Self-Hosted DDNS Clients — ddclient vs inadyn vs GoDNS

Introduction

If you run a self-hosted server at home or in a small office, your public IP address likely changes periodically. A Dynamic DNS (DDNS) client automatically detects IP changes and updates your DNS records so your domain always points to your current address.

While many people rely on third-party DDNS providers with proprietary clients, open-source DDNS tools let you self-host the entire update pipeline — supporting dozens of DNS providers, multiple protocols, and full control over your DNS infrastructure.

In this guide, we compare three of the most popular open-source DDNS clients: ddclient, inadyn, and GoDNS.

Quick Comparison

ddclient — The Veteran DDNS Client

ddclient is the oldest and most widely used DDNS client in the open-source ecosystem. Originally developed in Perl, it supports a massive range of DNS providers and update protocols.

Key Features

• 30+ supported providers: Cloudflare, DuckDNS, Namecheap, GoDaddy, DigitalOcean, No-IP, DynDNS, and many more
• Automatic IP detection: Supports web-based detection (checkip services), router UPnP, and local interface detection
• Daemon mode: Runs continuously in the background, polling for IP changes at configurable intervals
• SSL/TLS support: Encrypts update requests to supported providers
• IPv6 support: Can detect and update AAAA records alongside A records

Docker Compose Configuration

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version: "3.8"
services:
  ddclient:
    image: linuxserver/ddclient:latest
    container_name: ddclient
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=UTC
    volumes:
      - ./config:/config
    restart: unless-stopped

ddclient.conf Example

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daemon=300
syslog=yes
pid=/var/run/ddclient.pid
ssl=yes

# Cloudflare
protocol=cloudflare
server=api.cloudflare.com/client/v4
zone=example.com
login=your-api-email
password=your-api-token
example.com

Installation

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# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install ddclient

# During installation, you'll be prompted to configure:
# - DDNS provider
# - Username/email
# - Password/API token
# - Domain name

# Or manually edit the config
sudo nano /etc/ddclient.conf
sudo systemctl enable --now ddclient

inadyn — Lightweight C-Based DDNS Client

inadyn (In-a-Dyn) is a dynamic DNS client written in C, designed for embedded systems and routers. It has a smaller footprint than ddclient and supports multiple SSL/TLS libraries (OpenSSL, GnuTLS, or BearSSL).

Key Features

• C-based, minimal footprint: Ideal for resource-constrained environments (OpenWrt, routers, embedded Linux)
• Multiple SSL backends: Choose OpenSSL, GnuTLS, or BearSSL based on your system’s availability
• Built-in DDNS providers: Supports Cloudflare, DuckDNS, DynDNS, No-IP, HE.net, Google Domains, and more
• Custom provider support: Define your own update URL with parameter substitution
• Daemon mode: Lightweight background operation with low memory usage
• Multiple interface support: Can monitor specific network interfaces for IP changes

Docker Compose Configuration

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version: "3.8"
services:
  inadyn:
    image: rothgar/rpi-inadyn:latest
    container_name: inadyn
    volumes:
      - ./inadyn.conf:/etc/inadyn.conf:ro
    network_mode: host
    restart: unless-stopped

inadyn.conf Example

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# inadyn configuration file
period = 300

# Cloudflare provider
provider cloudflare.com {
    hostname = "example.com"
    username = "your-api-email"
    password = "your-api-token"
    ttl = 3600
}

# DuckDNS provider
provider duckdns.org {
    hostname = "myhome.duckdns.org"
    password = "your-duckdns-token"
}

Installation

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# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install inadyn

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S inadyn

# OpenWrt
opkg install inadyn

# Start and enable
sudo systemctl enable --now inadyn

GoDNS — Modern Go-Based DDNS Updater

GoDNS is a DDNS client written in Go, designed to be simple, fast, and cross-platform. It supports Cloudflare, DuckDNS, Google Domains, DigitalOcean, and many other providers with a clean YAML configuration.

Key Features

• Go-based, single binary: No dependencies, easy deployment on any platform
• 10+ supported providers: Cloudflare, DuckDNS, Google Domains, DNSPod, HE.net, DreamHost, AliDNS, and more
• Multiple IP detection methods: Supports web-based, API-based, and network interface IP detection
• Proxy support: Can route update requests through HTTP/SOCKS proxies
• Webhook notifications: Send alerts via webhook when IP changes
• Docker-friendly: Simple container deployment with config mount

Docker Compose Configuration

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version: "3.8"
services:
  godns:
    image: timothyye/godns:latest
    container_name: godns
    volumes:
      - ./config.json:/config.json:ro
    restart: unless-stopped

config.json Example

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{
  "provider": "Cloudflare",
  "email": "your-api-email",
  "password": "your-api-token",
  "domains": [
    {
      "domain_name": "example.com",
      "sub_domains": ["@", "www", "server"]
    }
  ],
  "ip_urls": ["https://api.ipify.org"],
  "ip_type": "IPv4",
  "interval": 300,
  "resolver": "8.8.8.8",
  "user_agent": "GoDNS/1.0",
  "notify": {
    "webhook": {
      "url": "https://hooks.example.com/ddns-alert",
      "method": "POST",
      "body": "IP changed to {{ .IP }}"
    }
  }
}

Installation

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# Download the binary (Linux amd64)
wget https://github.com/TimothyYe/godns/releases/latest/download/godns-linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar -xzf godns-linux-amd64.tar.gz
sudo mv godns /usr/local/bin/

# Create config
sudo mkdir -p /etc/godns
sudo nano /etc/godns/config.json

# Run as systemd service
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/godns.service << 'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=GoDNS DDNS Client
After=network.target

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/godns -c /etc/godns/config.json
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

sudo systemctl enable --now godns

Choosing the Right DDNS Client

Why Self-Host Your DDNS?

Running your own DDNS client instead of relying on your router’s built-in updater offers several advantages:

Full provider choice: Router firmware typically supports only a handful of DDNS providers. With open-source clients, you can use any provider that offers an API — including Cloudflare, which is free and supports unlimited domains.

Better reliability: Router DDNS implementations often fail silently when the IP changes. Open-source clients like ddclient and inadyn log every update attempt, support retry logic, and can send notifications on failure.

IPv6 support: Many routers still lack proper IPv6 DDNS support. All three tools covered here handle IPv6 (AAAA record) updates natively.

Multiple domains: Self-hosted DDNS clients can update multiple domains and subdomains simultaneously, even across different providers — something most router firmware cannot do.

No vendor lock-in: If your DDNS provider shuts down or changes pricing, switching providers is a simple config change — no need to wait for a router firmware update.

Improved logging and audit trails: Unlike most router firmware, open-source DDNS clients produce detailed logs of every update attempt, IP change event, and error condition. These logs integrate seamlessly with centralized logging systems like journald, syslog, or ELK stacks for comprehensive audit coverage.

For related reading, see our complete DNS privacy guide and DNS security comparison.

FAQ

What is DDNS and why do I need it?

Dynamic DNS (DDNS) automatically updates your domain’s DNS records when your public IP address changes. If you host a website, game server, or remote access service at home and have a dynamic IP from your ISP, DDNS ensures your domain always resolves to your current address — without manual intervention.

Which DDNS provider should I use?

Cloudflare is the most popular choice for self-hosters because it’s free, supports unlimited domains, and has a well-documented API. DuckDNS is another excellent free option. For paid services, No-IP and DynDNS offer additional features but are generally unnecessary for most self-hosted setups.

Can I run multiple DDNS clients simultaneously?

Yes, you can run multiple DDNS clients for different providers or as a redundancy measure. However, it’s generally better to configure a single client to manage all your domains, as this avoids potential conflicts and reduces resource usage.

How often should the DDNS client check for IP changes?

A polling interval of 300 seconds (5 minutes) is a good default. This balances timeliness with API rate limits. Most providers allow at least one update per minute, so a 5-minute check interval is well within limits.

Do these tools support IPv6?

Yes, all three tools — ddclient, inadyn, and GoDNS — support IPv6 (AAAA record) updates. You can configure them to update only A records, only AAAA records, or both simultaneously.

Can I use these DDNS clients with my own DNS server?

Yes. ddclient and inadyn support custom update URLs, which means you can point them at your own DNS server’s API (e.g., PowerDNS, BIND with nsupdate, or Knot DNS). GoDNS supports Cloudflare and other API-based providers natively.

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