Getting Started with Alpaca Cloud
Alpaca Cloud is a public-beta DNS filtering service you deploy directly to a device — no app to install. It works on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, and Chromebook, and every device you add is managed from your Alpaca Portal account.
The free plan is published as 3 devices per account and 300,000 DNS queries per month — designed to be enough for a small household with light use. While Alpaca Cloud is in public beta, we're not enforcing those limits, so you can think of the free tier as effectively unlimited for now. When paid tiers arrive, the headline plan will be a small monthly subscription that includes unlimited devices and unlimited queries, with a free plan continuing alongside it.
Sign up at the Alpaca Portal to create your account and add your first device.
How it works
- Create an account at the Alpaca Portal.
- Add a device — the Portal generates either a DoH URL (Android, Chromebook) or a downloadable mobile configuration profile (Mac, iPhone, iPad).
- Apply the profile or DoH URL to your device — see the per-platform guides below.
- Manage filtering and devices anytime from the Portal.
Choosing a deployment method
| Platform | Deployment |
|---|---|
| iPhone / iPad | Mobile config profile (download and install from the Portal) |
| Mac | Mobile config profile, or use the native Alpaca for Mac app for fully-local filtering instead |
| Android | DoH URL configured in Private DNS settings |
| Chromebook | DoH URL configured in ChromeOS Secure DNS settings |
When to use Alpaca Cloud vs. the native Mac app
Alpaca Cloud uses our hosted DoH service — fast, simple, and works on any supported device. The standalone Alpaca for Mac native app filters on-device with no cloud round-trip, making it the most private option for a Mac you own and use daily.
If you only need filtering on a Mac, use the native app. If you need filtering across multiple device types or family members, Alpaca Cloud is the right fit.
Alpaca Cloud is currently in public beta. The published free tier is 3 devices and 300,000 queries/month, but we are not enforcing those limits during the beta — use it as much as your family needs. When paid tiers arrive, the headline plan will be a small monthly subscription with unlimited devices and unlimited queries, and a free plan will continue alongside it.