Skip to main content
Google Public DNS logo
vs
Quad9 logo
Try Quad9

Google Public DNS vs Quad9: Which Ensures Your Data Privacy?

Discover how Google's US-based DNS service compares to Switzerland's Quad9 in safeguarding your data. Make an informed choice today for secure browsing.

Last updated: February 6, 2026Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to Quad9?

What You Gain

Enhanced privacy protections and full GDPR compliance with Quad9.

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Potential loss of advanced features available in Google Public DNS.

Google Public DNS has more features
Bottom Line

Switch to Quad9 for privacy if features are not a priority.

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇨🇭CH

GDPR protected

Pricing

Google Public DNS

Contact

Quad9

Contact

Migration
Medium difficulty~1-2 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaGoogle Public DNSQuad9
Server Location
Global, including US and EUGlobal, with primary focus on EU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
Data Portability
LimitedLimited

CLOUD Act Notice

Google Public DNS is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. Quad9 is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Google Public DNS logo

Google Public DNS

🇺🇸

Google

VS
Switching to
Quad9 logo

Quad9

🇨🇭

Quad9

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

EU-Based
Swiss hosted
Open Source
GDPR Compliant

Reasons to Switch

  • Quad9 blocks access to known malicious domains, enhancing security.
  • Quad9's servers are GDPR compliant, ensuring EU data protection.
  • Quad9 has a focus on user privacy, not logging IP addresses.
  • Quad9 uses threat intelligence from IBM and other partners for filtering.

Things to Consider

  • !Switching requires reconfiguring DNS settings on devices.
  • !Quad9 lacks some advanced features found in Google DNS.
  • !Potential latency issues if Quad9's nearest server is far.
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~1-2 hours

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~1-2 hours

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create Quad9 account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Google Public DNS

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to Google Public DNS

Ready to make the switch?

Start using Quad9 today and take control of your data privacy.