PTRDNS is a managed authoritative DNS platform built on PowerDNS and designed by people who actually run infrastructure. It focuses on doing DNS properly: standards-compliant, automation-friendly, and resilient against the kinds of failures that real operators worry about.
There is no proprietary DNS stack, no opaque “magic” and no lock-in. You get a clean PowerDNS-based service with APIs, zone transfers, and tooling that fits into existing workflows.
It is built for people who already understand DNS and want something that works the way DNS is supposed to work.
What you actually get
Real authoritative DNS
PTRDNS supports:
- Primary zones – manage records at PTRDNS, transfer it out via AXFR to other providers
- Secondary zones – PTRDNS retrieves the zone via AXFR from your own primary
- Native zones – manage records and serve zones at PTRDNS, for large or frequently updated zones
You can keep your own primaries, even hidden ones, or move zones between providers without rewriting everything.
No proprietary API
Everything is standard PowerDNS:
- PowerDNS HTTP API
- AXFR
- Works with Terraform, OctoDNS, scripts, cron jobs, CI pipelines
If you can automate PowerDNS, you can automate PTRDNS.
There also is an easy-to-use web editor for zones and records if you don’t fancy scripting.
ACME works the way it should
DNS-01 works with Certbot, acme.sh, lego, etc. You update TXT records through the PowerDNS API, the cert gets issued, and you are done. You can also update records via RFC 2136 (nsupdate).
Nameservers that don’t all die at once
The NS set is spread across multiple networks in different regions, and multiple TLDs:
ptrdns.netptrdns.orgptrdns.eu
They are registered under different TLDs and registrars. This avoids the classic “registrar screwed up and now all NS hostnames are dead” failure mode that has taken out large providers in the past.
Security is a priority
Authentication is provided via Keycloak, TOTP-based 2FA is available to all accounts and Passkeys are supported.
DNSSEC is supported, securing your zones is a one-click operation.
Too many records? Too many queries? No problem!
Plans go from millions to hundreds of millions of queries per month. There are no limits on the number of record in each zone, but zones with lots of records should be configured as native.
Who this is for
PTRDNS is for people who care about open standards, robustness, interoperability, and who like automation.
Ready to take control of your DNS with a service that prioritizes reliability and security? Subscribe to PTRDNS today and experience the difference. With flexible plans, comprehensive support, and great performance, PTRDNS is the smart choice for anyone serious about managing their domains.