Best free DNS lookup and propagation checkers compared
The best free DNS tool depends on the question. To watch a record roll out across the globe, whatsmydns.net and dnschecker.org query the most worldwide vantage points. To read every record for a domain and understand what it means, Relaymetry looks records up straight from the authoritative nameservers and explains them in plain English. This page compares five free tools on the features that actually differ.
How these tools differ
Every tool here resolves DNS records for free without a login. The differences are coverage and depth. whatsmydns.net and dnschecker.org specialise in global propagation: they query dozens of resolvers around the world, which is exactly what you want after changing a record, and Relaymetry checks fewer vantage points than they do. MXToolbox and ViewDNS.info bundle many diagnostic lookups. Google Admin Toolbox exposes raw dig output for people who want it. Relaymetry's angle is combining a full-record lookup and a propagation check in one place, with a plain-English explanation of each record rather than a raw dump.
| Relaymetry | MXToolbox | whatsmydns | dnschecker.org | Google Admin Toolbox (Dig) | ViewDNS.info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record typesrecords you can look up | AAAAAMXTXTNSCNAMECAASOA | AAAAAMXTXTNSCNAMECAASOA | AAAAAMXTXTNSCNAMECAASOA | AAAAAMXTXTNSCNAMECAASOA | AAAAAMXTXTNSCNAMECAASOA | AAAAAMXTXTNSCNAMECAASOA |
| Global propagation | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| DNSSEC visibility | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No login | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Public API | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Plain-English explanation | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Free-tier catch | No login or email | Monitoring and bulk are paid | Propagation-focused; raw records | Ad-supported | Raw dig output | API is paid |
Related comparisons
Common questions
Which free DNS checker is best for checking propagation?
For propagation specifically, whatsmydns.net and dnschecker.org are the go-to tools: they query many resolvers worldwide and show where a record has updated. If you also want to read the full record set and see it explained, Relaymetry's DNS propagation checker covers propagation, while its DNS lookup reads every record straight from the authoritative nameservers.
What DNS record types can these tools look up?
Most cover the common types: A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, CAA, and SOA. Coverage of less common types varies, which the table shows per tool. If you are not sure which record does what, our guide to DNS record types explains each one.
Do I need a login or an API key?
No login is needed for a basic lookup on any of these. An API key matters only if you want to automate checks. MXToolbox and ViewDNS.info offer APIs on paid or metered plans, which the table marks.