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BASE PRODUCT

PowerDNS DNSdist

High-performance DNS traffic management built for security, resilience, and scale.

PowerDNS DNSdist is a high-performance, DNS-aware proxy and load balancer designed to optimize and protect DNS traffic for service providers, network operators, and enterprises. Deployed in front of recursive or authoritative DNS servers, DNSdist intelligently distributes incoming queries, improves availability and performance, and adds a powerful layer of security and encryption to your DNS infrastructure.


Load balancing

Intelligently distribute DNS traffic across available backends to improve performance, resilience, and availability.


Caching

Accelerate DNS responses and reduce backend load with high-performance packet caching.


 Encryption

Protect DNS traffic with support for modern encrypted DNS protocols, including DoT, DoH, DoQ and DoH3.


Protection

Secure your DNS infrastructure against abusive and malicious traffic with flexible filtering, rate limiting, and traffic controls.

FOUR PILLARS OF DNS TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Load balancing

DNSdist is a uniquely powerful DNS proxy that provides DNS-aware load balancing through a variety of high-availability and traffic distribution techniques.

Its primary goal is to route traffic to the most suitable server, ensuring top performance for legitimate users. Today, hundreds of millions of internet users worldwide benefit from its optimized performance and fast content delivery.

Caching

Encryption

Protection

Everything You Need for High-Performance DNS Traffic Management

PowerDNS DNSdist provides the capabilities you need to build fast, resilient, and secure DNS services, including:

  • DNS-aware load balancing
  • Multiple load balancing policies
  • Active backend health checking
  • High-performance packet caching
  • DNS over TLS (DoT)
  • DNS over HTTPS (DoH)
  • DNS over QUIC (DoQ)
  • DNS over HTTP/3 (DoH3)
  • Flexible rules and actions
  • Simple YAML configuration
  • Lua scripting and customization
  • Detailed statistics and operational visibility
  • Deployable in front of PowerDNS Recursor or Authoritative Server
  • Usable with non-PowerDNS solutions
  • Able to run directly on CPE
Download product sheet View documentation

Why Commercial PowerDNS?

Open source is in our DNA. Commercial expertise is our promise.

When DNS is critical to your business, you need more than software. You need a partner who understands the technology, the architecture, and the operational challenges behind it.

PowerDNS solutions enhance our open source products with access to commercial add-ons, support and the people who build and maintain the software.

Commercial Products

Access enterprise features designed for service providers, network operators, hosting companies, and large enterprises.

Early Security Patches

Keep your DNS infrastructure protected with early access to security patches before public release.

Long-Term Maintenance

Plan upgrades and lifecycle management with confidence and keep your DNS infrastructure maintainable over time.

Training and Consulting

Build internal expertise with professional services and training tailored to your team and infrastructure.

Professional Support

Get professional support backed by clearly defined, strong service levels for your production environment.

Direct Access to PowerDNS Experts

Work with engineers who understand PowerDNS at its core and can help diagnose complex technical issues.

Architecture Guidance

Design resilient, scalable DNS environments with guidance based on real-world deployments.

Enhance DNSdist with Powerful Product Extensions.

PowerDNS

DNSdist Defender

 Add advanced DNS threat protection to detect and mitigate DNS tunneling, data exfiltration, DDoS attacks, command-and-control traffic, and other DNS-based threats.

Discover
DNSdist Defender

PowerDNS

Protect

Protect subscribers with cost-efficient network-based
security and parental controls based on flexible and intelligent DNS filtering.



Learn about
Protect

PowerDNS

dstore

Turn DNS events into actionable insights
by processing, distributing, reporting, and investigating
data across your PowerDNS infrastructure.


Check out
dstore

PowerDNS

Cloud Control

Step into the world of cloud-native DNS: Manage your entire PowerDNS deployment from a centralized cloud-native control plane.



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Cloud Control

Ready to take control of your DNS traffic?