head to head · open source
frp vs DnsServer
frp has 109,506 GitHub stars, 15,212 forks, 48 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. DnsServer has 9,921 stars, 785 forks, 187 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. frp leads on adoption by 1,004% (109,506 vs 9,921 stars). frp is written in Go under Apache-2.0; DnsServer is written in C# under GPL-3.0. frp has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, DnsServer 8%. frp 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.
← all 15422 open source comparisons
Side by side
| frp | DnsServer | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 110K | ★ 9.9K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | C# |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-12 |
| Forks | ⑂ 15K | ⑂ 785 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick frp if
- You weight community size — 110K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick DnsServer if
- You want the DnsServer feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You evaluated both and DnsServer fits your workflow better
About frp
frp is a fast reverse proxy written in Go that exposes a local server behind a NAT or firewall to the internet, built for operators and developers who need inbound access to machines they cannot port forward.
About DnsServer
Technitium DNS Server is an open source, cross platform authoritative and recursive DNS server written in C under GPL 3.0, aimed at anyone who wants to self host DNS resolution for privacy and security — a home network on a Raspberry Pi, or an organisation that needs encrypted DNS, network wide block lists, and centralised management.
read the full DnsServer overview →
More in Infrastructure & Operations
Related comparisons
More Networking & Connectivity projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Networking & Connectivity field.
Frequently asked questions
Is frp or DnsServer more popular?
frp has 109,506 GitHub stars and DnsServer has 9,921. frp has the larger community by that measure.
Are frp and DnsServer free?
Both are open source. frp is licensed under Apache-2.0 and DnsServer under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between frp and DnsServer?
frp is written in Go and DnsServer in C#. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, frp or DnsServer?
Choose frp if you want the larger community (109,506 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose DnsServer if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.