Technitium DNS Server is a free, open-source DNS server you run yourself, as a recursive resolver with ad and malware blocking or as an authoritative server for your own zones. It suits homelab users, self-hosters and small IT teams. It costs nothing under the GPLv3 license; you supply the machine and the upkeep.
The bottom line
Free, full-featured DNS server for self-hosters who are happy to run it themselves.
7.6
Our score
7.6 / 10
Conversion Gems editorial verdict
Free (open source)
Features8/10
8 - recursive and authoritative DNS, blocking, DoH/DoT/DoQ, DNSSEC, DHCP, clustering and API.
Value10/10
10 - free and open source under GPLv3.
Ease of use6/10
6 - web console helps, but you install, host and maintain a DNS server yourself.
Ecosystem6/10
6 - HTTP API, DNS Apps and Docker images; no named third-party integrations.
Support6/10
6 - email support, a subreddit and a blog; no paid support plan listed.
What it really is
A free, open-source DNS server you install on your own machine, combining resolver, ad blocker, authoritative zones and DHCP.
Our take
For a homelab or small office that wants network-wide ad blocking and proper DNS features in one box, Technitium is hard to beat on price: it costs nothing and gets frequent releases. The price is your time. You install it, keep it updated and fix it when DNS breaks, with a subreddit and email as your help desk.
Why we rate it
Broad DNS feature set at no cost, with frequent releases.
The catch
Self-hosted with community-level support; misconfiguring DNS can take your network offline.
Best for
Homelabs and self-hosters
Network-wide ad blocking
Hosting internal DNS zones
Not good for
Teams that need vendor SLAs
Users who don't want to run a server
Friction report
Time to value
Install on a spare machine or Docker and configure from the web console; expect an hour or so for basic setup.
Scale breakpoint
Multi-site or high-availability setups need the clustering feature and more DNS know-how.
Walled garden
Low: standard DNS protocols, open source code and an HTTP API.
Technitium DNS Server at a glance
Item
Detail
Price
Free, open source (GNU GPLv3); optional Patreon donations
Latest version
15.6.0, released 3 October 2026
Platforms
Windows 7 SP1+, Linux, macOS, Raspberry Pi, Docker
Block-list ad and malware blocking, DHCP server, clustering, DNS Apps
Support
Email and the /r/technitium subreddit
From technitium.com/dns and the project's GitHub releases, checked 4 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Technitium DNS Server is open source under the GNU GPLv3 license and free to download and use; the developer accepts optional donations through Patreon (checked 4 October 2026).
A self-hosted DNS server that works as a recursive resolver with ad and malware blocking, or as an authoritative server for your own domains. It also includes a DHCP server, clustering and an HTTP API.
After installing it, open the admin web console in a browser at http://localhost:5380/ on the same machine, or use the server's IP address and port 5380 from another device.
Windows 7 SP1 and later, Linux, macOS, Raspberry Pi and Docker, according to the project's website.
Yes. Version 15.6.0 was released on GitHub on 3 October 2026, a week after 15.5.1 (checked 4 October 2026).
Technitium DNS Server alternatives
Other DNS and network tools from our reviews:
Cloudflare: Runs the free 1.1.1.1 public DNS resolver, with a Families option that filters malware and adult content.
Heimdal: Business security platform whose DNS Security module filters threats at network and endpoint level.
LibreNMS: Free, open-source network monitoring to watch the devices and links your DNS server depends on.
