Cloudflare DNS
Cloudflare DNS: Free authoritative DNS with advanced steering and failover through a separate add-on. Ranked #1 of 23 in Anycast DNS Services by our editors (9.4/10); pricing: Free plan; best for teams seeking managed anycast DNS and API automation.
At a glance
- Editor score9.4 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forTeams seeking managed anycast DNS and API automation
- Free planYes
- Paid from$20/mo
- Founded2009 · San Francisco, CA
- Facts checked19 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Free plan includes DNS and authoritative record management
- Supports DNSSEC, CNAME flattening, and DNS analytics
- API automation plus Terraform and Ansible integrations
Where it doesn't
- Health checks and traffic steering require the Load Balancing add-on
- Secondary DNS is available to Enterprise customers
- Pro and Business are billed annually at their listed prices
Our verdict on Cloudflare DNS
Cloudflare DNS provides authoritative DNS hosting and record management, serving responses through Cloudflare’s global network. It is suited to teams that want managed anycast DNS, DNSSEC, analytics, and API automation, with a free plan available for DNS. The service is accessible through web and API interfaces, and supports CNAME flattening as well as multi-signer DNSSEC. Its breadth makes it relevant to organizations that need more than basic record management, though some advanced routing capabilities sit outside DNS itself.
The published plans show Free at $0 per month, Pro at $20 per month billed annually (or $25 per month billed monthly), and Business at $200 per month billed annually (or $250 per month billed monthly). Each lists DNS as included. Contract has custom pricing. Cloudflare DNS is advertised as free; the paid plans combine DNS with other Cloudflare plan features. Buyers should compare the plan terms to their wider Cloudflare requirements rather than assume a paid DNS tier is required for authoritative hosting.
For traffic steering and failover, Cloudflare offers health monitors and geographic or dynamic steering through Load Balancing, a separate add-on that integrates with DNS. That distinction matters for teams comparing the core DNS service with a complete traffic-management setup. Secondary DNS via AXFR and IXFR zone transfers is available to Enterprise customers. Terraform and Ansible integrations, alongside API-based automation, suit infrastructure workflows. Choose Cloudflare DNS for managed authoritative DNS with automation and room to add routing; teams requiring health-based routing should account for the separate Load Balancing add-on, while those needing secondary DNS should review Enterprise eligibility.
Your product? Our editors can test Cloudflare DNS in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Cloudflare DNS pricing
All 4 Cloudflare DNS plans and prices →
Cloudflare DNS fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $20/mo |
| Anycast locations | Not verified |
| DNSSEC signing | Yes |
| Geo-based steering | Not verified |
| DNS health checks | Yes |
| Secondary DNS | Yes |
| API access | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web |
| Integrations | 2 integrations: Terraform, Ansible |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | cloudflare.com |
| Facts checked | 19 Sep 2026 |
Cloudflare DNS integrations
Cloudflare DNS lists 2 integrations on its own site.
- Terraform
- Ansible
Alternatives to Cloudflare DNS
- Gcore Managed DNSAffordable Anycast DNS with routing, health checks, DNSSEC, and automation integrations.9.2
- Alibaba Cloud DNSA low-cost entry point to advanced DNS routing, health checks, and automation.9.0
- ClouDNSLow-cost managed DNS with Anycast, traffic steering, failover, and API access.8.9
See all Cloudflare DNS alternatives →
Cloudflare DNS vs the competition
- Cloudflare DNS vs Gcore Managed DNS
- Cloudflare DNS vs Alibaba Cloud DNS
- Cloudflare DNS vs ClouDNS
- Cloudflare DNS vs IBM NS1 Connect
- Cloudflare DNS vs Akamai Edge DNS
- Cloudflare DNS vs DNScale
Compare Cloudflare DNS with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Cloudflare DNS is ranked in 2 of our directories.
Used Cloudflare DNS? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Cloudflare DNS for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears
Featured on iTechGuides
Cloudflare DNS is listed in our Anycast DNS Services directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/cloudflare-dns/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/cloudflare-dns.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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.
Last updated · How we research and update