Quad9 vs Google DNS
Quad9 is a European alternative to Google DNS: same security & identity use case, headquartered in Switzerland and governed by Swiss FADP + GDPR for EU users, while Google DNS (Google) is based in the United States.
By the EU Alternatives team Last updated
- Jurisdiction
- Switzerland / EFTA
- Primary privacy law
- Swiss FADP + GDPR for EU users
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- No
- Open source
- No
- Free tier
- No
Typing 8.8.8.8 is the reflex when a connection misbehaves, and the resolver earns it: fast almost everywhere, with DNS over TLS and HTTPS supported. It costs nothing at all. Google's own privacy page says your device IP is kept in temporary logs for 24 to 48 hours before being stripped, which means every domain you visit passes through infrastructure run by an American company.
- Jurisdiction
- United States
- GDPR by default
- Requires DPA + TIA
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- Yes
Quad9 vs Google DNS at a glance
| Quad9 | Google DNS | |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Switzerland | United States |
| Data jurisdiction | Switzerland / EFTA | United States |
| Primary privacy law | Swiss FADP + GDPR for EU users | Requires DPA + transfer assessment |
| US CLOUD Act exposure | No | Yes |
| Best for | Teams that need security & identity built for European data-protection requirements | Teams already invested in the Google ecosystem |
Choose Quad9 if…
- You want a provider governed by a European privacy regime
- GDPR or public-sector data-protection requirements apply to you
- You'd rather back the European tech ecosystem
Stick with Google DNS if…
- You depend on integrations only available in the Google ecosystem
- Your organisation has no EU data-residency constraints
- Migration costs outweigh the jurisdiction benefits for now
Why choose Quad9 over Google DNS?
The decisive argument is data jurisdiction. Google DNS is headquartered in the United States, which means personal data processed through it can be subject to non-EU legal regimes: the US CLOUD Act, FISA 702, or similar laws depending on the provider. After the 2020 Schrems II ruling, EU organisations must carry out a transfer impact assessment for every such data flow.
Quad9 removes that overhead. As a Switzerland-based provider, it operates under Swiss FADP + GDPR for EU users, and data stays in Switzerland, which the European Commission recognises as offering an adequate level of protection. For regulated sectors such as health, public administration, and finance, that's not a nice-to-have but a requirement. For everyone else, it's concentration-risk insurance: you avoid depending on a single jurisdiction that can change the rules without warning.