OpenDNS Enterprise vs. Consumer: Which Offering Fits You?
OpenDNS splits into two distinct tracks: an enterprise path now delivered through Cisco Secure Access, and a consumer suite aimed at homes and individuals. Choose the enterprise track if you're protecting an organization's devices and want threat protection against malware, phishing, and ransomware. Choose the consumer track if you want faster, safer home internet with content filtering across your household devices.
The Two Offerings at a Glance
| Dimension | Enterprise | Consumer |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Cisco Secure Access | OpenDNS consumer product suite |
| Primary goal | Protection against internet threats (malware, phishing, ransomware) | Faster, safer, more reliable home internet |
| Audience | Organizations, MSPs, and partners | Individuals and families |
| Key capability | Threat protection across devices | Parental and content filtering controls |
| Entry point | Enterprise / MSP & Partners sections | Consumer section |
The page frames these as separate destinations rather than tiers of one product, so the choice is about your use case, not your budget level.
Enterprise: Cisco Secure Access
OpenDNS is now part of Cisco, and the enterprise direction runs through Cisco Secure Access. According to the site, it "provides protection against threats on the internet such as malware, phishing, and ransomware."
This track is built for organizations and for MSPs and partners who serve them. If you're evaluating security for a company, school, or client base, this is the relevant offering — not the consumer suite.
Consumer: The OpenDNS Suite
The consumer side is described as "a suite of consumer products aimed at making your internet faster, safer, and more reliable." Three claims stand out:
- Speed and reliability — global data centers and peering partnerships shorten the routes between networks and OpenDNS data centers.
- Safety and filtering — filtering or pre-configured protection lets you block adult content and more, adding parental and content filtering controls to every device in your home.
- Easy setup — the site states setup is quick, with guides and a knowledge base, and that a "PhD in Computer Science" is not required.
If your goal is household-level filtering and a faster home connection, this is the track to follow.
How to Decide
Ask one question: who are you protecting?
- An organization, or clients as a partner → Enterprise (Cisco Secure Access), for threat protection against malware, phishing, and ransomware.
- Your own home and family → Consumer, for speed, reliability, and content filtering on every device.
The two tracks also differ in entry and support channels, so start from the section that matches your role: Enterprise or MSP & Partners for organizations, Consumer for individuals.
Where to Go Next
- Enterprise and partner inquiries: the Enterprise and MSP & Partners sections.
- Consumer setup and help: the Consumer section, plus the guides and knowledge base referenced on the page.
- General information: About Us, Support, and the login/dashboard links in the site navigation.
OpenDNS consumer DNS addresses listed on the page are 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220.