# dnsmasq Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/dnsmasq/ 26 people recommended dnsmasq in Hacker News comments, 3 had mixed feelings and 9 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 10 of 12 months, in 17 threads. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Lightweight DNS and DHCP server that people run on routers and home labs, praised for simplicity and reliability. Critics cite recurring security vulnerabilities. Summary written by Claude from 46 comments. It was written before the November 2026 recount, and 43 of those comments still count. ## Why people recommend it - Reliable, runs without problems (4 comments in the sample): "dnsmasq has served me well for like an eternity in multiple setups" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48114299)) "dnsmasq handling the resolve and I have not had a single issue" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47447262)) "No problems no issues. Just quietly runs in the background." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47514089)) - Simple, lightweight and easy to set up (3 comments in the sample): "migrating to dnsmasq for DHCP alone was extremely simple, light weight and most importantly trivial to comprehend" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46152219)) "dnsmasq plus a cron on a server of your choice will do this pretty easily" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45946643)) "hosting local DNS service is easy as `apt-get install dnsmasq" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47305759)) - DNS and DHCP in one tool (3 comments in the sample): "configure your router's DHCP to assign specific DNS servers per MAC address with dnsmasq managing time windows" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46245692)) "dnsmasq is awesome if you want a one-stop shop for DHCP and DNS for sure." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46148618)) "dnsmasq is the defacto tool on these embedded devices for dhcp+dns" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46915213)) - Good local DNS features (3 comments in the sample): "I use dnsmasq mostly for its fantastic integration with DNS." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46144350)) "you can also make wildcard DNS pretty easily in dnsmasq" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47303231)) "dnsmasq for DNS whitelisting" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46697610)) ## What people warn about - Recurring security holes and CVEs (4 comments in the sample): "a remote attacker capable of asking DNS queries or answering DNS queries can cause a large OOB write in the heap." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48115640)) "It's a good thing this software isn't used in millions of devices which almost never receive updates." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48112763)) "dnsmasq has had so many freaking security holes in 2025 and 2026" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48834612)) - Bugs and wrong local resolution (2 comments in the sample): "the latest versions contain many non-CVE bug fixes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48113027)) "I've had issues with dnsmasq in the past where it was remotely resolving domains even when they were configured to resolve locally" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50007355)) ## Other DNS servers people recommend - [BIND 9](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bind/): 14 recommend, 1 mixed, 8 criticize - [PowerDNS](https://hackerapproved.com/p/powerdns/): 13 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize - [djbdns](https://hackerapproved.com/p/djbdns/): 7 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize - [Technitium DNS Server](https://hackerapproved.com/p/technitium-dns-server/): 7 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "dnsmasq", https://hackerapproved.com/p/dnsmasq/ (26 recommend, 3 mixed, 9 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.