OpenDNS

What OpenDNS does

OpenDNS, founded in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco, is a cloud-delivered DNS security and content-filtering platform that has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cisco since its 2015/2016 acquisition. The company serves two distinct customer bases through its core technology: enterprise organizations access protection against malware, phishing, and ransomware via Cisco Umbrella (umbrella.cisco.com), while consumer and home users use the OpenDNS family of products — including the free FamilyShield tier and the OpenDNS Dashboard — for parental controls, content filtering, and faster internet routing. Underlying the platform is a global anycast resolver network with public IPs 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220, peering partnerships that shorten routing paths, and a proprietary domain-categorization and threat-intelligence database built from years of DNS-query telemetry.

The product portfolio centers on Cisco Umbrella (enterprise), OpenDNS Consumer/Home (faster, safer home internet), FamilyShield (pre-configured parental controls), the OpenDNS Dashboard (policy and monitoring), and the OpenDNS Update Client (dynamic-IP keep-alive). All offerings are DNS-layer services — meaning enforcement happens at name resolution rather than at the application or endpoint — which gives them network-wide coverage with minimal endpoint footprint. Cisco has consolidated enterprise login, SSO (via Okta), and community support into the Cisco Umbrella platform, while retaining the OpenDNS brand for consumer and prosumer users.

The business model is a hybrid of two revenue mechanics. On the enterprise side, OpenDNS is monetized indirectly through Cisco's enterprise subscription and licensing for Umbrella, sold by Cisco's direct sales force and partner channel including a dedicated MSP & Partners program. On the consumer side, the model is freemium: FamilyShield is free, while premium tiers and add-ons are available via subscription. Pricing for both segments is not publicly disclosed; enterprise contracts are negotiated through Cisco sales, and consumer pricing is handled through the opendns.com self-service flow.

Name

OpenDNS

Legal name

OpenDNS

Website

https://www.opendns.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

OpenDNS is a Cisco subsidiary that provides cloud-delivered DNS-layer security and content filtering, serving enterprises through Cisco Umbrella and consumers through freemium home-internet-security products powered by a global anycast resolver network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

DNS Security / Network Security

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

DNS Security & Protective DNS (HDADABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Resilient DNS, Traffic Management & Global Load Balancing (HDABAIAI), Network Security Services (Firewall/VPN/ZTNA/SASE Integration) (BPAEAEAG), DNS Security Appliances (HDAFAFAK)

Keywords

• DNS security
• Cloud-delivered security
• Content filtering
• DNS layer protection
• Parental controls

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Enterprise Security (Cisco Umbrella): Enterprise customers subscribe to Cisco Umbrella for cloud-delivered security against malware, phishing, and ransomware, billed through Cisco's enterprise licensing and subscription model.
2. Consumer DNS Services: Consumer products provide faster, safer, and more reliable home internet through DNS configuration, with free tier (FamilyShield) and premium tiers for additional features.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

OpenDNS provides cloud-delivered DNS-based security and content filtering services. Enterprise customers subscribe to Cisco Umbrella for protection against malware, phishing, and ransomware, while consumer/home users use OpenDNS FamilyShield and related products for faster, safer home internet with built-in parental and content controls. The platform resolves DNS queries through OpenDNS's global infrastructure, applying threat intelligence and customizable content policies at the DNS layer.

Product overview

OpenDNS is a cloud-delivered DNS security platform now part of Cisco, offering both enterprise and consumer products. The portfolio centers on Cisco Umbrella (enterprise security against malware, phishing, ransomware) and OpenDNS Consumer/Home products (faster, safer home internet). FamilyShield provides pre-configured parental controls, while the OpenDNS Dashboard and Update Client enable configuration and dynamic IP management. All offerings leverage global data center infrastructure and content categorization to deliver DNS-based security and filtering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cisco Umbrella

Quantifiable outcome

• Faster internet access through shortened routing paths between networks and data centers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CiscoflagshipTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2016OpenDNS was acquired by Cisco in 2016 and operates as part of Cisco's security portfolio under the Cisco Umbrella brand. The acquisition integrated OpenDNS's DNS-based security technology into Cisco's broader enterprise security offerings. OpenDNS consumer products continue to operate under the OpenDNS brand while enterprise solutions are marketed through Cisco Umbrella.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cloudflare: Operates a free public DNS resolver (1.1.1.1) and Cloudflare Gateway, a DNS-layer security and web filtering product for enterprises. Closest direct competitor to OpenDNS across both consumer and enterprise DNS security segments.
• Quad9: Non-profit public DNS service focused on privacy and security, blocking malicious domains via threat intel feeds. Competes directly with OpenDNS FamilyShield and OpenDNS Home in the free protective-DNS consumer and SMB segment.
• Google Public DNS: Operates Google's free public DNS resolver (8.8.8.8) with global anycast footprint. Primary free-speed alternative to OpenDNS for consumer and SMB users, though lacks integrated security filtering.
• Infoblox: Provides DNS, DHCP, and IPAM (DDI) appliances plus BloxOne Threat Defense for DNS-layer security. Comparable to OpenDNS on enterprise DNS security, with stronger on-prem appliance presence.
• BlueCat Networks: Enterprise DNS, DHCP, and IPAM vendor with DNS-based security and threat intelligence offerings for large enterprises. Comparable to OpenDNS on enterprise DNS infrastructure and filtering, with stronger on-prem and hybrid deployment options.

Broad incumbents

• Cisco Umbrella / Cisco Secure Access: OpenDNS's own enterprise brand post-acquisition, now part of Cisco's broader Secure Access / SSE portfolio alongside Duo, Secure Firewall, and Talos. Represents the broader incumbent platform into which OpenDNS technology has been integrated.
• Akamai (Secure Internet Access / Guardicore): Akamai's Enterprise Threat Protector and broader zero-trust/SASE portfolio include DNS-layer filtering and cloud-delivered recursive DNS security. Overlaps with OpenDNS Umbrella on enterprise DNS security and competes in adjacent SSE categories.
• Zscaler (ZIA / Zscaler Cloud DNS): Zscaler Internet Access includes DNS-layer security and filtering as part of its SSE/SASE platform. Competes with OpenDNS/Cisco Umbrella in enterprise cloud-delivered security, though anchored on a full SSE architecture rather than standalone DNS.
• Netskope: Netskope Security Service Edge platform includes DNS-layer controls as part of broader SSE capabilities. Overlaps with Umbrella on enterprise cloud-delivered security and competes for the same SSE/SASE budget.

Emerging players

• DNSFilter: Cloud-native DNS-layer security and content filtering platform targeting mid-market and MSPs. Competes with OpenDNS Umbrella in the SMB/MSP segment with a more focused, AI-driven threat categorization approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/opendns
• Facebookfacebook.com/OpenDNS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opendns

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors11 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about OpenDNS