Your web host may already offer free DNS, but it’s worth evaluating its features to ensure you get the best deal. The best DNS hosting providers offer numerous benefits, including tight security, DNS filtering to avoid getting connected to malicious websites, and high availability and uptime. Fortunately, there are many free and paid DNS services to match your specific hosting requirements. 

The Top 6 Best DNS Hosting Providers 

We assessed more than two-dozen DNS hosting providers checking for speed, latency, uptime history, infrastructure, and customization. We think Cloudflare is the best DNS host with multiple affordable price points, peak performance, and exceptional infrastructure. Try Cloudflare for free today.   

Below are our top performers for the best DNS hosting providers:

• Cloudflare — Best Free DNS Hosting 
• DNS Made Easy — Best for 100% SLA-Backed Uptime 
• Amazon Route 53 — Best for Pay-As-You-Go Hosting 
• Quad9 — Best Public DNS Resolver for Boosting Security 
• OpenNIC Project — Best DNS for Unrestricted Internet Access
• AdGuard DNS — Best DNS for Restricting Unwanted Internet Content 

Match Your Scenario to the Right DNS Hosting Solution 

We’ve picked the top contenders for the best DNS hosting solution. However, the best is often subjective. It boils down to the specific use case. So we created this section to highlight common scenarios and which DNS hosting solution works best for each use case. 

• You want to separate domain name registration and hosting
• You don’t want to get locked into a long-term contract
• You prioritize speed and reliability 
• You value privacy 

You want to separate domain name registration and hosting

Best Option: Cloudflare 

There are many reasons to separate your domain name registration from DNS hosting. For example, you can easily switch to a better hosting partner without changing your domain name. Similarly, your domain registrar may provide top-notch privacy, but a different web host offers better file management. 

You don’t need to change your hosting provider to use Cloudflare. Similarly, you don’t need to switch domain registrars to use Cloudflare DNS. Instead, you only need to change the nameserver from your current registrar to the Cloudflare nameserver. 

Another great choice: DNS Made Easy 

Unlike Cloudflare, DNS Made Easy does not offer domain registration services directly. Instead, it uses its sister company, Domains Made Easy. Regardless, you don’t have to switch registrars to use DNS Made Easy. 

DNS Made Easy discourages bundling multiple services with the same provider. The company also specializes in DNS hosting, so you’re assured better hosting than your current registrar provides. 

If you want to separate domain registration and DNS hosting, pay attention to the following: 

• Automatic renewal: Ensure that your DNS hosting and registrars automatically renew your services to avoid interruption on either side.
• Specialized services: Ideally, your DNS provider should focus on hosting while your registrar focuses on maintaining your registration records and renewing the domain. 
• Anycast domain name service: Anycast domain name service is a must-have, so consider switching your DNS hosting from your registrar if the company doesn’t offer Anycast DNS hosting. 
• Bundled services: Check that your DNS hosting provider doesn’t bundle DNS hosting with domain registration. 

You don’t want to get locked into a long-term contract

Best Option: Quad9 

Some hosting providers allow only annual contracts or more prolonged ones. Quad9 is free to use, so you don’t have to worry about the fine print. You can also change your hosting provider anytime without considering contracts, fees, or fines. 

Another great choice: Amazon Route 53

Amazon Route 53 only charges for what you use. There are also no contracts or minimum commitments for using the service. In addition, you can switch providers at any time with no fines or penalties. 

You can also add more resource records while keeping your costs predictable. For example, the free tier supports a maximum of 10,000 records. However, you can add more records at $0.0015 per resource record per month. You don’t need to contact support to add more resources. 

If you don’t want to get locked into a long-term contract, pay attention to the following: 

• Free forever vs. free trial: Confirm that you’re getting a free-forever service rather than a limited-time trial offer. 
• Usage limits: Many DNS providers charge extra when you exceed your usage limits with no prior warning. 
• Early termination penalty: Ensure that there is no penalty for switching to a different service after your payment period expires.
• Fine print: Some service providers advertise a monthly price but have a minimum commitment, such as one year.  

You prioritize speed and reliability 

Best Option: DNS Made Easy 

For some websites, such as ecommerce stores, speed and reliability are mission-critical. So you can’t go wrong with DNS Made easy. The service provider includes a 100% uptime guarantee for all its plans. 

The company also has a terrific decade-long track record of 100% uptime. As a result, it’s one of the most reliable DNS hosts for companies that cannot tolerate downtime or high latency. 

Another great choice: Cloudflare 

Cloudflare has more than 275 data centers around the world. So visitors are always connected to the nearest server. It’s an excellent next bet if you prioritize speed and reliability. 

Cloudflare also has an equally solid reputation for its reliability and uptime. Some plans even come with a 100% SLA guarantee. 

If you value speed and reliability, pay attention to the following: 

• Uptime guarantees: A good DNS host is willing to back its uptime claims with a money-back guarantee. 
• Datacenter infrastructure: A fast DNS service will have multiple data centers worldwide, so queries are just as quick regardless of the web visitor’s location. 
• Anycast DNS: Anycast uses one IP address for multiple servers to reduce latency and improve uptime. 

You value privacy 

Best Option: Cloudflare 

Many DNS services use the DNSSEC security protocol and strong encryption to prevent hackers from accessing users’ queries. However, this protection doesn’t extend to the DNS company itself, which might mine this data for commercial purposes. 

Cloudflare uses its proprietary 1.1.1.1 resolver, which doesn’t mine data. The company also includes a clause in its contract that it won’t use your browsing data for commercial purposes, such as targeting ads. Finally, Cloudflare DNS doesn’t log your IP address and deletes the few records it keeps within 24 hours. 

Another great option: Quad9 

Quad9 is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, a country with some of the strictest data privacy laws and regulations. This company is also volunteer-based, so there is no motivation to collect or sell users’ data. By contrast, companies like Amazon are motivated to collect user data for targeted ads or upselling. 

Quad9 also doesn’t collect sensitive information such as IP addresses or devices. The company also prioritizes user privacy as one of its core values. As a result, all Quad9 users also enjoy Swiss data privacy protection regardless of location. 

If you value privacy, pay attention to the following: 

• Avoid tech multinationals: It’s easy to see why—service providers like Google and Amazon may collect users’ information for research and marketing purposes. 
• DNS Security Extension: Choose a host with DNS Security Extension (DNSSEC) security protocol to protect against digital attacks. 
• Security features: Use a DNS service with built-in security features like content filtering, botnet protection, and firewalls. 

Best DNS Hosting Company Reviews 

Below are the best DNS hosting companies. We’ve also referenced what each company does best for your convenience. 

Cloudflare – Best Free DNS Hosting 

Not everyone needs top-level DNS hosting with all the bells and whistles. Free hosting works fine for a personal website or blog, and Cloudflare offers one of the best free plans available. In addition, the free tier has multiple premium performance features, including CDN, static content caching, and instant complete cache purge. 

Though you’ll be sacrificing many security features, Cloudflare still does a good job securing your website on the free plan. These features include content scraping and spamming protection, reputation-based threat protection, and unmetered DDoS protection. 

There are many free DNS hosting alternatives, some with more features. But you’re banking on Cloudflare’s hard-won reputation, including using a host with more web traffic than Twitter, Amazon, Apple, Instagram, Bing, and Wikipedia combined. It’s a deal that’s difficult to beat. 

You can enjoy lightning-fast page load time and reduced latency even with the free plan. The high performance is thanks to Cloudflare’s Anycast CDN, with more than 275 data centers globally. In addition, you can create free DNS records for non-existent subdomains with Cloudflare’s Wildcard DNS record. 

What Makes Cloudflare Great 

Cloudflare is even more impressive when you consider its paid plans. First, Cloudflare supports DNS64, so it doesn’t matter if you’re on the newer IPV6-only network. Second, Cloudflare can resolve IPv6 addresses from IPv4 answers. 

Privacy-conscious users will also be happy to hear that Cloudflare supports Tor clients. The Tor onion service allows users to browse anonymously without disclosing their IP address. Cloudflare also doesn’t record your IP address and deletes the little log data it collects in 24 hours. 

Cloudflare has a relatively complex pricing structure depending on the services you need. For example, Cloudflare’s paid DNS hosting plans start at $20 per month, billed monthly.  There’s also a Business plan for $200 per month if you want more features like 100% uptime SLA, PCI DSS 3.2 compliance, and sophisticated bot migration. 

Cloudflare also offers terrific add-on services, including Argo Smart Routing, Load Balancing, and Automatic Platform Optimization. These add-ons cost an extra $5, which is worth it for the advanced performance capabilities. 

DNS Made Easy – Best for 100% SLA-Backed Uptime 

Uptime is a mission-critical consideration for many clients, particularly ecommerce websites. According to Aberdeen, small businesses across industries may lose up to $260,000 per hour of downtime. So naturally, uptime is a top consideration for many business owners looking for a DNS host. 

A 100% uptime guarantee is nothing new in DNS hosting service level agreements (SLA). However, DNS Made Easy does things differently by including a 100% SLA-backed uptime guarantee with all its plans. This includes the host’s cheapest plan. Competitors like Cloudflare only offer an uptime guarantee with their more expensive premium plans. 

The host also boasts 100% uptime in its 10-year history. In addition, DNS Made Easy offers multiple packages for individuals, small businesses, and enterprises. So you’re guaranteed to find something that works for your specific requirements. 

The only glaring downside is the host’s C-Panel. Contrary to what the host’s name suggests, the C-Panel is a little dated and not very intuitive for beginners. However, you get access to plenty of online material and support to help you set up. The platform also uses a set-and-forget approach, so you may never need to configure your C-Panel again after the initial setup. 

What Makes DNS Made Easy Great 

DNS Made Easy is affordable and offers four pricing tiers. The cheapest one, DNS-5, costs $14.50 per month. It supports five domains, 1,500 records, and 5 million monthly queries. These specifications are more than enough for most individual users. In addition, you can lift limitations and add features when you upgrade to the higher tiers. 

The DNS host also has 23 points of presence (PoP) located strategically to provide optimal connectivity. The company also manages all its layers, so you don’t have to worry about attacks via proxy networks or third-party service providers. The host also has some of the most sophisticated DNS security, including firewalls on PoPs and a proprietary scrubbing algorithm to detect and eliminate malicious traffic.  

Finally, the host offers all the must-have DNS features on most plans, including analytics, access to Rest API, and geo load balancing. Unlike many DNS hosts, you can use DNS Made Easy as a primary or secondary provider. The service also offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.

Amazon Route 53 – Best for Pay-As-You-Go Hosting 

There’s no reason to pay for additional resources if you have predictable traffic. Amazon Route 53 hosting is set up so that you only pay for what you use. It’s also a terrific service for people already using Amazon Web Services (AWS). 

The best part is Route 53 competes favorably with other top-tier DNS hosts. For example, Route 53 guarantees availability by providing four Top-Level Domains (TLDs). These include .com, .org, .net, and .co.uk. It means your site is still operational and reliable if one name server goes down. 

Amazon Route 53 will also save you money if you have an existing AWS account. For example, you get free health checks for up to 50 endpoints linked to your AWS account. Otherwise, you’d have to pay at least $0.50 per monthly health check. 

On the downside, like Google, Amazon relies on data to make money. There’s also no guarantee in your contract that Amazon won’t store or use data about your interaction with its content, products, and services. However, Route 53 offers privacy protection for contact information by default, so people won’t be able to find your personal information via a WHOIS query.  

What Makes Amazon Route 53 Great 

The best thing about Amazon Route 53 is its transparent and predictable pricing. Again, the service only charges for usage. There’s no minimum usage commitment or minimum fees, so even an individual or small business can afford to enroll. The host even provides a calculator to help you estimate the cost based on your projected usage. 

Route 53 charges $0.50 per hosted zone per month for the first 25 hosted zones. The cost goes down to $0.10 per hosted zone per month for additional hosted zones. Each hosted zone can hold up to 10,000 records. The service provider charges per query, starting at $0.40 per million queries. Finally, there’s an annual charge for each registered domain name. 

Unlike many DNS hosts, Route 53 has built-in load balancer capabilities at the DNS level. The DNS separates traffic to different endpoints. It also integrates with the AWS Elastic Load Balancer to eliminate additional lookups. 

Quad9 – Best Public DNS Resolver for Boosting Security 

The Quad9 DNS resolver is backed by some of the industry’s biggest names, so you know you’re safe. International Business Machines (IBM), Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), and Packet Clearing House (PCH) teamed up to create the ultimate DNS resolver. It is designed around security, including protecting internet users from botnet infrastructure, malware, malicious domains, and other internet threats. 

The best part is that Quad9 is free. The company is funded by its three main sponsors, so there is no motivation to upsell or restrict features behind paywalls. In addition, the Quad9 Foundation is headquartered in Switzerland, a country with some of the strictest data privacy laws. 

Quad9 is also easy to configure, even for the uninitiated. The alternative DNS has a vast database pulled from 19 security intelligence partners to successfully identify and block the most common ransomware, malware, exploits, spyware, and other threats. In addition, the DNS automatically blocks your device from accessing known malicious IP addresses. 

The only glaring downside is that Quad9 doesn’t provide dedicated customer support. It’s not unusual for a free service. However, the system has an extensive knowledge base, an expert community, and FAQs to help you in case of problems. 

What Makes Quad9 Great  

Quad9 may not have the most sophisticated DNS features like manual filtering, email forwarding, and advanced reporting. However, it offers some of the best security features of any premium DNS host. The resolver boasts of blocking more than 10 million threats daily. 

The resolver also ranks high for privacy, which is expected from a Zurich-based company. It doesn’t collect or store request data. The service also doesn’t log your IP address. Quad9 is also transparent about the data it collects, mostly generalized location information. 

Quad9 has systems in more than 150 locations spread across 90 countries. While it’s not the fastest DNS on the market, it competes with Cloudflare in North America and Europe. So you still enjoy low latency without paying a premium.

OpenNIC Project – Best DNS for Unrestricted Internet Access 

The OpenNIC Project is a volunteer-run, open-source project that’s free to use. The DNS resolver lets you choose the nearest server to guarantee speed and performance. You can also register top-level domains currently unavailable from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICCAN). 

For example, you can use top-level domains like .geek, .indy, .gopher, .bbs, .dyn, .libre, .null, and many more. You can also choose the IP address you want your domain to map to. Your website will be available to anyone using the OpenNIC name servers. 

OpenNIC provides an alternative internet with a democratically governed domain name system. But, again, only users in the OpenNIC name servers can access these alternative websites. The active community even has conventions for using TLDs. For instance, you can use .geek for a hobbyist or special-interest website or .indy for an independent media or art website. 

What Makes OpenNIC Project Great 

OpenNIC has excellent security despite being a free platform. For example, the resolver prevents DNS hijacking. So you don’t have to worry about being redirected to malicious websites unexpectedly. 

OpenNIC is also a terrific solution for people living in censorship countries. Besides its domains, internet users can also resolve ICANN domains like .com or .org. The service also supports primary and secondary DNS. 

On the downside, OpenNIC doesn’t provide the most robust security, especially compared to premium DNS providers. You’ll undoubtedly need an antivirus or a browser extension to block ads, malware, and trackers. 

AdGuard DNS – Best DNS for Restricting Unwanted Internet Content 

The internet is a helpful resource, but most agree that some control and filtering are required. AdGuard DNS is a popular resolver that lets you manage requests so you can control the type of content you can access from your device. In addition, it’s fully customizable, so you can configure the blocking to suit your needs. 

AdGuard DNS provides granular domain-blocking management. You can enable or disable pre-configured blocklists. You can also create your own DNS filtering rules to block only what you want. 

You can also block ads,  trackers, analytics systems, and malicious domains. The program offers multiple desktops, mobile, cloud, web-based, and SaaS deployment options. In addition, AdGuard has more than 50+ servers in more than 15 locations so that you can enjoy fast, low-latency connections. 

The DNS resolver also provides a comprehensive query log. Here, you can view all requests, including the device they came from and even the company that owns the destination server. The log details how the requests were handled, including whether AdGuard processed, modified, or blocked the request. 

AdGuard also offers a 14-day free trial. 

What Makes AdGuard DNS Great 

Aside from blocking unwanted content, AdGuard also offers top-notch browsing security. The program uses DNSCrypt. Meaning all your requests are automatically encrypted. You don’t need to worry about your requests being intercepted, monitored, or altered. 

AdGuard offers four pricing tiers, including a free-forever version. The free option is sufficient for light personal use. It supports 300,000 requests monthly, works on up to five devices, and lets you set up two private servers. There’s also a Team and Enterprise tier for commercial use. 

The Team plan costs $14.99 per month and supports up to 50 servers, 100 million monthly requests, and up to 200 devices. Or, larger businesses can upgrade to the enterprise plan for unlimited requests, devices, and servers. You’ll need to contact AdGuard for a custom quote for the Enterprise plan. 

QuickSprout DNS Hosting Related Content 

We also have terrific posts to supplement our comparison of the best DNS hosting providers. These posts offer a better view of DNS hosting in general. Be sure to check them out: 

Guides and How-Tos

• The Difference Between a Domain Name and Web Hosting Beginner’s Guide 
• How to Buy a Domain Name in 4 Simple Steps 

DNS Hosting Related Top Lists

• DNS Beginner’s Guide 
• 3 Options for Domain Registration in 2022

The Top DNS Hosting Providers in Summary 

It might be time to reconsider your free DNS hosting if your web host or domain registrar offers one. DNS is far more important than merely converting a domain or sub-domain name into an IP address. A good DNS host will enhance your website’s security, foster fast internet connections, reduce latency, and is flexible. 

There’s no reason not to migrate to a better DNS service if you’re unhappy with your host. There are terrific free options like Cloudflare, Quad9, and OpenNIC Project. Or, you could pay an affordable monthly premium for more sophisticated features and improved flexibility.

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