# Google Cloud DNS vs Unbound

| Attribute | Google Cloud DNS | Unbound |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 39.4 (26% (low)) | 47.7 (16% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | - | 84 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | - | 4,817 |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true}` | `{"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Google Cloud DNS is a managed domain name service that uses a worldwide network of anycast servers to resolve DNS queries reliably. It supports domain registration through Cloud Domains and integrates with Google Cloud services like Kubernetes Engine for cloud-native DNS management. | A free DNS resolver software that encrypts user queries and validates domain lookups. Designed for privacy and performance, it supports modern encrypted DNS protocols and works across Linux, BSD, and macOS systems. |
| integrations.count | 3 | - |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)"},{"name":"Cloud Domains"},{"name":"Cloud IAM"}]` | - |
| language.primary | - | C |
| license.spdx | - | BSD-3-Clause |
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"US","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"hqCountry":"NL","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"usage","summary":"Free $300 credit for new customers; Cloud Domains registration (.com/.net) starts at $12; Cloud DNS pricing based on volume","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://cloud.google.com/dns","retrievedAt":"2026-08-18T22:36:54.933Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/unbound/about/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-20T16:34:32.426Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | low | free |
| pricing.transparent | no | - |
| release.cadence_days | - | 52 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.26.0","date":"2026-08-04T08:00:13Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.26.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.25.2","date":"2026-07-22T09:18:40Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.25.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.25.1","date":"2026-05-20T09:17:20Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.25.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.25.0","date":"2026-04-29T09:56:24Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.25.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.24.2","date":"2025-11-26T11:22:30Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.24.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.24.1","date":"2025-10-22T10:28:00Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.24.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.24.0","date":"2025-09-18T08:36:55Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.24.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.23.1","date":"2025-07-16T09:20:27Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.23.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.23.0","date":"2025-04-24T08:07:21Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.23.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.22.0","date":"2024-10-17T08:43:37Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.22.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.21.1","date":"2024-10-04T10:42:01Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.21.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.21.0","date":"2024-08-15T08:56:18Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.21.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.20.0","date":"2024-05-08T09:06:15Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.20.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.19.3","date":"2024-03-14T09:26:00Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.19.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.19.2","date":"2024-03-07T09:09:39Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.19.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.19.1","date":"2024-02-13T12:54:31Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.19.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.19.0","date":"2023-11-08T09:54:09Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1.19.0"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2FNLNetLabs%2Funbound&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T15:03:23.843Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*