# PowerDNS vs Unbound

| Attribute | PowerDNS | Unbound |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 37.4 (18% (low)) | 47.7 (16% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | - | 84 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | - | 4,817 |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | 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. | 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. |
| language.primary | - | C |
| license.spdx | - | BSD-3-Clause |
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"NL","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"hqCountry":"NL","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true,"linux":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true}` |
| pricing | `{"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"]}` | `{"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 | high | free |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":8330,"currency":"USD"}` | - |
| 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.gdpr | 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 2026-09-01T17:27:37.217Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*