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Unbound vs PowerDNS Recursor: catalog facts
Unbound	PowerDNS Recursor
Free Free and open source under the BSD licence.	Free Free and open source with no paid tier required.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted	Linux, Self-hosted
DNSSEC validation and encrypted transports in a small, audited resolver Runs recursively, so no upstream resolver sees your queries	Long-running, actively developed project DNSSEC validation covered by dedicated regression tests
Configuration is a text file with many options No filtering or blocklists of its own; that needs another layer	Server software configured by hand, with no built-in dashboard Suits administrators more than casual home users
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License not stated
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.