
Knot DNS
The facts below are what the maker publishes about Knot DNS, checked and dated. Our editors have not written about it yet.
Plans and prices
From Knot DNS's own pricing page, checked 3 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Knot DNS | Free | Open-source authoritative DNS server · professional support programmes available separately · Free to download and use |
The facts
Each one read from Knot DNS's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Configuration and modules
- It supports YAML or database-based configuration and dynamically loaded query-processing modules.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The software can be compiled and run on most UNIX-like systems, including Linux, BSD, and macOS.checked 3 Oct 2026
- DNSSEC
- It supports DNSSEC with NSEC and NSEC3, multithreaded zone signing and validation, and automatic DNSSEC key management.checked 3 Oct 2026
- License
- The current documentation states that Knot DNS is licensed under GNU GPL version 2.0 or later.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Protocols
- It supports DNS over UDP, TCP, TLS 1.3, and QUIC.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Knot DNS is a high-performance open-source server for authoritative DNS, suitable for TLDs and other zones.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Release lifecycle
- The download page lists Knot DNS 3.6.0, released September 8, 2026, with end of life in Q3 2028.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Security features
- Its modules include response rate limiting, while TLS 1.3 and QUIC support opportunistic, strict, and mutual authentication profiles.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Server roles
- It supports primary and secondary server operation.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Support
- Free community support is available on a best-effort basis through a mailing list, chat, and issue tracker; professional support programmes are also offered.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Zone operations
- It supports dynamic zone updates and full and incremental zone transfers (AXFR and IXFR).checked 3 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 1998checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Prague, Czech Republicchecked 28 Sep 2026
- Maker
- The project is primarily sponsored by CZ.NIC, and its contact page lists the organization’s address in Prague, Czech Republic.checked 3 Oct 2026
Money
- Resource planning
- The documentation estimates memory needs at roughly three times the plain-text zone size and advises measurement before production deployment.checked 3 Oct 2026
Alternatives to Knot DNS
- 1

AdGuard
AndroidiOSExtensionLinux6.9 - 2
Technitium DNS Server
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS6.6Free plan - 3
dnsmasq
Free planAndroidLinuxmacOSSelf-hosted6.3Free plan - 4

Pi-hole
Free planWebAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.3Free plan - 5

PowerDNS Authoritative Server
APILinuxSelf-hosted6.3From $9,800 a year ($816.67 a month) - 6

Simple DNS Plus
APISelf-hostedWindows6.2$69 one-time
