Hetzner DNS review
A free managed DNS service with secondary zones, broad records, and automation integrations.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Hetzner DNS provides hosted primary and secondary DNS zone management through Hetzner Console and a REST API. It suits teams that want to manage records directly or automate DNS changes through APIs and infrastructure tools. The Free plan includes DNS zones and records, Console management, and REST API access; Hetzner states that DNS management is free of charge. Supported records include A, AAAA, CAA, CNAME, DS, HTTPS, MX, NS, SOA, SRV, SVCB, TLSA, and TXT, among other supported types.
Automation and organization are central strengths. BIND-compatible zone-file import can bring existing zone data into the service, while secondary zones synchronize through AXFR/IXFR. Teams can organize zones by project, use scoped API tokens for access control, and apply optional protection to zones and RRsets. Record comments and labels add context for ongoing administration. Integrations include hcloud CLI, hcloud-go, hcloud-python, Terraform, Ansible, external-dns, and cert-manager, making it a fit for infrastructure-as-code and cloud-native workflows. Buyers seeking a managed DNS interface outside this ecosystem may prefer a provider whose tooling better matches their existing environment.
The main trade-off is capability scope: Hetzner Console does not support DNSSEC, and health checks and traffic steering are not part of the described feature set. That makes Hetzner DNS a practical choice for teams prioritizing free authoritative or secondary DNS, API access, and automation over those controls. Its single advertised Free plan keeps the pricing model straightforward, but buyers who require DNSSEC or active traffic-management features should consider another service. It is best suited to technical teams comfortable managing zones through Console, API, or supported integrations.
Hetzner DNS pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free primary and secondary DNS with AXFR/IXFR synchronization
- REST API, BIND-compatible imports, and broad record-type support
- Integrates with Terraform, Ansible, external-dns, and cert-manager
- Where it doesn't
- Hetzner Console does not support DNSSEC
- Zone and record management is centered on Hetzner Console and API
- No health checks or traffic steering are described
Hetzner DNS fact sheet, pricing and score →
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