dnscrypt-proxy-gui

Cross-platform GUI for dnscrypt-proxy — encrypted DNS, anonymizing relays, exact DNS restore, tray-resident, zero telemetry

Windows / macOS / Linux Python (Tkinter) Privacy Tools

dnscrypt-proxy-gui is a cross-platform desktop front-end for the official dnscrypt-proxy daemon. It turns a daemon that is powerful but config-file-driven into something you can operate by click: pick resolvers, flip DNS over, and put everything back exactly as it was.

Features

  • Browse & sort servers — pulls the current public DNSCrypt resolver list into a sortable table.
  • Multi-server activation — run several resolvers at once for redundancy and speed.
  • Anonymizing relays — route through relays for an extra anonymity layer, no config surgery.
  • Live status indicator — ACTIVE / INACTIVE at a glance, straight from the running service.
  • Exact DNS backup & restore — current DNS settings are captured verbatim before any change and restored on deactivation or exit; a crashed session is repaired on the next launch.
  • System tray integration — minimize to the tray and run unobtrusively in the background.
  • Run at startup — one checkbox to launch on login.
  • Visual configuration — manage dnscrypt-proxy.toml from a dedicated tab.
  • Server requirements — enforce DNSSEC, no-log and no-filter policies per server.
  • IPv6 blocking — one click to block AAAA lookups.
  • Cache tuning — cache size and TTL are adjustable.
  • Instant apply — changes restart the service seamlessly, no manual reload.
  • Session persistence — last servers and settings are remembered and can re-activate on launch.
  • Automatic privilege elevation — requests admin/sudo only when network settings demand it.

Install

Pre-built executables exist for Windows, macOS and Linux — no Python needed.

  1. Download the archive for your OS from the Releases page, e.g. dnscrypt-proxy-gui-1.2.1-Windows-x64.zip.
  2. Extract it into its own dedicated folder — never loose into Program Files.
  3. Fetch the official dnscrypt-proxy binary for your OS from the DNSCrypt releases page and place it in that same folder (or point at it in Configuration → System Paths).
  4. Launch it. It asks for administrator/sudo rights only when required.

macOS: the app is not codesigned. On first launch use right-click → Open, or allow it under System Settings → Privacy & Security.

From source

Requires Python 3.11+ and the Tk bindings for your distro:

# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install python3-tk
# Fedora
sudo dnf install python3-tkinter
# Arch
sudo pacman -S tk

Then:

git clone https://github.com/neohiro/dnscrypt-proxy-gui.git
cd dnscrypt-proxy-gui
pip install -r requirements.txt
python dnscrypt-proxy-gui.PY

On Linux dnscrypt-proxy is usually already available from your distro (sudo apt install dnscrypt-proxy); the GUI looks for /usr/bin/dnscrypt-proxy by default.

This tool is free and open source. Support the developer: