The DNS (Domain Name System) is a system used to provide domain names for virtual machines on the Azure cloud. Both third-party DNS and Microsoft DNS are options for users of Azure. Microsoft DNS is an inbuilt offering from Microsoft and can be used by those with workloads deployed on Azure. Azure DNS is primarily used for domain name resolution for virtual machines on the cloud.
Security architect at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Beneficial integration and security, and highly stable
Pros and Cons
- "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."
- "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."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
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.
What needs improvement?
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.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Azure DNS for approximately five years.
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March 2025

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is 100 percent stable. The stability is managed by Microsoft.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Azure DNS is a scalable solution. The scaling is done by Microsoft, we do not have to worry about it.
How are customer service and support?
Using Azure DNS does not require extensive technical expertise. If support is needed, you can simply raise a ticket with Microsoft and one of their product engineers will assist you. This means that you do not need to invest in external or third-party technical support, making it a convenient and cost-effective solution.
The level of support you receive from Microsoft when using Azure DNS will depend on the support plan you have with them. If you are a larger enterprise with a Premier support plan, you will typically receive more support and have a shorter response time from Microsoft. For smaller companies, the support plans and response times may be different. It is important to carefully consider your support needs and choose a plan that meets the requirements of your company.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used other in-house solutions which are vNEXT-based DNS or Windows-based DNS. These were systems we are fully in control of and do the deployment but Azure DNS is a complete Microsoft cloud offering. It is the most advanced version of DNS we can have.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of the solution is simple because it is on the cloud. It only takes a few clicks of the mouse. For example, for a volume of a thousand virtual machines, it takes one day to implement.
To implement Azure DNS, the following steps can be taken:
- Deploy a virtual machine on a VNET in Azure.
- On the VNET blade, select Microsoft DNS as the DNS provider. Alternatively, you can choose to use a third-party DNS provider by selecting the corresponding radio button.
- Click the radio button to confirm your choice of DNS provider.
No additional configuration is required, as Azure DNS is an in-house product from Microsoft and is already integrated with other Azure services. You can simply select it as the DNS provider for your virtual machine and it will be ready to use.
What was our ROI?
Using Azure DNS can provide a good return on investment for your company. As a fully managed offering, it does not require any hardware investment or maintenance, so there is no upfront capital expenditure (CapEx) costs. You can pay for Azure DNS on a pay-as-you-go basis, which means that your operating expenditure (OpEx) costs will be based on actual usage. This can be more cost-effective than managing and scaling your own DNS infrastructure, as you do not need to invest in hardware or hire specialized staff to maintain it. Using a cloud-based DNS solution, such as Azure DNS can provide a high return on investment due to its low upfront costs and flexibility.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Azure DNS is generally not priced separately. It is included as part of the overall Azure licensing and is typically charged based on usage. This means that you only pay for the resources you use, such as the volume of traffic on your DNS. There is no specific pricing for Azure DNS assets, as it is part of the overall Azure pricing model. You can choose a pay-as-you-go plan, which charges based on actual usage, or a subscription plan, which allows you to pay a fixed rate for a set amount of resources.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Azure DNS an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Project Manager at LTIMINDTREE
It requires minimal effort to install, and it's convenient because it has native integration with other solutions on the same platform
Pros and Cons
- "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."
- "The CDN integration could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
It's useful in hybrid Microsoft-based services where you need to sync your cloud and on-prem Active Directories or have publc-facing and private interfaces. For example, you're hosting an enterprise application at abc123.com.
What is most valuable?
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.
What needs improvement?
The CDN integration could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Azure DNS for two or three years.
How was the initial setup?
Azure DNS requires minimal setup.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate Azure DNS eight out of 10 for affordability. It's cheaper than the native DNS solutions of the other cloud providers in the top three.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Azure DNS seven out of 10.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Buyer's Guide
Azure DNS
March 2025

Learn what your peers think about Azure DNS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
839,422 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Application Operations Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Moderately- price and and is highly stable
Pros and Cons
- "The pricing can be more competitive."
What needs improvement?
The pricing can be more competitive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have experience with Azure DNS.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is highly stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have dependencies also on a local DNS.The scalability is an eight out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment was done in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is moderately priced.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
System and network security engineer at Central Bank of Nigeria
A highly stable and scalable solution that is free and can be set up easily
Pros and Cons
- "The speed of the queries is valuable."
- "The product must be integrated with additional security features."
What is our primary use case?
If we host a public business solution on Azure, we create a record on DNS to point to the source.
What is most valuable?
The speed of the queries is valuable. It’s quite fast. It is not a complicated product. We use it alongside other solutions.
What needs improvement?
The product must be integrated with additional security features.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for five to six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I never had a problem with the tool’s stability. I rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is very scalable. If we need to change our pointers, we just change our records. The administrators use the solution in our organization. I rate the scalability a ten out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is very straightforward. The setup takes a few minutes. All we need to do is start creating records. It is a cloud solution.
What about the implementation team?
We can do the deployment in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is free.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
System administrator at EOCD
A stable tool with a simple initial setup phase and an easy-to-understand guide to support its users
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is a stable product."
- "There are some issues with the solution's performance where improvements are needed."
What is our primary use case?
I use Azure DNS as a local DNS for some servers so that I can connect them using not IP addresses but host names.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is a stable product.
What needs improvement?
There are some issues with the solution's performance where improvements are needed.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Azure DNS for two years. I use the solution's latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten. You may face some issues during the installation process of Azure DNS that you can try to fix.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
When I deploy Azure DNS in my company, I won't install it on a single node since I always prefer it to be done on multiple nodes.
There are around ten users of Azure DNS in my company since, for us, we use it as a local DNS.
How are customer service and support?
I don't use the solution's technical support. I simply use the guide provided by Microsoft.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not used any other solution before Azure DNS in my company.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of the product is not complex. I have experience working with servers and operating systems from Windows for over three years, so the setup process of Azure DNS is not Complex for me.
The deployment of Azure DNS can be completed in around an hour and thirty minutes.
The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.
What about the implementation team?
I was involved in the deployment phase of Azure DNS in my company.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
To use Azure DNS, I need to buy the license meant for Windows Server.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
DevOps Cloud Engineer at Schmitech Inc.
A solution for managing internal interface and needs some improvement with scalability
Pros and Cons
- "The DNS resolution is the most valuable feature."
- "The solution lacks scalability."
What is our primary use case?
It's just the initial setup that we use for managing the internal infrastructure.
What is most valuable?
The DNS resolution is the most valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
The solution lacks scalability.
For how long have I used the solution?
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VM-based DNS looks like it's very stable, but the past services is a challenging one.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is the biggest issue.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support team is good. They are dedicated and try to get to the bottom of the problem.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for VMware was a piece of cake for the past services, as I mentioned. But there are a bunch of problems that are related to the way it was configured before past services, and some people from Azure are working hard to find a way to fix it.
The deployment on VMs is intuitive and easy. But for the past services, we had to set up and modify the solution a few times for troubleshooting and looking for a resolution.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend people stick to the VM-based version of Azure DNS. Do not work with past services until some issues get resolved.
I rate the overall solution a six out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Sr. System & Network Engineer at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
User-friendly and easy-to-manage solution that provides good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "Azure DNS is a user-friendly and very easy-to-manage solution."
- "The solution’s pricing could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use Azure DNS to host our services. We previously had a different DNS but moved to Azure DNS when we migrated to Azure. We utilize Azure DNS for domain hosting and name resolution in our cloud and hybrid environments.
What is most valuable?
Azure DNS is a user-friendly and very easy-to-manage solution. The solution's traffic management capabilities, like Azure Front Door, are good.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s pricing could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Azure DNS for more than two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Azure DNS an eight out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
A team of ten people uses Azure DNS in our organization on a daily basis.
I rate Azure DNS an eight out of ten for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
The solution’s technical support is good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
On a scale from one to ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy, I rate the solution's initial setup an eight or nine out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
The solution was deployed in our organization by an integrator in a few days. Two people are required for the solution’s deployment and maintenance.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate Azure DNS an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Presales Solutions Architect at Freelance
A secure solution for DNS with easy implementation
What is our primary use case?
Azure DNS is important when a customer uses a hybrid cloud because we can define exactly the accessibility order, whether it’ll be public or private accessibility. We can use a route for the Azure DNS.
What is most valuable?
Azure DNS is more secure than other solutions. It's easy to implement since the parameters are easy.
What needs improvement?
Azure is the only solution in the European Union which accepts GPDA.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Azure for eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
I rate the solution’s stability a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution has high scalability. We cater the solution to medium and enterprise.
I rate the solution’s scalability a nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
In Belgium, when you want support, there is a communication problem. It should be improved.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup took a few weeks to complete. It includes the implementation followed by testing, and the migration is done after testing.
I rate the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.
What was our ROI?
We have received 8% ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner

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Updated: March 2025
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