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Technitium DNS Server vs NSD: catalog facts
Technitium DNS ServerNSD
Free

Free and open source under the GPL.

Free

Free and open source under the BSD license; paid support is available.

Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted Linux, Self-hosted
  • Authoritative and recursive in one server, so it hosts your zones and resolves everything else
  • Blocks ads and malware for every device on the network without per-device setup
  • Very high query throughput
  • Used by DNS root servers and TLD registries
  • Considerably more complex than Pi-hole if all you want is ad blocking
  • Running your own DNS means DNS outages become your problem
  • Authoritative only, with no recursive resolver
  • Aimed at operators comfortable with DNS server configuration
Self-hosted, Downloadable app Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source Open source
License: GPL-3.0 License: BSD
No account needed No account needed
Works offline Not stated if it works offline

Checked September 21, 2026

Checked October 2, 2026

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