Data security has become one of the most important tech priorities in the current world since hackers are leaving no chance of infecting the system, mobile applications, and websites with various viruses to steal private and important data and information.
Cloudflare and Open DNS are two such companies that help people protect their personal information by not letting the customers get access to any fraud websites or suspicious ones.
Key Takeaways
- Cloudflare is a web infrastructure and security company that provides various services, including DNS resolution, content delivery networks (CDNs), and DDoS protection.
- OpenDNS, owned by Cisco, focuses primarily on DNS resolution and internet security services for home and enterprise users.
- Cloudflare offers a broader range of web infrastructure services, while OpenDNS specializes in DNS resolution and security.
Cloudflare vs OpenDNS
The difference between Cloudflare and Open DNS is that Cloudflare allows the loading of the web pages rapidly but also protects the owner’s webpage from harmful viruses. On the other hand OpenDNS protects the websites of the users by blocking the fraud sites and thus provides a security layer between the user’s end and those sites.
Cloudflare is mostly dependent on a safe and secured Content Distribution Network. It provides web security to its customers.
The company is based in America and works security between the host and the user. It protects the websites from any third-party intervention thus keeping the information safe.
Open DNS or Cisco Open DNS is also a company based in America which in 2015 was bought by Cisco.
Unlike Cloudflare, it has a filtering capability that eventually protects information by not letting the users enter any dangerous websites. Cloud security is also provided by DNS.
Comparison Table
| Parameters for comparison | Cloudflare | OpenDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Year of development | Cloudflare was developed in the year 2009. | Open DNS was developed in the year 2005 and bought by Cisco in 2015. |
| Developed By | Cloudflare was developed by Matthew Prince, Lee Holloway, and Michelle Zatlyn. | Open DNS was developed by David Ulevitch. |
| Speed | Cloudflare is comparatively faster. | Open DNS is comparatively slower. |
| Availability | Cloudflare offers its services 24*7 online as well as offline. | Open DNS offers its services only during business hours. |
| Used by | Cloudflare is used by many companies such as Tinder, Stack, and Bitpanda. | Open DNS is used by companies such as Daon Inc, Presidio Inc, Confidential Records Inc, etc. |
| Cons | Sometimes it is difficult in Cloudfare to convert Canonical name back to DNS. | In Open DNS it sometimes becomes difficult to block extremely hazardous websites. |
What is Cloudflare ?
The company is based in San Francisco and was originally founded in 2009. It is one of the leading DNS providers. The domain names are effectively sheltered with the help of Cloudflare.
The identity of the user-end is developed with the transmission of IP addresses from domain names. The role of reserve proxy is executed by the operations of Cloudflare.
It is done by rerouting amongst hundreds of servers in the world associated with the traffic. Content delivery network or CDN services are provided to several global clients that are enlisted by Cloudflare.
It offers the fastest hosting service which provides the necessary content originated from the client’s close server in the geographical area by caching the user’s website.
Privacy protocols – The privacy of the end-users information or data is protected with the help of Cloudflare. It offers advanced settings for offering privacy and confidentiality.
Companies using Cloudflare – The famous companies using the Cloudflare DNS are stack exchange, Lyft, and udemy.
Appealing features – The appealing features associated with Cloudflare are DDos protection, CDN, and a web application firewall as well as a protocol that is convenient to set up.
Speed-The DNS provider associated with Cloudflare is the highest as compared to the others.
Security- It is considered to be one of the DNS providers having the highest security as it is affiliated with the TLS protocol.
The world’s most famous provider of DNS is known to be Cloudflare.
Server stations-Every nation of the world is served with the station for Cloudflare servers.
What is Open DNS?
OpenDNS was developed in the year 2005 and its current owner is Cisco. OpenDNS provides services associated with the domain name system and also has a company with its name.
It provides a highly reliable, fast, and comprising of zero downtime. The free service is comprised of multiple advantages such as 100% uptime, great speed, default blocking of phishing sites.
It is also affiliated with free support of email in case of anything wrong as well as blocking certain websites by the kind of content with the help of parental control.
When a server or two are down, the DNS server’s global network ensures carrying slack in other servers. important features such as protection for phishing and filtering of content are involved in this service.
The DNS service is enriched with a capable system with the incorporation of a higher number of servers throughout the world to determine the closest server for the user.
It is used for serving the requests of the users. The services provided by OpenDNS are free. It charges subscription fees for providing advanced services for flourishing the business.
The OpenDNS plans include the filtering content of the end-users but the efficiency of customization of filtering based on the plan. It provides a shield for filters that are already configured for blocking above 18 contents.
Plans and pricing-The OUP or the OpenDNS Umbrella Prosumer package is designed for sheltering the devices of the users while roaming in areas exterior to the home network.
Main Differences between Cloudflare and OpenDNS
- The Cloudflare was developed by Matthew Prince, Lee Holloway, and Michelle Zatlyn, and Open DNS was developed by David Ulevitch.
- Cloudflare came in 2009 while Open DNS came in 2015.
- Cloudflare is much faster than Open DNS.
- Cloudflare is used by several companies such as Bitpanda, Tinder, Stack, etc while Open DNS is used by companies such as Daon Inc, Presidio Inc, Confidential Records Inc, etc.
- Cloudflare provides services 27*7 to all its customers, but Open DNS is available only during business hours.
- In Cloudflare, the conversion of canonical names back to DNS becomes difficult at times whereas in Open DNS it sometimes becomes difficult to block the super malicious sites.
Last Updated : 18 July, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
