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DNS Server

Technitium DNS Server is an open source, authoritative and recursive DNS (Domain Name System) server that lets you self-host a private resolver to block ads…

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Technitium DNS Server is an open source, authoritative and recursive DNS (Domain Name System) server that lets you self-host a private resolver to block ads and malware at the DNS level across your whole network. It runs with little or no configuration and includes a user-friendly web console in any modern browser, making it well suited to homelabbers and software developers who want a local DNS server for privacy, security, or experimentation.

Platform availability

Available on 4 of 9 platforms

  • Unraid
  • TrueNAS (not listed)
  • Umbrel
  • ZimaOS (not listed)
  • Proxmox
  • Helm
  • Mac (not listed)
  • Windows (not listed)
  • Linux (not listed)

Health score?A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). When the source code has been checked, a fifth factor, security check (20%: automated scan for committed secrets, unsafe desktop-app settings, known-vulnerable dependencies and project hygiene; any serious finding caps it at 20), is added. Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

79/100 Good

Maintained
100last commit 19 days ago
Popular
8010,072 GitHub stars
Easy to install
553 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
No data
Security check
61no serious findings, OpenSSF Scorecard 4.1/10

Based on 4 of 5 factors.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 22 days ago

GitHub stars
10,072
Open issues
152
Last commit
2026-10-03
Latest release
v15.6.0
License
GPL-3.0
Activity
rising

Checked 15 days ago - source: GitHub (TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer)

Resources & Compatibility

ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 23 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Install the base Azure helper first Install the general Azure PowerShell helper (Az) before the Az.DnsResolver add-on for managing private name resolution; skipping it can make those DNS commands fail. source
  • Point PowerShell to the right local folder If you're installing from a local folder, set the local PowerShell repository path to the exact folder containing the module files, then check that Az.DnsResolver is listed; a wrong path means PowerShell cannot find the DNS helper. source
  • Save a DNS zone file before changes Before changing DNS records, export the zone to a .txt file and keep that file in a safe place; if a record is accidentally deleted or mistyped, you can use that file to restore the DNS configuration. source
  • Environment variables Before deploying, review the Docker Compose file for the supported environment variables that configure the DNS server's behaviour. source
  • First Install Start with defaults; manage settings through the web console in a browser. source

Fetched 14 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (11)

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  • AdBlock - Blocks intrusive ads, boosts browser speed, and prevents tracking across all major browsers; supports customizable filters, Acceptable Ads,…
  • Blokada - Blokada is the popular ad blocker and privacy app for Android and iOS.
  • DHCP Server for Windows - A DHCP Server assigns IP addresses to client computers.
  • DNSCrypt Proxy - DNSCrypt-Proxy 2 is a command-line proxy for Linux, BSD, Windows, MacOS, Android and more.
  • Pi-hole - Pi-hole is a network-level Domain Name System (DNS) sinkhole that blocks Internet advertisements and tracking domains.
  • Privoxy - Privoxy is a non-caching web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities for enhancing privacy, modifying web page data and HTTP headers, co…
  • YogaDNS - YogaDNS automatically intercepts DNS requests at the system level and allows you to process them over user-defined DNS servers using modern…
  • coredns - CoreDNS is a flexible, plugin-based DNS server and forwarder that chains plugins for service discovery, metrics, query rewriting, and zone…
  • dnsmasq - Dnsmasq is a lightweight Domain Name System (DNS) forwarder and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server designed for small to med…
  • hBlock - hBlock is a POSIX-compliant shell script, designed for Unix-like systems, that gets a list of domains that serve ads, tracking scripts and…

Checked 20 days ago - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

Can Technitium DNS Server use SSO for its web console?

Yes, it supports single sign-on with OpenID Connect and also supports LDAP authentication.

Can multiple Technitium DNS Server instances be managed from one console?

Yes, the built-in clustering feature allows managing two or more instances from a single admin web console.

Which transport protocols are supported for DNS-over-HTTPS?

The DNS-over-HTTPS implementation supports HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, and HTTP/3 transport protocols.

How often are blocked zones updated from block-list URLs?

Blocked zones are updated from one or more block-list URLs automatically every 24 hours.

Answers sourced from github.com, technitium.com

Community

Collected yesterday - public community threads