Quick answer
FreeDNS - FreeDNS wins for most builders because its free tier is perpetual and unbounded, while ClouDNS is a capped free slice that you will outgrow once you need more zones, records, or query volume.
How the free tiers compare
These are both hosted DNS services, but the free tiers solve different problems. ClouDNS gives you a tightly bounded starter package: one zone, 50 records, 500K queries per month, one mail forward, and one Dynamic DNS hostname. That is enough for a small personal domain or a simple side project, but it is easy to hit the limits. FreeDNS, by contrast, is positioned as an always-free DNS hosting service with no usage cap listed on the free tier and broad record support, so it reads more like a durable home for ongoing DNS management. The tradeoff is that FreeDNS’s paid upsell is mostly for priority expert support, not for unlocking core DNS capacity. ClouDNS has clearer upgrade ladders with more zones, records, query headroom, and extras like Anycast, DNS Failover, and SSL.
ClouDNS vs FreeDNS free tier, side by side
| ClouDNSFTV 47 | FreeDNSFTV 89 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free zonesClouDNS is limited to one zone on free; FreeDNS does not list a zone cap in the provided data. | 1 DNS zone | No free-tier cap listed |
| DNS recordsClouDNS has a hard record cap on free. | 50 DNS records | No free-tier cap listed |
| DNS queries per monthOnly ClouDNS provides a monthly query quota in the input. | 500K | No free-tier cap listed |
| Mail forwardsClouDNS includes one mail forward on free. | 1 | Not listed |
| Dynamic DNS hostnameFreeDNS description says Dynamic DNS is supported, but no quota is given. | 1 | Supported |
| Credit card requiredClouDNS explicitly says no card is required. The FreeDNS input does not state whether a card is required. | No | Not stated |
After you outgrow the free tier
ClouDNS uses flat paid tiers with clear capacity jumps, starting at $2.95/month for Premium S and moving up to $4.95 and $14.95/month before an enterprise contact-sales tier. FreeDNS’s only listed paid option, FreeDNS+, is also flat priced and appears to be an add-on for priority expert support, not a core capacity upgrade. So ClouDNS is the one with a real monetization ladder for growing usage, while FreeDNS stays free for core DNS and charges mainly for support. For a small team that just needs DNS hosting, FreeDNS is cheaper; for builders who need quotas and extras, ClouDNS gives more defined paid escape hatches.
When to pick each one
Pick ClouDNS when…
- You only need one domain zone and a small record set for a personal site or demo.
- You want a very cheap path to more DNS capacity later, starting at $2.95/month.
- You expect to use features like DNS Failover, Anycast DNS, or free SSL on a paid plan.
- You want explicit query, zone, and record quotas spelled out before upgrading.
Pick FreeDNS when…
- You want a free DNS home that does not advertise a usage cap on the free tier.
- You are managing ongoing DNS for a project and do not want to plan around a 500K query limit.
- You care more about core DNS hosting than paid support add-ons.
- You want broad record-type support, including DNSSEC and Dynamic DNS, on the free service.
- You prefer a free tier that is positioned as permanent rather than a bounded starter plan.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, FreeDNS is the better free-tier pick because it stays free without a stated usage ceiling, so you can run a project without planning around record or query limits. ClouDNS is better if you want a low-cost upgrade path with explicit quotas and paid features like Anycast, DNS Failover, and SSL. If you are choosing purely on the free tier, FreeDNS is the safer long-term default. If you already know you will outgrow a starter DNS setup, ClouDNS is the more structured platform.
Read the full listings: ClouDNS and FreeDNS. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.