Where FreeDNS's free tier stops
FreeDNS FreeDNS's free tier is not described with usage caps in the provided free_tier_items. What it does say is that you get account access for managing DNS services, and that FreeDNS domain registrations are separate items with pricing listed for supported TLDs. In other words, the free offering covers management access, but any actual domain registration costs are outside the free tier. The paid FreeDNS+ add-on is for priority expert support, not core DNS access, so the main reason to switch is when you want a different free DNS platform rather than support.
Switch table
| FreeDNS | LuaDNS | ClouDNS | Zoneedit | Hetzner DNS Management | Hurricane Electric Free DNS | DNSExit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| domains | Unknown | Up to 3 domains | Not stated | Multiple domains per account | Up to 25 zones by default | Multiple domains per account | Free second-level domains available |
| dns zones | Unknown | Not stated | 1 DNS zone | Not stated | Up to 25 zones by default | Not stated | Not stated |
| dns records | Unknown | Up to 30 DNS records | 50 DNS records | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| monthly queries | Unknown | Unlimited monthly queries | 500K DNS queries per month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| forwarding features | Unknown | Web redirects, email forwardings | 1 mail forward | WebForward, MailForward | Not stated | Dynamic DNS support | URL Forwarding, Mail Relay, Business Email |
| dynamic DNS | Included | Not stated | 1 Dynamic DNS hostname | Included | Not stated | Dynamic DNS support for A and AAAA records | Dynamic DNS is free for life |
| Card required | - | Unknown | No | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| First paid tier | - | Basic, $29/year | Premium S, $2.95/month | 1 Credit Pack, $1.40 | None listed | None listed | Varies by usage |
The alternatives
LuaDNS
FTV 43 / 100LuaDNS gives you a free DNS hosting tier with up to 3 domains, 30 DNS records, unlimited monthly queries, a 5 minute minimum TTL, web redirects, email forwardings, real-time statistics, AXFR transfers, reverse zones, API access, DNSSEC support, and access to an anycast network. That is a fuller published quota set than FreeDNS's account-only free description, especially if you want to know the exact ceilings up front. It is still a small free plan, so it fits lean setups and test zones better than sprawling fleets.
- Beats FreeDNS: Clear free quotas for domains, records, and queries, plus API access.
- Falls short: Much lower published capacity than an always-free, no-cap description.
- Who should switch: Switch here if you want a small but well-specified free DNS plan with API-driven management.
ClouDNS
FTV 47 / 100ClouDNS includes 4 unicast DNS servers, 1 DNS zone, 50 DNS records, 500K DNS queries per month, and 1 mail forward on its free tier. Compared with FreeDNS, it gives you a concrete free allowance for the main DNS workload plus a fixed query ceiling, which helps if you want to know exactly what fits before moving up. It also sits on the same broad DNS hosting and dynamic DNS category, so the workflow should feel familiar for web-based zone management.
- Beats FreeDNS: Published free quotas for zones, records, queries, and mail forwarding.
- Falls short: Only 1 zone, so it is tighter than a free setup without stated caps.
- Who should switch: Switch here if you need a simple DNS host with explicit monthly limits and no card requirement.
Zoneedit
FTV 40 / 100Zoneedit's free offering includes managed DNS with 1 credit per month, primary DNS with 3 nameservers, dynamic DNS, WebForward, and MailForward. The free tier is useful if you want a domain-management style setup that mixes DNS with forwarding features rather than a plain zone editor. Because it is credit-based, it is less open-ended than FreeDNS's account access, but it can still cover a modest active zone while keeping dynamic DNS and forwarding in the same account.
- Beats FreeDNS: Includes dynamic DNS plus web and mail forwarding in the free tier.
- Falls short: Credit-based free use is more constrained than simple account access.
- Who should switch: Switch here if forwarding and dynamic DNS matter as much as DNS hosting.
Hetzner DNS Management
FTV 44 / 100Hetzner DNS Management is free for DNS management in Hetzner Console and API, with the ability to list, add, modify, and remove zones and records, and up to 25 zones by default. It is a solid option if you want direct zone administration and automation without paying for the core DNS service. The tradeoff is that DNSSEC is not included in the free tier, so it is better for straightforward zone hosting than for security-heavy deployments that want every feature bundled in for free.
- Beats FreeDNS: Up to 25 zones by default, with free console and API access.
- Falls short: No DNSSEC support in the free tier.
- Who should switch: Switch here if you want the most straightforward free zone-management workflow.
Hurricane Electric Free DNS
FTV 90 / 100Hurricane Electric Free DNS is free for forward and reverse DNS management and includes dual-stack IPv4 and native IPv6 access, a wide record set, smart-mode reverse zones, slave DNS support, geographically diverse DNS servers, delegation checks, basic syntax checking, multiple domains per account, and dynamic DNS for A, AAAA, and TXT. It is the broadest free feature set in this group for builders who want classic DNS control plus reverse DNS and validation tools. The free tier is especially attractive if you maintain multiple zones or need reverse DNS.
- Beats FreeDNS: Broader free DNS feature set, including reverse DNS and IPv6 support.
- Falls short: Less beginner-simple than a basic hosted DNS account.
- Who should switch: Switch here if you want the most complete free DNS toolbox.
DNSExit
FTV 41 / 100DNSExit offers free-for-life Dynamic DNS, free-for-life Enterprise DNS for domains you own, free second-level domains, free digital SSL certificates, free URL forwarding for DNSExit-registered domains, and starter access to mail relay and business email. That makes it more than a DNS host, since it bundles related services that can reduce the number of separate tools you need. The downside is that several free items are tied to domain ownership or do not list a concrete allowance, so it is less cleanly scoped than a dedicated DNS-only option.
- Beats FreeDNS: Adds adjacent free services like SSL, URL forwarding, and email-related features.
- Falls short: Free usage is more condition-based and less clearly bounded.
- Who should switch: Switch here if you want DNS plus adjacent free infrastructure services in one account.
Two quick picks
Hetzner DNS Management
Hetzner DNS Management is the closest drop-in for a builder who mainly wants free hosted DNS and zone editing. It keeps the workflow centered on listing, adding, modifying, and removing zones and records in a web console or API, with a generous free zone allowance and no obvious need to relearn a different product shape.
Hurricane Electric Free DNS
Hurricane Electric Free DNS appears to offer the most free headroom because it is perpetual, has no stated cap in the provided details, and includes a very broad set of DNS and reverse DNS capabilities. For builders who want to stay free as long as possible, it has the widest described room before any upgrade pressure.
Frequently asked questions
Which alternative is closest to FreeDNS for plain DNS hosting?
Hetzner DNS Management is the closest match if you mainly want to manage zones and records in a console or API without moving into a more specialized forwarding or email service.
Which free alternative has the clearest quota limits?
LuaDNS and ClouDNS both publish explicit free limits, but ClouDNS is the clearest if you want to see zones, records, and query ceilings at a glance.
Which option is best if I also need dynamic DNS?
Hurricane Electric Free DNS and ClouDNS both include dynamic DNS-related features, with Hurricane Electric offering the broader DNS toolbox and ClouDNS offering a simpler capped free tier.
Do any of these free plans require a credit card?
Only ClouDNS explicitly says no credit card is required in the provided data. For the others, the credit-card requirement is unknown from the supplied information.
Bottom line
For the most common case, Hurricane Electric Free DNS is the best alternative if you want to stay free and keep room to grow. It combines free forward and reverse DNS management, IPv4 and IPv6 support, multiple domains per account, and dynamic DNS without a stated usage cap in the provided details. If you want something simpler and more API-first, Hetzner DNS Management is the next best fit, but Hurricane Electric gives the broadest free headroom overall.
Read the full listing for FreeDNS. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more alternatives on /alternatives, or head-to-head comparisons on /compare.