30 open-source projects similar to hickory-dns/hickory-dns, ranked by shared indexed features. Tags may describe platforms or build tools rather than the same primary purpose. Check each project’s use case, license, and deployment requirements before treating it as a replacement.
DnsServer is a recursive and authoritative DNS server that provides domain name resolution and zone hosting. It functions as both a recursive resolver, performing iterative lookups across the internet, and an authoritative manager for primary and secondary DNS zones. The system distinguishes itself through high-availability clustering and a programmable HTTP API for automating server configurations and bulk record management. It supports a wide range of encrypted transport protocols, including TLS, HTTPS, and QUIC, and allows for custom functionality via a plugin-based request interception fr
This project is a Go DNS library used for implementing DNS clients and servers. It provides a toolkit for packet exchange, record parsing, and the development of custom nameservers. The library includes a DNS server framework and a zone manager for parsing standard zone files and synchronizing data via zone transfers. It features a dedicated DNSSEC implementation library for generating cryptographic keys and validating signatures, as well as a TLS transport for encrypted connections between clients and servers. The system covers a broad range of capabilities including DNS resolver functional
PowerDNS is DNS server software used for serving authoritative and recursive DNS records. It functions as both an authoritative DNS server, providing definitive records for specific domains from trusted databases, and a recursive DNS resolver that finds answers for any domain by iteratively querying external servers. The project distinguishes itself through a backend-abstraction layer that decouples server logic from data storage, allowing records to be served from SQL databases, zone files, and external APIs. It includes a geo-aware DNS router to direct users to the nearest server based on t
Unbound is a DNS resolver that functions as a caching, recursive, and validating server. It translates domain names into IP addresses by performing independent lookups across the internet or by forwarding queries to external resolvers. The project distinguishes itself as a programmable DNS server, offering a Python scripting interface and dynamic shared-library loading to customize the resolution pipeline. It also serves as a DNS64 NAT64 gateway, synthesizing IPv6 addresses from IPv4 records to enable communication for IPv6-only clients. The system includes security frameworks for DNSSEC cry
doggo is a multi-protocol DNS lookup client, performance analyzer, and diagnostic troubleshooting tool. It functions as a command-line utility for performing DNS queries across various transport protocols, including UDP, TCP, HTTPS, TLS, and QUIC. The project distinguishes itself through a focus on secure and distributed resolution. It implements encrypted DNS standards such as DNS over HTTPS, DNS over QUIC, and DNSCrypt, and provides DNSSEC validation to verify chains of trust for signed domains. Additionally, it can execute queries from global geographic locations via an external API to ana
Twisted is an event-driven networking engine for Python that provides a framework for building asynchronous network applications. At its core, it uses a reactor-based event loop to drive all input and output, dispatching callbacks in a single thread without blocking. The library implements a deferred promise chain for composing asynchronous logic, along with a protocol and factory pattern that separates connection state management from protocol handling, enabling reusable handlers for different network protocols. The framework supports multiple event loops across platforms, including select,
dnsguide is a software implementation of the DNS protocol designed to handle queries and responses between clients and nameservers. It functions as a recursive DNS server and network service tool for managing the resolution of domain names within local or wide area networks. The project provides a framework for building a custom DNS server, incorporating recursive resolution logic and stub resolver integration to translate hostnames into IP addresses. It is designed for implementing the DNS protocol from scratch to facilitate network protocol learning and custom name resolution. The implemen
Tenta DNS is a recursive and authoritative domain name server implementation written in Go. It provides secure network resolution services by translating human-readable domain names into machine addresses while enforcing cryptographic standards to ensure data privacy and authenticity. The software distinguishes itself through a focus on secure transport and integrity verification. It utilizes encrypted tunnels for upstream communication to prevent eavesdropping and incorporates a validation engine to verify digital signatures on resource records. To manage global traffic, the system supports
SmartDNS is a local recursive DNS resolver and server that manages granular query rules, dual-stack networking, and encrypted gateway proxying. It functions as a DNS traffic filter and DNS64 translator, allowing IPv6-only clients to communicate with IPv4 servers. The project distinguishes itself through parallel upstream querying, which sends requests to multiple servers simultaneously to return the response with the lowest network latency. It supports DNS server virtualization, enabling the operation of multiple independent server instances on different ports, each with its own configuration
Dog is a command-line interface tool and network diagnostic utility used for querying DNS records and resolving domain names. It functions as a DNS query tool for retrieving domain information across various network transport protocols. The tool supports multi-protocol DNS transmission, allowing queries to be sent over UDP, TCP, TLS, and HTTPS. This enables secure DNS communication via encrypted channels to protect privacy and prevent interception. Capabilities include DNS query troubleshooting, record analysis, and network protocol testing to verify name server connectivity. The system prov
DietPi is an ultra-lightweight Debian distribution and software platform purpose-built for single-board computers. It provides a minimal operating system that strips away unnecessary services to reduce CPU and RAM usage, and includes a curated software catalogue of pre-optimised applications that can be installed with a single command. The system reads a plain-text configuration file before first boot to perform unattended OS and software installation, and offers a web interface for remote system administration. What distinguishes DietPi is its comprehensive, integrated approach to turning a
This project provides a containerized DNS sinkhole and network-wide traffic filtering solution. It functions as a central network resolver that intercepts domain queries, allowing users to block advertisements, trackers, and malicious domains by returning null responses to connected devices. The platform distinguishes itself through its integrated DHCP server and comprehensive management capabilities, which allow for automated IP address allocation and granular control over network traffic. It supports complex filtering through regular expression matching, hierarchical rule prioritization, an
Blocky is a stateless DNS proxy that functions as a network-wide ad-blocker and content filter. It operates as a single binary or Docker container with no database or persistent state, accepting DNS queries over UDP, TCP, HTTPS, TLS, QUIC, and HTTP/3 through a unified plugin-based query pipeline. The core of the system is a client-group policy engine that assigns devices to named groups and applies per-group blocklists, allowlists, and upstream resolvers, with all configuration changes applied through hot-reloading without requiring a restart. The project distinguishes itself through its modu
This project is a curated collection of deployment files and configurations for hosting a wide variety of open-source services on a home server. It primarily utilizes Docker and Docker Compose to automate the orchestration, lifecycle management, and deployment of containerized applications. The repository provides a comprehensive suite for self-hosted infrastructure, covering network management tools, media streaming, and home automation. It includes specialized configurations for securing internal services via reverse proxies, WireGuard VPN tunnels, and automated SSL/TLS certificate manageme
Nuclei is a modular security scanning framework designed for automated vulnerability detection and infrastructure reconnaissance. It functions as a template-driven engine that executes security checks across diverse network protocols, allowing users to define custom detection logic to identify vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and exposed assets. The platform distinguishes itself through its highly extensible architecture, which supports distributed scanning, headless browser automation for dynamic web content, and out-of-band interaction monitoring to detect blind vulnerabilities. It integ
This repository is a technical documentation site and a collection of guides and references for implementing networking, security, and cloud infrastructure services. It functions as a static-site generated portal and a headless content platform, separating source files from the presentation layer to enable flexible rendering. The project utilizes markdown-based documentation stored in a version-controlled Git repository. It provides specialized technical content including an AI platform documentation for building agents and managing inference, a cloud infrastructure guide for DNS and CDN conf
CoreDNS is a modular domain name system server designed for cloud-native environments. It functions as a flexible DNS resolver and forwarder that manages network traffic by routing queries based on zone-based rules and authoritative data. The server is built to integrate with service discovery systems, enabling it to map service names to network addresses within containerized infrastructure. The project is defined by a plugin-based request pipeline that allows for the extension of server functionality through custom modules. These plugins can intercept, modify, or log network requests in real
This project is an open-source software development kit and framework for implementing the Matter smart home standard. It provides a universal IPv6-based application layer and a cluster-based data model to ensure interoperability between diverse smart home devices and controllers. The system is distinguished by its multi-transport network abstraction, which maps Bluetooth LE, Thread, and Wi-Fi implementations to a common layer. It includes specialized tooling for secure device commissioning via QR codes and NFC, as well as a comprehensive over-the-air firmware update system for distributing s
This project is a collection of Linux server automation scripts designed to automate the installation and configuration of core server software. It provides specialized tools for deploying proxy servers, configuring DNS servers, managing container infrastructure, and optimizing the Linux kernel. The automation suite distinguishes itself by integrating geo-restriction bypass capabilities via proxy protocols and implementing advanced network tuning, such as enabling BBR congestion control to improve throughput and latency. It also features distribution-aware automation that detects CPU architec
dnsmasq-china-list is a configuration generator and a set of DNS filter and routing lists. It converts curated domain lists into configuration files for dnsmasq to optimize regional name resolution and direct specific domain requests to regional servers. The project focuses on reducing latency and avoiding DNS hijacking for users in China by routing traffic through regional servers and directing requests to the nearest content delivery network nodes. It also provides rules to block malicious domains and advertisements by returning failure responses to prevent network injection. The system ma
GitHub520 is a DNS resolution accelerator and hosts file optimizer that provides curated sets of IP addresses to bypass slow or broken DNS lookups. It specifically functions as a GitHub hosts resolver, providing optimized mappings to resolve connectivity issues and improve loading speeds for GitHub services. The project automates the process of improving network performance by fetching current IP address mappings from remote text or JSON endpoints. It modifies the local operating system hosts file to override default DNS resolution, which helps resolve slow connection speeds and image loading
Findomain is a subdomain discovery tool and DNS resolver used for mapping an organization's external attack surface. It functions as a DNS infrastructure analyzer that searches for registered subdomains associated with a root domain to uncover undocumented infrastructure and services. The project includes an attack surface monitor that tracks changes to subdomains over time, using differential state monitoring to identify newly created or deleted assets. It provides real-time alerting via webhooks when changes in the monitored domain surface are detected. The system performs high-speed DNS r
Devilbox is a containerized development environment that provides a reproducible suite of web servers, databases, and language runtimes managed through a unified configuration. It functions as a Docker-based local development stack for LAMP and MEAN software stacks and as a manager for switching between different versions of these services to match specific project requirements. The system distinguishes itself by automating local network orchestration. It includes a Docker-based virtual host manager that automatically maps local directories to custom domains and a local DNS and SSL orchestrat
Wirehole is a containerized network stack that integrates a WireGuard VPN server with recursive DNS resolution and sinkhole-based advertisement filtering. It bundles these interdependent services into a single managed environment using a compose-based deployment. The system enables network-wide ad blocking and tracker filtering by intercepting DNS queries via a sinkhole. It implements recursive DNS resolution to resolve domain names independently of external upstream providers and provides a web-based interface for managing VPN client peers and keys. Additional capabilities include split-tun
This project is a technical educational guide focused on browser architecture and the internal processes used to render web pages. It provides a detailed breakdown of the web request lifecycle, from the initial networking phase to the final visual output on a screen. The guide covers specific technical sequences including the DNS resolution process across browser, operating system, and ISP caches, and the establishment of secure connections through the TLS handshake. It also details the communication flow between clients and servers using the HTTP protocol and server-side request handling. T
Kubo is a peer-to-peer implementation of the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) designed for decentralized data storage and content delivery. It uses content-addressing, directed acyclic graphs, and distributed hash tables to identify, distribute, and retrieve data across a network without relying on central servers. The project differentiates itself by providing a virtual filesystem via FUSE, which maps decentralized network namespaces to local operating system directories for direct file access. It also includes integrated HTTP gateways that translate peer-to-peer content into standard web t
Glider is a multi-protocol forward proxy, transparent proxy gateway, and network service provider. It functions as a DNS and DHCP server, a Linux IP set manager, and a network traffic load balancer. The project distinguishes itself through a protocol-translation bridge that translates traffic between different proxy schemes and a chain-based routing system that sequences multiple remote proxy servers. It supports transparent traffic interception at the system level and utilizes build-time protocol stripping to minimize the binary size of the executable. The system covers a broad range of net
This project is a DNS privacy proxy and resolver that functions as a local bridge, converting plaintext DNS traffic into encrypted requests. It acts as a client for DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS protocols to prevent interception and spoofing of network requests. The system implements network privacy hardening by routing domain lookups through secure tunnels, which reduces the amount of plain text data leaked to internet service providers. It utilizes a profile-based connection management system to map security profiles to specific encrypted endpoints, preventing DNS hijacking and man-in-the
dnscrypt-proxy is an anonymizing DNS proxy and encrypted DNS resolver. It acts as a local DNS forwarder that secures internet lookups by wrapping standard DNS queries in encrypted tunnels using the DNSCrypt and DNS-over-HTTPS protocols to prevent eavesdropping and tampering. The project provides network privacy protection by routing DNS requests through anonymized relays to obfuscate the client's original IP address. It further distinguishes itself through traffic management capabilities, such as mapping specific domains to designated resolvers and distributing queries across multiple servers
dnsproxy is an encrypted DNS proxy and traffic router that translates and forwards DNS requests between clients and upstream resolvers. It functions as a server for multiple secure protocols, including DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, DNS-over-QUIC, and DNSCrypt, to protect queries from eavesdropping and tampering. The project differentiates itself through advanced routing and optimization capabilities. It utilizes a domain-based routing engine to direct queries to specific upstream servers via wildcard rules and employs parallel querying to return responses from the fastest responding network a