Top pick · highest health
Technitium DNS Server
Authoritative/recursive DNS server with ad blocking functionality.
DockerC#
DNS
Open source alternatives to Cloudflare DNS
We track 2 open-source Cloudflare DNS alternatives, of which 2 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 2 ship a Docker image. Technitium DNS Server leads on health at 96/100 with 169 commits in the last 90 days; across all 2 projects you are choosing between Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0.
updated Oct 2026 2 alternatives best health 96 ★ 17k combined 261 commits / 90d 2 with Docker
Top picks to replace Cloudflare DNS
-
Healthiest
Health 96/100: 169 commits in 90 days, latest release v15.6.2, Docker image available.
-
Permissive licence
Apache-2.0, so you can fork or embed it without publishing changes; health 95/100.
Showing 2 of 2 tools
All 2 Cloudflare DNS alternatives, ranked by health
-
-
blocky
Fast and lightweight DNS proxy as ad-blocker for local network with many features (alternative to Pi-hole).
DockerGo
Cloudflare DNS alternatives compared
Technitium DNS Server edges blocky 96 to 95. Technitium DNS Server also has the largest following, at 10k stars.
The most recent release is Technitium DNS Server v15.6.2, published 13 days ago. None of the measured options scores under 40. By stack, C# (1) and Go (1) are the most common. blocky is permissively licensed; Technitium DNS Server is copyleft.
| Tool | Health | Stars | Licence | Last commit | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technitium DNS Server Steady at 96 since 11 Sep | 96 | 10k | GPL-3.0 | 6 days ago | Yes |
| blocky Steady at 95 since 11 Sep | 95 | 7.1k | Apache-2.0 | 2 days ago | Yes |
Cloudflare DNS alternatives: common questions
What is the most maintained open source alternative to Cloudflare DNS?
Technitium DNS Server scores highest at 96/100, with 169 commits in the last 90 days, 10k stars on GitHub and its latest release (v15.6.2) published 13 days ago. It is also the most active by raw commit count.
Which Cloudflare DNS alternatives use a permissive licence?
1 of 2 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): blocky (Apache-2.0). 1 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
Which Cloudflare DNS alternatives run in Docker?
2 of 2 publish a Docker image or Compose file: Technitium DNS Server, blocky. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.
Is Technitium DNS Server or blocky the better Cloudflare DNS alternative?
On measured health Technitium DNS Server leads, 96 to 95. Technitium DNS Server has 169 commits in 90 days, 10k stars and v15.6.2 from 13 days ago; blocky has 92 commits in 90 days, 7.1k stars and v0.35.0 from 2 months ago. Pick blocky if licensing matters: it is Apache-2.0, while Technitium DNS Server is GPL-3.0.
Are the Cloudflare DNS alternatives still maintained?
2 of the 2 measured options score 70 or above. Every measured option had commits in the last 90 days. None scores under 40.
What languages are the Cloudflare DNS alternatives written in?
C#: Technitium DNS Server. Go: blocky. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.
