PowerDNS-Admin vs PowerDNS ZoneControl

PAPowerDNS-Admin8.9Visit PowerDNS ZoneControl8.1Visit

Higher score PA PowerDNS-Admin #2 in DNS Management Software 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit PowerDNS-Admin

vs

PowerDNS ZoneControl #8 in DNS Management Software 8.1/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 5 features Visit PowerDNS

• PowerDNS-Admin fits best

  Free PowerDNS administration with SSO

• PowerDNS ZoneControl fits best

  PowerDNS enterprises needing audited workflows

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Side by side

Feature	PAPowerDNS-Admin 8.9/10 Visit ↗	PowerDNS ZoneControl 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.1
Ranking	#2 in DNS Management Software	#8 in DNS Management Software
Best for	Free PowerDNS administration with SSO	PowerDNS enterprises needing audited workflows
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$9,800/yr
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Docs
Integrations	9 integrations	4 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features PowerDNS-Admin 4/5 · PowerDNS ZoneControl 4/5
DNSSEC management	✓	✓
DNS management API	✓	✓
Role-based access	✓	✓
Audit logs	✓	✓
Traffic steering	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Authoritative zones	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Records per zone	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Forward and reverse zone management with templates RBAC, zone-specific access control, and activity logging SAML, LDAP, OAuth, TOTP, DNSSEC, and API support	Centralizes DNS zone management across multiple PowerDNS servers Combines DNSSEC, RBAC, version history, rollback, and auditability Provides scheduled changes, REST API access, and zone exports
Cons	Focused on PowerDNS Authoritative Server Requires self-hosted deployment Administration depends on configuring the underlying PowerDNS environment	Starts at $9,800 per year with no free plan Designed specifically for PowerDNS Authoritative Server environments Listed plan highlights are the same across Basic, Advanced, and Pro
Our verdict	PowerDNS-Admin is a self-hosted web interface for managing PowerDNS Authoritative Server. It is intended for teams that need browser-based administration of forward and reverse DNS zones, with controls for shared access and operational… Read the review →	PowerDNS ZoneControl is a commercial, web-based administration interface for PowerDNS Authoritative Servers. It is designed for organizations managing DNS zones across multiple servers, including primary, secondary, consumer, and producer… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• PowerDNS-Admin — where it wins

  • Forward and reverse zone management with templates
  • RBAC, zone-specific access control, and activity logging
  • SAML, LDAP, OAuth, TOTP, DNSSEC, and API support

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on PowerDNS Authoritative Server
  • Requires self-hosted deployment
  • Administration depends on configuring the underlying PowerDNS environment

• PowerDNS ZoneControl — where it wins

  • Centralizes DNS zone management across multiple PowerDNS servers
  • Combines DNSSEC, RBAC, version history, rollback, and auditability
  • Provides scheduled changes, REST API access, and zone exports

  Where it doesn't

  • Starts at $9,800 per year with no free plan
  • Designed specifically for PowerDNS Authoritative Server environments
  • Listed plan highlights are the same across Basic, Advanced, and Pro

• PAPowerDNS-Admin8.9/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source PowerDNS console with access controls, DNSSEC, logs, and SSO.

  Visit PowerDNS-AdminFull verdict →
• PowerDNS ZoneControl8.1/10 · Paid

  A centralized PowerDNS control layer with audited workflows, DNSSEC, and RBAC.

  Visit PowerDNSFull verdict →