GRC DNS Benchmark review
A focused DNS benchmarking utility for comparing resolver performance from your network.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
GRC DNS Benchmark is a desktop utility for comparing DNS resolvers from a user's own network location. It measures cached, uncached, and dot-com lookup performance, reports reliability and lost queries, checks DNSSEC authentication, and examines behaviors such as error redirection and DNS rebinding protection. It is aimed at network administrators, technically inclined users, and anyone choosing between DNS resolvers. Version 2 supports Windows, Linux/Wine, and Mac/Wine, while the published product information describes both a free v1 freeware edition and a paid v2 commercial edition.
Its main strength is diagnostic depth within a focused DNS use case. The application can compare built-in, system-configured, and custom resolver lists, with support for up to 500 resolvers at once. Results include charts and tables, and the benchmark covers conventional IPv4 and IPv6 resolvers alongside DNS over HTTPS and DNS over TLS. That combination makes it useful when speed alone is not enough and reliability, DNSSEC authentication, or resolver behavior also matters.
For repeatable workflows, GRC DNS Benchmark adds CSV export, unattended command-line operation, and custom fastest-resolver lists. These features suit reporting, scripted comparisons, and follow-up configuration work. The tradeoff is its narrow scope and desktop-oriented delivery: it is a DNS resolver benchmarking tool rather than a broad network monitoring suite, and the results describe conditions from the network location running the benchmark. Choose it for detailed resolver comparison and DNS-specific checks; choose an alternative if you need wider infrastructure monitoring or a non-desktop service.
GRC DNS Benchmark pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Compares up to 500 resolvers with cached and uncached lookups
- Covers DNSSEC, IPv4, IPv6, DoH, and DoT resolvers
- Exports CSV results and supports unattended command-line operation
- Where it doesn't
- Desktop-focused deployment limits it to Windows, Linux/Wine, and Mac/Wine
- Results reflect the network location where the benchmark runs
- The free v1 and paid v2 editions provide different product versions
GRC DNS Benchmark fact sheet, pricing and score →
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