# coredns vs PanWatch

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | coredns | PanWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 62/100 |
| Rank in category | #5 of 41 in DNS | #3 of 9 in Fintech |
| GitHub stars | 14 398 ✓ | 2 289 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +55 | +138 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 | 12 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.15.0 · 21 Oct 2026 | 0.20.0 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

coredns scores 76/100 against 62/100 for PanWatch, so it is the safer default.

PanWatch ships more often: 12 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for coredns.

If you want the quickest setup, PanWatch is easier to run; coredns needs more configuration.

PanWatch is growing faster right now (+138 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [coredns](https://selfhost.directory/project/coredns) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/coredns.md)
- [PanWatch](https://selfhost.directory/project/panwatch) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/panwatch.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/coredns-vs-panwatch