Cloudflare Gateway
7.7/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $7/user/mo
- Reviews
- Not yet rated
- Free trial
- Free tier
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- Teams wanting free DNS + web filtering on Cloudflare's edge, scaling into full SWG
Best DNS Filtering Software · 2026
Cloudflare Gateway vs 
NextDNS Cloudflare Gateway vs NextDNS: on our data-weighted scoring, Cloudflare Gateway edges ahead (7.7 vs 7.1/10). Cloudflare Gateway starts at $7/user/mo and is best for teams wanting free DNS + web filtering on Cloudflare's edge, scaling into full SWG; 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 Cloudflare Gateway 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 | Cloudflare Gateway | NextDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 7.7 | 7.1 |
| User reviews | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Adoption | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Affordability | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Ease of trial | 7.0 | 7.0 |
Cloudflare Gateway vs NextDNS: head-to-head
| Cloudflare Gateway | NextDNS | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $7/user/mo | $0.4/user/mo |
| Pricing model | per user | per user |
| Free trial / tier | Free tier | Free tier |
| Best for | Teams wanting free DNS + web filtering on Cloudflare's edge, scaling into full SWG | Cost-sensitive SMBs and tech-savvy teams wanting cheap, configurable cloud DNS filtering with rich analytics |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| G2 rating | — | — |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 7.7 | 7.1 |
Choose Cloudflare Gateway if…
You need teams wanting free dns + web filtering on cloudflare's edge, scaling into full swg.
✓ Pros
- Free tier up to 50 users
- Runs on Cloudflare's huge edge
- Scales into full SSE/SASE
✕ Cons
- DLP/CASB still maturing
- Best value if already on Cloudflare
- Enterprise support gaps
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: Cloudflare Gateway vs NextDNS
Cloudflare Gateway bills on a per user model from $7/user/mo (free tier available), 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
Cloudflare Gateway ships 6 headline capabilities (DNS + HTTP filtering, Edge-delivered on 330+ cities, Category + security filtering, Secure web gateway (SWG)) 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
Cloudflare Gateway holds Not yet rated; NextDNS holds Not yet rated. On our data-weighted score, Cloudflare Gateway edges ahead (7.7 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 Cloudflare Gateway alternatives or NextDNS alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- Cloudflare Gateway vs NextDNS: which is better?
- Cloudflare Gateway vs NextDNS: on our data-weighted scoring, Cloudflare Gateway edges ahead (7.7 vs 7.1/10). Cloudflare Gateway starts at $7/user/mo and is best for teams wanting free DNS + web filtering on Cloudflare's edge, scaling into full SWG; 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 Cloudflare Gateway cheaper than NextDNS?
- Cloudflare Gateway starts at $7/user/mo and NextDNS starts at $0.4/user/mo (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: cloudflare.com, nextdns.io. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.