NextDNS vs DNSecure
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NextDNS
Encrypt all your DNS queries across all networks with this app. It leverages native iOS settings to bring your custom blocking policies and traffic analytics directly to your phone. Easily set up your configuration ID to enhance your online privacy and security.
- Encrypts all DNS queries
- Uses native iOS Encrypted DNS settings
- Apply custom blocking policies
- View traffic analytics and logs
- Configure with your NextDNS account ID
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NextDNS protects your device from ads, trackers, malware, and other harmful domains while keeping your internet activity private. All DNS traffic is encrypted, preventing networks and internet providers from seeing or manipulating your DNS queries. Protection across your device NextDNS works system-wide across apps and browsers. • Block ads and trackers automatically • Protect against malware, phishing, and malicious domains • Enable parental controls and content filtering • View analytics, query logs, graphs, and domain details in a native dashboard Easy setup Create your NextDNS profile in seconds or connect an existing one. Your configuration is managed at my.nextdns.io, where you control blocking rules, security settings, and privacy features. Control on iPhone and iPad The app lets you manage protection on your device: • Enable or disable NextDNS anytime • Temporarily pause protection and resume from a live activity • Optionally send your device name for easier identification in logs • Quickly unblock domains from the app • Exclude trusted Wi-Fi networks • Exclude specific domains and their subdomains so they use the system DNS resolver Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://nextdns.io/privacy
DNSecure
Configure encrypted DNS services system-wide on your iOS or iPadOS device. Supports DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-HTTPS protocols for enhanced privacy and security. Easily select or add your preferred DNS servers.
- Encrypted DNS configuration
- System-wide DNS usage
- DNS-over-TLS support
- DNS-over-HTTPS support
- Custom DNS server addition
- Easy activation via Settings
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DNSecure is a configuration tool of encrypted DNS for iOS/iPadOS. An encrypted DNS service you configure will be used system-wide. Supported protocols are DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-HTTPS. How to use: 1. Select a DNS server you like, or add another one 2. Enable "Use This Server" 3. Open the Settings 4. Go to "General" > "VPN & Network" > "DNS" 5. "Automatic" is selected by default, so select "DNSecure"
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DNSecure at none against NextDNS's 2. DNSecure also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 63%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). NextDNS's advantage is ratings volume (1.8K vs 109). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. NextDNS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. DNSecure asks for nothing beyond the download.
DNSecure holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NextDNS has 1.8K ratings behind it against 109, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of NextDNS's written reviews are positive against 88% of DNSecure's.
NextDNS ships an update every 6 weeks, DNSecure every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NextDNS | DNSecure |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (1.8K ratings) | 4.7 (109 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.1% of reviews | 88.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.8K — better | 109 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | nextdns Inc. | Kenta Kubo |
Customer experience
NextDNS
DNSecure
User reviews
NextDNS
From 1.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and efficient DNS service
- 🔒 Robust security and privacy features
- 👍 Simple and user-friendly setup
- 💡 Highly configurable with advanced options
- 🚀 Improves internet speed and performance
Room to improve
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🐛 Inability to disable on specific Wi-Fi networks
- 🐛 Inconsistent ad blocking performance
- 🔋 High battery drain on mobile devices
- 🐛 Lack of transparency on service status and outages
DNSecure
From 109 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 User-friendly and simple
- 🔥 Excellent ad-blocking
- 💯 Works great across devices
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔋 Potential battery drain
- 🤔 Confusing setup for non-technical users
Bugs and requests
NextDNS
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes on launch for older iOS devices
- Profiles not working correctly after iOS 15 update
- Inability to remove the DNS profile from the device
- Connectivity issues when used in conjunction with a VPN
Requested features
5 requests- Add a quick toggle to enable/disable the service
- Integrate the web dashboard functionality into the app
- Provide more granular control over blocked content
- Implement a timed mode to temporarily disable the service
- Add support for DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT)
DNSecure
Reported bugs
3 issues- Unable to add new DNS services
- App freezes when editing DNS entries
- Incompatibility with certain iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Add support for DNS-over-QUIC and DNS-over-HTTP/3
- Implement custom domain blocklist/allowlist
- Provide latency information for DNS servers
- Add option to only enable on non-trusted networks
In-app purchases
NextDNS
- Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
- Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
DNSecure
No in-app purchases
