(Desktop) A flexible DNS proxy, with support for modern encrypted DNS protocols including DNSCrypt V2, DNS-over-HTTPS and Anonymized DNSCrypt. Also allows for advanced monitoring, filtering, caching and client IP protection through Tor, SOCKS proxies or Anonymized DNS relays.
Official website github.com/DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-proxy#readme
Our take
The enthusiast’s choice for encrypted DNS, with support for DNSCrypt v2, DoH, and Anonymized DNSCrypt that lets you separate who you ask from what you ask. That flexibility is also the barrier: it is a config-file tool, so casual users will find it fiddly compared to flipping a phone setting. Excellent for people who want to route and relay their DNS precisely; too much for those who just want encryption on by default.
GitHub at a glance
DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-proxy
Stars
13,414
+ 35 this week
Last commit
3d ago
healthy
License
ISC
Latest release
2.1.16
27d ago
Stars, last 10d
Listed in
dnscrypt-proxy alternatives
NextDNS The major advantage of NextDNS over AdGuard DNS is to be able to configure the service to your needs via parental controls, website restrictions or block whole categories of…
AdGuard DNS Easy to setup within minutes. Comes with setup guides for all systems. You only need to enter two IP adresses.
Control D Customizable encrypted DNS resolver supporting DoH, DoT, DoQ, and legacy DNS. Offers a free no-log tier and paid plans with a dashboard, per-device profiles, and content filtering.
Mullvad DNS Free public encrypted DNS resolver from Mullvad VPN, supporting DoH and DoT. Available in six filtering variants including ad-blocking, malware, and family-safe options. No account required.
Quad9 Based in Switzerland. Supports: DNS-over-TLS (DoT), DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) and DNSCrypt.
Cloudflare Based in United States. Supports: DNS-over-TLS (DoT) and DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH).
dnscrypt-proxy license, in plain English
ISC Permissive
A permissive license that is functionally identical to MIT, just with shorter wording.
Permits
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Private use
Requires
- License and copyright notice
Does not provide
- Liability cover
- Warranty
Why it matters: Permissive licensing lets anyone reuse this, including inside closed products. That is freedom to build on, but no guarantee that downstream copies stay open.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.