ClouDNS vs BuddyNS

ClouDNS9.4Visit BuddyNS8.9Visit

Higher score ClouDNS #1 in Secondary DNS Services 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit ClouDNS

vs

BuddyNS #4 in Secondary DNS Services 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit BuddyNS

• ClouDNS fits best

  Broad secondary DNS with automation

• BuddyNS fits best

  Affordable AXFR secondary DNS

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	ClouDNS 9.4/10 Visit ↗	BuddyNS 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.9
Ranking	#1 in Secondary DNS Services	#4 in Secondary DNS Services
Best for	Broad secondary DNS with automation	Affordable AXFR secondary DNS
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$2.95/mo (best)	$3/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Features ClouDNS 2/4 · BuddyNS 2/4
Health checks	✓	✓
DNSSEC support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
API access	✓	✓
IPv6 support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Transfer protocols	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Zone limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Secondary nameservers	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Secondary DNS with Anycast, DNSSEC, monitoring, and backups GeoDNS, failover checks, and advanced traffic routing API access with WHMCS, Terraform, OctoDNS, and SAML SSO	Free secondary DNS replication with commercial use permitted REST API, health checks, SyncNOW, IPv6, and notifications Anycast, DNSSEC, MFA, and DDoS protection on higher tiers
Cons	The Free DNS plan supports only 1 DNS zone and 50 DNS records Paid plans begin at Premium S, with 5 DNS zones and 1 failover check Plan capacity jumps from 400 zones on Premium L to unlimited on Enterprise	Anycast and DNSSEC start at the Astronaut plan Advanced support and infrastructure require higher-tier plans Enterprise pricing is substantially higher than Pro and Astronaut
Our verdict	ClouDNS is a managed DNS platform for businesses and organizations that host and route domain traffic. It combines web-based DNS zone and record management with Anycast DNS, GeoDNS, DNS failover checks, DNSSEC, secondary DNS, monitoring,… Read the review →	BuddyNS provides secondary DNS replication from an existing primary DNS server using AXFR and related DNS mechanisms. It is aimed at individuals, small businesses, organizations, ISPs, and enterprises that need authoritative DNS continuity… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• ClouDNS — where it wins

  • Secondary DNS with Anycast, DNSSEC, monitoring, and backups
  • GeoDNS, failover checks, and advanced traffic routing
  • API access with WHMCS, Terraform, OctoDNS, and SAML SSO

  Where it doesn't

  • The Free DNS plan supports only 1 DNS zone and 50 DNS records
  • Paid plans begin at Premium S, with 5 DNS zones and 1 failover check
  • Plan capacity jumps from 400 zones on Premium L to unlimited on Enterprise

• BuddyNS — where it wins

  • Free secondary DNS replication with commercial use permitted
  • REST API, health checks, SyncNOW, IPv6, and notifications
  • Anycast, DNSSEC, MFA, and DDoS protection on higher tiers

  Where it doesn't

  • Anycast and DNSSEC start at the Astronaut plan
  • Advanced support and infrastructure require higher-tier plans
  • Enterprise pricing is substantially higher than Pro and Astronaut

• ClouDNS9.4/10 · Free plan

  A broad secondary DNS service with automation, routing, monitoring, and API access.

  Visit ClouDNSFull verdict →
• BuddyNS8.9/10 · Free plan

  A low-cost AXFR secondary DNS service with a useful free tier and scalable upgrades.

  Visit BuddyNSFull verdict →