Alternatives to BIND 9
Open-source DNS server software from ISC that also provides the dig command-line query tool. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
BIND 9
Open-source DNS server software from ISC that also provides the dig command-line query tool.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as BIND 9.
Technitium DNS Server
A self-hosted DNS server that blocks ads network-wide, hosts your own zones, and encrypts upstream queries.
Technitium DNS Server adds network-wide ad blocking, encrypted upstream queries, DHCP and a web console, but it runs on .NET and does not ship the dig tool.
CoreDNS
A DNS server written in Go that builds its behavior from a chain of plugins.
CoreDNS is an Apache-2.0 Go DNS server built from a plugin chain with a short Corefile, suited to Kubernetes and homelabs, but it does not bundle dig.
PowerDNS Recursor
A recursive DNS resolver from the PowerDNS project that you run on your own server.
PowerDNS Recursor is a recursive resolver with DNSSEC validation that pairs with PowerDNS Authoritative and dnsdist, configured by hand and without authoritative hosting on its own.
Knot Resolver
A caching DNS resolver with a small core and optional modules, from home routers to resolver farms.
Knot Resolver is a GPL caching resolver with a small core, Lua and C modules and DNS-over-HTTPS support, but it does not host authoritative zones.
doggo
Look up DNS records with a readable command-line client.
doggo replaces dig for lookups with a readable GPL-3.0 command-line client that supports encrypted DNS transports and runs on Windows too, without any server component.
q
A small command-line DNS client supporting UDP, TCP, DoT, DoH, DoQ, ODoH and DNSCrypt.
q is a GPL-3.0 command-line DNS client supporting DoT, DoH, DoQ, ODoH and DNSCrypt, replacing dig for queries though its output and flags differ.
Also worth comparing
These listings name BIND 9 as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
dnsx
Query DNS records in bulk from the command line.
BIND 9 provides the standard dig tool for DNS troubleshooting as part of a larger DNS server package, without dnsx's bulk querying.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
DNSViz
An open-source tool suite that visualizes DNS zones and the DNSSEC authentication chain.
Zonemaster
An open-source DNS validation tool that checks a domain's delegation and zone for configuration errors.
intoDNS
A free web tool that checks a domain's DNS and mail server health and configuration.
DNSChecker
A web tool that checks DNS propagation by querying public resolvers in many countries.
dnsdist
A DNS load balancer that routes queries to backend servers and blocks abusive traffic with rules.
