Hurricane Electric Hosted DNS review
A free, web-based DNS host with IPv4/IPv6 reverse zones, slave DNS, and dynamic updates.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Hurricane Electric Hosted DNS is a web-based service for managing forward and reverse DNS zones, suited to domain operators who want free hosting and need IPv4 and IPv6 support. The Free DNS plan includes multiple domains per account, slave DNS, and dynamic updates. Its scope is notably practical for users who manage reverse zones as well as ordinary hostname records, rather than only basic forward DNS.
Record support covers A, AAAA, ALIAS, CNAME, CAA, MX, NS, TXT, SRV, and other types. The service supports IPv4 and native IPv6 queries, IPv4 and IPv6 reverse-zone management, and geographically diverse nameservers. For secondary DNS workflows, it supports AXFR and NOTIFY. Delegation sanity checking and syntax checking add validation around zone configuration. Dynamic A, AAAA, and TXT updates are available through HTTP GET and POST endpoints, and ddclient is listed as an integration.
The service is free, with no paid tiers described. Its access model is web-based, so teams seeking a command-line interface or a broader platform may prefer another provider. DNSSEC is described as an upcoming feature being explored, while health checks and traffic-steering options are not part of the described offering. That makes Hurricane Electric Hosted DNS a fit for cost-conscious operators who value reverse DNS, IPv6, slave zones, and straightforward dynamic updates; it is less suited to buyers who require DNSSEC or advanced routing and monitoring capabilities.
Hurricane Electric Hosted DNS pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Manages forward and IPv4/IPv6 reverse DNS zones
- Supports slave DNS using AXFR and NOTIFY
- Offers dynamic A, AAAA, and TXT updates via HTTP
- Where it doesn't
- Web-only access may not suit command-line workflows
- DNSSEC is described as an upcoming feature
- No health checks or traffic-steering options
Hurricane Electric Hosted DNS fact sheet, pricing and score →
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