CleanBrowsing

What Is CleanBrowsing?

Keeping kids (or entire households) off porn, malware, and obvious scam domains sounds simple—until you realize every device has its own settings, browsers can bypass basic filters, and “parental control apps” don’t help much when guests join your Wi‑Fi. CleanBrowsing solves the problem at the DNS layer: you route DNS lookups through their resolvers, and domains in blocked categories simply won’t resolve.

This approach is built for people who want network-wide filtering with minimal software and minimal fuss. You can apply it at the router for “covers everything on Wi‑Fi,” or set it up per device using OS settings (including encrypted DNS) or CleanBrowsing’s apps. CleanBrowsing also offers a free “forever” set of filters with no signup required, which is rare in this space. (cleanbrowsing.org)

What makes it distinctive versus many “family DNS” competitors: it’s not just a couple of hard-coded filtering endpoints. Paid plans add a dashboard-driven setup with profiles, custom allow/block lists, activity reporting/logs (with retention controls), and the option to run in a “no logs” mode for paid accounts. (cleanbrowsing.org)

CleanBrowsing Features and Performance

CleanBrowsing’s core value is DNS filtering that you can run either as plain DNS or over encrypted DNS transports. From a protocol perspective, CleanBrowsing supports DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), DNS-over-TLS (DoT), and DNSCrypt (all three are explicitly supported in their documentation and marketing materials). (cleanbrowsing.org)

Filtering modes: Family, Adult, Security

On the free side, CleanBrowsing documents multiple “filters” designed for different needs:

• Family Filter: positioned as the strictest option, blocking adult content, VPN/proxy domains, and “mixed content” platforms; it also enforces SafeSearch on supported search/video platforms. (cleanbrowsing.org)
• Adult Filter: blocks adult content only (and is explicitly described as less restrictive than Family because it doesn’t block VPN/proxy domains or “mixed content” sites like Reddit, and doesn’t enforce SafeSearch). (cleanbrowsing.org)
• Security Filter: focused on malware/phishing-style protection rather than content controls (CleanBrowsing publishes separate endpoints for it).

CleanBrowsing also publishes the actual resolver addresses and DoH endpoints for these free filters in its setup/support materials (for example, the DoH URLs for family/adult/security filters are documented).

Dashboard controls (paid): categories, lists, and profiles

CleanBrowsing’s paid plans are described as “all-inclusive” in feature set: content categories (they describe “21+” categories), custom domain allow/block lists, activity reporting, and user profiles (policy groups). (cleanbrowsing.org)

The practical impact: instead of choosing a single global “family DNS” endpoint, you can apply different rules to different groups (for example, “kids’ devices” vs “adults’ devices”) using profiles, while keeping everything under one account. CleanBrowsing also calls out custom block pages as a paid feature (useful in schools/businesses where you want the block page to tell users what to do next). (cleanbrowsing.org)

Logging controls and retention options

Paid accounts include adjustable data retention settings and log handling options. CleanBrowsing documents three key modes: a default visibility/log storage approach, a “reports-only” mode for aggregation behavior, and a “Total Privacy” mode that removes logging features (the dashboard shows inactive and logs are empty). (cleanbrowsing.org)

If you do want logs, CleanBrowsing describes exporting DNS logs (daily CSV downloads) and notes a partnership with Trunc for longer-term log storage/management. That’s good for reporting-heavy environments, but it’s also a reminder that enabling logging makes the service less “privacy minimal” by design—because the point is visibility. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Performance expectations (what you should assume)

DNS filtering is generally “lightweight” compared to full web proxying, but you still add a dependency: every new domain lookup depends on CleanBrowsing being reachable and responsive. Independent testing from AV-Comparatives includes CleanBrowsing in a DNS test (configured per official instructions, with DoH enabled where available) and describes it as a US-based company offering free DNS service with multiple filtering levels. (av-comparatives.org)

CleanBrowsing also positions its free filters as “fast” and “privacy-first” in its parental controls materials, but it does not publish hard latency/uptime SLAs on the pages reviewed here—so you should treat performance as “typical public recursive DNS,” with real-world speed depending heavily on your geography and routing. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Pricing and Plans

CleanBrowsing is freemium: there is a free tier (no signup, no credit card) and paid subscriptions. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Free tier

CleanBrowsing explicitly offers “free forever” filtering that can be deployed on any device that uses DNS, with no signup required. (cleanbrowsing.org)

The trade-off is control: the free tier is based on predefined filters/endpoints (Family/Adult/Security). If you want per-user policies, custom lists, detailed reporting, customizable block pages, and dashboard controls, that’s the paid side. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Self-serve paid plans (prices and limits)

CleanBrowsing publishes prices for self-serve plans with both monthly and yearly billing options:

• Families (Basic): $8.99/month or $75/year, with limits listed as up to 25 devices or 3.75M requests/month, plus quotas for networks/dynamic devices/profiles and allow/block list sizes. (cleanbrowsing.org)
• Schools/Libraries (Pro 50): $15/month or $150/year, listed as up to 50 devices or 7.5M requests/month, with higher quotas than Basic. (cleanbrowsing.org)
• Organizations (Pro 100): $30/month or $300/year, listed as up to 100 devices or 15M requests/month, and includes API access (plus higher quotas). (cleanbrowsing.org)

There’s also a custom option for larger needs (“15M+ requests a month,” more than 100 devices, integrations, dedicated IPs/networks, and requirements around performance/latency/jurisdiction), which routes you to sales. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Trials and refunds (read the fine print)

CleanBrowsing’s pricing FAQ states there is no trial for self-serve plans; instead they suggest starting monthly and canceling if it doesn’t meet needs. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Refund language is more complicated. The Terms of Service includes a “No Refunds” clause stating fees are nonrefundable for unused portions of a subscription term, while also saying they may provide credits at their discretion. It also includes a limited case where they may terminate and refund pre-paid fees for the remainder of the term if a paid service becomes (or is likely to become) the subject of an infringement claim. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Practical takeaway: don’t assume a standard “30-day money-back guarantee.” If you care about reversibility, start month-to-month.

Privacy and Security Assessment

CleanBrowsing is a filtering DNS service. That’s inherently a trust exercise: your devices send DNS queries to their resolvers, and DNS metadata can be sensitive (it can reveal what services you use, even when web traffic is encrypted). CleanBrowsing supports encrypted DNS (DoH/DoT/DNSCrypt), which protects DNS traffic from local network observers, but it does not eliminate the need to trust the resolver operator. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Jurisdiction and legal venue

Known spec (verified in your database): United States, governed by Delaware law with exclusive jurisdiction in Delaware courts specified. This matches the governing law/jurisdiction language in CleanBrowsing’s Terms. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Implication: if you’re looking for a resolver provider outside US jurisdiction, CleanBrowsing is not that. For many parents that’s irrelevant; for high-risk users, it can be a deciding factor.

What CleanBrowsing says it logs

CleanBrowsing’s privacy materials make a few specific claims:

• For paid service, it states “logging data … is encrypted locally” and that users can remove data under dashboard data retention settings. (cleanbrowsing.org)
• It says it may process anonymized, aggregate DNS data (stripped of personally identifiable info) to improve security/performance/reliability across services/brands. (cleanbrowsing.org)
• For website visits (their websites and community forum), it describes typical web log collection (including IP addresses and other technical metadata) and states that data is deleted automatically and never shared. (cleanbrowsing.org)

On the product side, CleanBrowsing documents configurable retention controls for paid accounts, including a “Total Privacy” mode where logs are not stored. (cleanbrowsing.org)

No BS view: this is better than a lot of DNS filtering vendors because (a) it clearly acknowledges logging options and (b) it gives a user-controlled “no logs” mode for paid accounts. But if you enable activity reporting, you are explicitly choosing to generate and retain DNS logs—because that’s what reporting is.

Audits, open source, and incidents

In the sources reviewed, there is no confirmed claim of an independent “no-logs” audit, and CleanBrowsing does not present itself here as an open-source project. Because those points are not confirmed by the cited sources, they’re not claims you should rely on when choosing CleanBrowsing.

On “known incidents,” none are documented in the official sources above. Some community reports exist (for example, users reporting that certain configurations didn’t filter as expected in third-party apps), but those are anecdotal and not the same as a verified security incident.

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths

• Strong free tier: “free forever,” no signup required, practical to deploy on routers/devices. (cleanbrowsing.org)
• Encrypted DNS support: DoH/DoT plus DNSCrypt support is explicitly documented. (cleanbrowsing.org)
• Clear separation of filters: Family vs Adult vs Security filters are explained in plain language (what’s blocked, what SafeSearch enforcement does/doesn’t do). (cleanbrowsing.org)
• Paid controls are real: user profiles, category controls, custom allow/block lists, and activity reporting are all stated as included in paid plans. (cleanbrowsing.org)
• Retention controls (including “Total Privacy” mode): you can opt out of log storage on paid plans. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Limitations / trade-offs

• DNS filtering is not full content inspection: it blocks/permits domains, not individual pages inside allowed domains. CleanBrowsing’s own positioning is DNS-layer filtering; don’t expect it to “understand” content inside major platforms beyond domain/category-based decisions. (cleanbrowsing.org)
• US jurisdiction (Delaware governing law/venue): not ideal if you’re minimizing US legal exposure. (cleanbrowsing.org)
• Refund expectations should be conservative: no self-serve trial, and Terms state fees are nonrefundable for unused term portions (with limited exceptions/discretion). (cleanbrowsing.org)
• Reporting vs privacy tension: the more you use dashboards/logs, the more DNS activity metadata exists to protect (even if retention can be reduced). (cleanbrowsing.org)

Who Should Use CleanBrowsing?

Good fit

1. Families who want “set-and-forget” filtering on home Wi‑Fi: router-level DNS changes plus the Family filter is a simple baseline, and paid plans add per-device profiles when you outgrow a single policy. (cleanbrowsing.org)
2. Parents who specifically want SafeSearch enforcement on major platforms: CleanBrowsing states Family Filter enforces SafeSearch on Google, Bing, and YouTube (and documents SafeSearch locking behavior). (cleanbrowsing.org)
3. Schools/libraries/small orgs needing lightweight category filtering and reporting without a heavy proxy: CleanBrowsing publishes a Schools/Libraries plan and emphasizes paid features like profiles, reporting, and custom block pages. (cleanbrowsing.org)

Not a great fit

1. People who need non-US jurisdiction for DNS resolution (CleanBrowsing’s agreement uses Delaware law and Delaware courts). (cleanbrowsing.org)
2. Users expecting a “VPN replacement”: CleanBrowsing is DNS filtering/recursive resolution; it doesn’t claim to encrypt all traffic or hide your IP address from websites. (DNS encryption is not the same thing as a VPN.)
3. Anyone who wants guaranteed refunds or a real trial window: self-serve plans have no trial, and refunds are not promised for unused subscription time. (cleanbrowsing.org)