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Comparison · Infra & APIs
DNSimple vs SoftEther VPN
A side-by-side editorial comparison of DNSimple and SoftEther VPN — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:open-source
DNSimple vs SoftEther VPN: at a glance
What is DNSimple?
DNSimple's origin name servers answer a quarter faster at p90 after erldns work
DNSimple keeps tuning the Erlang stack it now runs end to end. The November 4 post says p90 query time on its origin name servers is down about a quarter, and about a third for DNSSEC queries, with roughly a third less CPU, and record changes now switch in one step so existing records never briefly disappear. It follows October's dns_erlang rewrite, which cut CPU per query by 12%, and the August finish of the migration to fully owned infrastructure. Above that layer sit the CLI launched in May, browser login from June, and Domain Trustee.
What is SoftEther VPN?
SoftEther returns after 16 months with Windows ARM64 support and a pile of fixes.
SoftEther 5.2.5189 is the first 5.x release since July 2025. It adds Windows ARM64 support with an ARM64 Neo6 driver, restores kernel-mode NAT, adds a configurable DHCP discover timeout and a Turkish translation, and fixes memory leaks, a dangling pointer and Linux password input. Builds can now disable the post-quantum OQS library added in 5.2.5188.
DNSimple vs SoftEther VPN: editorial side-by-side
DNSimple
5.0INFRA · APIS
DNSimple's origin name servers answer a quarter faster at p90 after erldns work
◆ Current state
DNSimple keeps tuning the Erlang stack it now runs end to end. The November 4 post says p90 query time on its origin name servers is down about a quarter, and about a third for DNSSEC queries, with roughly a third less CPU, and record changes now switch in one step so existing records never briefly disappear. It follows October's dns_erlang rewrite, which cut CPU per query by 12%, and the August finish of the migration to fully owned infrastructure. Above that layer sit the CLI launched in May, browser login from June, and Domain Trustee.
◆ Where it's heading
Since owning its full DNS edge, DNSimple has turned to measurable performance work on erldns and dns_erlang, published openly. The product layer above, CLI and API clients, is moving more slowly.
◆ Prediction
Expect more erldns and dns_erlang performance posts; the entries show no sign of a new customer-facing product soon.
SoftEther VPN
2.5INFRA · APIS
SoftEther returns after 16 months with Windows ARM64 support and a pile of fixes.
◆ Current state
SoftEther 5.2.5189 is the first 5.x release since July 2025. It adds Windows ARM64 support with an ARM64 Neo6 driver, restores kernel-mode NAT, adds a configurable DHCP discover timeout and a Turkish translation, and fixes memory leaks, a dangling pointer and Linux password input. Builds can now disable the post-quantum OQS library added in 5.2.5188.
◆ Where it's heading
The 5.x line moves slowly and in batches, with community contributors doing most of the work. After 5.2.5188 added hybrid post-quantum key exchange, this release is about platform reach and stability rather than new protocol features.
◆ Prediction
The cadence suggests a long gap before the next tag; the entries give no sign of another protocol-level change soon.
Alternatives to DNSimple and SoftEther VPN
Other Infra & APIs products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either DNSimple or SoftEther VPN.
Algolia
Algolia's AI Assist now writes merchandising rules from a plain-language request
Jaeger
Jaeger 2.23 lets people and agents query traces in SQL.
Parse Server
Parse Server 9.11.1 alphas close two beforeSave advisories, one a server crash.
Bitbucket
Bitbucket Pipelines swaps stored credentials for step permissions and container tokens.
AppSignal
AppSignal links incidents from GitHub and gives its MCP server cleaner metric series.
See all DNSimple alternatives → · See all SoftEther VPN alternatives →
Recent activity from DNSimple and SoftEther VPN
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 18h agoSoftEther VPN5.2.5189 adds Windows ARM64 support and fixes kernel-mode NAT
- 1d agoDNSimpleLower latency on our origin name servers
- 14d agoDNSimpleFaster DNS with dns_erlang ⚡
- 2mo agoDNSimpleFully Independent DNS Edge
- 3mo agoDNSimpleNew case study: Always Beyond
- 4mo agoDNSimpleDNSimple CLI is now available straight from your browser
- 5mo agoDNSimpleDomain Trustee now available ⚡
- 1y agoSoftEther VPN5.2.5188 adds X25519MLKEM768 post-quantum key exchange ⚡
- 2y agoSoftEther VPN5.02.5187: version bump ahead of the 5187 release
- 2y agoSoftEther VPN5.02.5186 bumps webpack in the admin web UI
- 2y agoSoftEther VPN5.02.5185 fixes DHCP handling and a UDP amplification report
- 2y agoSoftEther VPN5.02.5184: contributor credits, no release notes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between DNSimple and SoftEther VPN?
Both compete on the same themes — open-source — within Infra & APIs. DNSimple is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is DNSimple better than SoftEther VPN?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. DNSimple is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to DNSimple?
Top DNSimple alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "DNSimple alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/dnsimple for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to SoftEther VPN?
Top SoftEther VPN alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "SoftEther VPN alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/softether-vpn for the full list with editorial commentary on each.