Download
Product summary
dnscrypt-proxy is a Windows application that protects DNS lookups by using encrypted transport methods. It prevents third parties from easily snooping on or tampering with the domains you resolve, and it gives users control over how their DNS traffic is handled. The tool is well suited to people who want to strengthen their online privacy without complex configuration.
Supported protocols and privacy enhancements
- DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) compatibility for encrypted queries over HTTPS
- DNSCrypt v2 support to secure and authenticate DNS responses
- Oblivious DoH (ODoH) to separate client identity from DNS resolvers
- Anonymized DNSCrypt options for additional obfuscation of queries
How it operates on Windows
dnscrypt-proxy runs as a local DNS proxy, intercepting system DNS requests and forwarding them through chosen encrypted channels. This lets you keep using normal applications while the proxy translates and secures DNS traffic, and it can be integrated with system settings so DNS resolution follows the rules you configure.
Licensing and ideal use cases
The project is available at no cost and provides a robust feature set for safeguarding DNS activity. It’s a good fit for privacy-focused users, network administrators wanting finer DNS control, and anyone aiming to reduce the risk of DNS interception or manipulation.
Suggested alternate option
A commonly listed alternative is SHAREit (free). Note that SHAREit is primarily a file-transfer application rather than a DNS privacy tool, so it serves different needs; include it only if you are exploring general-purpose networking utilities or cross-device transfer solutions.
Technical
- Windows
- Free
