Side by side
dnshealth_exporter vs UpGex DNS Monitoring
Both stand on dns monitoring software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Choose dnshealth_exporter if you run Linux or self-hosted infrastructure and want DNS checks exposed to Prometheus, Grafana, or Alertmanager. Its early-development status and initial HTTP 503 period are worth accounting for when planning operations.
Visit dnshealth_exporterChoose UpGex if you need DNS checks around infrastructure changes or ongoing drift monitoring, with incident diagnostics and multiple alert channels. The Free plan provides a way to start, while the main reason to look elsewhere is if its credit-based usage or plan-specific check intervals do not suit your monitoring needs.
Visit UpGex DNS MonitoringThe facts
| dnshealth_exporter | UpGex DNS Monitoring | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Self-hosted | Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Pro: $99.99 a year |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | upgex.com |
| On dns monitoring software | #6 of 36 | #24 of 36 |
dnshealth_exporter: what it does well
- Open-source software under Apache License 2.0
- Checks SOA, recursion availability, and glue consistency
- Metrics integrate with Prometheus-based dashboarding and alerting
- Configuration reloads without restarting the exporter
- Docker Compose demo includes Grafana and a CoreDNS hierarchy
What to know first
- Project is marked as early development
- Metrics endpoint returns HTTP 503 before the first probe completes
- Building from source requires Go 1.26 or later
UpGex DNS Monitoring: what it does well
- Monitors expected values across standard DNS record types.
- Checks propagation, resolution, record changes, and nameserver health.
- Configurable checks retry failures and open incidents at a threshold.
- Diagnostics compare public resolvers and verify the authority chain.
- Free plan includes real monitoring and a full dashboard.
What to know first
- Free plan has 6 credits per month.
- Free plan requires a minimum 900s check interval.
- Free plan retains history for 3 days.
- REST API access is included in paid tiers.
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