Cloudflare vs Control D
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Cloudflare is a global network providing CDN, DDoS protection, DNS, and a growing edge-computing platform (Workers, Pages, R2). It sits in front of a large share of the web to speed up and secure sites.
Control D is a DNS filtering and security service that blocks malware, unwanted content, and specific applications across devices at the DNS level. It runs on a claimed 100M-user threat intelligence network with a reported 99.98% malware block rate, and supports modern encrypted DNS protocols including DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, and DNS-over-QUIC.
Generous free plan; paid plans and usage-based products.
- Excellent free tier
- Strong security and performance
- Growing edge platform
- Global network
- Broad native OS support including Linux
- Encrypted DNS protocols supported out of the box
- Transparent self-serve per-endpoint pricing for SMBs
- 14-day free trial with no credit card required
- Broad product range can confuse
- Advanced features need configuration
- Some products still maturing
- Enterprise, MSP, and school pricing requires contacting sales
- Per-endpoint pricing can add up for larger device fleets
- No permanent free tier for individual home users listed on the pricing page
What reviewers say
Cloudflare Reviews
4.5 (2)Solid choice
We rolled out Cloudflare last quarter. Strong security and performance. Minor gripe: broad product range can confuse. Would recommend.
Solid choice
Been using Cloudflare for a while. Strong security and performance. No real complaints. Would recommend.
Control D Reviews
No reviews yet.
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to Cloudflare
View all →Alternatives to Control D
View all →The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataCloudflare offers a broad, free‑tier CDN and security platform for web‑focused workloads, while Control D provides paid, DNS‑filtering focused security for endpoint devices.
Key differences
- •Cloudflare is a general‑purpose CDN, DNS, edge compute and storage platform; Control D is specialized DNS‑filtering only.
- •Cloudflare includes a generous free tier; Control D only offers a 14‑day trial and then paid per‑endpoint pricing.
- •Control D supports encrypted DNS protocols (DoH, DoT, DoQ) out of the box; Cloudflare’s free tier does not emphasize endpoint DNS filtering.
- •Control D targets SMBs, MSPs, schools, enterprises needing per‑device content control; Cloudflare targets site owners/developers needing web performance and security.
Pricing & value
Cloudflare provides a generous free plan covering CDN, DNS, Workers, R2; Control D requires paid subscription after trial.
Ease of use / learning curve
Control D offers native apps with silent install and per‑endpoint setup; Cloudflare’s broad product suite can be confusing to configure.
Features & depth
Cloudflare includes CDN, DDoS protection, edge compute, storage; Control D is limited to DNS filtering.
Integrations & ecosystem
Cloudflare offers API, Workers, Pages, and many web‑focused integrations; Control D only lists API availability.
Scalability
Cloudflare’s global edge network scales to any web traffic volume; Control D scales per‑endpoint but pricing may become costly.
Security & privacy
Control D provides SOC 2, ISO certifications and encrypted DNS protocols; Cloudflare’s security focus is on web traffic, not endpoint DNS privacy.
Choose Cloudflare if…
Site owners or developers needing free CDN, DNS, edge compute, or storage for web applications.
Choose Control D if…
SMBs, MSPs, schools, or enterprises that need centralized DNS‑level content and malware filtering across devices.
Common questions
Is there a free tier for both products?
Cloudflare offers a generous free tier; Control D only provides a 14‑day free trial, then requires paid subscription.
Which product protects endpoints at the DNS level?
Control D filters DNS queries on each device and supports DoH, DoT, DoQ; Cloudflare does not provide endpoint DNS filtering.
Can I use these services together?
Yes, you can use Cloudflare for web CDN/DNS and Control D for endpoint DNS filtering; they serve different layers.
