# CoreDNS vs PowerDNS

| Attribute | CoreDNS | PowerDNS |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 57.8 (28% (low)) | 37.4 (18% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 91 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 1,324 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 14,279 | - |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | An open-source DNS server designed for containerized and cloud-native deployments, offering DNS resolution and service discovery through a plugin-based architecture. Provides direct integration with Kubernetes and support for major cloud platforms. | PowerDNS provides DNS server software used by telecom operators, hosting providers, and cloud service providers to manage domain name services. It offers multiple products including authoritative nameservers, recursive resolvers, and load balancing tools, available in both open-source and commercial editions. |
| integrations.count | 4 | - |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Kubernetes"},{"name":"etcd"},{"name":"Microsoft Azure DNS"},{"name":"GCP Cloud DNS"}]` | - |
| language.primary | Go | - |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | - |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"hqCountry":"NL","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"linux":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true,"linux":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://coredns.io","retrievedAt":"2026-08-20T16:32:08.922Z"}` | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Cloud Control","summary":"From $8,330/year for up to 8 cores","commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":8330,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Cloud-based DNS management solution","contactSales":false}],"summary":"Starting at $8,330/year. Open-source versions available.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.powerdns.com","retrievedAt":"2026-08-18T22:34:45.658Z","startingPrice":{"amount":8330,"period":"year","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | high |
| pricing.starting_price | - | `{"amount":8330,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | yes | no |
| release.cadence_days | 39 | - |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.14.7","date":"2026-08-19T01:39:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.14.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.14.6","date":"2026-07-10T05:51:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.14.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.14.5","date":"2026-07-10T00:35:45Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.14.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.14.4","date":"2026-06-09T07:23:24Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.14.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.14.3","date":"2026-04-22T12:43:18Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.14.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.14.2","date":"2026-03-06T06:34:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.14.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.14.1","date":"2026-01-16T05:35:34Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.14.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.14.0","date":"2026-01-08T01:10:06Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.14.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.13.2","date":"2025-12-10T03:15:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.13.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.13.1","date":"2025-10-08T20:47:23Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.13.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.13.0","date":"2025-10-06T07:03:18Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.13.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.12.4","date":"2025-09-09T00:12:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.12.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.12.3","date":"2025-08-05T17:24:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.12.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.12.2","date":"2025-06-06T11:42:00Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.12.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.12.1","date":"2025-03-31T20:26:21Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.12.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.12.0","date":"2024-11-21T19:41:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.12.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.11.4","date":"2024-11-13T03:07:13Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.11.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.11.3","date":"2024-07-29T17:29:13Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.11.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.11.1","date":"2023-08-15T20:00:30Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.11.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/coredns/coredns/releases/tag/v1.11.0","date":"2023-08-08T14:15:16Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.11.0"}]` | - |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 8.2 | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":16,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fcoredns%2Fcoredns&per_page=100","last_12m":9,"max_severity":"HIGH"}` | - |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T16:40:17.727Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*