1.1.1.1 vs 8.8.8.8
1.1.1.1 is Cloudflare DNS; 8.8.8.8 is Google Public DNS. Here's how they compare — and a live test you can run yourself.
The honest verdict
Both Cloudflare DNS and Google Public DNS are legitimate, free, encrypted-capable public resolvers — there's no fabricated "winner" here. The fastest major resolver on most connections, with a strong no-logging privacy stance and no default filtering. A globally distributed, extremely reliable resolver. Uses EDNS Client Subnet, which helps CDN routing at a small privacy cost.
The real difference is what each is built for: Cloudflare DNS leans toward Raw speed, Privacy, Gaming, while Google Public DNS leans toward Reliability, Global coverage, CDN locality. Raw latency depends on your location and ISP, so treat any global speed claim as marketing — the live timers below measure it from your own connection instead.
Feature comparison
| Provider | Primary DNS | No logs | DNSSEC | Malware | Ads | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare DNS | 1.1.1.1 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8 | No | Yes | No | No | No |
Live head-to-head from your connection
Each button times that operator's encrypted DoH endpoint — a browser can't query the raw
IP 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 directly, so this is the closest honest measurement of each
resolver from your network. Nothing is fabricated: if a resolver can't be measured this way, the tool says
so instead of guessing a number.
Cloudflare DNS — 1.1.1.1
Runs in your browser against the resolver's DoH endpoint; nothing is stored. For a full multi-resolver comparison on your connection, use the DNS speed test.
Google Public DNS — 8.8.8.8
Runs in your browser against the resolver's DoH endpoint; nothing is stored. For a full multi-resolver comparison on your connection, use the DNS speed test.
Which should you pick?
Pick 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare DNS) if you want Raw speed, Privacy, Gaming. Pick 8.8.8.8 (Google Public DNS
) if you want Reliability, Global coverage, CDN locality.
No query logging to disk and no client IP retained; anonymized data is purged within 24 hours. Independently audited. Keeps a temporary log for a small sample of queries (roughly 24–48h) and permanent anonymized logs. Sends EDNS Client Subnet, which can improve CDN locality but shares part of your network with authoritative servers.
Either way, you can only run one resolver as primary at a time — see the device and router setup guides to switch, or run the full DNS speed test to compare more than just these two.
1.1.1.1 vs 8.8.8.8 — FAQ
Which is faster, 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8?
It depends on your location and network — the honest answer is to measure it yourself. Use the two live timers above to compare Cloudflare DNS and Google Public DNS from your own connection; there's no single global winner.
What's the main difference between 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8?
1.1.1.1 is Cloudflare DNS (Cloudflare); 8.8.8.8 is Google Public DNS (Google). The fastest major resolver on most connections, with a strong no-logging privacy stance and no default filtering. A globally distributed, extremely reliable resolver. Uses EDNS Client Subnet, which helps CDN routing at a small privacy cost.
Can I use both 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8 together?
You can, but mixing resolvers from two operators means queries are split between them unpredictably, so you lose the consistent behaviour (and any filtering) of a single provider. Pick one as primary and its own paired address as secondary.
Are 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8 safe and free?
Both are legitimate, free public DNS resolvers. No query logging to disk and no client IP retained; anonymized data is purged within 24 hours. Independently audited. Keeps a temporary log for a small sample of queries (roughly 24–48h) and permanent anonymized logs. Sends EDNS Client Subnet, which can improve CDN locality but shares part of your network with authoritative servers.