Cisco Umbrella
8.0/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.4/5 (~274 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- Enterprises wanting DNS-layer security that scales up into a full secure internet gateway (SIG)
Best DNS Filtering Software · 2026
Cisco Umbrella vs 
NextDNS Cisco Umbrella vs NextDNS: on our data-weighted scoring, Cisco Umbrella edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.1/10). Cisco Umbrella starts at Custom quote and is best for enterprises wanting DNS-layer security that scales up into a full secure internet gateway (SIG); NextDNS starts at $0.4/user/mo and is best for cost-sensitive SMBs and tech-savvy teams wanting cheap, configurable cloud DNS filtering with rich analytics. Choose Cisco Umbrella for the stronger overall track record; consider NextDNS if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
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NextDNS
7.1/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $0.4/user/mo
- Reviews
- Not yet rated
- Free trial
- Free tier
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- Cost-sensitive SMBs and tech-savvy teams wanting cheap, configurable cloud DNS filtering with rich analytics
Strengths at a glance
Six criteria, each scored 0–10 on the same scale from real review data, public pricing and feature coverage. See our methodology →
| Criterion | Cisco Umbrella | NextDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 8.0 | 7.1 |
| User reviews | 8.8 | 7.0 |
| Adoption | 6.5 | 0.0 |
| Affordability | 5.0 | 9.5 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Ease of trial | 6.0 | 7.0 |
Cisco Umbrella vs NextDNS: head-to-head
| Cisco Umbrella | NextDNS | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom quote | $0.4/user/mo |
| Pricing model | quote | per user |
| Free trial / tier | 14 days | Free tier |
| Best for | Enterprises wanting DNS-layer security that scales up into a full secure internet gateway (SIG) | Cost-sensitive SMBs and tech-savvy teams wanting cheap, configurable cloud DNS filtering with rich analytics |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| G2 rating | 4.4/5 (274) | — |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 8.0 | 7.1 |
Choose Cisco Umbrella if…
You need enterprises wanting dns-layer security that scales up into a full secure internet gateway (sig).
✓ Pros
- Massive Talos threat intelligence
- Scales from DNS to full SIG
- Proven enterprise reliability
✕ Cons
- No public pricing (quote-only)
- Complex multi-SKU lineup
- Costs climb fast with SIG tiers
Choose NextDNS if…
You need cost-sensitive smbs and tech-savvy teams wanting cheap, configurable cloud dns filtering with rich analytics.
✓ Pros
- Extremely low cost
- Rich real-time analytics + logging
- Highly configurable encrypted DNS
✕ Cons
- Business plan billed in 50-employee blocks
- Limited MSP multi-tenancy + white-label
- No public status page
In depth
Pricing: Cisco Umbrella vs NextDNS
Cisco Umbrella bills on a quote model from Custom quote (14 days trial), while NextDNS uses a per user model from $0.4/user/mo (free tier available). Because the models differ, the cheaper option flips depending on your fleet size — model both at your seat/endpoint count.
Features & deployment
Cisco Umbrella ships 6 headline capabilities (DNS-layer threat blocking, Intelligent proxy (Advantage), App discovery + control, Cisco Talos threat intelligence) and deploys Cloud. NextDNS ships 6 (Cloud DNS filtering (ad/tracker/malware), Per-device + per-profile configs, Real-time query analytics + logs, Time-based + custom rules), deploying Cloud.
Ratings & verdict
Cisco Umbrella holds 4.4/5 (~274 G2 reviews); NextDNS holds Not yet rated. On our data-weighted score, Cisco Umbrella edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.1/10). Pick NextDNS instead when cost-sensitive smbs and tech-savvy teams wanting cheap, configurable cloud dns filtering with rich analytics. See Cisco Umbrella alternatives or NextDNS alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- Cisco Umbrella vs NextDNS: which is better?
- Cisco Umbrella vs NextDNS: on our data-weighted scoring, Cisco Umbrella edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.1/10). Cisco Umbrella starts at Custom quote and is best for enterprises wanting DNS-layer security that scales up into a full secure internet gateway (SIG); NextDNS starts at $0.4/user/mo and is best for cost-sensitive SMBs and tech-savvy teams wanting cheap, configurable cloud DNS filtering with rich analytics.
- Is Cisco Umbrella cheaper than NextDNS?
- Cisco Umbrella starts at Custom quote and NextDNS starts at $0.4/user/mo (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: umbrella.cisco.com, nextdns.io. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.