Technitium DNS Server is free software that runs your own domain name server, which turns web addresses into internet locations. It is for people and organizations who want to run their own DNS, block ads and malware network-wide, or manage their own domain names.
Has 4 of 5
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
ddclient is a background program that keeps a web address pointed at your home internet connection when your address changes. It is for people with a dynamic DNS account who want to update it automatically, usually run by technical users on a home server or router.
Has 1 of 5 · Blocks ads for whole home ✗ +3
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does part of the job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
This is a free tool that keeps a website address pointed at your home internet connection when your IP address changes. It is for people who run their own servers or home setups and use one of many supported DNS providers.
Has 1 of 5 · Blocks ads for whole home ✗ +1
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does part of the job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
CoreDNS is a server that answers DNS lookups, the system that turns website names into network addresses, and it can be extended with add-on modules. It is aimed at system administrators and programmers who want to run their own DNS service.
Has 1 of 5 · No commands needed ✗
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does part of the job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
None of these match. Try another device.
Help me choose
I want to pick an open-source replacement for Dyn. Below is a list from Open Source Everything (CC BY-SA 4.0), in the order its website shows it. The order is a starting point, not a verdict.
- Technitium DNS Server: Technitium DNS Server is free software that runs your own domain name server, which turns web addresses into internet locations. It is for people and organizations who want to run their own DNS, block ads and malware network-wide, or manage their own domain names. [Advanced setup; runs on a server you set up; replaces fully; GPL-3.0; https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer]
- ddclient: ddclient is a background program that keeps a web address pointed at your home internet connection when your address changes. It is for people with a dynamic DNS account who want to update it automatically, usually run by technical users on a home server or router. [Advanced setup; Mac · Linux; replaces partly; GPL-2.0; https://github.com/ddclient/ddclient]
- DDNS Updater: This is a free tool that keeps a website address pointed at your home internet connection when your IP address changes. It is for people who run their own servers or home setups and use one of many supported DNS providers. [Advanced setup; Windows · Mac · Linux; replaces partly; MIT; https://github.com/qdm12/ddns-updater]
- CoreDNS: CoreDNS is a server that answers DNS lookups, the system that turns website names into network addresses, and it can be extended with add-on modules. It is aimed at system administrators and programmers who want to run their own DNS service. [Advanced setup; Windows · Mac · Linux; replaces partly; Apache-2.0; https://github.com/coredns/coredns]
Setup rating: "Easy setup" means you can install it like a normal app, use it in a browser. "Advanced setup" means you must run it on your own server or use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Full details: https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/dns.json
Before recommending anything, ask me these three questions (one at a time, in plain words): 1) Which device or devices will I use it on (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone)? 2) How comfortable am I with technical setup: only installing apps from a store, happy to follow a step-by-step guide, or comfortable with servers and the command line? 3) What is my budget: free only, or willing to pay for hosting or support? Then recommend one to three projects from this list only, and for each say why, using how fully it replaces the app, its setup rating, and the devices it runs on. If nothing on the list fits me, say so plainly instead of stretching.
Before you build
Read the list of open-source projects at https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/dns.json. Compare it with my project or idea below. Tell me which projects overlap, what I could reuse instead of rewriting, and what mine does that none of them do.
My project or idea:
