The best way to speed up your web browsing is to use DNS. DNS performs the task of converting the site address to IP. So the faster the DNS server, the faster the browsing sites open and the faster your internet connection. The purpose of this article is to the Fastest DNS Servers for 2025.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The security and speed with which you navigate the internet relies heavily on the efficacy of DNS servers. When you key in a website URL in a web browser, the corresponding DNS server is tasked with converting the domain into an IP address which helps the computer interface with the right server. Nonetheless, there are a plethora of DNS servers in existence… and not all of them are equally good. The DNS server you opt for might have a considerable impact on how quickly websites load, which would ultimately define your browsing experience.
A quicker DNS server improves the speed at which domain names are resolved, thereby improving the overall loading speed of the website. A DNS server that is unreliable or slow can produce unwanted pauses or delays that might affect streaming or even online gaming.
Aside from speed, enhanced security that comes with a more advanced DNS server can help prevent visiting websites which are malicious in nature, phishing attempts, and even malware. Overall internet and website’s operational performance can be improved significantly through switching to a faster and more secure DNS server, making the online experience smoother and safer. This article will describe some of the fastest available DNS servers and how they can enhance your online endeavors.
What Are DNS Servers?
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a part of a larger context. It acts like an online phone book. Therefore, when you type an address such as www.eldernode.com on the domain name search engine, it tries to identify the domain through DNS. If found, IP address is returned which comes in handy with locating the server in question. If DNS was to be removed, resolving the IP or website in question would require an individual to remember complicated numerical addresses which makes it a troublesome task.
Each time a person looks up a webpage, the device sends a request to the dns server for address of the webpage The server processes the request and replies back with the address giving the user access to the page.
There are two types of DNS servers, public and private.
Public is openly available for anyone to use, companies such as Google (8.8.8.8), Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), and Open DNS (208.67.222.222) offers them. Public DNS servers are preferred over private in respect to security, speed, and redundancy.
Private DNS Servers: Usually these are provided and maintained by individuals or organizations, including your Internet Service Provider (ISP). For more specialized and internal purposes, Private DNS Servers is utilized, and their performance and security upgrades may not be at par with public DNS servers.
How DNS Affects Speed and Security
Your DNS can make a huge difference in your internet security and speed. If your DNS server is faster, your device can locate the website you wish to visit much quicker. When a URL is put into the device, the device queries the DNS server to resolve the domain to the needed IP address. If it takes a long time for the server to respond, the time it takes for your device to access the site will increase, making your browsing experience slower.
Using a faster DNS server can remarkably improve the loading speeds of websites. For instance, Google DNS and Cloudflare DNS are public DNS servers that are highly used around the world. They tend to resolve queries much more quickly compared to the DNS servers that most ISPs offer. If there is a decrease in the resolution time, the page will load much more quickly, videos will stream more smoothly, and the overall experience of the internet will improve.
Apart from accelerating speed, your security on the internet is also taken care by the DNS. A lot of modern DNS servers have predefined security parameters designed for the protection against phishing or malware attacks by blocking access to these malicious websites. For example, filtering options provided by the OpenDNS and Quad9 DNS help shield users from known harmful sites. Additionally, other DNS servers like Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1, encrypt the queries which guarantees the security and privacy from snooping and modifying by other people. Because of this, your browsing experience will always be safer while using the internet which minimizes the chances of putting your data and devices under threat.
Top Fastest DNS Servers for 2025
In selected DNS servers, speed and security features must complement one another. Below are some of the third party DNS servers pinpointed to be both the fastest and the most secure in 2025:
Google DNS (8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4)
Pros:
Speed & Reliability: The service offers one of the fastest speeds and is extremely reliable, making it one of the most frequently accessed public DNS services.
Responsive: Google has servers around the world which enables it to provide quick response times for users from different regions.
Security: Google DNS also supports DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions), which prevents certain security threats such as cache poisoning.
Cons:
Privacy Issues: Since data is operated by Google, certain privacy concerns come into place regarding the tracking of user DNS data queries.
Performance: Google DNS fluctuates between very low latency and high uptime, placing it amongst the top services in most DNS speed tests.
Primary DNS: 8.8.8.8
Secondary DNS: 8.8.4.4
Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1 AND 1.0.0.1)
Pros:
Specialized Focus On Privacy: Cloudflare does not sell or share your data, even promising “no logging” which makes them one if not the best option for privacy users.
Cloudflare DNS is one of the fastest if not actually the fastest DNS servers with incredibly low response times.
These encryption protocols enables the private and secure DNS queries snooping is made impossible.
Cons:
The speed and privacy features are unparalleled, but Cloudflare DNS still has limited phishing and malware protection features like some other services such as OpenDNS.
Around the globe Cloudflare is one of the fastest DNS servers for an extended period of time constantly ranking as the best choice for speed in various speed tests.
Primary DNS: 1.1.1.1
Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.1
OpenDNS (208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220)
Pros:
Security: OpenDNS delivers excellent security as it comes with protection from phishing, malware, and botnet attacks. It also has a powerful filtering system that allows for content control.
Dependability: OpenDNS offers high uptime and performance due to its servers being strategically located around the globe.
Cons:
Slow Speeds In Certain Area
Paid Options: More sophisticated features such as additional security filters and reporting require a paid subscription (OpenDNS home or Family).
Effectiveness: OpenDNS is moderately effective but in some areas, won’t perform as well as Cloudflare or Google DNS.
Primary DNS: 208.67.222.222
Secondary DNS: 208.67.220.220
Comodo Secure DNS
Comodo Group is a hosting service team that in addition to hosting services, also provides DNS services to users. One of its strengths is the protection of the security and privacy of users and blocking phishing sites. It can also keep you away from spyware and malicious content. It even warns you when you visit sites with malware, spyware, or pop-ups.
Note: If you want more features, the Dome Shield service is a good alternative to this collection, which is part of the paid services.
Primary DNS: 8.26.56.26
Secondary DNS: 8.20.247.20
Quad9
Quad9 is one of the newest DNS services that provide Internet services with the fastest and easiest possible mode. This newly entered DNS server has a relatively high speed. One of its strengths is blocking infected sites, but it does not have much competition with other DNS and its position and infrastructure can not be compared with its competitors.
There is no qualitative discussion about this DNS. It has a score of 7 out of 10 in the world rankings, after Cloudflare and OpenDNS, and of course in a better position than Comodo.
Primary DNS: 9.9.9.9
Secondary DNS: 49.112.112.112
Conclusion
Utilizing quicker DNS servers can greatly support your digital life by improving the loading speed for different websites, improving overall safety, and providing better connections to the internet. In addition to boosting browsing speed, a faster DNS server enables protection from deceitful websites, phishing, and viruses and is, therefore, invaluable for personal as well as business use. Fetching preferred speed, privacy and security is not straineous with the use of the right DNS server since it singlehandedly works to improve overall performance on the internet.
We invite you to check on different DNS servers and determine which one works for you the best. ElderNode also provides VPS services for clients wanting greater control over their DNS parameters. Start enhancing your internet performance with ElderNode’s VPS services secure and high-performance solutions today!
