Azure DNS vs Cloudflare DNS comparison

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8,009 views|6,727 comparisons
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45,023 views|27,954 comparisons
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Azure DNS and Cloudflare DNS based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Managed DNS solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Azure DNS vs. Cloudflare DNS Report (Updated: September 2023).
734,678 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The solution allows you to host DNS service without using Azure's servers.""One of the key benefits of Azure DNS is its integration with other Azure services. As it is a solution developed by Microsoft, it is easy to integrate with other Azure offerings. Azure DNS also includes Defender for DNS, a feature that protects against anomalies and threats on the DNS. This added security is provided directly by Microsoft. The integration and security features of Azure DNS make it a valuable option for users of the Azure cloud platform.""The initial setup is straightforward and not that complex.""From a security perspective, Microsoft is much better than other cloud providers.""The DNS resolution is the most valuable feature.""I like the feature where I can add multiple DNS records for the same subdomain.""If you're running your enterprise application on Azure, it's convenient to use Azure DNS. It has native integration with other Azure solutions, and Microsoft is a globally recognized DNS provider. You also get CDN services. If you're a media company that requires on-demand data streaming, your DNS plays a vital role by working with CDN services to publish your application. It's cheaper and easier to expand your solution.""Azure DNS provides value beyond its user-friendly interface and easy learning curve."

More Azure DNS Pros →

"The most valuable feature of the solution is external DNS. It is also very secure. They have their own main server and once you configure it, the product takes care of everything. There are no issues in resolving IPs and low latency is also present.""The most valuable feature of Cloudflare DNS is security.""The solution is stable, and the DNS servers are simple to use.""Even when there is a high load on our servers, Cloudflare is able to cache the data and serve it to users, ensuring they can still access the website.""I get a lot of value from Cloudflare's API because it enables you to build a separate environment inside the solution. You can create a domain for performing test requests before you move to the production environment and connect various domains.""The most valuable feature of Cloudflare DNS is its global reach and it is always evolving.""It is a stable solution. I rate the stability a ten out of ten...I rate the scalability a ten out of ten.""Its most significant benefit to date is the speed with which it refreshes DNS records on the internet once you change it. If you are changing a website or registering a new record, it is very quick."

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Cons
"Azure DNS does provide enhanced support for applications and includes several security features to protect against threats. One of the security features it offers is the ability to detect and prevent dangling DNS records, which can be used in cyber attacks. Dangling DNS records occur when a website owner creates a domain name but forgets to remove the CNAME record, leaving the domain vulnerable to takeover by malicious actors. Azure DNS includes security measures to identify and prevent such threats, helping to keep your DNS infrastructure secure. However, if Microsoft could add more security capabilities to the DNS, that would be great to detect and identify anomalies that are happening to prevent cyber threats.""I would like to see more integration with other platforms, improved stability, enhanced security, and better pricing because there is always room for improvement.""The DNSSEC feature is not yet available on the DNS server so it needs to be added.""There are some latency issues that could be improved.""The process of creating a virtual mission could be improved.""Azure DNS sticks mostly with the Azure native solution and doesn't scale well in a multi-cloud or hybrid environment.""I would like to see more security features and protection.""The CDN integration could be improved."

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"It would be helpful if the solution could continue evolving to compete with the other solutions on the market.""The tool needs to improve caching of servers. The product needs to include PFX certificate as well.""We have noticed multiple instances where Cloudflare falsely indicates that our servers are down, even when there is no actual load on them. This makes it challenging for us to identify the exact issue.""The documentation could improve for Cloudflare DNS.""An integrated SSO feature would be useful for Cloudflare DNS.""Cloudflare's free plan is limited to 5,000 records for their free plan. They should increase that. For example, if I create a domain called abc.com and a subdomain called a.abc.com, my record count will be two. I can make a maximum of 5,000 subdomains. However, if we use our own DNS hosted on another provider, there is no limit. Their free plan also lacks name server customization.""Cloudflare doesn't have a reverse lookup. We can only do a DNS lookup to get the IP address from the hostname. It doesn't work if you want to look up the hostname from an IPA address.""The analytics, basically the dashboard, doesn't have much to it."

More Cloudflare DNS Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The solution payment model is based on how many users use it. This is not an expensive solution, but it can depend on how long we use it. However, if the price was decreased it would be helpful."
  • "We have an enterprise license agreement with Microsoft. Their pricing is competitive. I would rate it a three and a half out of five."
  • "The solution itself is free but you need to pay for the Microsoft Azure infrastructure and host your domains in Azure to use it."
  • "The solution's price is reasonable."
  • "The price is low and it's a reasonable price for that product."
  • "Azure DNS is a cheap solution, and I rate it a two out of ten for pricing."
  • More Azure DNS Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "That is one of the great features. I was able to access the majority of the features and services for free."
  • "When you compare Cloudflare DNS to other solutions, such as Akamai, the price is reasonable."
  • "The price of the solution is expensive."
  • "We are using the free version."
  • "The pricing depends on the usage, but the cheapest would be around 5,000 USD a month."
  • "The product's pricing is minimal compared to other products."
  • "A free version of the solution is available."
  • "We are using the free tier of the solution."
  • More Cloudflare DNS Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Azure DNS is a hosting service of DNS domains. It has excellent operating time and performance, resulting in fast resolution. We like the ability to view everything in the Azure portal - this makes… more »
    Top Answer:The most valuable features of Azure DNS are the DNS forwarder and the DNS additional record editions.
    Top Answer:Azure DNS sticks mostly with the Azure native solution and doesn't scale well in a multi-cloud or hybrid environment. A lot of functionalities are not available in the hybrid cloud. A public DNS… more »
    Top Answer:Cloudflare DNS is a very fast, very reliable public DNS resolver. It is an enterprise-grade authoritative DNS service that offers great redundancy and advanced security with built-in unmetered and… more »
    Top Answer:Cloudflare DNS is widely used, and it's good for websites. If we use Cloudflare DNS and update one record, it updates in their office instantly.
    Ranking
    2nd
    out of 23 in Managed DNS
    Views
    8,009
    Comparisons
    6,727
    Reviews
    16
    Average Words per Review
    345
    Rating
    8.4
    1st
    out of 23 in Managed DNS
    Views
    45,023
    Comparisons
    27,954
    Reviews
    11
    Average Words per Review
    446
    Rating
    8.5
    Comparisons
    Learn More
    Overview

    Azure DNS is a hosting service for DNS domains, providing name resolution using Microsoft Azure infrastructure. By hosting your domains in Azure, you can manage your DNS records using the same credentials, APIs, tools, and billing as your other Azure services.

    Powering over 38% of managed DNS domains, Cloudflare runs one of the largest authoritative DNS networks in the world. With an average of a few milliseconds query speed, we have the fastest performance of any managed DNS provider. DNS updates happen within seconds, making DNS propagation delays a thing of the past.

    Offer
    Learn more about Azure DNS
    Learn more about Cloudflare DNS
    Sample Customers
    M-Files
    GoDaddy, Nasdaq, Zendesk, DigitalOcean, OK Cupid, Cisco, Udacity, LogMeIn, Library of Congress
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Retailer22%
    Manufacturing Company11%
    Pharma/Biotech Company11%
    Financial Services Firm11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Government8%
    Manufacturing Company6%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm44%
    Comms Service Provider22%
    Healthcare Company11%
    Retailer11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Comms Service Provider16%
    Computer Software Company14%
    Media Company8%
    Government6%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business29%
    Midsize Enterprise6%
    Large Enterprise65%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business25%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise59%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business31%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise54%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business32%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise49%
    Buyer's Guide
    Azure DNS vs. Cloudflare DNS
    September 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about Azure DNS vs. Cloudflare DNS and other solutions. Updated: September 2023.
    734,678 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Azure DNS is ranked 2nd in Managed DNS with 16 reviews while Cloudflare DNS is ranked 1st in Managed DNS with 12 reviews. Azure DNS is rated 8.4, while Cloudflare DNS is rated 8.6. The top reviewer of Azure DNS writes "Beneficial integration and security, and highly stable". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Cloudflare DNS writes "A stable, affordable, and easy-to-install product that provides resiliency and protects from threats". Azure DNS is most compared with Amazon Route 53, Cisco Umbrella, Google Cloud DNS, Dyn and Infoblox DDI, whereas Cloudflare DNS is most compared with Quad9, Google Cloud DNS, Cisco Umbrella, Amazon Route 53 and Hurricane Electric Free DNS. See our Azure DNS vs. Cloudflare DNS report.

    See our list of best Managed DNS vendors.

    We monitor all Managed DNS reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.