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 
SafeDNS Cisco Umbrella vs SafeDNS: on our data-weighted scoring, Cisco Umbrella edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.6/10). 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); SafeDNS starts at $0.9/user/mo and is best for SMBs, schools and nonprofits wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy DNS web filtering. Choose Cisco Umbrella for the stronger overall track record; consider SafeDNS if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
SafeDNS
7.6/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $0.9/user/mo
- Reviews
- 4.5/5 (~18 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- SMBs, schools and nonprofits wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy DNS web filtering
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 | SafeDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 8.0 | 7.6 |
| User reviews | 8.8 | 9.0 |
| Adoption | 6.5 | 3.4 |
| Affordability | 5.0 | 9.7 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Ease of trial | 6.0 | 6.0 |
Cisco Umbrella vs SafeDNS: head-to-head
| Cisco Umbrella | SafeDNS | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom quote | $0.9/user/mo |
| Pricing model | quote | per user |
| Free trial / tier | 14 days | 14 days |
| Best for | Enterprises wanting DNS-layer security that scales up into a full secure internet gateway (SIG) | SMBs, schools and nonprofits wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy DNS web filtering |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| G2 rating | 4.4/5 (274) | 4.5/5 (18) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 8.0 | 7.6 |
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 SafeDNS if…
You need smbs, schools and nonprofits wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy dns web filtering.
✓ Pros
- Very affordable per-user pricing
- Easy
- low-skill deployment
- Strong support for a small vendor
✕ Cons
- Per-tier user minimums (15/25/35)
- Feature depth trails Umbrella/DNSFilter
- Small vendor/brand footprint
In depth
Pricing: Cisco Umbrella vs SafeDNS
Cisco Umbrella bills on a quote model from Custom quote (14 days trial), while SafeDNS uses a per user model from $0.9/user/mo (14 days trial). 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. SafeDNS ships 6 (DNS-layer content + threat filtering, 60+ content categories, Per-user policies + DoH policy, Roaming/edge-router deployment), deploying Cloud.
Ratings & verdict
Cisco Umbrella holds 4.4/5 (~274 G2 reviews); SafeDNS holds 4.5/5 (~18 G2 reviews). On our data-weighted score, Cisco Umbrella edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.6/10). Pick SafeDNS instead when smbs, schools and nonprofits wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy dns web filtering. See Cisco Umbrella alternatives or SafeDNS alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- Cisco Umbrella vs SafeDNS: which is better?
- Cisco Umbrella vs SafeDNS: on our data-weighted scoring, Cisco Umbrella edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.6/10). 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); SafeDNS starts at $0.9/user/mo and is best for SMBs, schools and nonprofits wanting affordable, easy-to-deploy DNS web filtering.
- Is Cisco Umbrella cheaper than SafeDNS?
- Cisco Umbrella starts at Custom quote and SafeDNS starts at $0.9/user/mo (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of July 20, 2026. Sources: umbrella.cisco.com, safedns.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.