Unified DNS vs DNSControl / OctoDNS
SaaS DNS management vs self-hosted infrastructure-as-code
DNSControl and OctoDNS are open-source tools that let engineers manage DNS through code and Git. Unified DNS is a hosted SaaS platform built for MSPs who need a visual dashboard, multi-tenancy, and no infrastructure to maintain.
Why This Comparison Exists
DNSControl and OctoDNS are both free and capable tools. But free doesn't mean no cost.
You maintain the infrastructure
DNSControl and OctoDNS don't run themselves. You need a server or CI pipeline to execute them, someone to keep the tooling updated when dependencies change, and a plan for what happens when that infrastructure goes down at 7pm on a Sunday and a tech needs to push a change. That operational overhead is invisible in the pricing comparison but very visible in your team's time.
Every tech needs CLI access
Tier 1 helpdesk staff who can add a DNS record in a web UI cannot necessarily edit a YAML or JavaScript config file, commit to Git, and run a deploy command without making a mistake. You either restrict DNS changes to your most senior engineers — creating a bottleneck — or you accept the risk of config errors from people who aren't comfortable in the toolchain. Neither is a great outcome when a client's mail flow is broken.
Config files don't scale like clients do
Managing 5 clients in a flat config file is workable. Managing 50 clients across 8 different registrars in flat config files is a different problem entirely. There is no concept of a client in DNSControl or OctoDNS — just zones. When you need to pull up everything related to a specific client, find which tech last touched their records, or onboard a new client without touching every other client's config, you're doing that work manually.
Git history is not an audit trail
Git tells you what changed in the config file and when the commit was made. It doesn't tell you which technician logged into which system to make the change, what the live DNS record looked like before the deploy ran, whether the deploy actually succeeded at the provider, or let you generate a change history report for a client who wants to know what happened to their domain last Tuesday. A real audit trail captures intent, identity, and outcome — not just a diff.
They weren't built by MSPs, for MSPs
DNSControl was built by Stack Exchange engineers to solve Stack Exchange's DNS problems. OctoDNS was built by GitHub engineers. Both are excellent tools for the organizations that built them. But neither has ever had an MSP workflow, a client onboarding process, a PSA integration, or a helpdesk ticket in mind. The assumptions baked into both tools — that your users are engineers, that your domains are organized by zone not by client, that version control is the right interface for your team — don't match how MSPs actually work. Unified DNS was built by an MSP, running an MSP, managing real client DNS every day. The difference shows.
At a Glance
| Feature | Unified DNS | DNSControl / OctoDNS |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Fully hosted SaaS | Self-hosted — you run it |
| Interface | Visual web dashboard | CLI and config files |
| Multi-Tenancy | Built-in client organization | Flat config files |
| Audit Trail | Full before/after record diffs | Git history only |
| Automated Backups | Azure Blob or SharePoint | Config file is the backup |
| Domain Expiry Alerts | Built-in across all providers | Not included |
| Email Security View | SPF, DKIM, DMARC dashboard | Not included |
| PSA Integration | HaloPSA, Autotask, Syncro, SuperOps | Not included |
| Technical Requirement | Any tech with a browser | Git, CLI, infrastructure skills |
| Cost | From $100/month | Free (but you host it) |
| Version-Controlled Changes | Audit log with diffs | Native Git history |
What Each Product Does Well
Hosted SaaS DNS management for MSP teams
- ✓No infrastructure to deploy, maintain, or update — just log in
- ✓Visual dashboard any technician can use without Git or CLI knowledge
- ✓Multi-tenant by design — domains organized by client, not by flat config file
- ✓Full audit trail on every change with before/after record diffs
- ✓Automated backups to your own Azure Blob or SharePoint storage
- ✓Domain expiry monitoring with configurable alerts across all registrars
- ✓Email security dashboard — SPF, DKIM, DMARC status at a glance
- ✓PSA integration with HaloPSA, Autotask, Syncro, and SuperOps
- ✓Documentation sync to Hudu Asset Layouts
- ✓Supports Cloudflare, Porkbun, NameSilo, NameCheap, Azure DNS, OpenSRS, and Synergy Wholesale
Open-source, code-driven DNS management
- ✓Free and open source
- ✓DNS changes are version-controlled in Git
- ✓Supports a wide range of DNS providers via community plugins
- ✓Fully scriptable and automatable
- ✓Good fit for teams already running GitOps workflows
Not included
When IaC tools make sense
DNSControl and OctoDNS are legitimate tools. They're just built for a different audience.
Your team already runs GitOps for everything
If your engineers manage infrastructure as code and DNS is just another resource in that workflow, DNSControl fits naturally. The friction disappears when it's already part of how your team works.
You have a small, technically uniform domain portfolio
Managing 10–20 domains for internal use with a stable team of engineers is a fine use case. The overhead of self-hosting is low relative to the control you get.
You want to version-control DNS as part of a larger IaC repo
If your infrastructure is in Terraform or Pulumi and you want DNS alongside it, these tools can plug in cleanly. It's a coherent architecture choice.
If you're an MSP with a mixed team, client-organized workflows, and domains spread across multiple registrars — those tools aren't designed for you. Unified DNS is.
Real MSP Scenario
A junior tech needs to add an SPF include for a new email service for a client — it's 4:45 on a Friday. With DNSControl or OctoDNS, they need access to the Git repo, the right branch, knowledge of the YAML or JS config syntax, a working local install of the tool, and permission to run the deploy. If anything is wrong, the change doesn't go out. With Unified DNS, they open a browser, find the client, add the TXT record, and they're done in two minutes.
The Bottom Line
DNSControl and OctoDNS are solid tools for engineering teams who live in Git and are comfortable maintaining infrastructure. For MSPs managing 30–200+ client domains across a mixed bag of registrars, they introduce more problems than they solve: every tech needs CLI access, every change requires a code edit and a deploy, there is no multi-tenancy, no audit trail beyond Git history, and someone has to keep the tool running. Unified DNS handles all of that out of the box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Unified DNS a replacement for DNSControl or OctoDNS?
For MSP teams who want a visual dashboard, client organization, and no infrastructure to maintain, yes. For engineering teams already running GitOps workflows who want DNS managed as code alongside their other infrastructure, DNSControl or OctoDNS may still be the better fit — see "When IaC tools make sense" above.
Do I need to know Git or a CLI to use Unified DNS?
No. Unified DNS is a visual web dashboard — any technician can make a DNS change without Git, YAML config files, or a deploy pipeline.
Can I still track DNS changes the way I would with Git history?
Yes, differently. Unified DNS keeps a full audit log with before/after record diffs for every change, capturing who made it and when — without requiring a Git repo, commits, or deploys.
Is Unified DNS free like DNSControl and OctoDNS?
No — Unified DNS is a paid, hosted SaaS platform starting at $100/month for up to 50 domains. DNSControl and OctoDNS are free and open source, but you provide and maintain the infrastructure to run them.
Does Unified DNS support as many DNS providers as DNSControl?
DNSControl's community plugin ecosystem covers a very wide range of providers. Unified DNS supports the providers MSPs use most often — Cloudflare, Porkbun, NameSilo, NameCheap, Azure DNS, OpenSRS, and Synergy Wholesale — with PSA and documentation integrations built around that same set.
No infrastructure. Just DNS management.
Unified DNS is ready the moment you sign up. No deployment, no Git setup, no CLI required.
Comparison last updated July 14, 2026. Competitor pricing and features are based on publicly available information at that time and may have changed since — let us know at contact@udns.app if something here is out of date.