CoreDNS
A DNS server engine designed for cloud-native infrastructure
- Also known as
- coredns
Available worldwide
What is CoreDNS?
A configurable DNS server with native Kubernetes support and multiple plugin options for various deployment scenarios and protocol handling.
CoreDNS pricing
We don't have CoreDNS's full plan breakdown yet (its pricing page resisted automated reading). Here's what we could confirm. Always check live pricing for exact numbers.
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- CLI
- Linux
- Self-hosted
Integrations (4)
Independently observed- Kubernetes
- etcd
- Microsoft Azure DNS
- GCP Cloud DNS
Security & compliance
Known vulnerabilities: 18 (10 in the last 12 months), max severity HIGH sourcea count reflects scale & disclosure, not quality
CoreDNS FAQ
Common questions about CoreDNS, answered from independent, dated evidence.
What is CoreDNS?
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. It is indexed under DNS Management.
Source: https://coredns.io
Is CoreDNS free to use?
CoreDNS is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.
Source: https://coredns.io
What platforms does CoreDNS support?
CoreDNS supports Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.
Source: https://coredns.io
Can CoreDNS be self-hosted?
Yes. CoreDNS can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.
Source: https://coredns.io
What does CoreDNS integrate with?
We have confirmed 4 integrations for CoreDNS, including Kubernetes, etcd, Microsoft Azure DNS and GCP Cloud DNS. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.
Source: https://coredns.io
Is CoreDNS open source?
Yes. CoreDNS is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.
CoreDNS alternatives
Other dns management we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- AWS Route 53Managed DNS routing and domain registration servicelow · 31%
- IBM NS1 ConnectA DNS service that automatically routes users to optimal endpoints based on live application performance and availability.low · 32%
- Technitium DNS ServerA self-hosted DNS server for enhanced privacy and securitylow · 15%
- UnboundAn open source DNS resolver with privacy-focused features and support for modern internet standardslow · 15%
- Google Cloud DNSCloud-hosted domain name service on Google's global server networklow · 14%
- Cloudflare DNSA high-speed, globally-distributed domain name system with automatic DDoS protectionmedium · 62%
Compare CoreDNS
Side by side against other dns management, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for CoreDNS, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development activity | 56 | 0.09 | 5.3 | ✓ |
| Release cadence | 78 | 0.05 | 4.1 | ✓ |
| Security score | 80 | 0.04 | 3.4 | ✓ |
| Dependent projects | 52 | 0.06 | 3.3 | ✓ |
| Stars | 78 | 0.03 | 2.0 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 9 | 0.07 | 0.6 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
| Security posture | 5 | 0.12 | 0.0 | - |
| Package downloads | 0 | 0.14 | 0.0 | - |
| Developer Q&A activity | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 60 | mediumsource · 2026-10-13 · 65% |
Adoption
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 6 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 66% |
Integrations
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 1 | mediumsource · 2026-10-13 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Go | highsource · 2026-10-13 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | Apache-2.0 | highsource · 2026-10-13 · 95% |
Market
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | PrimaryMarkets: … · AvailabilityScope: global · AvailableCountries: … · NotAvailableCountries: … | highsource · 2026-08-20 · 75% |
Pricing
Release
Security
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Scorecard | 8 | highsource · 2026-10-13 · 90% |
| Vulnerabilities | Count: 18 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fcoredns%2Fcoredns&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 10 · Max severity: HIGH | highsource · 2026-10-13 · 90% |
| Disclosure policy | Yes | mediumsource · 2026-10-13 · 60% |
Is CoreDNS the right choice for you?
Tell us the job, the constraints and what you weigh most, and we will rank CoreDNS against the rest of the dns management we index, using the same dated evidence weighted your way.
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