dnsmasq

Dnsmasq

dnsmasq is a lightweight, open source DNS forwarder and DHCP server. It is designed to provide DNS and DHCP services to a small network, and can be configured on routers or other network devices.
dnsmasq image
dns dhcp networking

dnsmasq: Lightweight DNS Forwarder & DHCP Server

Discover the open source dns forwarder and dhcp server, designed for small networks, easily configurable on routers or network devices.

What is Dnsmasq?

dnsmasq is a lightweight, open source tool that provides Domain Name System (DNS) forwarding and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) services. Some key features of dnsmasq include:

  • Lightweight and easy to configure, making it well-suited for small networks
  • Can serve as an authoritative DNS server, forwarding DNS queries to upstream recursive servers
  • Integrated DHCP server for assigning IP addresses to network clients
  • Supports static and dynamic DHCP leases and flexible configurations
  • Ideal for home networks, small offices, or embedded router/firewall devices
  • Runs on Linux, Android, *BSD, Routers and more
  • Includes features for blocking spam or malicious domains via blacklists
  • Supports DNSSEC validation and caching of DNS responses
  • Minimal resource usage and can handle DNS/DHCP for small to medium networks

Overall, dnsmasq provides a simple way to add DNS and DHCP services without needing to run a full-fledged server. Its flexibility, light resource footprint, and ease of configuration make it well suited for lightweight virtualization, routers, IoT devices, and small networks.

Dnsmasq Features

Features

  1. Provides DNS caching and forwarding
  2. Provides DHCP services
  3. Lightweight and optimized for small networks
  4. Easy to configure and deploy
  5. Supports configuring multiple DHCP ranges
  6. Integrates DNS and DHCP services into one tool

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free

Pros

Lightweight and fast

Easy to set up

Improves DNS performance by caching

Can be deployed on routers and small devices

Open source and free

Cons

Not suitable for large networks

Limited advanced configuration options

No built-in web interface

Lacks some enterprise-level features


The Best Dnsmasq Alternatives

Top Network & Admin and Dns and other similar apps like Dnsmasq


AdGuard icon

AdGuard

AdGuard is an ad blocking and privacy protection software and browser extension available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. It utilizes multiple filtering engines and custom filters to block ads, tracking scripts, malware, and phishing websites across all browsers and devices.Key features of AdGuard include:Blocks all types of ads including...
AdGuard image
TinyProxy icon

TinyProxy

TinyProxy is a fast, light-weight, non-caching HTTP/HTTPS proxy server. As an open source software, TinyProxy is available for Linux, MacOS, and Windows platforms. It allows users to anonymize their web browsing sessions by routing traffic through the proxy server, keeping the originating IP address hidden.Some key features of TinyProxy include:Small...
TinyProxy image
NextDNS icon

NextDNS

NextDNS is a customizable DNS service that focuses on improving privacy, security, performance, and parental controls when browsing the internet. Unlike your standard ISP DNS server that just converts domain names to IP addresses, NextDNS acts as a middleman between your device and websites you visit.Some key features of NextDNS...
NextDNS image
DNSAgent icon

DNSAgent

DNSAgent is a comprehensive DNS management solution designed to help system administrators effectively manage their DNS infrastructure. It provides a user-friendly graphical user interface to centrally administer DNS servers and zones across Windows and Linux platforms.Key features of DNSAgent include:Intuitive dashboard for at-a-glance visibility into DNS health and performanceAbility to...
DNSAgent image
PaladinVPN icon

PaladinVPN

PaladinVPN is a virtual private network (VPN) service designed to provide online privacy and security. It uses advanced encryption protocols to create a secure tunnel for your internet traffic, protecting it from prying eyes and hiding your IP address from websites and third parties.When connected to PaladinVPN, your internet traffic...
PaladinVPN image
YogaDNS icon

YogaDNS

YogaDNS is an open-source, privacy-focused DNS resolver developed by Team SI23. It was designed to provide a secure, customizable, and high-performance DNS solution focused on network-level privacy and security.Some of the key features of YogaDNS include:Built-in ad blocking and anti-tracking to prevent ads, malware, and invasive privacy trackersDNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) and...
YogaDNS image
AdGuard Home icon

AdGuard Home

AdGuard Home is an open-source network-wide ad blocking and privacy protection software. It runs on your own hardware as a DNS and DHCP server, without relying on third-party services. AdGuard Home blocks ads, trackers, and malicious websites with customizable blocklists, protects devices across your entire home network.Key features of AdGuard...
AdGuard Home image
NextDNS Manager icon

NextDNS Manager

NextDNS Manager is a cloud-based DNS management service that provides extensive control and visibility over all DNS traffic on your network. It acts as a recursive DNS resolver that filters, blocks, caches, and analyzes domain name requests before forwarding them to upstream DNS servers.Some key features of NextDNS Manager include:Custom...
NextDNS Manager image
MaraDNS icon

MaraDNS

MaraDNS is an open source domain name system (DNS) server software designed with security, stability, and speed in mind. It is developed and maintained by Sam Trenholme as an alternative to BIND or other DNS servers.Some key features of MaraDNS include:Lightweight and fast - Low memory and CPU footprint makes...
MaraDNS image
ISC DHCP icon

ISC DHCP

ISC DHCP is an open-source Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server software package for Linux and Unix-like systems. It provides network services for automatic configuration of IP addresses and other network parameters on request. Some key features include:Supports both DHCPv4 and DHCPv6 for IPv4 and IPv6 address assignmentHigh performance and...
ISC DHCP image
Dns2socks icon

Dns2socks

dns2socks is an open-source command-line tool that proxies DNS requests through a SOCKS5 proxy server. It intercepts DNS requests on the local machine and forwards them to a remote SOCKS5 proxy, which handles the DNS resolution and returns the response.The main purpose of dns2socks is to bypass DNS restrictions, censorship,...
Dns2socks image
Acrylic DNS Proxy icon

Acrylic DNS Proxy

Acrylic DNS Proxy is a free, open-source local DNS proxy software for Windows. It acts as a middleware between your devices and DNS servers to cache and speed up domain name lookups while also blocking ads, tracking and malware. Some key features include:Caching DNS queries to avoid multiple lookups and...
Acrylic DNS Proxy image
Technitium DNS Server icon

Technitium DNS Server

Technitium DNS Server is an open source, cross-platform DNS server that can be used as an alternative to commercial solutions like BIND or Windows DNS Server. It is designed to be a secure, lightweight, and fast performing recursive DNS resolver.Some key features of Technitium DNS Server include:Support for advanced DNS...
Technitium DNS Server image
Dhcpcd icon

Dhcpcd

dhcpcd is a DHCP client daemon for Linux and other UNIX-like operating systems. It is used to automatically configure network interfaces using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).Some key features of dhcpcd include:Lightweight and fast performanceCompatible with modern Linux distributionsHandles both IPv4 and IPv6 addressesRenewal of leased addresses before lease...
Dhcpcd image
Pdnsd icon

Pdnsd

Pdnsd is a proxy Domain Name System (DNS) server designed to provide enhanced DNS services and improved performance compared to traditional DNS servers like BIND. Some key features of Pdnsd include:Caching - Pdnsd has an advanced cache to improve DNS lookup performance by storing DNS record responses.Filtering - It can...
CoreDNS icon

CoreDNS

CoreDNS is an open source, pluggable DNS server that provides DNS services by chaining plugins. It is developed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation.Some key features and benefits of CoreDNS include:Lightweight and fast - Built with performance in mind using Go, it provides low memory usage and high throughput.Flexibility -...
CoreDNS image