Best Managed DNS Solutions
Managed DNS providers offer a cloud-based solution for managing your domain name system (DNS). It delivers computing power to customers and facilitates their web-based traffic. These providers pool datacenter resources to power traffic across numerous customer websites, applications, and networks. Users access a web-based dashboard or desktop application that allows them to control DNS traffic to prevent failover, authenticate visitors, and manage DNS data. Some Managed DNS services offer security features for protection against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
Businesses of all sizes rely on managed DNS solutions to improve website performance, enhance security, and ensure high availability. Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, the best managed DNS providers can help you manage your IT operations and deliver a better user experience.
Managed DNS providers offer various features including a global network to reduce latency and improve website load times, and DNS analytics to gain insights into your DNS traffic and identify potential performance issues.
Many managed DNS providers also serve as domain registrars or provide domain registration services. When not included in a managed DNS offering, these registration services do not allow the same network traffic control capabilities. Instead, they simply enable users to reserve website domains.
Best Managed DNS Providers At A Glance
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- Overview
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- User Satisfaction
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Cloudflare is the connectivity cloud for the "everywhere world," on a mission to help build a better Internet. We provide a unified platform of networking, security, and developer services delivered f
- Web Developer
- Software Engineer
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer Software
- 64% Small-Business
- 26% Mid-Market
223,961 Twitter followers
- Overview
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Amazon Route 53 is a cloud-based Domain Name System (DNS) that help developers and businesses to route end users to Internet applications by translating names like www.example.com into the numeric IP
- Software Engineer
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer Software
- 38% Mid-Market
- 31% Small-Business
2,230,007 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
IBM® NS1 Connect is a managed service for authoritative DNS with internet traffic steering capabilities that empower fast, reliable and secure connections to users anywhere in the world. It is suited
- Computer & Network Security
- Information Technology and Services
- 49% Mid-Market
- 30% Enterprise
710,413 Twitter followers
- Overview
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
The most award-winning and highly-rated WordPress managed hosting, plugin, and reseller platform. Since 2006, WPMU DEV's award-winning WordPress plugins, hosting, world beating support and site manage
- Owner
- CEO
- Marketing and Advertising
- Design
- 96% Small-Business
- 3% Mid-Market
159 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
ClouDNS is the biggest European provider of global Managed DNS services, including GeoDNS, Anycast DNS and DDoS protected DNS. We also offer Monitoring, Domain names and SSL Certificates.
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer & Network Security
- 88% Small-Business
- 11% Mid-Market
1,259 Twitter followers
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- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Azure AD Domain Services provides managed domain services such as domain join, group policy, LDAP, Kerberos/NTLM authentication that are fully compatible with Windows Server Active Directory.
- Information Technology and Services
- 65% Mid-Market
- 21% Enterprise
14,004,734 Twitter followers
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- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Azure DNS allows you to host your DNS domain in Azure, so you can manage your DNS records using the same credentials, billing, and support contract as your other Azure services.
- Information Technology and Services
- 30% Small-Business
- 26% Mid-Market
14,004,734 Twitter followers
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- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
DNSimple helps you manage your Domains and DNS. Simple Domains with registration, transfer and renewal. Simple DNS with Enterprise-grade DNS services for all of our users and Simple SSL to secure your
- Computer Software
- Information Technology and Services
- 75% Small-Business
- 18% Mid-Market
6,211 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
NIOS is the industry-leading on-premises DDI solution of choice for demanding enterprise and carrier needs.
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer & Network Security
- 57% Enterprise
- 30% Mid-Market
11,120 Twitter followers
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- Seller Details
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
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Reliable, resilient, low-latency DNS serving from Google’s worldwide network
- 38% Small-Business
- 13% Enterprise
32,763,567 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
BloxOne™ DDI is the first and only cloud-native DDI solution that simplifies DDI control and management at scale.
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer & Network Security
- 52% Enterprise
- 26% Small-Business
11,120 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
The Worlds Largest and Most Trusted Free Dynamic DNS Provider. Since 1999.
- 54% Small-Business
- 31% Mid-Market
20,246 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Increasing uptime has never been easier. Fastest speeds, highest uptime, highest ROI. We do DNS
- Information Technology and Services
- 64% Small-Business
- 28% Mid-Market
3,069 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Nameshield is a domain name registration service provider.
- 64% Mid-Market
- 27% Small-Business
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Neustar UltraDNS is an enterprise grade, cloud-based authoritative DNS service that securely delivers fast and accurate query responses to ensure users can navigate to vital online assets. Whether you
- 42% Enterprise
- 37% Mid-Market
11,058 Twitter followers
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- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
DNS Manager is a multitenant software automation tool designed to deliver advanced DNS services to hosting providers and businesses and simplify DNS management. DNS Manager helps you build a reliab
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer & Network Security
- 38% Mid-Market
- 38% Small-Business
2,643 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
DNS Made Easy provides support for dynamic IP addresses and the capability to issue instantly propagated IP updates as soon as a change is made.
- 40% Small-Business
- 40% Mid-Market
3,069 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
CloudFloorDNS offers Managed DNS and Domain Portfolio Management services. Powered by a global Anycast DNS network, CloudFloorDNS provides your online business with a fast, 100% uptime DNS network.
- 46% Enterprise
- 38% Small-Business
364 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Home of Proactive Nameservers.
- 69% Mid-Market
- 23% Small-Business
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
PowerDNS offers open source DNS software, services, and support.
- 54% Mid-Market
- 23% Small-Business
2,508 Twitter followers
- Overview
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Gcore DNS is an enterprise-grade managed DNS service, featuring a global Anycast infrastructure, advanced GeoDNS functionality, DevOps tooling, and robust DDoS protection.
- 77% Small-Business
- 23% Mid-Market
3,046 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
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Reliable and stable Dynamic DNS service. - no need to update every 30 days - free service - Use your own 2nd level domain - update IP with API or Windows/Android/Linux client - ipv6 support - add free
- 89% Small-Business
- 11% Mid-Market
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
IPXO is the all-in-one Internet Protocol platform dedicated to simplifying IP address management for businesses. We provide efficient solutions for IP acquisition, management, security, and data intel
- 80% Small-Business
- 10% Enterprise
256 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Register.it offers transfer services and Internet domain name registration, web hosting plans, and virtual and dedicated servers.
- 58% Small-Business
- 33% Enterprise
1,894 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
- 50% Mid-Market
- 33% Small-Business
8 Twitter followers
- Overview
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- User Satisfaction
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- Overview
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
A fast, reliable, and globally accessible DNS hosting service maintained by a team of experts, with amazing capabilities. Managed DNS: Increase the speed, reliability and security of your websites an
- 86% Small-Business
- 14% Mid-Market
37 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Above.com is a domain name investor platform for registering domains, monetizing domains, and buying or selling domains.
- 80% Small-Business
- 20% Mid-Market
3,074 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Constellix is a DNS management and network monitoring service that was developed by DNS Made Easy engineers. Constellix services are specifically designed to manage and optimize multi-cloud and multi-
- 67% Small-Business
- 17% Enterprise
222 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Offers web hosting and mail hosting services and strive to ensure the best security and the highest quality.
- 80% Small-Business
- 20% Mid-Market
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Dyn provides managed DNS for the world largest and most admired web properties and digital brands. Behind this service is one of the largest, fastest, and most resilient DNS networks in the world. Ove
- 60% Mid-Market
- 20% Enterprise
822,809 Twitter followers
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- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Establish Your Web Presence with Reliable & Secure Domain Names from Verisign
- 50% Small-Business
- 31% Mid-Market
43,719 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
QUALITIA DNS hosts your DNS domain in our cloud environment. You can manage your DNS records in web site.
- 50% Enterprise
- 25% Mid-Market
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Akamai DNSi CacheServe has formed the foundation for the world's fastest and most reliable Internet networks by enabling self-defending DNS infrastructure that shields networks and subscribers from cy
- 100% Mid-Market
118,537 Twitter followers
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- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
F5 Distributed Cloud DNS simplifies DNS delivery across multi-cloud environments and modern applications. This SaaS-based primary and secondary authoritative DNS service offers global distribution, DD
- 67% Mid-Market
- 33% Enterprise
1,401 Twitter followers
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- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure DNS is a tool for network resiliency, optimizing global web application performance, and managing traffic across hybrid cloud environments
- 100% Small-Business
- 33% Mid-Market
822,809 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Disruptions come in many forms. At TierPoint, we understand businesses must be ready to handle those disruptions and ensure business continuity. TierPoint offers solutions that minimize data loss and
- 60% Small-Business
- 20% Enterprise
2,743 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Webnames is a domain registrar that provides domain names, hosting, email, web design, SSL certificates and more.
- 67% Small-Business
- 33% Mid-Market
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Alibaba Cloud DNS (Domain Name System) is an authoritative highly available and highly scalable domain name resolution and management service. This product provides enterprises and developers with a s
- 33% Enterprise
- 33% Mid-Market
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Control D is a customizable DNS filtering and traffic redirection platform that leverages Secure DNS protocols like DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-QUIC, with support for Legacy DNS. - Bl
- 75% Small-Business
- 25% Mid-Market
5,530 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Directnic Hosting helps to build a website, with cPanel based hosting has all the tools need to build a website.
- 100% Mid-Market
1,914 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
DomainRacer aims to offer reliable, secure, and affordable hosting solutions for professionals and enterprises. DomainRacer has the following features and benefits: • Unlimited SSD disk space for
- Internet
- Information Technology and Services
- 83% Small-Business
- 20% Mid-Market
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
- 100% Small-Business
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
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Hetzner offers TLDs and professional hosting solutions at fair prices.
- 91% Small-Business
- 9% Mid-Market
33,243 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
- 100% Small-Business
2,297 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Register4Less offers easy registration and management of domains.
- 100% Small-Business
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Safenames specializes in corporate domain portfolio management and online trademark infringement protection services.
- 100% Small-Business
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Fast DNS provides an authoritative DNS service that offloads DNS resolution from your infrastructure to the cloud. Built on the Akamai Intelligent Platform, Fast DNS is architected for both performanc
- 100% Mid-Market
118,537 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Enom® makes it possible for anyone to set up shop online. The trusted platform of tools and services helps new and experienced users establish a compelling online presence and get the most from their
- 84% Small-Business
- 24% Mid-Market
12,349 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
FlexDNS Platform allows you to manage DNS your way. Resellers, Registrars, TLD registry operators, and Corporations can now get a custom DNS solution, made for their unique needs.
- 100% Mid-Market
7,616 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
GeoScaling offers FREE (up to 1 Million DNS Requests per month) managed DNS services with unique features. Redirect your users by Country, AS number, uptime, server load and custom rules, at the DNS l
- 100% Enterprise
57 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
IBM Cloud offers a range of domain management services, such as Domain Name Services, complete with dedicated support staff, knowledgeable customer service and reasonable prices, all delivered over a
- 200% Small-Business
- 100% Mid-Market
710,413 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
High Performance Cloud Servers Grow your business on our high-performance and scalable Cloud Platform with predictable pricing globally.
- 100% Mid-Market
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
OverPlay delivers an open and safer Internet. Access popular websites from any location without third-party tracking using our SmartDNS and VPN services, designed to provide secure, high speed Interne
- 100% Small-Business
2 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
SafeBrands offers registrations in all global TLDs, together with a full monitoring and recovery service.
- 50% Small-Business
735 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Make sure your cloud properties are always available, to all your worldwide users, with global Anycast DNS featuring blazing fast resolutions, near real-time update propagation, and the security-first
- 100% Enterprise
2,366 Twitter followers
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- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
WorldwideDNS provides primary DNS services, secondary DNS services, and dynamic DNS hosting services.
- 100% Small-Business
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Zoneedit is a free service provider of dynamic DNS, managed DNS, and other DNS management and mail-related tools and services.
- 100% Small-Business
456 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Zonomi is a managed DNS hosting service.
- 100% Mid-Market
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
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10 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Abion provides solutions for managing intellectual property rights, domain names, web security, and brand protection.
10 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
AnswerX is built for ISPs that view DNS as more than "the Internet Phone Book." With an advanced architecture and feature set designed to improve response times, AnswerX features a powerful, extensibl
118,537 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Authoritative DNS services are critical to configuring, publishing, and distributing access to IP services (websites, video downloads, email, VOIP, etc.), and they are visible and available to everyon
118,537 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Join the ranks of satisfied American Cloud users and use our free DNS management solution. With an advanced technology stack completely independent from big tech and expert support, we'll help you tak
3,854 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Bishopi offers you 14+ AI-powered domain tools to easily track all domain related metrics. Metrics that ranges from domain age, sales matches all the way to SEO metrics such as CPC and domain authorit
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
It is the mission of BlueOnyx to provide a fully-integrated Internet hosting platform that includes web, email, DNS and file transfer services from a simple, user-friendly web-based interface that is
- 100% Small-Business
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
We are trusted to protect online the brands and intellectual property of some of the world’s largest and most recognizable organizations. We are dedicated to empowering businesses worldwide by providi
610 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
CentralNic Reseller, formerly RRPproxy, is one of the world's leading reseller platforms for domains and internet-related products such as DNS services and SSL certificates. CentralNic Reseller's prod
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Use Cloud Domains to register new domains, transfer existing domains, and manage domains within Google Cloud. Cloud Domains offers easy domain renewal through Cloud Billing, bulk management through th
32,763,567 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
DNS failover automatically updates your DNS upon a failure detection.
364 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Com Laude specializes in domain name management to help businesses manage their domain name portfolio.
1,103 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
CSC has all the solutions a company needs for effective global domain management and protection against cyber crime.
1,358 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Manage and share your domains and DNS zones in a breeze. No more complicated interfaces, no more confusing settings. Just one simple, easy-to-use interface to simplify your DNS management tasks.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
DNS Max gives you complete control over your Internet domain names. Your Internet presence depends on your Internet domain names. You can create DNS records in real time using our web-based DNS contro
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
DNSPod is a technology solution that provides DNS Hosting services.
9,735 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
DNS Unlimited offers the hosting providers and other organizations who want to run their own primary DNS server with the added reliability.
7 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
DurableDNS provides DNS hosting solutions for customers of all sizes.
82 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
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You need to know two things about EBRAND Corporate Domain Management: strategic support and secure portfolios. Our domain experts leverage decades of experience to help you decide which domains to
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
As an ICANN-Accredited Domain Name Registrar, EnCirca supports nearly every top-level-domain extension. EnCirca’s specialties are regulated TLD’s, such as .BANK, .PHARMACY and .REALTOR.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Exoscale provides Cloud hosting with an emphasis on Simplicity, Scalability and Safety for SaaS companies and web applications. Thanks to a simple and intuitive web administration interface and couple
- 100% Enterprise
3,570 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Application load balancing Leverage an expertly engineered global load balancing platform on infrastructure that ensures fast performance. The DNS is fully configurable via APIs, with DDoS protection
1,401 Twitter followers
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- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
GSLB.me is a DNSSEC-enabled Authoritative DNS, Dynamic DNS and Global Server Load Balancing solution for geo-balancing, failover, CDN offload and DNS firewall. GSLB.me can be used for free and provide
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Our Low Cost Web Hosting services with the power of Cloud, CyberPanel and LiteSpeed provide customers the best experience and optimized site performances. We are also the first Startup which has even
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Being a reliable and well-established hosting service provider, HOSTRY offers a large number of different hosting options for online businesses. We focus on Content Delivery Networks (CDN), Virtual Pr
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Instra Domain Registration provides gobal domain name registration services.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
IPM.domains provides corporate domain management services to global corporations.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
IP TWINS provides protection strategies to trademark owners and their representatives for online intellectual property assets.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Lexsynergy guides brands through both traditional and web3 domain spaces, providing strategic policy, streamlined domain management and world class assistance with online brand protection.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
LoadDNS is a provider of hosted DNS services.
10 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Nanelo provides highly-available managed DNS Nameservers hosted in Europe.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Netriplex provides DNS Hosting for the small business, enterprise, government and service provider markets.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Most resellers spend too much money and time on domains. With Openprovider and our Membership program, you can buy, renew, and transfer domains at cost price on one platform to become a more successfu
- 100% Small-Business
1,073 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
PointDNS is a solution that lets users manage domains from a friendly and easy to use interface.
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
ProfileBuilder.com is a domain registrar for start up companies and small business owners.
- 100% Small-Business
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
PSI-Japan is a domain registration service provider.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Realtime Register is a domain name reseller and real-time domain registration solution.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
21,346 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Total Uptime Technologies Global Cloud DNS helps companies completely eliminate downtime due to DNS outages, DDoS attacks, local disasters and other catastrophic events by utilizing our globally redun
823 Twitter followers
Learn More About Managed DNS Providers
What is Managed DNS?
Managed DNS is a service that offers a convenient alternative by allowing businesses to outsource the hosting and administration of their authoritative DNS records. These records essentially map a domain name to its corresponding IP address, ensuring proper website accessibility. This crucial system translates user-friendly domain names (like "www.company.com") into numerical IP addresses (like "192.168.8.51") that computers understand. Whenever you enter a website address in your browser, managed DNS providers perform a quick lookup to find the corresponding IP address, directing you to the intended website.
What are the Common Features of Managed DNS Providers?
The following are some core features within the best managed DNS providers that can help users make the most of them:
- Efficient resources and reliable infrastructure: To maintain a DNS system, organizations need technical expertise, real-time visibility, and proper infrastructure in place. The resources of a managed DNS provider make sure that the system is up and running. These providers have servers located around the world to prevent failure due to network latency and offer a global network security for speed and resiliency.
- Load balancing: Managed DNS providers ensure distribution of traffic across application endpoints for efficient use of the company’s infrastructure.
- Real-time routing: Intelligent DNS service providers utilize real-time data logs and monitoring capabilities to route traffic based on data from multiple sources to avoid downtime.
- Advanced analytics and reports: Managed DNS providers offer advanced analytics such as log generation, DNS queries, monitoring requests, traffic data analysis, IP health checks, and usage and downtime patterns to give organizations visibility into their unique DNS traffic.
- Technical support and DNS migration: DNS service providers are qualified to handle large, global outage-free DNS migrations. Skilled engineers help in transitioning DNS for numerous domains quickly while ensuring website uptime.
Types of Managed DNS Providers
Managed DNS solutions can be categorized based on their features, pricing models, and target audiences. Consider factors such as the provider's reputation, features, pricing, and customer support when making your decision. These are the types of best managed DNS providers.
- Dynamic DNS Service: Dynamic DNS (DDNS) is a service that allows you to update the IP address associated with a domain name dynamically. This is especially useful for devices with fluctuating IP addresses, such as home routers or mobile devices. DDNS providers offer a simple interface to update the IP address record for your domain, ensuring that your website remains accessible even when your IP address changes.
- Geolocation-based DNS Service: Geolocation-based DNS services route traffic to servers located closest to the user's geographic location. This helps to reduce latency and improve website performance for users around the world. By directing users to servers in their region, geolocation-based DNS can enhance user experience and increase website engagement.
- Anycast DNS Service: Anycast DNS is a technique that uses multiple servers with the same IP address to distribute DNS traffic across a global network. This helps to improve fault tolerance, load balancing, and performance. Anycast DNS can also help to mitigate the impact of DDoS attacks by spreading the load across multiple servers.
- Failover and Disaster Recovery Services: Failover and disaster recovery services ensure that your website remains accessible even in the event of a server failure or other unforeseen circumstances. These best managed DNS providers typically involve setting up redundant servers and automatic failover mechanisms to redirect traffic to a backup server if the primary server becomes unavailable.
- Load Balancing Services: Load balancing services distribute traffic across multiple servers to ensure that no single server is overloaded. This helps to improve website performance and reliability, especially during peak traffic times. Load balancing can also help to optimize resource utilization and reduce costs.
- Application Acceleration Services: Application acceleration services optimize the delivery of web applications and content to improve performance and user experience. These best managed DNS services may involve techniques such as compression, caching, and content optimization to reduce load times and improve website responsiveness.
What are the Benefits of Managed DNS Providers?
The majority of the service providers have a global-level DNS infrastructure. They also have the required expertise to remediate DNS attacks. There are various advantages of availing the services of the best managed DNS services as listed below:
- Expertise and efficiency: Professional DNS management teams can handle the complexities of DNS administration, freeing up your IT resources to focus on other critical tasks. They have the expertise to design, operate, and secure your DNS infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
- Scalability and performance: Managed DNS providers leverage global DNS networks with multiple points of presence (PoPs) to ensure high availability and performance. This means your website can handle increased traffic and remain accessible even during peak load times or in the event of a server failure.
- Enhanced security: Managed DNS providers implement advanced security measures to protect against DNS attacks and DDoS threats. Their security teams continuously monitor and update their systems to stay ahead of emerging threats.
- Customization: Managed DNS providers can tailor their services to meet your specific needs. Whether you require failover protection, load balancing, or geolocation-based routing, they can configure their services to optimize your website's performance and accessibility.
- Cost-effectiveness: While managed DNS services may involve a recurring fee, they can often be more cost-effective than maintaining an in-house DNS infrastructure. By outsourcing DNS management, you can avoid the costs associated with hardware, software, and personnel.
Who Uses Managed DNS Services?
Growing online traffic and increasing demand for speed while loading web pages are key driving factors behind the adoption of managed DNS solutions offerings. The following personas commonly use these best managed DNS services:
- IT administrators: DNS management comprises network management and system administration capabilities. Hence, IT administrators are responsible for overseeing that the solution is properly deployed and well managed in the organization.
- Data privacy and security professionals: Data privacy and security professionals who are responsible for their company’s use of DNS systems may opt for managed DNS providers to ensure all servers are secured.
- E-commerce businesses: To ensure their online stores are always accessible and perform optimally for customers.
- Content delivery networks (CDNs): To distribute content efficiently across a global network of servers.
Software Related to Managed DNS Providers
Related Managed DNS solutions that can be used together with the best managed DNS services providers include:
- DDoS protection software: Distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection software assists in securing websites and applications against DDoS attacks. It is designed to prevent malicious traffic from reaching the organization’s network. The tool aids in preventing DDoS attacks by monitoring website traffic and setting standards for normal traffic loads.
- Cloud DDoS mitigation software: There are similarities and instances of overlap between DDoS protection software and cloud DDoS mitigation software. While the former has conventionally been used to protect local servers and networks from attacks, cloud DDoS mitigation solutions help secure multiple disparate networks, best managed dns providers, and applications.
Challenges with Managed DNS Solutions
While the best managed DNS services offer multiple advantages, they come with their own set of challenges:
- Complexity: DNS management is a complex job as it combines two essential yet disparate domains—network management and system administration. Managing a diverse system like DNS necessitates the intervention of more admins. The admins should possess the same level of knowledge and skills in more locations and come with the experience of working with different operating systems and name servers involved. Management of DNS becomes complicated even for the most experienced DNS administrator when the organization’s DNS infrastructure extends over multiple geographic locations, operating systems, and DNS deployments.
- DNS attacks: Lately, DNS security has become a major concern due to growing DNS-based DDoS attacks. DNS services are now exposed to security threats and require a tactical approach. The advanced breed of spyware is compelling organizations to reevaluate their DNS strategies. Implementing a multi-DNS system may temporarily remediate the issue, but it involves massive expenditure while adding an extra layer of IT complexity.
How to Choose a Managed DNS Provider?
Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Managed DNS Providers
Whether a company is looking for its first managed DNS provider or switching to a new one—wherever a business is in its buying process, g2.com can help select the best managed DNS provider.
An organization must first decide on whether they want to outsource the DNS management to a third-party provider or settle for a hybrid approach by complementing their existing DNS infrastructure with the third-party. Depending on the scope of the deployment, it might be helpful to produce an RFI, a one-page list with a few bullet points describing what is needed from the provider to have a successful deployment.
Compare Managed DNS Providers Products
Create a long list
Evaluation of service providers is an important step in the buying process, right from meeting the business requirements to implementation. Long lists are created by removing options that do not serve the organization’s strategy. It is essential to prepare a consistent list of questions to ask potential vendors keeping in mind the following considerations:
Provision of a global network: Contemporary DNS providers should offer capabilities and intelligent DNS solutions that provide greater speed and control with high connectivity. It is imperative to select a vendor that employs several upstream carriers to eliminate the possibilities of downtime because of outages and deal with threats to the network.
Balancing traffic load: It is crucial to check with the potential managed DNS providers on the variety of load balancing solutions they can provide—from simple load balancing to advanced configuration settings for automation of operations.
Application-based traffic control: Enquiring the kinds of traffic routing algorithms and filters offered by the managed DNS provider helps the company deploy tools for customizing the configuration of the DNS system and managing their web traffic efficiently.
Create a short list
From the long list of vendors, buyers should read user reviews, view ratings on the G2 Grid® for the managed DNS providers category, surf through useability ratings, and narrow down the list of vendors in the G2 “My List” down to a handful. With this list, companies can compare the features offered by different vendors and their pricing structures.
Conduct demos
While extensive documentation and tutorials are available on managed DNS providers’ websites, it is beneficial to request the provider for a live demo to have a better understanding of their offering.
Selection of Managed DNS Providers
Choose a selection team
The team responsible for selecting the managed DNS provider should comprise employees with the right interest, skills, and time to participate in this process. A good starting point is to aim for three to five people who fill the required roles. This can include the primary decision maker, process owner, system owner or staffing subject matter expert, technical lead, and the network and security administrator. The selection team should compare notes, facts, and figures they recorded during the process, such as the availability of advanced capabilities, usability, and security features.
Negotiation
It is vital to have a discussion around pricing and licensing. For example, the provider may be willing to reduce prices for multi-year contracts. They may also be willing to provide a range of services that can be included in the package with a minimal monthly or yearly fee.
Final decision
Investing time and effort to evaluate DNS solutions and find the right fit is important regardless of whether the solution is deployed to enhance security or optimize network performance. Prior to finalizing the provider, it is recommended to roll out a test run or pilot program to test adoption with a small sample size of users. If the service provider is well received, the buyer can be confident about their selection. If not, it may be time to reevaluate offerings from other providers.
Researched and written by Anindita Sengupta
