head to head · open source
algo vs coredns
algo has 30,448 GitHub stars, 2,373 forks, 77 open issues and last shipped 8 days ago. coredns has 14,408 stars, 2,553 forks, 282 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. algo leads on adoption by 111% (30,448 vs 14,408 stars). algo is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; coredns is written in Go under Apache-2.0. algo has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, coredns 18%. coredns was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| algo | coredns | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 30K | ★ 14K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Go |
| Last push | 2026-10-28 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.4K | ⑂ 2.6K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick algo if
- You weight community size — 30K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick coredns if
- You want the coredns feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and coredns fits your workflow better
About algo
Algo VPN Algo VPN is a set of Ansible scripts that simplify the setup of a personal WireGuard and IPsec VPN. It uses the most secure defaults available and works with common cloud providers. See our release announcement for more information. Features Supports only IKEv2 with strong crypto (AES GCM, SHA2, and P 256) for iOS, MacOS, and Linux Supports WireGuard for all of the above, in addition to Android and Windows 11 Generates .conf files and QR codes for iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows WireGuard clients Generates Apple profiles to auto configure iOS and macOS devices for IPsec no client software required…
About coredns
CoreDNS is a DNS server/forwarder, written in Go, that chains plugins. Each plugin performs a (DNS) function. CoreDNS is a Cloud Native Computing Foundation graduated project. CoreDNS is a fast and flexible DNS server. The key word here is flexible : with CoreDNS you are able to do what you want with your DNS data by utilizing plugins. If some functionality is not provided out of the box you can add it by writing a plugin. CoreDNS can listen for DNS requests coming in over: UDP/TCP (go'old DNS). TLS DoT (RFC 7858). DNS over HTTP/2 DoH (RFC 8484). DNS over HTTP/3 DoH3 DNS over QUIC DoQ (RFC 9250). gRPC (not a…
read the full coredns overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is algo or coredns more popular?
algo has 30,448 GitHub stars and coredns has 14,408. algo has the larger community by that measure.
Are algo and coredns free?
Both are open source. algo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and coredns under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between algo and coredns?
algo is written in Python and coredns in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, algo or coredns?
Choose algo if you want the larger community (30,448 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose coredns if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.