4 91.239.100.100, IPv6 2001:67c:28a4:: · unicast IPv4 89.233.43.71, IPv6 2a01:3a0:53:53:: · DoH https://anycast.uncensoreddns.org/dns-query · DoT anycast.uncensoreddns.org · no logging, no filtering.

Switching from Google Public DNS: easy – use the anycast and unicast IPv4 addresses as primary and secondary DNS.

My take: UncensoredDNS is admirable: one person running a no-logs resolver for more than 15 years. As a replacement for Google’s global service it is thin – a handful of nodes and no team – which is why it sits sixth. Best for: people in countries with ISP-level DNS blocking who want unfiltered answers. Not for: anyone who wants a resolver backed by an organisation.

Visit blog.uncensoreddns.org →

7. FFMUC DNS

The Munich Freifunk community’s resolver – plain DNS plus every encrypted protocol

FFMUC DNS is run by Freifunk München; its imprint names Freie Netze München e. V., a registered association in Gauting near Munich (VR 206402, Amtsgericht München). The resolvers run on the association’s own network (AS212567), with a second location in Vienna, Austria.

What users say. FFMUC has no reviews on Trustpilot.

What it replaces from Google Public DNS – and what it doesn’t. You get plain DNS over UDP and TCP on two IPv4 and two IPv6 addresses, plus DoT, DoH, DNS over HTTP/3 and DNS over QUIC. The operators say they keep no logs that show what individual users look up; they publish summary statistics and count requests per IP address to enforce rate limits. Nothing is filtered. What you lose: rate limits whose values are not published, only two locations, no word on DNSSEC validation, and a volunteer association behind it rather than a professional operator.

Facts: Operator Freie Netze München e. V. (Gauting, Germany) · free, non-commercial · IPv4 5.1.66.255, 185.150.99.255 · IPv6 2001:678:e68:f000::, 2001:678:ed0:f000:: · DoH https://doh.ffmuc.net/dns-query · DoT dot.ffmuc.net · DoQ quic://doq.ffmuc.net · locations Germany and Vienna.

Switching from Google Public DNS: easy – the two IPv4 addresses go straight into your router.

My take: FFMUC is a solid community alternative with plain addresses and every encrypted protocol. It sits last because two locations and a volunteer team cannot match Google’s reliability, but for a single home in Germany it does the job. Best for: German users who like community-run infrastructure. Not for: anyone who needs guaranteed availability.

Visit ffmuc.net →

What European public DNS costs compared with Google Public DNS

Every resolver in this ranking is free, like Google Public DNS. The differences are in who pays for it: a foundation, a company that sells to telecom operators, an ad-blocking company, or donations and volunteers. Only AdGuard sells paid private servers on top.

Prices, addresses and logging claims as shown on each operator’s own pages on 25 October 2026. AdGuard showed its price in Polish złoty for my location.

How to switch from Google Public DNS to a European resolver

1. Pick a resolver and a variant. Decide whether you want unfiltered answers (Quad9 9.9.9.10, DNS4EU Unfiltered, DNS.SB) or malware or ad blocking.
2. Change it on your router. Replace 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 in the router’s DNS settings with the new primary and secondary addresses, and the IPv6 pair if your connection uses IPv6. Every device on your network then uses it.
3. Set encrypted DNS on phones and browsers. On Android enter the DoT hostname (for example dns.quad9.net) as Private DNS; in Firefox, Chrome or Edge enter the DoH URL in the secure DNS settings.
4. Check the result. Open a DNS leak test and make sure only the new resolver’s network appears.
5. Keep a second option. Note the addresses of a second European resolver in case your first choice blocks a site you need or goes offline.

Google Public DNS alternatives: FAQ

My verdict: which European DNS resolver to switch to

Most people leaving Google Public DNS should switch to Quad9: the addresses are just as short, the network is global, it blocks malware, and its Swiss foundation does not record your IP address. If your rule is that data must stay inside the EU, use DNS4EU, and if you want ads blocked on every device in your home, use AdGuard DNS. For a neutral German resolver that adds nothing, DNS.SB is the closest copy of 8.8.8.8.

Whatever you choose, change it once on your router and once as Private DNS on your phone – that covers almost every device you own.