DNSFilter: DNSFilter to Sunset Usage-Based Pricing

We’re adjusting our pricing.

DNSFilter is transitioning our legacy, usage-based customers to per-user pricing beginning June 1, 2021. You will be able to change your user count in the billing portal starting Tuesday, May 11.

Per-user pricing has been our model for new customers for over two years. Although we were founded with a usage model (charging based on the number of DNS queries you make monthly) we quickly learned that this method was inefficient and confusing, as most customers have no idea how many queries they will make in a given month, and prefer the ease and consistency of pricing per user.

We made the official switch to begin charging per user in early 2019. This left many of our earliest customers grandfathered into usage-based pricing. However, after more than three years we have decided to sunset this legacy pricing model. This transition is not a price increase, but may represent an increase for some of our customers who support a large number of users.

Our usage customers were our early champions and chose us when we were still a small startup. Each one of them means the world to me as the CEO. As such, all current usage-based plans will be transitioned to per-user pricing at the Basic Rate ($1/month per user), but will have access to Enterprise features (normally $3/month per user). This includes our mobile roaming clients for iOS and Android, 90 day report retention and more. We’re offering this no-cost upgrade to show you how much we still value your business and trust.

Fully transitioning all of our customers to a consistent, transparent pricing model will help us operate more efficiently and fairly. It will also help support DNSFilter’s continued innovation as the premier dns filtering tool on the market.

Since our founding we have been laser-focused on continuously adding value to our core product. 

• With the acquisition and integration of our AI-based classification tool, Webshrinker, we are the only AI-powered threat protection in the industry, and the DNS security solution best positioned to block zero-day threats.
• We’ve added Roaming Clients for all operating systems, where other vendors have lagged behind.
• We now have Active Directory integration, which has simplified implementation and policy changes. 
• We’ve become the fastest DNS resolver in North America according to DNSPerf and amongst the most reliable on the planet.
• As of April 15th we’ve launched Insights Reporting, DNS analytics which allow system administrators to dig into their network data and blocked threats with unparalleled visibility. 
• In the near future, you’ll continue to gain access to additional innovative industry first features that will solidify us as the market leader.

It’s important to highlight that, throughout these years of continuous product development, we have not raised our prices.

The shift of all DNSFilter customers to a per-user pricing model will also make it much easier for us to build a great business:

• We’ll be able to simplify and improve our billing - something that many of our customers are asking for.
• We’re able to have more predictable income, allowing us to invest more heavily in the product. The dramatic shift in seasonal usage makes it difficult for us to service usage based customers.
• Ultimately, this means we’ll grow and innovate faster as a product and as a team.

An example of one such feature we’ll be launching shortly will allow for one-click blocking of all domains associated with a particular application (e.g., Salesforce, Amazon S3), providing a protective layer of filtering that is more difficult to bypass and provides greater security for our customers. We’ll also be launching automated/scheduled reporting and a Zapier integration that will allow you to send DNSFilter data to Zapier. From Zapier, you’ll be able to then push that data to over 3,000 third party applications.

Our mission is to challenge the way the industry thinks about DNS security, and continue to go above and beyond with a stellar product, innovative features, and responsive customer service.

If you are currently a usage-based customer, you should have received an announcement email with all the details on setting up your usage-based account. If you need any assistance, please chat directly with support.

I understand that transitions can be challenging. However, I and the rest of the team are committed to continuing to provide you with outstanding DNS protection. I am eternally grateful to have you with us on the next phase of what’s been an incredibly exciting journey; one that’s just getting started.

If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to reach out to our team. We could not do what we do without your feedback and support.

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- Ken Carnesi, Founder & CEO