Where Hurricane Electric Free DNS's free tier stops
Hurricane Electric Free DNS The free tier stops where practical account access and free-account policy become the main constraint rather than feature access. It includes forward and reverse DNS management, IPv4 and native IPv6 queries, many common record types, smart-mode reverse zones, slave DNS, multiple reverse zone formats, geographically diverse servers, delegation checks, syntax checking, multiple domains per account, and dynamic DNS for A, AAAA, and TXT. The catch is not a published quota in the free tier items, but that signup is not card-free, so the ceiling is usability friction rather than usage volume.
Switch table
| Hurricane Electric Free DNS | Zoneedit | FreeDNS | Hetzner DNS Management | LuaDNS | ClouDNS | DNSExit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| domains or zones | Multiple domains per account | Not stated | Subdomain support included | Up to 25 zones by default | Up to 3 domains | 1 DNS zone | Free second-level domains available |
| DNS records supported or included | A, AAAA, ALIAS, CNAME, CAA, MX, NS, TXT, SRV, SSHFP, SPF, RP, NAPTR, HINFO, LOC, PTR | A, CNAME, MX, NS, SRV, TXT, NAPTR, IPv6 (AAAA) | Not stated | Common record types supported | Up to 30 DNS records | 50 DNS records | A, MX, CNAME, TXT, and other records |
| queries per month | Not stated | 250,000 | Not stated | Not stated | Unlimited monthly queries | 500K DNS queries per month | Not stated |
| reverse DNS support | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | Reverse zones included | Not stated | Enterprise DNS free for life |
| dynamic DNS support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | 1 Dynamic DNS hostname | Dynamic DNS free for life |
| Card required | - | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| First paid tier | - | 1 Credit Pack, $1.40 | Starter, $5/month | Not applicable | Basic, $29/year | Premium S, $2.95/month | Web Hosting, $2.95/domain/year |
The alternatives
Zoneedit
FTV 40 / 100Zoneedit's free offering includes managed DNS, primary DNS with 3 nameservers, dynamic DNS, web forwarding, and mail forwarding. For a builder who wants DNS plus the adjacent forwarding features in one place, that is a neat free bundle. It beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS on bundled extras like URL redirection and email forwarding, plus it gives a clearer monthly credit model for managed DNS. It falls short on native coverage of Hurricane Electric's broader DNS record set and its reverse-zone and DNS management depth. Switch here if you want basic DNS plus forwarding without needing the more specialized reverse DNS tooling.
- Beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS: Bundled URL redirection and email forwarding
- Falls short: Broader reverse DNS and record-type coverage
- Who should switch: Switch to this if you want DNS hosting with forwarding features in the same free account.
FreeDNS
FTV 44 / 100FreeDNS gives access to member-only DNS management pages for domains, subdomains, web forwarding, dynamic DNS, IPv6 reverse, backup DNS, preferences, and registry tools. The free account also includes subdomain support, which makes it useful for users who are happy to work within a membership-style interface. It beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS on backup DNS and the way it packages subdomain and web-forwarding workflows into one account. It falls short because the provided free-tier text does not state explicit free quotas, and it does not show the same breadth of reverse-zone formats or record-type depth. Switch if you prefer a membership portal with backup DNS and subdomain-centric management.
- Beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS: Backup DNS and subdomain management workflows
- Falls short: Stated feature breadth and reverse-zone format detail
- Who should switch: Switch to this if you care more about membership features than a feature-complete DNS record set.
Hetzner DNS Management
FTV 44 / 100Hetzner DNS Management is free to use through Hetzner Console and API, and lets you list, add, modify, and remove zones and records. It includes up to 25 zones by default, which is a clean, understandable free limit for smaller setups, and it works well if you want web and API control in one place. It beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS on having a straightforward API-driven workflow and a published zone cap. It falls short on reverse DNS tooling and on the wider set of specialty features like slave DNS and dynamic DNS. Switch if you want a simple free DNS host with API automation and can live without reverse-zone depth.
- Beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS: API access and a clear 25-zone default cap
- Falls short: Reverse DNS depth and dynamic DNS features
- Who should switch: Switch to this if you want free DNS hosting with API control for a small number of zones.
LuaDNS
FTV 43 / 100LuaDNS's free tier gives you Anycast access, up to 3 domains, up to 30 DNS records, unlimited monthly queries, web redirects, email forwardings, real-time statistics, AXFR transfers, reverse zones, API access, and DNSSEC support. It beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS on DNSSEC, API access, and a published free-query allowance that is unlimited. It falls short because the free tier is much smaller on domain and record capacity, and its minimum TTL is fixed at 5 minutes. Switch if you want strong feature coverage for a tiny number of zones and value DNSSEC plus stats over unlimited free capacity.
- Beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS: DNSSEC and unlimited monthly queries
- Falls short: Domain and record capacity
- Who should switch: Switch to this if your free setup is small but you want DNSSEC and API access.
ClouDNS
FTV 47 / 100ClouDNS gives a free plan with 4 unicast DNS servers, 1 DNS zone, 50 DNS records, 500K DNS queries per month, and 1 mail forward. It is the only option here whose free-tier card requirement is clearly stated as not required, so it is useful when signup friction matters. It beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS on having a clearly published query cap and no card requirement. It falls short badly on scale, since the free tier is limited to one zone and a modest record count. Switch if you want a no-card free start and only need one small zone.
- Beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS: No credit card required
- Falls short: Free zone and record capacity
- Who should switch: Switch to this if you want the lowest-signup-friction free DNS option.
DNSExit
FTV 41 / 100DNSExit's free tier includes free-for-life dynamic DNS for domains you own, free-for-life enterprise DNS hosting, free second-level domains, free digital SSL certificates, free mail relay starting point, free business email starting point, and URL forwarding for registered domains. It beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS on adjacent services like SSL certificates, hosted domains, and email-related add-ons in the same account. It falls short because several free offerings are tied to ownership conditions or do not state a concrete usage allowance, so the free scope is less cleanly defined. Switch if you want DNS plus a broader bundle of domain and mail services.
- Beats Hurricane Electric Free DNS: Broader bundle of SSL, email, and domain add-ons
- Falls short: Cleanly defined DNS-only focus
- Who should switch: Switch to this if you want DNS plus surrounding services in one free account.
Two quick picks
LuaDNS
LuaDNS is the closest drop-in if you already think in terms of zones, records, reverse zones, and API-driven edits. The interface and core DNS model are familiar, and the free tier still includes DNSSEC, unlimited queries, and enough room for small projects.
Zoneedit
Zoneedit gives the most room before paying because its free DNS is paired with a monthly credit model and includes dynamic DNS, primary DNS, web forwarding, and mail forwarding. For small but growing setups, that breadth can postpone a paid migration longer than the smaller hard-cap plans.
Frequently asked questions
Which alternative is closest if I only need DNS hosting and not extras?
Hetzner DNS Management is the closest if you want straightforward DNS hosting with web and API control. LuaDNS is also close if you want a richer free DNS feature set, but it adds more adjacent services like redirects and email forwarding.
Which free alternative has the clearest hard limit?
ClouDNS does, because its free tier explicitly lists 1 DNS zone, 50 DNS records, 500K queries per month, and 1 mail forward. Hetzner also has a clear default zone cap of 25 zones.
Which alternative is best if I need reverse DNS?
LuaDNS and FreeDNS both mention reverse zones in the free tier items. Zoneedit also includes IPv6 in its free DNS text, but the provided free-tier items are less explicit about reverse DNS than the subject.
Which alternative is best if I want no credit card requirement?
ClouDNS is the only alternative here with a clearly stated no-card claim. For the others, the card requirement is either present or not clearly stated in the provided data.
Bottom line
For the common case, LuaDNS is the best alternative to try first if Hurricane Electric Free DNS does not fit, because it keeps the core DNS workflow familiar while adding DNSSEC, API access, unlimited monthly queries, and reverse zones in a small free package. If you need a more exact drop-in for basic zone management, Hetzner is the simpler next stop. If you care most about free capacity rather than feature overlap, Zoneedit is the broadest free companion service.
Read the full listing for Hurricane Electric Free DNS. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more alternatives on /alternatives, or head-to-head comparisons on /compare.