Unbound stands out as a validating, recursive, and caching DNS resolver meticulously engineered for speed and efficiency. Built upon open standards, it incorporates a suite of modern features to enhance your DNS resolution experience.
In today’s digital landscape, online privacy is paramount. Unbound rises to this challenge by offering robust support for DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-HTTPS. These protocols encrypt the communication between clients and the resolver, effectively shielding your DNS queries from prying eyes and bolstering your online privacy. Beyond encryption, Unbound implements cutting-edge standards designed to minimize data exchange with authoritative servers. This not only strengthens privacy but also contributes to a more resilient and robust Domain Name System. Key among these are Query Name Minimisation, which limits the information shared in DNS queries, Aggressive Use of DNSSEC-Validated Cache for optimized caching of secure DNS data, and support for authority zones, enabling local loading of the root zone for enhanced autonomy and speed.
Unbound’s versatility extends to its broad platform compatibility. It runs seamlessly across a wide spectrum of operating systems, including Linux and BSD distributions, as well as macOS. Convenient packages are readily available for the majority of platforms, simplifying installation. Notably, Unbound is integrated into the base system of all major BSD operating systems and is a standard component in the repositories of most Linux distributions, highlighting its widespread adoption and reliability. Setting up Unbound is designed to be straightforward, with a user-friendly configuration process that allows you to establish a resolver for your machine or network with just a few configuration lines.
As free and open-source software distributed under the BSD license, Unbound prioritizes user security and privacy as core guiding principles in its development roadmap. All functionalities are grounded in well-established open standards, ensuring interoperability and transparency. Unbound is under continuous development, with ongoing improvements benefiting all users. The development approach is user-centric, driven by feedback from the user community, particularly those with support contracts, and the broader Internet community. While sponsored functionality is considered and prioritized where feasible, all enhancements are evaluated on a case-by-case basis to maintain the integrity and broad applicability of Unbound.
