Why should I pay for DNS if I can get it for free? Is premium DNS worth it? These are common questions that we hear a lot—especially from people who don’t fully understand what DNS does. But even if you do know the gist of the Domain Name System, it’s not always clear what service is best for your organization.
Luckily, there’s at least one easy decision: If you own a business with any online presence, you need authoritative DNS. Why? Because doing business online is like a never-ending boxing match. Someone, whether it’s your competition or a hacker, is always throwing punches at your domain. Without rock-solid, authoritative DNS, your domain will keep getting “knocked out” of the fight.
If you’re unfamiliar with the basics of DNS, watch our DNS Explained video, which will quickly get you up to speed.
What is Authoritative DNS?
As soon as a person searches for a website from their device, a DNS query journey begins. This process starts with the recursive nameserver or service and one of 13 root servers dispersed worldwide. The root servers receive the original query and either reply with what they know or, more likely, refer the resolver to the appropriate top-level domain (TLD) server. The process repeats itself until, eventually, the recursive nameserver receives an answer from an authoritative nameserver for the original request.
You can think of root servers as the Lineal Champions of DNS—they hold all the world championship belts, albeit by default. While they may only forward queries, DNS can’t function without them.
Unlike recursive resolvers that rely on cached information or other servers for answers, authoritative nameservers provide the final answer that internet users require. In this way, authoritative servers are the Unified Champions of DNS Lookup.
Just as there are multiple unified champions in boxing, there are many different authoritative DNS servers. Some of these nameservers are provided by a domain registrar such as GoDaddy or Namecheap, while specialized providers like DNS Made Easy and Vercara manage others.
No two DNS companies are exactly alike. Some offer free authoritative DNS, others only paid, and some offer both. Features also vary significantly between companies, which can make choosing a DNS service challenging.
Don’t throw in the towel just yet. We’re here for you! Keep reading to see just how free and paid authoritative DNS match up.
The Differences Between Free and Paid Authoritative DNS
Let the fight begin! In the blue corner, we have Free Authoritative DNS. In the red corner, we have Premium Authoritative DNS. Gloves are on, and the bell is about to ring!
On the surface, there don’t appear to be many differences between the two. DNS is DNS, right? Well, not really.
While both free and paid authoritative DNS answer queries for the resolving/recursive nameservers, the features, and the underlying infrastructure will ultimately determine who wins the battle between the best solutions.
Free authoritative DNS is typically a basic service with limited functionality. On the other hand, Premium versions tend to offer more features and customization for their users, thus allowing them to optimize their web traffic to the exact needs of their business. Furthermore, premium DNS providers usually have stronger infrastructures, faster performance, and higher uptime.
On the flip side, many companies that provide free authoritative DNS also afford customers the convenience of keeping everything in one place. While this certainly has advantages, it isn’t necessarily the best option for businesses, as it can lead to vendor lock-in.
That doesn’t mean every paid DNS service is automatically better than a free one, though. Several premium services are being offered that fall well short of some of the free authoritative DNS providers out there.
The Hidden Costs of Free Authoritative DNS
Every business, however large or small, has a budget and wants to keep overhead as low as possible. Because of this, free authoritative DNS may be an enticing option.
But as the saying goes, nothing in life is free.
Many “free” DNS services come with strings attached, especially providers offering paid versions.
Free accounts are often restricted to a low usage amount and are hit with exuberant overage fees for exceeding their limits. Or, features are purposefully limited so that a company can upsell you on services you may or may not need but will definitely cost more money.
Another point of consideration is privacy and security concerns. Many providers can offer a free version of their service because they sell your data to other companies. Do you think they aren’t selling data just because they say so on their website? Unfortunately, more than a fair share of companies like to hit below the belt.
It is crucial that you have a strong understanding of what DNS solutions your organization really needs. Scour the fine print and make sure you know what you’re getting into before making a final decision. In both free and paid services, hidden costs can go well beyond the scope of just the price of the actual service.
| Cons of Free Authoritative DNS | Pros of Paid Authoritative DNS |
| Lack of advanced features | Uptime |
| Minimal customization | Speed |
| Slower speeds | Performance |
| Less secure | Scalability |
| Limited usage | Advanced features |
| Upsells | Security |
| Overage costs | Customization |
| Hidden costs | |
| May sell data |
DNS Outages and How They Affect Your Businesses
DNS outages are a hidden but significant cost for businesses. While a disruption at home might be inconvenient, even a brief outage can cost companies millions in lost revenue, productivity, customer trust, and long-term brand reputation. Today, with hybrid work environments and cloud-based tools powering daily operations, uptime is more critical than ever.
Recent examples underscore this risk. In 2024, a Microsoft Azure DNS disruption temporarily impacted services like Teams and Outlook, disrupting thousands of businesses. Earlier, Cloudflare experienced a DNS-related outage that affected popular apps, including Discord and Shopify. Even DNS providers aren’t immune—Dyn’s historical DNS outage took down major platforms like Netflix, Spotify, and Twitter, showing how widespread the effects can be.
Uptime matters. Before choosing a DNS provider, look into their historical reliability—not just their promises. Your bottom line depends on it.
Unanimous Decision: The Authoritative DNS Matchup Results are in
DNS is more critical to your business than you might think. In today’s always-online world, speed, availability, and security aren’t nice-to-haves—they’re essentials. Just a few seconds of delay or downtime can drive customers away and cause real financial loss.
When it comes to authoritative DNS, the winner is clear: premium DNS delivers the uptime, performance, and resilience your business demands.
For small to mid-sized businesses, DNS Made Easy is a proven, cost-effective solution built on a rock-solid global network. With features like DNS failover, global traffic director, and real-time analytics, it gives you everything you need to stay online and competitive—without breaking your budget.
For enterprise organizations with complex, global requirements, Vercara’s UltraDNS offers industry-leading performance and security. UltraDNS delivers ultra-low latency, maximum resilience, and true peace of mind with an anycast network, intelligent traffic steering, and built-in DDoS protection.
Whether you’re just growing or managing millions of queries a day, we have a solution designed for your needs.
Explore DNS Made Easy or talk to us about upgrading to UltraDNS—because downtime isn’t an option.
