# Unbound

- **Canonical URI:** https://www.vioscale.ai/software/unbound
- **Category:** DNS Management
- **Homepage:** https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/unbound/about/
- **Also known as:** unbound
- **Profile claimed by vendor:** no
- **Last updated:** 2026-08-26T19:21:08.234Z

## Vioscale score

**47.7 / 100**, confidence 16% (low). Computed 2026-09-01.

Composite of weighted, independently-sourced signals (no user reviews, no vendor payment).

| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence present |
|---|--:|--:|--:|:--:|
| capabilities | 0 | 0.07844444444444446 | 0 | - |
| repo_stars | 69.5 | 0.026 | 1.8 | ✓ |
| integrations | 0 | 0.07033333333333334 | 0 | - |
| dependent_projects | 0 | 0.063 | 0 | ✓ |
| dev_activity | 60.7 | 0.094 | 5.7 | ✓ |
| release_cadence | 71.1 | 0.052 | 3.7 | ✓ |
| security_posture | 5 | 0.073 | 0 | - |
| package_downloads | 0 | 0.136 | 0 | - |
| security_score | 0 | 0.042 | 0 | - |
| community_qa_activity | 0 | 0.063 | 0 | - |

## Pricing

_As of 2026-08-20, [verify at source](https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/unbound/about/). Independently observed._

Open source · Free tier

## About

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.

_Independently observed._

## Platform & deployment

- **Platforms:** CLI, macOS, Linux
- **Deployment:** On-premise, Self-hosted

## Release history

| Version | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| [release-1.26.0](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.26.0) | 2026-08-04 | stable |
| [release-1.25.2](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.25.2) | 2026-07-22 | stable |
| [release-1.25.1](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.25.1) | 2026-05-20 | stable |
| [release-1.25.0](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.25.0) | 2026-04-29 | stable |
| [release-1.24.2](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.24.2) | 2025-11-26 | stable |
| [release-1.24.1](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.24.1) | 2025-10-22 | stable |
| [release-1.24.0](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.24.0) | 2025-09-18 | stable |
| [release-1.23.1](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.23.1) | 2025-07-16 | stable |
| [release-1.23.0](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.23.0) | 2025-04-24 | stable |
| [release-1.22.0](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.22.0) | 2024-10-17 | stable |
| [release-1.21.1](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.21.1) | 2024-10-04 | stable |
| [release-1.21.0](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.21.0) | 2024-08-15 | stable |
| [release-1.20.0](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.20.0) | 2024-05-08 | stable |
| [release-1.19.3](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.19.3) | 2024-03-14 | stable |
| [release-1.19.2](https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/releases/tag/release-1.19.2) | 2024-03-07 | stable |

_… and 2 earlier release(s)._

## Security & compliance


Known vulnerabilities: 0 (0 in the last 12 months) ([source](https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2FNLNetLabs%2Funbound&per_page=100)). A count reflects scale and disclosure, not quality.

## Facts

Every value below carries its source and our confidence. Facts are re-crawled on a freshness schedule.

### activity

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| activity.commits_last_30d | 84 | [link](https://github.com/nlnetlabs/unbound/pulse) | 2026-08-18 | 65% (medium) |

### adoption

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| adoption.github_stars | 4,817 | [link](https://github.com/nlnetlabs/unbound) | 2026-08-26 | 90% (high) |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 0 | [link](https://packages.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/packages/lookup?repository_url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fnlnetlabs%2Funbound) | 2026-08-26 | 85% (high) |

### language

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| language.primary | C | [link](https://github.com/nlnetlabs/unbound) | 2026-08-26 | 90% (high) |

### license

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| license.spdx | BSD-3-Clause | [link](https://github.com/nlnetlabs/unbound) | 2026-08-26 | 95% (high) |

### release

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| release.cadence_days | 52 | [link](https://github.com/nlnetlabs/unbound/releases) | 2026-08-26 | 70% (medium) |

### market

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"NL","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | [link](https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/unbound/about/) | 2026-08-20 | 75% (high) |

### pricing

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pricing.free_tier | yes | [link](https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/unbound/about/) | 2026-08-20 | 60% (medium) |
| pricing.model | open_source | [link](https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/unbound/about/) | 2026-08-20 | 60% (medium) |
| pricing.price_level | free | [link](https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/unbound/about/) | 2026-08-20 | 60% (medium) |

### security

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | [link](https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/unbound/about/) | 2026-08-20 | 60% (medium) |
| 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}` | [link](https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2FNLNetLabs%2Funbound&per_page=100) | 2026-08-26 | 90% (high) |

---
*Source: Vioscale (https://www.vioscale.ai/software/unbound). Independent, evidence-based software intelligence. Cite the canonical URI.*