# Technitium DNS Server DNS server with a web console for hosting zones and blocking domains. - Replaces: [NextDNS](https://openlogs.fyi/alternatives/nextdns) - Summary: Paid DNS filtering services, such as NextDNS. - Stack: C# (language) - Deployment: docker_compose - License: GPL-3.0 (osi) [source](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/LICENSE) - Business model: unknown. The README at the pinned commit does not state a business model, so it stays unknown. ([source](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/README.md), read 2026-10-22) - Difficulty: easy. 1 service, 2 volume mounts, no env values to set, no elevated host access. Heuristic score 1 of 11: easy. - Requirements: not stated - Repository: [TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer) ## Install 1. Docker with the Compose plugin ([source](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/docker-compose.yml)) ```text A host with Docker and the Docker Compose plugin. This entry runs from a compose file. ``` 2. Save the compose file as docker-compose.yml ([source](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/docker-compose.yml)) ```yaml services: dns-server: container_name: dns-server hostname: dns-server image: docker.io/technitium/dns-server:latest # For DHCP deployments, use "host" network mode and remove all the port mappings, including the ports array by commenting them # network_mode: "host" ports: - "5380:5380/tcp" #DNS web console (HTTP) # - "53443:53443/tcp" #DNS web console (HTTPS) - "53:53/udp" #DNS service - "53:53/tcp" #DNS service # - "853:853/udp" #DNS-over-QUIC service # - "853:853/tcp" #DNS-over-TLS service # - "443:443/udp" #DNS-over-HTTPS service (HTTP/3) # - "443:443/tcp" #DNS-over-HTTPS service (HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2) # - "80:80/tcp" #DNS-over-HTTP service (use with reverse proxy or certbot certificate renewal) # - "8053:8053/tcp" #DNS-over-HTTP service (use with reverse proxy) # - "67:67/udp" #DHCP service environment: - DNS_SERVER_DOMAIN=dns-server #The primary fully qualified domain name used by this DNS Server to identify itself. # - DNS_SERVER_ADMIN_PASSWORD=password #DNS web console admin user password. # - DNS_SERVER_ADMIN_PASSWORD_FILE=password.txt #The path to a file that contains a plain text password for the DNS web console admin user. # - DNS_SERVER_PREFER_IPV6=false #DNS Server will use IPv6 for querying whenever possible with this option enabled. # - DNS_SERVER_WEB_SERVICE_LOCAL_ADDRESSES=172.17.0.1,127.0.0.1 #Comma separated list of network interface IP addresses that you want the web service to listen on for requests. The "172.17.0.1" address is the built-in Docker bridge. The "[::]" is the default value if not specified. Note! This must be used only with "host" network mode. # - DNS_SERVER_WEB_SERVICE_HTTP_PORT=5380 #The TCP port number for the DNS web console over HTTP protocol. # - DNS_SERVER_WEB_SERVICE_HTTPS_PORT=53443 #The TCP port number for the DNS web console over HTTPS protocol. # - DNS_SERVER_WEB_SERVICE_ENABLE_HTTPS=false #Enables HTTPS for the DNS web console. # - DNS_SERVER_WEB_SERVICE_USE_SELF_SIGNED_CERT=false #Enables self signed TLS certificate for the DNS web console. # - DNS_SERVER_WEB_SERVICE_TLS_CERTIFICATE_PATH=/etc/dns/tls/cert.pfx #The file path to the TLS certificate for the DNS web console. # - DNS_SERVER_WEB_SERVICE_TLS_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD=password #The password for the TLS certificate for the DNS web console. # - DNS_SERVER_WEB_SERVICE_HTTP_TO_TLS_REDIRECT=false #Enables HTTP to HTTPS redirection for the DNS web console. # - DNS_SERVER_OPTIONAL_PROTOCOL_DNS_OVER_HTTP=false #Enables DNS server optional protocol DNS-over-HTTP on TCP port 8053 to be used with a TLS terminating reverse proxy like nginx. # - DNS_SERVER_RECURSION=AllowOnlyForPrivateNetworks #Recursion options: Allow, Deny, AllowOnlyForPrivateNetworks, UseSpecifiedNetworkACL. # - DNS_SERVER_RECURSION_NETWORK_ACL=192.168.10.0/24, !192.168.10.2 #Comma separated list of IP addresses or network addresses to allow access. Add ! character at the start to deny access, e.g. !192.168.10.0/24 will deny entire subnet. The ACL is processed in the same order its listed. If no networks match, the default policy is to deny all except loopback. Valid only for `UseSpecifiedNetworkACL` recursion option. # - DNS_SERVER_RECURSION_DENIED_NETWORKS=1.1.1.0/24 #Comma separated list of IP addresses or network addresses to deny recursion. Valid only for `UseSpecifiedNetworkACL` recursion option. This option is obsolete and DNS_SERVER_RECURSION_NETWORK_ACL should be used instead. # - DNS_SERVER_RECURSION_ALLOWED_NETWORKS=127.0.0.1, 192.168.1.0/24 #Comma separated list of IP addresses or network addresses to allow recursion. Valid only for `UseSpecifiedNetworkACL` recursion option. This option is obsolete and DNS_SERVER_RECURSION_NETWORK_ACL should be used instead. # - DNS_SERVER_ENABLE_BLOCKING=false #Sets the DNS server to block domain names using Blocked Zone and Block List Zone. # - DNS_SERVER_ALLOW_TXT_BLOCKING_REPORT=false #Specifies if the DNS Server should respond with TXT records containing a blocked domain report for TXT type requests. # - DNS_SERVER_BLOCK_LIST_URLS= #A comma separated list of block list URLs. # - DNS_SERVER_FORWARDERS=1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8 #Comma separated list of forwarder addresses. # - DNS_SERVER_FORWARDER_PROTOCOL=Tcp #Forwarder protocol options: Udp, Tcp, Tls, Https, Quic. # - DNS_SERVER_LOG_USING_LOCAL_TIME=true #Enable this option to use local time instead of UTC for logging. - DNS_SERVER_LOG_FOLDER_PATH=/var/log/technitium/dns #The folder path on the server where the log files should be saved. # - DNS_SERVER_LOG_MAX_LOG_FILE_DAYS=365 #Max number of days to keep the log files. Log files older than the specified number of days will be deleted automatically. Set 0 to disable auto delete. # - DNS_SERVER_STATS_ENABLE_IN_MEMORY_STATS=false #This option will enable in-memory stats and only Last Hour data will be available on Dashboard. No stats data will be stored on disk. # - DNS_SERVER_STATS_MAX_STAT_FILE_DAYS=365 #Max number of days to keep the dashboard stats. Stat files older than the specified number of days will be deleted automatically. Set 0 to disable auto delete. volumes: - config:/etc/dns - logs:/var/log/technitium/dns healthcheck: test: ["CMD-SHELL", "curl -f http://127.0.0.1:5380/api/dnsClient/healthCheck | grep '\"status\":\"ok\"'"] #test: ["CMD", "dig", "+short", "+norecurse", "+retry=0", "@127.0.0.1", "localhost"] interval: 30s timeout: 10s retries: 3 start_period: 10s restart: unless-stopped sysctls: - net.ipv4.ip_local_port_range=1024 65535 #remove when using "host" network mode volumes: config: logs: ``` 3. Start it ([source](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/docker-compose.yml)) ```bash docker compose up -d ``` 4. Open the app ([source](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/docker-compose.yml)) ```text Open http://localhost:5380. The compose file publishes host port 5380 for the dns-server service. ``` Compose file check: config_ok on 2026-10-22. ## Gotchas and maintenance ### Gotchas - Some images use the latest tag or no tag: Images without a pinned version: dns-server: docker.io/technitium/dns-server:latest. A later pull can get a different version. ([source](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/docker-compose.yml), checked 2026-10-22) - The compose file publishes host ports: Host ports: 5380 (dns-server), 53/udp (dns-server), 53 (dns-server). A port without a host address listens on all host network interfaces. ([source](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/docker-compose.yml), checked 2026-10-22) ### Signals Computed from a GitHub snapshot taken 2026-10-22. - Open issues and pull requests: 160 - Stars: 10195, forks: 807 - Last push: 2026-10-17 (4 days ago) - Latest release: v15.6.2 on 2026-10-17 (4 days ago) ## Sources - [Repository: https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer) - [License: https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/LICENSE](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/LICENSE) - [Business model: https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/README.md](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/README.md) - [Compose file: https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/docker-compose.yml](https://github.com/TechnitiumSoftware/DnsServer/blob/0dd592aad21eced4221a9a46204cb1a299972ca0/docker-compose.yml) --- Canonical: https://openlogs.fyi/tools/technitium-dns-server Last updated: 2026-10-22