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dnsmasq vs CoreDNS: catalog facts
dnsmasq	CoreDNS
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 licence.
Linux, Self-hosted	Linux, Self-hosted, Command line
DNS, DHCP and network boot from one tiny daemon Local hostname resolution for DHCP clients happens automatically	Plugin chain handles rewriting, zone files, metrics and service discovery Custom builds can include only needed plugins
Not a recursive resolver; it forwards to one Configuration syntax is terse	Ad or content blocking needs manual plugin setup rather than a ready interface No graphical dashboard
Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: Apache-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.