Quad9

Quad9 is a free, non-profit DNS resolution service operated by the Quad9 Foundation, a Swiss public-benefit foundation headquartered in Zürich. Founded in 2016 by IBM, Packet Clearing House, and Global Cyber Alliance, Quad9 has grown to serve over 100 million users daily while maintaining an unwavering commitment to privacy—they never log user IP addresses, and Swiss criminal penalties apply if they violate this commitment.

What makes Quad9 exceptional is its combination of Swiss legal protection with global reach. In 2021, Quad9 relocated its headquarters from California to Switzerland specifically to place user data under Swiss privacy law—among the strongest in the world. Switzerland’s legal framework means that privacy protections extend to all Quad9 users regardless of citizenship or country of residence, and violations carry criminal penalties.

Quad9’s privacy policy, published under a Creative Commons license, has become the industry standard for DNS privacy policies. The commitment is absolute: user IP addresses are never logged, ever. Unlike commercial DNS providers that may monetize query data, Quad9’s non-profit structure means there’s no financial incentive to collect or sell user information. The foundation is supported by donations and operates with transparent governance and finances.

Beyond privacy, Quad9 provides security through malware and phishing blocking. The service blocks lookups to known malicious domains using threat intelligence from multiple cybersecurity partners. Independent evaluations have found Quad9 to be 97% effective at blocking malware and phishing domains—protecting over 100 million infections and attacks per day as of 2021. This security layer is included by default, with an unfiltered option available for users who prefer no blocking.

As of July 2025, Quad9 operates from 259 server locations across 106 countries on six continents, providing low-latency DNS resolution globally while maintaining Swiss jurisdiction and privacy standards.

Key Features

• Swiss Non-Profit: Public-benefit foundation with transparent governance
• Never Logs IPs: Absolute commitment backed by Swiss criminal law
• Malware Blocking: 97% effective at blocking malicious domains
• 259 Global Locations: Low-latency resolution in 106 countries
• DNS-over-HTTPS/TLS: Encrypted DNS query options
• No Account Required: Just configure and use, no signup needed
• Free Forever: Non-profit with no monetization of user data

Privacy Highlights

Quad9’s privacy commitment is legally enforceable under Swiss law. The foundation moved to Switzerland specifically to provide the strongest possible privacy protection for users worldwide. Swiss privacy law applies criminally if Quad9 violates its commitments, creating real accountability beyond marketing promises.

The non-profit structure eliminates commercial incentives to collect data. Unlike ad-supported DNS providers, Quad9 has no business model that benefits from user tracking. Donations and partnerships fund operations, with complete financial transparency.

Privacy Breakdown

Data Residency (Score: 100)

Pros:

• Swiss headquarters under Swiss FADP jurisdiction
• Swiss privacy law protections extend globally
• GDPR-harmonized legal framework
• Criminal penalties for privacy violations

Cons:

• Servers distributed globally (necessary for DNS performance)

Confidence: High — Swiss foundation status legally verified.

Open Source (Score: 40)

Pros:

• Privacy policy published under Creative Commons
• DNS protocols are open standards
• Transparent about threat intelligence sources
• Clear documentation of service operation

Cons:

• DNS server software is proprietary
• Cannot independently audit server-side code
• Less verifiable than open source alternatives

Confidence: Medium — relies on legal accountability rather than code transparency.

Privacy Policy (Score: 98)

Pros:

• Industry-standard privacy policy (Creative Commons)
• Absolute commitment to never log IP addresses
• Swiss criminal law enforcement of privacy
• Non-profit structure eliminates monetization incentive
• GDPR and Swiss FADP compliant

Cons:

• None significant identified

Confidence: High — policy reviewed January 2026, Swiss legal status verified.

Trackers (Score: 95)

Pros:

• No user tracking whatsoever
• No advertising or analytics
• Non-profit with no data monetization
• Privacy-first organizational mission

Cons:

• Basic operational metrics collected (aggregate, non-identifying)

Confidence: High — organizational structure prevents tracking incentives.

Terms of Service (Score: 85)

Pros:

• Clear, user-friendly terms
• Non-profit governance with public accountability
• No data licensing or monetization clauses
• Transparent about security blocking behavior

Cons:

• Service provided “as is” (standard for free services)
• Blocking decisions made by Quad9 (users can use unfiltered option)

Confidence: High — ToS reviewed January 2026.