PowerDNS-AuthAdmin vs Simple DNS Plus

PowerDNS-AuthAdmin8.6Visit Simple DNS Plus8.5Visit

Higher score PowerDNS-AuthAdmin #5 in DNS Management Software 8.6/10 Open source ✓ 4 of 5 features Visit site

vs

Simple DNS Plus #6 in DNS Management Software 8.5/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 5 features Try Simple DNS Plus

• PowerDNS-AuthAdmin fits best

  PowerDNS teams needing detailed change controls

• Simple DNS Plus fits best

  Windows teams managing multiple DNS zones

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	PowerDNS-AuthAdmin 8.6/10 Visit ↗	Simple DNS Plus 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	8.5
Ranking	#5 in DNS Management Software	#6 in DNS Management Software
Best for	PowerDNS teams needing detailed change controls	Windows teams managing multiple DNS zones
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Open source	$69/unit one-time
Free plan	Not checked yet	—
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms	Web	Windows
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Docs, Community
Integrations	5 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features PowerDNS-AuthAdmin 4/5 · Simple DNS Plus 3/5
DNSSEC management	✓	✓
DNS management API	✓	✓
Role-based access	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Audit logs	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Traffic steering	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Authoritative zones	Not checked yet	5 zones
Records per zone	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Manages standalone, primary-secondary, and multi-primary PowerDNS setups Combines RBAC, OIDC SSO, scoped API tokens, and audit logs Adds DNSSEC controls, change diffs, probes, metrics, and health endpoints	Authoritative and recursive DNS with caching in one server DNSSEC, encrypted DNS, GeoDNS, logging and version control REST/JSON API, remote management and Windows Server Core support
Cons	Requires self-hosted deployment and operational ownership Focused on PowerDNS Authoritative rather than broad DNS platforms No AI features for assisted administration or automation	Windows-only platform coverage No free plan; evaluation is limited to 14 days Perpetual licenses include one year of free upgrade protection
Our verdict	PowerDNS-AuthAdmin is a self-hosted web application for managing one or more PowerDNS Authoritative backends. It suits teams that need controlled administration across standalone primaries, primary-secondary groups, or multi-primary… Read the review →	Simple DNS Plus is a self-hosted authoritative and recursive DNS server for Windows. It is designed for administrators who need to host domains, manage zones and records, run primary or secondary DNS servers, or resolve and cache external… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• PowerDNS-AuthAdmin — where it wins

  • Manages standalone, primary-secondary, and multi-primary PowerDNS setups
  • Combines RBAC, OIDC SSO, scoped API tokens, and audit logs
  • Adds DNSSEC controls, change diffs, probes, metrics, and health endpoints

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires self-hosted deployment and operational ownership
  • Focused on PowerDNS Authoritative rather than broad DNS platforms
  • No AI features for assisted administration or automation

• Simple DNS Plus — where it wins

  • Authoritative and recursive DNS with caching in one server
  • DNSSEC, encrypted DNS, GeoDNS, logging and version control
  • REST/JSON API, remote management and Windows Server Core support

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows-only platform coverage
  • No free plan; evaluation is limited to 14 days
  • Perpetual licenses include one year of free upgrade protection

• PowerDNS-AuthAdmin8.6/10 · Open source

  Detailed PowerDNS control with RBAC, DNSSEC, audit trails, and cluster visibility.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• Simple DNS Plus8.5/10 · 14-day trial

  A low-cost Windows DNS server with broad administration and security features.

  Try Simple DNS PlusFull verdict →