When we think about network resources, the first thing that comes to mind are things like devices or bandwidth. It’s easy to forget that DNS servers play a critical role in assigning IP addresses to URLs and making the network tick. If you’re looking to stay on top of DNS servers, check out our list of the top DNS server monitoring tools on the market today.
DNS monitoring is just as important as any other form of monitoring. The right tool can help you stay on top of DNS servers by monitoring their response times, setting threshold-based alerts, notify you when thresholds are surpassed and can support servers from multiple vendors.
Here is our list of the eight best DNS server monitoring tools:
- SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (FREE TRIAL) Server monitoring tool that can monitor DNS health and response times.
- ManageEngine Applications Manager (FREE TRIAL) Application monitoring platform with DNS availability and performance monitoring.
- Site24x7 (FREE TRIAL) Unified network monitoring solution that can monitor DNS response times from over 90 locations across the globe.
- Paessler PRTG Network Monitor (FREE TRIAL) Network monitoring tool with DNS sensor and a threshold-based alerts system.
- Dotcom-Monitor Web and infrastructure monitor that monitors DNS performance from a range of locations.
- ThousandEyes Network monitoring tool that can monitor DNS availability and performance.
- Uptrends DNS Monitoring tool with alert escalation and reports.
- DNS Check Free DNS monitoring tool that can monitor DNS records with notifications.
Best DNS Server Monitoring Software
We’re going to look at the best DNS server monitoring tools and rank them according to their features. ease of use, graphical interfaces and overall reliability for the task at hand.
1. SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (FREE TRIAL)
SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor is a server monitoring tool that can monitor DNS performance. With SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor you can test how the DNS server responds to a record query. The tool compares the response against a list of IP addresses and measures the response time to show you if the connection quality is good or not.
Why do we recommend it?
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor earns our recommendation for its robust server monitoring capabilities, particularly excelling in DNS performance oversight. Throughout our rigorous testing, we actively engaged with its features, including the ability to assess DNS server responses to record queries, comparing them against IP addresses and gauging response times to evaluate connection quality. Beyond DNS monitoring, the tool offers a holistic approach by tracking essential server health metrics across various vendors, encompassing fan speed, temperature, CPU, power supply, battery, and hard drive status. Its efficient alert system, promptly notifying administrators of unusual DNS server activity through email and SMS, ensures a proactive approach to issue resolution.
You can also monitor the health data of servers. Monitor metrics like fan speed, temperature, CPU, power supply, battery, and hard drive status. SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor supports servers from a range of vendors including Dell PowerEdge, Microsoft Windows Server, HP ProLiant, IBM eServer xSeries, VMware vSphere hypervisor, and more.
The alert system tells you when a DNS server is receiving an unusually high number of requests. Notifications are sent out by email and SMS to let you know there’s a problem so that you can respond manually.
Who is it recommended for?
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor stands out as a recommended choice for IT professionals and organizations seeking a comprehensive server monitoring tool with a dedicated focus on DNS performance. Our diverse testing scenarios showcased its adaptability across a spectrum of server vendors, making it well-suited for varied IT environments. Valuable insights into DNS performance and overall server health position this tool as particularly beneficial for those managing intricate server infrastructures. The alert system’s proactive notification approach proves crucial for administrators prioritizing swift issue resolution. Whether deployed in expansive enterprise settings or smaller businesses with diverse server needs, SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor emerges as a versatile and effective solution for robust server and DNS monitoring.
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is ideal for those looking for a top server monitoring solution that’s easy to use. Prices start at $2,995 (£2,268). You can download the 30-day free trial.
2. ManageEngine Applications Manager (FREE TRIAL)
ManageEngine Applications Manager is a free application monitor for Windows and Linux with DNS monitoring. It allows you to monitor the availability and performance of DNS servers.
Why do we recommend it?
ManageEngine Applications Manager emerges as a standout choice for DNS server monitoring, securing our recommendation through its robust application monitoring capabilities tailored for both Windows and Linux environments. Throughout our evaluation, we actively engaged with the tool’s extensive feature set, specifically focusing on DNS monitoring. The ability to monitor DNS server availability and performance, coupled with metrics encompassing response time, record type, record availability, search field, search value, search value status, and search time, positions it as a comprehensive solution. The visualization of performance data through charts and graphs enhances the user’s ability to gain valuable insights.
Types of metrics you can measure include response time, record type, record available, search field, search value, search value status, and search time. All of these performance data can be viewed in the form of charts and graphs for a more comprehensive outlook.
A configurable alert system notifies you if there is a problem with your DNS server. The alerts system is threshold-based, so you can configure trigger conditions to determine when an alert is created. Alerts come via email and SMS so you can stay updated no matter where you are.
Who is it recommended for?
ManageEngine Applications Manager is recommended for IT professionals and organizations seeking a free and versatile application monitor with a dedicated focus on DNS server monitoring. Our testing scenarios highlighted its adaptability to both Windows and Linux environments, making it suitable for diverse IT landscapes. The tool’s configurable alert system, backed by threshold-based triggers and alert notifications via email and SMS, ensures prompt issue identification and resolution. ManageEngine Applications Manager stands out as an effective solution for those prioritizing comprehensive DNS server monitoring with an emphasis on visualized performance data. Whether utilized in small to medium-sized businesses or larger enterprises, this tool caters to a range of DNS monitoring needs with its robust feature set.
ManageEngine Applications Manager stands out as one of the top DNS server monitoring tools with a solid alert system. The platform is available for free for up to five applications or servers. Paid versions start at $945 (£715.83) for 25 monitors. You can download the 30-day free trial version.
3. Site24x7 (FREE TRIAL)
Site24x7 is an all-in-one website, server, cloud, application, and network monitoring solution. You can monitor DNS server performance and availability. The platform shows you the response time of your DNS server, the lookup type (if available), the DNS record name and search value. You can measure the response time of a DNS server from over 90 different locations across the globe.
Why do we recommend it?
Site24x7 earns our recommendation as a comprehensive all-in-one monitoring solution that excels in monitoring DNS server performance and availability. Throughout our extensive testing, the platform showcased its capability to provide a holistic view of DNS metrics, including response time, lookup type, DNS record name, and search value, measured from over 90 global locations. Site24x7 stands out for its versatility, allowing users to monitor websites, servers, clouds, applications, and networks seamlessly. The notification system, featuring voice calls, SMS, IM, RSS feeds, and push notifications for Android and iOS, ensures administrators stay informed about DNS failures promptly.
The tool has a notification system that alerts you about DNS failures. Notifications come in the form of voice calls, SMS, IM, RSS feeds, and push notifications (for Android and iOS).
The reports function allows you to produce an overview of performance and availability information. For example, you can view the Average Response Time By Location for your servers. If you want to diagnose performance issues then you can use the root cause analysis report to find the origin of the problem.
Who is it recommended for?
Site24x7 is recommended for IT professionals and organizations seeking an all-encompassing monitoring solution with a focus on DNS server monitoring. Our testing revealed its adaptability to various monitoring needs, making it suitable for organizations managing diverse online assets, including websites, servers, and applications. The tool’s global testing locations and straightforward notification system make it an excellent choice for those prioritizing DNS server monitoring simplicity and efficiency. Site24x7’s free forever plan, allowing monitoring of up to five URLs or servers, makes it an accessible option for small to medium-sized businesses or enterprises looking to initiate DNS monitoring without significant upfront costs.
Site24x7 is an excellent choice if you want to monitor a DNS server on account of its range of testing locations and simple notifications system. There is a free forever plan that lets you monitor the uptime of up to five URLs or servers. Paid versions of Site24x7 start at $9 (£6.82) per month with 10 websites or servers supported. Get started with a 30-day free trial .
4. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor (FREE TRIAL)
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor is a network monitoring platform with DNS monitoring capabilities. The software can monitor the performance and availability of DNS servers. The DNS sensor is your first port of call when monitoring with PRTG. Here you can monitor the response time and status of the DNS server. The sensor displays information with dials and a table.
Why do we recommend it?
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor stands out as a reliable network monitoring platform, and our recommendation is anchored in its robust DNS monitoring capabilities. Throughout our evaluation, the software’s DNS sensor proved to be a valuable asset, offering a user-friendly interface to monitor DNS server response time and status. The inclusion of dials and a table enhances the visual representation of DNS server information. The platform’s configurable alerts, based on thresholds and customizable to specific requirements, ensure administrators are promptly notified of any deviations in DNS performance. With its ease of configuration, autodiscovery feature, custom dashboards, and report generation capabilities, PRTG Network Monitor provides a comprehensive solution for DNS monitoring.
Sensors can be equipped with alerts. The alerts system is threshold-based and can be customized according to your requirements. For example, you can set an alert that notifies you when DNS response time exceeds a particular value. Notifications come in the form of email, SMS, Slack messages, push notifications, SNMP traps, and more.
The software is also easy to configure. An autodiscovery feature automatically discovers devices throughout your network. You can then use custom dashboards to keep track of the information that’s most important to your environment. You can also generate reports to reflect back on performance.
Who is it recommended for?
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor is recommended for IT professionals and organizations seeking a robust network monitoring solution with a dedicated focus on DNS monitoring. Our testing highlighted its user-friendly approach, making it suitable for both novice users and experienced IT administrators. The platform’s scalability, starting with a free version for the first 100 sensors and supporting unlimited sensors in paid versions, caters to the diverse needs of organizations of all sizes. Whether you require a streamlined DNS monitoring solution or a comprehensive network monitoring platform, PRTG Network Monitor proves to be a versatile and effective choice.
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor is free for the first 100 sensors. If you need more sensors then you can purchase a paid version. Paid versions start at $1,600 (£1,211) for 500 sensors. The pricing format is scalable and supports up to an unlimited number of sensors. You can download a 30-day free trial.
5. Dotcom-Monitor
Dotcom-Monitor is a web and infrastructure monitoring tool that can monitor DNS query resolutions from a range of locations around the world. The software supports a range of record types in eluding A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, PTR, SOA, SPF, and TEXT. The range of record types available to you provides you with a wealth of information when working through the troubleshooting process.
Why do we recommend it?
Dotcom-Monitor stands out as a robust web and infrastructure monitoring tool, earning our recommendation for its exceptional DNS monitoring capabilities. During our comprehensive evaluation, the software demonstrated its ability to monitor DNS query resolutions seamlessly from various global locations, providing valuable insights into performance conditions worldwide. The support for a diverse range of record types, including A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, PTR, SOA, SPF, and TEXT, enriches the troubleshooting process, offering comprehensive information for effective issue resolution. The platform’s focus on geographic DNS performance monitoring positions it as a valuable tool for ensuring a high-quality user experience.
The alerts feature helps you keep up with performance conditions as they unfold. For instance, the moment a resolving DNS name has a problem a DNS trace is taken. The trace shows the path that caused the issue and generates an alert detailing the problem. You can also produce reports for further monitoring.
Who is it recommended for?
Dotcom-Monitor is highly recommended for IT professionals and organizations seeking a specialized DNS monitoring solution with a global perspective. Our testing revealed its strength in monitoring DNS performance from different locations worldwide, making it particularly beneficial for organizations with a global user base. The software’s alerts feature, generating detailed alerts and DNS traces when resolving DNS names encounter issues, ensures proactive issue identification and resolution. Dotcom-Monitor’s affordable pricing, starting at $19.99 per month for uptime and performance monitoring with a 1-5 minute check frequency, makes it an accessible choice for businesses of various sizes looking to enhance their DNS monitoring capabilities.
Dotcom-Monitor is worth considering if you’re looking for DNS server monitoring tools that can monitor DNS performance geographically, to make sure that your users have a quality experience. Paid versions start at $19.99 (£15.14) per month for uptime and performance monitoring with a 1-5 minute check frequency. You can start the 30-day free trial.
6. ThousandEyes
ThousandEyes is a performance monitor that monitors DNS server availability, connectivity, query performance, and more. You can monitor DNS performance and view path tracing data to develop a more holistic perspective of performance issues. The software can detect DNS cache poisoning.
Why do we recommend it?
ThousandEyes earns our recommendation as a robust performance monitor, particularly notable for its comprehensive DNS monitoring capabilities. Throughout our testing, the software showcased its ability to monitor DNS server availability, query performance, connectivity, and even detect DNS cache poisoning. The inclusion of path tracing data enriches the monitoring experience, offering a holistic perspective on performance issues. Notably, ThousandEyes stands out for its powerful diagnostic capabilities, allowing users to trace the DNS hierarchy of records and promptly detect and address performance issues.
The diagnostic capabilities of ThousandEyes stand up against the very best tools. For example, you can trace the DNS hierarchy of a record to see if there are any issues that are compromising the availability of the service. However, you also have alerts to assist you if there is a performance issue that you don’t spot.
When it comes to addressing performance issues you can generate custom reports with charts and tables. Reports can be scheduled ahead of time and include event forensics to help you identify what caused the problem. Pulling up a report can be useful for coming to grips with complex performance issues.
Who is it recommended for?
ThousandEyes is highly recommended for IT professionals and organizations prioritizing a comprehensive and powerful diagnostic tool for DNS monitoring. Our testing highlighted its effectiveness in identifying and addressing DNS-related issues, making it particularly valuable for organizations prioritizing a seamless and reliable user experience. The software’s diagnostic capabilities, alerts system, and the ability to generate custom reports with charts and tables position it as a top choice for those seeking in-depth insights into DNS performance. While the tool operates on a usage-based pricing model, its worthiness for ensuring optimal user experiences justifies reaching out to the company directly for a precise quote.
ThousandEyes is a powerful diagnostic tool for DNS. If you want to make sure that your users enjoy the best user experience then this tool is worth considering. The tool operates a usage-based pricing model but you’ll have to contact the company directly for a precise quote. You can start the 15-day free trial.
7. Uptrends
Uptrends is a free DNS monitoring tool that can monitor DNS health and domain name verification. You can also run health checks and complete additional tasks such as verifying A or AAAA records, verifying SOA serial numbers, checking aliases, monitoring server mappings, monitoring DNS zone delegates, and more.
Why do we recommend it?
Uptrends secures our recommendation as a reliable and free DNS monitoring tool that excels in monitoring DNS health and domain name verification. Our evaluation highlighted its versatile functionality, allowing users to run health checks, verify A or AAAA records, ensure SOA serial numbers are accurate, and monitor various DNS-related aspects. The capability to perform these tasks seamlessly positions Uptrends as a valuable tool for ensuring the robustness and accuracy of DNS configurations.
You can test your DNS connectivity from 209 worldwide checkpoints so you can ensure your users enjoy an excellent experience no matter where they’re located. You can also create shareable reports that provide you with an overview of DNS performance issues.
The alert system notifies you immediately when an event happens that needs your attention. The alerts system doesn’t send you an alert unless the same error has been found in tests from multiple locations, which minimizes false positives. To ensure fast follow up you can set DNS alert escalations to determine to whom alerts are routed.
Who is it recommended for?
Uptrends is recommended for teams seeking an excellent DNS monitoring solution that offers a range of features without imposing a financial burden. Our testing revealed its effectiveness in testing DNS connectivity from 209 worldwide checkpoints, ensuring a superior user experience for a diverse audience. The platform’s shareable reports provide a quick overview of DNS performance issues, facilitating efficient collaboration within teams. Uptrends’ thoughtful alert system, minimizing false positives by requiring consistency across multiple locations, makes it a suitable choice for teams prioritizing accurate and timely notifications for effective issue resolution.
Uptrends is an excellent tool for teams that want to manage DNS performance. Paid versions start at $12.02 (£9.11) per month with 10 basic monitors. You can start the 30-day free trial.
8. DNS Check
DNS Check is a DNS monitoring tool that lets you monitor DNS records with automated checks every five minutes. You can monitor DNS records and name server changes and failures. The software supports a range of DNS records including A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, PTR, SOA, SRV, and TXT.
Why do we recommend it?
DNS Check earns our recommendation as an efficient and free DNS monitoring tool, offering automated checks every five minutes for meticulous DNS record monitoring. With support for various DNS records, including A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, PTR, SOA, SRV, and TXT, DNS Check ensures comprehensive coverage of DNS changes and failures. The alert system, coupled with notifications via email, PagerDuty, and Slack, keeps users informed, facilitating prompt responses to critical DNS events. Its user-friendly interface and robust features make DNS Check an ideal choice for enterprises seeking effective DNS record management.
An alert system keeps you in the loop of DNS changes. Notifications can be sent by email, PagerDuty, and Slack. If you want to investigate manually then you can view the history of DNS records over the past 30 days. Historic monitoring helps to identify if there are any underlying trends you need to be aware of.
Who is it recommended for?
DNS Check is highly recommended for enterprises on the lookout for a reliable and free DNS monitoring tool. Tailored for ease of use, it provides automated checks every five minutes and supports monitoring of up to 10 DNS records at no cost. The tool’s capacity to notify users of DNS changes via various channels, including email, PagerDuty, and Slack, ensures timely awareness and intervention. Additionally, the ability to delve into the history of DNS records over the past 30 days enhances its suitability for those keen on understanding trends and patterns in DNS performance. DNS Check strikes an excellent balance, offering essential features for efficient DNS record management without imposing financial constraints.
DNS Check is ideal for enterprises in search of a free DNS monitoring tool. It’s easy to use and provides just enough features to help manage your DNS records. DNS Check is free for up to 10 DNS records. Paid versions start at $8 (£6.06) per month with support for up to 100 DNS records. You can sign up for free.
Best DNS Server Monitoring Tools
DNS server monitoring may not be as glamorous as ping testing devices but it’s no less important. Poor DNS connectivity or failures can have a devastating impact on your network. Keeping your DNS up and running will make sure that you can find devices when you need them.
Our editor’s choice for this article is SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, as it offers a complete server monitoring experience with a high-quality DNS monitoring experience. Other stand out tools include Paessler PRTG Network Monitor, Site 24×7, and DNS Check.
