What DNSFilter does

DNSFilter, Inc. is a privately held, Washington, D.C.-based cybersecurity company founded in 2015 that provides AI-powered protective DNS and content filtering services. Its platform blocks malware, phishing, and unwanted content at the DNS resolution layer — earlier in the attack chain than firewalls or endpoint agents — claiming to detect threats roughly 10 days ahead of conventional perimeter security by applying machine learning to every inbound DNS query rather than relying solely on static threat feeds. The product portfolio includes the flagship DNSFilter platform, the Guardian mobile security application (acquired 2022), the CyberSight behavioral analytics module, DNS PreCheck for roaming users, roaming clients for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, Appaware application-level blocking, and Zorus endpoint web filtering (acquired April 2025). The underlying architecture uses a dual Anycast network for global DNS resolution with reported 99.99% uptime over a 90-day window.

The company operates on a SaaS subscription model with per-seat or per-access-point pricing across SMB, Mid-Market, and Enterprise tiers, paired with a 14-day free trial and self-serve onboarding. Go-to-market combines product-led growth with a heavy channel partner motion — over 3,000 MSP partners globally, a dedicated VAR program, and direct enterprise field sales — alongside a newly announced Midis Group distribution partnership covering Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. DNSFilter reports serving over 45,000 organizations and 27 million+ end users, with named enterprise customers including Nvidia, Equinox, Viasat, Pendo, Dallas Mavericks, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Cabot Corporation, and municipal governments (City of Portland, City of Fresno), plus vertical reach into healthcare, education, government, hospitality, manufacturing, and ISPs.

The business has been funded by Insight Partners across multiple rounds (including a $30M Series B in 2021 and a $15M Series A extension in 2023), with cumulative disclosed capital exceeding $61M. Recent strategic moves include the Zorus acquisition, an EMEA channel partnership, and the appointments of a CRO (Rich Scott, December 2025) and CMO (Conor Coughlan, June 2026) to support an explicitly stated hyper-growth phase. The company is privately held, with no parent company, and has not publicly disclosed ARR or revenue figures.

Name

DNSFilter

Legal name

DNSFilter, Inc.

Website

https://dnsfilter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DNSFilter is an AI-powered protective DNS and content filtering platform that blocks malware, phishing, and unwanted content at the DNS layer, serving over 45,000 organizations, 27 million+ end users, and 3,000+ MSP partners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Network Security Software

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

DNS Security & Protective DNS (HDADABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

DNS, Anycast & Traffic Steering (GSLB, Geo-routing) (HDABAGAE)

Keywords

• Protective DNS
• DNS filtering
• Content filtering
• DNS security
• Threat intelligence

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription / SaaS Licensing: DNSFilter operates primarily on a subscription/SaaS model where customers pay recurring fees for protective DNS and content filtering services. Pricing is based on the number of seats (users or devices) or access points, with tiered plans and annual or multi-year billing terms. Overages apply for usage exceeding licensed limits. The company also offers free trial periods before converting to paid subscriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

DNSFilter provides an AI-powered protective DNS and content filtering platform that blocks malware, phishing, and unwanted content at the DNS resolution layer. The platform is delivered as a subscription SaaS service backed by a dual Anycast network and extends to endpoints via roaming clients and the Guardian mobile app, protecting over 45,000 organizations and 27 million end users worldwide.

Product overview

DNSFilter offers a unified protective DNS and content filtering platform designed for organizations of all sizes including enterprise, SMB, MSP, education, government, and healthcare sectors. The core DNSFilter product provides AI-powered DNS filtering, threat blocking, and content categorization. The product portfolio includes: the flagship DNSFilter platform for DNS-layer security; Guardian, a standalone mobile security application; Zorus, an acquired endpoint-based web filtering solution; CyberSight for behavioral analytics and user activity monitoring; DNS PreCheck for roaming user protection; and Roaming Clients for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. The platform also supports self-hosted deployments via Relay and Relay Manager. DNSFilter leverages machine learning for threat detection, processes DNS query data for anomaly detection, and offers API-based integrations for third-party tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Guardian: Mobile security application for individual users
• CyberSight
• DNS PreCheck
• Zorus

Products and services

• DNSFilter Platform AI-powered protective DNS and content filtering platform that blocks malware, phishing, and unwanted content at the DNS layer for organizations across enterprise, SMB, MSP, education, government, and healthcare sectors.
• Guardian Mobile security application providing DNS filtering and threat protection for iOS and Android devices, offering remote protection for mobile workforces.
• Zorus Endpoint Web Filtering Endpoint-based web filtering solution acquired by DNSFilter in April 2025, combining with DNSFilter's DNS-layer protection to deliver comprehensive endpoint and network security coverage for MSPs and enterprises.
• Roaming Clients Endpoint agents providing DNS protection for devices on and off the network, available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS platforms to support hybrid and remote work environments.
• Relay / Relay Manager Self-hosted relay deployment option for organizations requiring on-premises DNS filtering infrastructure, supporting non-root service installation on Linux and broader platform compatibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stops attacks 10 days earlier than conventional perimeter security
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability5 records

Feature13 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Midis GroupflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 4 November 2025DNSFilter announced a strategic partnership with Midis Group to enhance cybersecurity solutions across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The partnership leverages DNSFilter's AI-based threat detection technology and Midis Group's extensive distribution network to improve cyberattack prevention for organizations in these regions.
• ZoruscoreTechnology or Integration · 7 April 2025DNSFilter acquired Zorus, an endpoint-based web filtering provider, to enhance its security capabilities and strengthen MSP partnerships. The integration combines Zorus's endpoint filtering technology with DNSFilter's DNS-layer security to deliver a comprehensive security solution with improved threat detection speed, endpoint security, and customer support for MSPs.
• Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025DNSFilter collaborates with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. The company expanded its blocklist and worked with IWF and Project Arachnid partners to effectively block CSAM content, resulting in a 44% increase in blocked CSAM in 2025.
• Project ArachnidcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025DNSFilter collaborates with Project Arachnid, an initiative that provides automated tools to detect and block CSAM, complementing the Internet Watch Foundation's work. DNSFilter expanded its CSAM blocklist through this collaboration, contributing to a record 44% increase in CSAM blocking in 2025.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Webroot (OpenText): Webroot (now part of OpenText) provides DNS-layer security and endpoint protection and is listed as a direct competitor on DNSFilter's compare page. Both target the MSP channel with subscription-based security offerings, making them close peers in go-to-market model.
• WebTitan (TitanHQ): WebTitan by TitanHQ is a direct DNS and web content filtering competitor explicitly compared on DNSFilter's website. Both serve the MSP and SMB segments with subscription-based filtering, and both compete on pricing, deployment simplicity, and threat detection capability.
• DefensX: DefensX is a direct competitor explicitly compared on DNSFilter's website, offering browser-based web filtering and DNS-layer security targeting MSPs and SMBs. It represents a smaller, more emerging peer in the same product category.
• Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense: Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense is a direct DNS-layer security competitor explicitly compared on DNSFilter's website. Both target enterprise and MSP customers with protective DNS, threat intelligence, and content filtering, with Infoblox having longer enterprise heritage and deeper DDI integration.

Emerging players

• NextDNS: NextDNS is a privacy and security-focused DNS service offering content filtering and threat protection, primarily targeting individual users and SMBs. It represents an emerging, lower-priced alternative to DNSFilter for cost-sensitive segments, with a freemium model.

Broad incumbents

• Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access: Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access is a SASE platform that includes DNS security as part of its broader secure web gateway offering. It competes for enterprise security consolidation budgets and represents the broader platform threat to standalone DNS specialists like DNSFilter.
• Cloudflare Gateway: Cloudflare Gateway provides DNS filtering and secure web gateway functionality as part of Cloudflare's broader Zero Trust / SASE platform. It is explicitly listed as a competitor on DNSFilter's compare page and offers both free and paid tiers, putting direct pricing pressure on DNSFilter's core offering.
• Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA): Zscaler ZIA provides secure web gateway and DNS-layer filtering as part of its broader Zero Trust platform. While not a direct head-to-head on basic DNS filtering, it competes for the same enterprise security budgets and is increasingly converging with DNS-layer use cases via Zscaler's SASE architecture.
• Akamai Enterprise Threat Protector: Akamai offers DNS-layer security via its Enterprise Threat Protector (now part of Akamai Guardicore / SASE portfolio). It targets large enterprises with global infrastructure, competing on Anycast network performance similar to DNSFilter but with much broader platform reach.
• Cisco Umbrella (Cisco Secure Access): Cisco Umbrella is the most established DNS-layer security competitor and is explicitly compared on DNSFilter's website. It offers similar protective DNS and content filtering but as part of Cisco's broader security and networking portfolio, targeting enterprise customers with bundle leverage that DNSFilter cannot match as a standalone specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dnsfilter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Dnsfilter
• Facebookfacebook.com/dnsfilter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dnsfilter
• Instagraminstagram.com/dnsfilter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DNSFilter