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 
ScoutDNS Cisco Umbrella vs ScoutDNS: on our data-weighted scoring, Cisco Umbrella edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.9/10). 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); ScoutDNS starts at $0.92/user/mo and is best for MSPs and multi-site businesses wanting a focused, transparently-priced DNS filter with strong reporting. Choose Cisco Umbrella for the stronger overall track record; consider ScoutDNS if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
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ScoutDNS
7.9/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $0.92/user/mo
- Reviews
- 4.9/5 (~56 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- MSPs and multi-site businesses wanting a focused, transparently-priced DNS filter with strong reporting
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 | ScoutDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 8.0 | 7.9 |
| User reviews | 8.8 | 9.8 |
| Adoption | 6.5 | 4.6 |
| Affordability | 5.0 | 9.6 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Ease of trial | 6.0 | 6.0 |
Cisco Umbrella vs ScoutDNS: head-to-head
| Cisco Umbrella | ScoutDNS | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom quote | $0.92/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) | MSPs and multi-site businesses wanting a focused, transparently-priced DNS filter with strong reporting |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| G2 rating | 4.4/5 (274) | 4.9/5 (56) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 8.0 | 7.9 |
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 ScoutDNS if…
You need msps and multi-site businesses wanting a focused, transparently-priced dns filter with strong reporting.
✓ Pros
- Transparent low per-seat pricing
- MSP FLEX usage-based model
- Strong reporting + full message inspection
✕ Cons
- Small vendor/brand
- Fewer integrations than enterprise leaders
- MSP tier pricing requires a quote
In depth
Pricing: Cisco Umbrella vs ScoutDNS
Cisco Umbrella bills on a quote model from Custom quote (14 days trial), while ScoutDNS uses a per user model from $0.92/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. ScoutDNS ships 6 (DNS-layer content + threat filtering, 67 content categories + safe search, Multi-site single-pane management, Windows/macOS roaming clients), deploying Cloud.
Ratings & verdict
Cisco Umbrella holds 4.4/5 (~274 G2 reviews); ScoutDNS holds 4.9/5 (~56 G2 reviews). On our data-weighted score, Cisco Umbrella edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.9/10). Pick ScoutDNS instead when msps and multi-site businesses wanting a focused, transparently-priced dns filter with strong reporting. See Cisco Umbrella alternatives or ScoutDNS alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- Cisco Umbrella vs ScoutDNS: which is better?
- Cisco Umbrella vs ScoutDNS: on our data-weighted scoring, Cisco Umbrella edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.9/10). 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); ScoutDNS starts at $0.92/user/mo and is best for MSPs and multi-site businesses wanting a focused, transparently-priced DNS filter with strong reporting.
- Is Cisco Umbrella cheaper than ScoutDNS?
- Cisco Umbrella starts at Custom quote and ScoutDNS starts at $0.92/user/mo (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: umbrella.cisco.com, scoutdns.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.