Pricing · flat plans, no per-query meter
Pay by the zones you keep, never the queries you serve.
Every plan runs the same edge, the same one-step Route 53 import, the same apex ALIAS to any target — and manages as code from Terraform, CloudFormation, and cert-manager. You pick a plan by how many zones you host. The price is flat. There is no per-query meter and no AWS bill.
DNSCove starts at $0 for 3 zones and is $15/mo flat for up to ~250 zones — one price per plan, billed monthly or annually, with no per-query charge. The same 250 zones on Amazon Route 53 bill about $125/mo plus query fees.
- One-step Route 53 import, zero-downtime cutover
- Apex ALIAS flattened to any target
- Full JSON API · Terraform · CloudFormation
- Let's Encrypt via scoped acme-dns01 token
- Community support
- Everything in Free, plus:
- 25 zones · higher API rate limits
- Unlimited records & scoped API tokens
- Email support
- Everything in Solo, plus:
- ~250 zones on one flat price
- Priority email support
- DNSSEC included free when it ships (roadmap)
- Everything in Pro, plus:
- 1,000 zones
- Health checks & failover
- Status page & SLA posture
In every plan — even the free one
The moat isn't a paywalled feature list. It's the same migration path, the same records, and the same edge on every tier.
One-step Route 53 import
Paste a hosted-zone export; cut over with zero downtime. Your AWS keys never leave your shell.
Apex ALIAS, any target
Point your root at a CDN or load balancer — not only AWS resources. Flattened and kept fresh.
Served at the edge
Zones answer from independent edge nodes in memory — resolution never depends on the control plane.
DNS as code
Terraform, OpenTofu, and CloudFormation drive zones and records with least-privilege tokens.
Free Let's Encrypt TLS
Any ACME client or the cert-manager webhook — wildcards included — via a scoped acme-dns01 token.
No per-query meter
Flat monthly price on every tier. Traffic spikes never move your bill — the thing Route 53 can't promise.
DNSCove vs Route 53
The same zones, without the meter.
Amazon Route 53 bills $0.50 per hosted zone per month plus roughly $0.40 per million queries. DNSCove charges a flat plan price and never meters queries — so the more traffic you serve, the wider the gap.
| Zones you host | DNSCove — flat | Amazon Route 53 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 zones | $0 · Free | ~$1.50/mo + queries |
| 25 zones | $5/mo · Solo | ~$12.50/mo + queries |
| ~250 zones | $15/mo · Pro | ~$125/mo + queries |
| 1,000 zones | ~$39/mo · Agency (v2) | ~$500/mo + queries |
Route 53 figures are list price (US), hosted-zone charge only, before query fees — verified July 2026. DNSCove never adds a per-query charge. DNSCove today serves from two authoritative nameservers (ns1.dnscove.com · ns2.dnscove.org); DNSSEC and an SLA are on the roadmap. See the full Route 53 comparison.
Founding customers
Back the cove early, lock the rate for good.
The first 50 customers get Pro at a founding rate, locked for the life of the account — the same ~250 zones, the same flat price, rate-protected through every future increase. A small, capped cohort; when the 50 seats are gone, the rate closes.
Pricing questions
How much does DNSCove cost?
DNSCove is free for up to 3 zones, $5/mo for up to 25 zones (Solo), and $15/mo flat for up to ~250 zones (Pro). Every plan is a flat monthly price with no per-query billing and no AWS account. Annual billing gives roughly two months free: $50/yr for Solo, $150/yr for Pro.
Does DNSCove charge per DNS query?
No. DNSCove never meters DNS queries. You pick a plan by how many zones you host, and the monthly price is flat regardless of query volume. That's the core difference from Route 53, which bills about $0.40 per million queries on top of a per-hosted-zone charge.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. Free hosts up to 3 zones at no cost and includes the full JSON API, one-step Route 53 import, apex ALIAS to any target, Terraform and CloudFormation support, and Let's Encrypt via a scoped acme-dns01 token. Support is community-based.
How does the price compare to Amazon Route 53?
Route 53 charges $0.50 per hosted zone per month plus about $0.40 per million queries. On DNSCove the same workload is a flat plan price with no query charge: 25 zones cost $5/mo on DNSCove versus about $12.50/mo plus queries on Route 53, and ~250 zones cost $15/mo flat versus about $125/mo plus queries.
Can I pay annually?
Yes. Annual billing is available on Solo and Pro and costs roughly two months less than monthly: $50/yr for Solo and $150/yr for Pro. Free is always free.
What happens if I go over my zone limit?
Zone limits are soft. DNSCove keeps serving the zones you already have and prompts you to move up a plan rather than cutting off resolution. There's no per-zone overage meter — you either stay within the plan or upgrade to the next flat tier.
Do plans include DNSSEC and health checks?
Not yet. DNSSEC is on the roadmap and, when it ships, will be included on every paid plan at no extra charge — DNSCove doesn't paywall a security primitive. Health checks, failover, and an SLA-backed status posture arrive with the Agency plan in v2.
Is there an agency or enterprise plan?
An Agency plan for up to 1,000 zones is planned for v2, shipping alongside DNSSEC, health checks, and an SLA-backed status posture. It isn't sold today — join the v2 waitlist to be notified.
Start free. Move a zone in.
Create a zone, set two nameservers at your registrar, and watch it go live at the edge. Migrating from Route 53? Bring your zones with you — zero downtime.
Open the console →