Unified DNS vs DNSimple
Purpose-built MSP hosting vs general-purpose DNS hosting
DNSimple is a well-established DNS host and domain registrar used by developers, agencies, and businesses managing their own domains. UDNS Hosting is the authoritative DNS service built into Unified DNS, designed for MSPs managing dozens or hundreds of client zones inside the same platform they already use for every other provider. UDNS Hosting is currently rolling out in partner preview.
UDNS Hosting - Authoritative DNS built for MSP client workflows:
- Multi-tenant by design, zones organized by client, not a flat account-wide list
- No per-zone billing, hosting is included in your Unified DNS plan
- Geographically redundant nameservers with private, sub-second replication
- DNSSEC signs on both nameservers from the moment a zone is created
- Three onboarding paths: start blank, scan public DNS, or import a BIND zone file
- Full audit trail with one-click record revert and pre-change zone snapshots
- Domain forwarding with automatic SSL cert provisioning and renewal
- Hudu documentation sync and PSA integration with HaloPSA, Autotask, Syncro, and SuperOps
DNSimple - General-purpose DNS hosting and domain registration:
- Full-service ICANN-accredited domain registrar
- Anycast DNS network with a long operational track record
- DNSSEC with automatic key rotation
- Secondary DNS support for redundancy alongside another provider
- Deep API with client libraries in Ruby, Go, Node.js, PHP, Python, and more
- 44+ one-click integrations with external services
The Bottom Line: DNSimple is a mature, well-built DNS host with a real registrar behind it, and for a developer or business managing their own domain portfolio it's a solid choice. UDNS Hosting solves a different problem, DNS hosting organized by client, billed as part of a flat platform plan, living in the same dashboard already tracking every other provider a client's domains might be on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DNSimple good for MSPs? DNSimple is a solid DNS host and registrar, but it isn't built for MSPs specifically. Zones sit in one flat list per account with no client layer, billing is per zone rather than a flat plan, and there's no PSA or documentation integration.
What is UDNS Hosting? UDNS Hosting is the authoritative DNS service built into Unified DNS. It hosts DNS zones on geographically redundant nameservers (ns1.udns.zone, ns2.udns.zone) with DNSSEC on by default, organized by client rather than as a flat zone list.
Does UDNS Hosting cost extra per zone? No. Unlike DNSimple, which charges $0.50 per hosted zone per month, UDNS Hosting is included in your Unified DNS plan at no additional per-zone cost. Pricing is based on total domain count, starting at $100/month for up to 50 domains.
Can I still manage a client's zone hosted on Cloudflare or DNSimple through Unified DNS? Yes. Unified DNS manages zones hosted on Cloudflare, NameSilo, Namecheap, Porkbun, OpenSRS, Azure DNS, and more from the same dashboard as UDNS Hosting. DNSimple doesn't offer that option, it only manages zones it hosts directly.
Is UDNS Hosting available now? UDNS Hosting is currently rolling out in partner preview to Unified DNS accounts. Unified DNS itself, including multi-provider DNS management, is generally available today.
Other comparisons: vs ZoneWatcher vs EasyDMARC vs PowerDMARC vs DNSControl vs DNSimple