Knot DNS logo

Alternatives to Knot DNS

Knot DNS is a high-performance authoritative-only DNS server designed for speed, reliability, stability and security with advanced DNSSEC capabilities and modern DNS features. Find open source and proprietary alternatives that serve similar purposes.

License:Unknown
Difficulty:Medium
Pricing:Free
Hosting:Self-Hosted

Self-hosted alternatives to Knot DNS

Open source projects that can replace Knot DNS:

PowerDNS Authoritative Server logo

PowerDNS Authoritative Server

3,915
GPL-2.0
PowerDNS Authoritative Server screenshot

PowerDNS Authoritative Server is a modern, database-driven DNS server that excels in dynamic environments where DNS records need to be managed programmatically. Its flexible backend architecture makes it perfect for hosting providers and large organizations.

Key Features

  • Flexible Backend Architecture:

    • Multiple database backends
    • MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite support
    • LDAP directory integration
    • File-based backends
    • Custom backend development
    • Hot-swappable backends
  • Dynamic DNS Management:

    • REST API for automation
    • Web-based management interface
    • Programmatic zone management
    • Bulk record operations
    • Real-time updates
    • Database-driven records
  • Enterprise DNS Features:

    • DNSSEC signing and validation
    • Geographic load balancing
    • Lua scripting support
    • Master-slave replication
    • Zone transfers (AXFR/IXFR)
    • Catalog zones
  • High Performance:

    • Multi-threaded architecture
    • Database query optimization
    • High-availability clustering
    • Performance monitoring
    • Caching mechanisms
    • Load balancing support
BIND logo

BIND

686
MPL-2.0
BIND screenshot

BIND is the most widely deployed DNS server software in the world, trusted by enterprises, service providers, and organizations globally. It provides a complete, robust, and standards-compliant DNS solution with decades of proven reliability.

Key Features

  • Complete DNS Solution:

    • Authoritative name server
    • Recursive resolver
    • Caching name server
    • Forwarding resolver
    • Split-horizon DNS
    • Dynamic DNS updates
  • Industry Standards:

    • Full RFC compliance
    • DNSSEC implementation
    • IPv6 support
    • EDNS(0) support
    • DNS over TLS (DoT)
    • Response Rate Limiting (RRL)
  • Enterprise Features:

    • Geographic load balancing
    • Split DNS views
    • Access control lists
    • Query rate limiting
    • Comprehensive logging
    • Statistics collection
  • Security & Reliability:

    • DNSSEC signing and validation
    • TSIG transaction signatures
    • Response policy zones (RPZ)
    • Blackhole and whitelist support
    • Secure zone transfers
    • DDoS protection
NSD (Name Server Daemon) logo

NSD (Name Server Daemon)

492
BSD-3-Clause
NSD (Name Server Daemon) screenshot

NSD is a lightweight, security-focused authoritative DNS server developed by NLnetLabs. It's designed to do one thing exceptionally well: serve authoritative DNS data with maximum performance and minimal resource consumption.

Key Features

  • Authoritative Focus:

    • Authoritative-only DNS server
    • No recursive resolution
    • Dedicated zone serving
    • Optimized for authority
    • Fast response times
    • Minimal complexity
  • High Performance:

    • Lightweight architecture
    • Low memory footprint
    • Fast query processing
    • Efficient data structures
    • Quick startup times
    • Optimized for scale
  • Security & Stability:

    • Security-focused design
    • Minimal attack surface
    • Secure coding practices
    • Stability-first approach
    • Robust error handling
    • Production proven
  • DNS Standards:

    • Full RFC compliance
    • DNSSEC support
    • IPv6 ready
    • TSIG authentication
    • Zone transfer support
    • EDNS(0) implementation

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