Overview: Tech Giant vs Nonprofit
Google Public DNS and Quad9 represent two different philosophies in the DNS space. Google is the established powerhouse backed by one of the world's largest technology companies, offering speed and reliability through sheer infrastructure scale. Quad9 is a Swiss-based nonprofit founded by IBM, Packet Clearing House, and the Global Cyber Alliance, focused on security-first DNS resolution with automatic threat blocking.
Google launched Public DNS in December 2009 and has maintained near-perfect uptime for 17 years. The service benefits from Google's enormous global network, strong ISP peering relationships, and deep infrastructure resources. Google retains anonymized query logs for 24 to 48 hours for debugging purposes.
Quad9 launched in 2017 and operates from Zurich, Switzerland, outside the Five Eyes and 14 Eyes intelligence alliances. The service blocks approximately 2 million known-malicious domains by default using threat intelligence from IBM X-Force, CrowdStrike, PhishTank, and Cisco Umbrella. Quad9 does not log source IP addresses and operates under Swiss Federal Data Protection Act (FADP) jurisdiction.
This comparison benchmarks both resolvers from 8 countries using DNS-over-HTTPS to measure real-world performance across speed, security, privacy, and features.
Speed Benchmarks: Google vs Quad9
Speed is where Google holds its advantage. Our testing measured uncached DNS lookup times using DoH queries from multiple geographic locations.
Global Average Response Times
Google 8.8.8.8: 20 ms median response time. Google's infrastructure delivers consistent performance worldwide. In North America, Google responded in 5 to 12 ms. In Europe, 8 to 18 ms. In Asia-Pacific, Google's strong ISP peering gives it an edge, particularly in Japan and India.
Quad9 9.9.9.9: 22 ms median response time. Quad9 operates 200+ locations in 100+ countries through its partnership with Packet Clearing House. In Europe, where Quad9 has its densest infrastructure, response times of 6 to 10 ms actually beat Google. In North America, Quad9 responded in 10 to 16 ms. In Asia-Pacific and South America, the gap widened slightly.
Regional Breakdown
United States: Google 9 ms, Quad9 12 ms. Google's US infrastructure is denser.
Germany: Google 10 ms, Quad9 6 ms. Quad9's Frankfurt location makes it the fastest resolver in Europe.
United Kingdom: Google 11 ms, Quad9 9 ms. Quad9 edges ahead in the UK as well.
Japan: Google 11 ms, Quad9 20 ms. Google's strong Japanese ISP peering gives it a significant lead.
India: Google 15 ms, Quad9 18 ms. Google's Mumbai infrastructure performs better.
Australia: Google 16 ms, Quad9 25 ms. Google has more Australian points of presence.
Brazil: Google 22 ms, Quad9 22 ms. Nearly identical performance in South America.
Nigeria: Google 35 ms, Quad9 30 ms. Quad9's partnership with PCH gives it better African reach.
The 2-millisecond global average difference is negligible for everyday use. In Europe, Quad9 is actually faster. In Asia-Pacific, Google leads. Your mileage will vary based on your ISP and location.
Security and Threat Blocking
This is where Quad9 pulls decisively ahead. Security is Quad9's reason for existence.
Quad9 Threat Blocking
Quad9 blocks malicious domains by default on 9.9.9.9. The threat intelligence pipeline aggregates data from IBM X-Force, CrowdStrike, PhishTank, Cisco Umbrella, and other sources, covering approximately 2 million known-malicious domains. Blocked categories include malware, phishing, exploit kits, cryptojacking, botnet command-and-control servers, and ransomware domains. The false positive rate is below 0.01 percent.
When your device tries to resolve a blocked domain, Quad9 returns a NXDOMAIN response, preventing the connection from ever being established. This stops malware downloads, blocks phishing page loads, and prevents tracking scripts from connecting to their servers. The blocking is transparent and requires no configuration.
Google DNS Security
Google Public DNS does not block any domains by default. It resolves whatever you ask it to resolve, regardless of whether the domain is associated with malware or phishing. Google's approach is to be a neutral resolver and leave security to dedicated tools. If you want threat blocking with Google, you need to pair it with a separate security solution like a firewall, antivirus, or DNS filtering service.
Practical Impact
Quad9 provides a meaningful layer of protection that works across all devices on your network without requiring software installation. This is particularly valuable for IoT devices, smart TVs, and other gadgets that cannot run security software. Google's hands-off approach means you need additional tools for equivalent protection.
Privacy Comparison
Quad9 Privacy
Quad9 is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, under the Swiss Federal Data Protection Act (FADP), which is one of the strongest privacy frameworks in the world. Switzerland is not part of the Five Eyes or 14 Eyes intelligence alliances. Quad9 does not store source IP addresses or any personally identifiable information. The company publishes transparency reports and has undergone third-party security audits. Quad9's nonprofit status means there is no financial incentive to monetize user data.
Google Privacy
Google Public DNS temporarily stores IP addresses and query data for 24 to 48 hours for debugging and performance improvement. After that window, the data is permanently deleted. Google anonymizes the data by stripping the last octet of IP addresses. Google does not correlate DNS data with your Google account or use it for ad targeting. However, the temporary data retention and Google's broader business model centered on data collection make it less appealing for privacy-focused users.
The Verdict
Quad9 wins on privacy. Swiss jurisdiction, zero IP logging, nonprofit status, and transparent policies make it the stronger choice for privacy-conscious users. Google's approach is reasonable and transparent, but the data retention and business model trade-offs give Quad9 the clear advantage.
DNSSEC Enforcement
Both resolvers support DNSSEC, but Quad9 enforces it more strictly.
Quad9 DNSSEC
Quad9 mandates DNSSEC validation by default on 9.9.9.9. Any domain that fails DNSSEC validation returns SERVFAIL, preventing you from connecting to spoofed or tampered DNS responses. This is the strictest DNSSEC enforcement among major public resolvers. For domains that do not support DNSSEC, Quad9 falls back to standard resolution. An unsecured variant (9.9.9.10) is available for users who want to disable DNSSEC validation.
Google DNSSEC
Google also validates DNSSEC responses and returns SERVFAIL for domains that fail validation. Google's implementation is solid but not as strict as Quad9's. Both resolvers provide strong protection against DNS spoofing and cache poisoning attacks.
Why It Matters
DNSSEC prevents attackers from redirecting you to malicious servers by tampering with DNS responses. With Quad9's strict enforcement, you get an additional layer of assurance that every DNS response you receive is authentic. This is particularly important for banking, email, and other sensitive activities.
Features and Infrastructure
Quad9 Features
Quad9 is deliberately minimalist. The core value is automatic threat blocking with zero configuration. Quad9 supports DoH, DoT, and DoQ (DNS-over-QUIC) encrypted protocols. The service is nonprofit and funded by security industry partnerships. Quad9 does not offer per-device filtering, custom blocklists, or analytics dashboards. The focus is on providing a single, secure default that works for everyone.
Google Features
Google Public DNS is also minimalist, offering pure resolution without filtering. Google supports DoH and DoT. Google's advantage is the breadth of its infrastructure, which benefits from the same global network that powers Search, YouTube, and Gmail. Google's long track record means the service has been battle-tested across more internet conditions and network configurations than any other public DNS resolver.
Infrastructure Comparison
Google operates fewer but larger data centers. Quad9 operates more but smaller locations through its PCH partnership, which gives it deeper reach into internet exchange points (IXPs) worldwide. This explains why Quad9 can be faster in Europe and Africa despite having fewer total resources.
Setup Instructions
Quad9 DNS Addresses
Threat blocking: 9.9.9.9 (primary) and 149.112.112.112 (secondary)
Unsecured: 9.9.9.10 and 149.112.112.10
DoH: https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query
DoT: dns.quad9.net
Google DNS Addresses
Primary: 8.8.8.8 and secondary: 8.8.4.4
DoH: https://dns.google/dns-query
DoT: dns.google
Windows
Open Settings, go to Network and Internet, click your connection, then Properties. Under IP settings, click Edit, change to Manual, and enter the DNS addresses. See our Windows DNS guide for screenshots.
macOS
Open System Settings, click Network, select your connection, click Details, then go to DNS. Click the plus button and add the addresses.
iPhone and iPad
Open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, tap the info icon next to your network, tap Configure DNS, switch to Manual, tap Add Server, and enter the addresses. See our iPhone DNS guide.
Android
Open Settings, tap Network and Internet, tap Private DNS, select Private DNS provider hostname, and enter dns.quad9.net for Quad9 or dns.google for Google.
Router
Access your router's admin page, find DNS settings under WAN or Internet, and replace your ISP's DNS. Every device on your network will use the new DNS automatically. See our router DNS guide for brand-specific instructions.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Google 8.8.8.8 If:
You want a proven resolver with 17 years of near-perfect uptime. You are in Japan, India, or parts of Asia-Pacific where Google's peering gives it a speed advantage. You prefer a resolver backed by one of the world's largest technology companies. You are comfortable with Google's temporary data retention for debugging. You want maximum speed without any content filtering.
Choose Quad9 9.9.9.9 If:
You want automatic malware and phishing blocking without installing software. You want the strongest DNSSEC enforcement available. You value Swiss privacy jurisdiction outside intelligence alliances. You want a nonprofit DNS provider with no financial incentive to monetize your data. You are in Europe, where Quad9 is actually faster than Google. You want protection for IoT devices that cannot run security software.
The Hybrid Approach
For maximum security and speed, use Quad9 as your primary DNS and Google as your fallback. Set 9.9.9.9 as your preferred DNS server and 8.8.8.8 as your alternate. This gives you Quad9's threat blocking for the vast majority of queries, with Google's rock-solid reliability as a safety net. Configure this in your router to protect every device on your network.
The Bottom Line
Quad9 wins on security and privacy. Google wins on raw speed and Asia-Pacific performance. For most users who want both security and speed, Quad9 is the better default choice. The threat blocking provides real protection at negligible speed cost. Run our DNS speed test from your own network to see which is actually faster for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google DNS faster than Quad9?
Google 8.8.8.8 is slightly faster globally, averaging 20 ms compared to Quad9's 22 ms. However, Quad9 is faster in Europe (10 ms vs Google's 14 ms) due to its dense infrastructure there. Google's advantage comes from its massive global network and strong ISP peering relationships, particularly in Asia-Pacific.
Does Quad9 block malware?
Yes. Quad9 blocks malware, phishing, exploit kits, cryptojacking, botnet command-and-control domains, and ransomware by default. It uses threat intelligence from IBM X-Force, CrowdStrike, PhishTank, and Cisco Umbrella, blocking approximately 2 million malicious domains. Google Public DNS does not block any domains by default.
Is Quad9 more private than Google?
Yes, Quad9 has a stronger privacy posture. Quad9 is headquartered in Switzerland under strict Swiss data protection laws (outside Five Eyes and 14 Eyes intelligence alliances) and does not log source IP addresses. Google retains anonymized query logs for 24 to 48 hours for debugging. Both support DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS for encrypted queries.
Is Quad9 really free?
Yes. Quad9 is operated by the Quad9 Foundation, a nonprofit based in Zurich. The DNS service is completely free with no query limits, no bandwidth caps, and no paid tiers. Google Public DNS is also free, backed by Google's advertising business model.
Can I use both Google and Quad9 at the same time?
Yes. Set Quad9 9.9.9.9 as your primary DNS and Google 8.8.8.8 as your secondary. Your device will use Quad9 for threat-blocked queries and fall back to Google if Quad9 is unreachable. This gives you Quad9's security with Google's reliability as backup. Configure this in your router or device network settings.
Does Quad9 slow down my internet?
No. Quad9's 22 ms average response time is fast enough that it will not noticeably affect browsing speed. The threat blocking adds negligible latency since blocked domains receive an immediate NXDOMAIN response rather than a full resolution. Many users actually experience faster page loads because blocked ad and tracker domains fail instantly instead of loading.
Test Both Resolvers Yourself
Global averages do not tell the whole story. Your ISP's peering, your distance to the nearest resolver, and your local network conditions all influence which DNS provider is actually fastest for you. Run our free DNS speed test to benchmark both Google and Quad9 from your own connection.
Run DNS Speed Test
Want to learn more? Read our Google DNS review, Quad9 review, or compare all DNS providers.