{"eid":"afraid","name":"afraid.org FreeDNS","domain":"afraid.org","resolved_by":"domain","topics":["domains-dns"],"n_records":1,"best_vorder":1,"review":null,"aliases":["afraid.org","afraid.org FreeDNS"],"records":[{"rid":"domains-dns/afraid-freedns","card":{"rid":"domains-dns/afraid-freedns","eid":"afraid","topic":"domains-dns","slug":"afraid-freedns","provider":"afraid.org FreeDNS","url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/","domain":"afraid.org","category":"shared-registry subdomains and managed DNS","tier":null,"verdict":"qualifies-with-caveat","vorder":1,"grp":"usable","self_hosted":0,"confidence":"documented","binding":"write-gated","identity_kind":"email","identity_basis":"stated","needs_card":0,"needs_phone":0,"needs_id":0,"needs_institution":0,"country":null,"crypto":null,"interfaces":null,"egress_metered":0,"per_object_bytes":null,"retention_days":null,"verified_at":"2026-11-02T10:17:37.729Z","verified_basis":"live","checked_on":"2026-11-02","stale_on":"2026-12-03","n_evidence":36,"usd_month":null,"usd_per_tb_month":null,"summary":"unlimited domains per account with 20 free subdomains on each, plus 5 free hostnames on a shared registry of 23,087 domains","duplicate_of":null,"n_unknown":1,"free_unit":"unlimited"},"record":{"topic":"domains-dns","slug":"afraid-freedns","provider":"afraid.org FreeDNS","url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/","category":"shared-registry subdomains and managed DNS","free_tier":{"stated":"unlimited domains per account with 20 free subdomains on each, plus 5 free hostnames on a shared registry of 23,087 domains","unit":"unlimited","source_url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","read_on":"2026-11-02","metered_on":"object-count"},"per_object_cap":{"stated":"5 hostnames on the shared registry and 20 subdomains on each domain you own, on the free plan","bytes":null,"notes":"the paid plans raise the subdomain cap to 50, 100, 250 or 500 and add wildcard records, which the free plan lacks"},"retention":{"stated":"a hosted domain that stays undelegated (broken) for 365 days is disabled; a shared-registry hostname lasts only while its domain stays in the registry, which the FAQ says may disappear next week","days":null,"source_url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/faq/"},"egress":{"terms":"no query cap published","metered":false,"free_allowance":null,"price_per_tb":null,"source_url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/"},"interface":["unknown"],"interface_detail":"no general record-management API is documented, and the /api/ page is behind a login, so its content is unverified: behind a sign-up; the site's client list says a client that sends a SHA1 hash of the user name and password can fetch the needed update URL itself; the free plan's programmatic path is the dynamic-update URL https://sync.afraid.org/u/<token>/ (https://v6.sync.afraid.org/u/<token>/ for IPv6), which changes the address of an existing record; other record edits, TXT included, are POSTs to https://freedns.afraid.org/subdomain/save.php with a logged-in session cookie; the interface term for the update URL would be dyndns, which the vocabulary lacks, so interface carries unknown","tooling":"curl against sync.afraid.org/u/<token>/; DD-WRT and router integrations","chaining":"a free hostname that resolves without owning a domain, which is the only thing here that does","limits":[{"kind":"per-object-cap","value":"5 free shared-registry hostnames and 20 subdomains on each domain you own","source":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/"},{"kind":"write-gated","value":"a hostname on a Shared: Private domain can be rejected by that domain's owner, while a Shared: Public domain takes hostnames without the owner's approval","source":"https://freedns.afraid.org/faq/"},{"kind":"write-gated","value":"the free plan keeps captchas, which every paid plan removes; the pricing table does not say which actions they guard","source":"https://freedns.afraid.org/pricing/"}],"binding":"write-gated","identity_cost":{"kind":"email","detail":"a first and last name, a user ID, a password and an e-mail address that receives the activation link, an image captcha, and a required checkbox declaring the user is not on a U.S. restricted list or in a U.S.-sanctioned territory; no phone and no card (https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/)","country":null},"reliability_note":"a shared-registry name is on someone else's domain, so its survival is their decision","confidence":"documented","confidence_note":"the landing, features, pricing, signup, signup Q&A and FAQ pages were read and quoted; the shared-registry cap of 5 hostnames and the 20-subdomain cap on an owned domain are first-party figures","evidence":[{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/","date":"2026-10-22","proved":"'23,246 domains in the shared domain registry'; dynamic update by URL token at sync.afraid.org/u/<token>/; free and premium subdomain and domain hosting"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/domain/registry/","date":"2026-10-22","proved":"the registry is a browsable list of domains a hostname may be attached to"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"an account may host any number of owned domains; the same page counts 23,097 shared-registry domains","capture":"sha256:8227876238a766b38022311fce710cb30bc8a342741b8dd7a98550017148f564","quote":"Unlimited number of domains per account (yes really)"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"a free account gets 5 hostnames on the shared registry, a first-party figure","capture":"sha256:8227876238a766b38022311fce710cb30bc8a342741b8dd7a98550017148f564","quote":"Comes with 5 free hostnames that work in the shared domain registry"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/pricing/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"the subdomain cap is 5 on the free plan and 50, 100, 250 or 500 on the four paid plans","capture":"sha256:4e93846147e892623809ea394a6d8335282bd20a0601d7e4a7717b6b6f31c5f6","quote":"Subdomain cap 5 50 100 250 500"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"each domain the user owns gets 20 free subdomains","capture":"sha256:8227876238a766b38022311fce710cb30bc8a342741b8dd7a98550017148f564","quote":"20 free subdomains included on each of your own domains"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/faq/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"only a Shared: Private domain screens hostnames; a Shared: Public domain takes them without the owner's approval","capture":"sha256:c4b6f7b8405458eb332e70a776d756fb3703e4aaa9f782d037389750e60e2b44","quote":"Shared: Public - means anyone in FreeDNS can setup a hostname using that domain without the domain owner's approval."},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/pricing/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"the free plan keeps captchas and every paid plan removes them","capture":"sha256:4e93846147e892623809ea394a6d8335282bd20a0601d7e4a7717b6b6f31c5f6","quote":"Captchas Removed No Yes Yes Yes Yes"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"the signup form asks for a first and last name, a user ID, a password and an e-mail address","capture":"sha256:39de7d687e77626ba2021c208378092f379348d4c3e37e70224f1a807b3cfb28","quote":"First Name Last Name UserID Password Password (confirm) E-Mail"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/faq/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"a TXT or other record edit outside the dynamic URL is a POST to subdomain/save.php with the logged-in session cookie; no token-based record API is documented","capture":"sha256:c4b6f7b8405458eb332e70a776d756fb3703e4aaa9f782d037389750e60e2b44","quote":"You can get the dns_cookie by analyzing the saved cookie in your browser while logged in."},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"the dynamic update is a GET of https://sync.afraid.org/u/<token>/, and of the v6.sync.afraid.org host for IPv6","capture":"sha256:366519d84d215ddef158e3710beae64b4dfe57a8e761162c047866fa38c9ff37","quote":"IPv6 updates? Easy, same as above, just add v6."},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/faq/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"a hosted domain that stays undelegated for 365 days is disabled","capture":"sha256:c4b6f7b8405458eb332e70a776d756fb3703e4aaa9f782d037389750e60e2b44","quote":"If a domain remains in a broken state for 365 days, it is then disabled unless DNS authority returns."},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"the signup form submits by sending an activation e-mail, so the account rests on an e-mail address","capture":"sha256:39de7d687e77626ba2021c208378092f379348d4c3e37e70224f1a807b3cfb28","quote":"value=\"Send activation email\""},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"the signup form carries a required checkbox declaring the user is not in a U.S.-sanctioned territory","capture":"sha256:39de7d687e77626ba2021c208378092f379348d4c3e37e70224f1a807b3cfb28","quote":"I confirm that I am not on any U.S. government restricted list and that I am not located or resident in a territory subject to U.S. sanctions"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"the signup form carries an image captcha","capture":"sha256:39de7d687e77626ba2021c208378092f379348d4c3e37e70224f1a807b3cfb28","quote":"[ Different Image ]"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/pricing/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"wildcard records are absent on the free plan and unlimited on the paid plans","capture":"sha256:4e93846147e892623809ea394a6d8335282bd20a0601d7e4a7717b6b6f31c5f6","quote":"Wildcard support None Unlimited"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"the shared registry holds 23,097 domains","capture":"sha256:366519d84d215ddef158e3710beae64b4dfe57a8e761162c047866fa38c9ff37","quote":"23,097 domains in the shared domain registry. Click on any to attach, or use your own"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/faq/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"a shared-registry domain can leave the registry at any time, taking its hostnames with it","capture":"sha256:c4b6f7b8405458eb332e70a776d756fb3703e4aaa9f782d037389750e60e2b44","quote":"The domain you choose may last for years and years, or it may disappear next week."},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/api/","date":"2026-10-30","proved":"the /api/ page redirects to the login page, so what it offers is behind a sign-in","capture":"sha256:59db94e6130fbd92325701d4ae57a9233f0639d415f676182b081611d7c9989f","quote":"Recover your password here"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","date":"2026-10-31","proved":"the features page states the 5 free shared-registry hostnames of limits[0]","capture":"sha256:2e69e05013470539531a6cd60e591d619812a4463d11edb675b22f6cd8fe4e7d","quote":"Comes with 5 free hostnames that work in the shared domain registry"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","date":"2026-10-31","proved":"the features page states the 20 free subdomains on each owned domain of limits[0]","capture":"sha256:2e69e05013470539531a6cd60e591d619812a4463d11edb675b22f6cd8fe4e7d","quote":"20 free subdomains included on each of your own domains"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/faq/","date":"2026-10-31","proved":"the FAQ states the Shared: Public half of the limits[1] rule","capture":"sha256:c4b6f7b8405458eb332e70a776d756fb3703e4aaa9f782d037389750e60e2b44","quote":"Shared: Public - means anyone in FreeDNS can setup a hostname using that domain without the domain owner's approval."},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/faq/","date":"2026-10-31","proved":"the FAQ states the Shared: Private half of the limits[1] rule","capture":"sha256:c4b6f7b8405458eb332e70a776d756fb3703e4aaa9f782d037389750e60e2b44","quote":"Shared: Private - means the domain owner reserves the ability to reject hostnames that they deem slanderous or offensive."},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","date":"2026-10-31","proved":"the values of limits[0] and limits[1] are unchanged on the features page and the FAQ","capture":"sha256:2e69e05013470539531a6cd60e591d619812a4463d11edb675b22f6cd8fe4e7d","quote":"20 free subdomains included on each of your own domains"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/scripts/freedns.clients.php","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"the site's own client list says a client that sends a SHA1 hash of the user name and password can fetch the needed update URL itself","capture":"sha256:a120d48942ee720f50e18535765dbef93d32a15c4bcd8615c666b54d22141a61","quote":"Gargoyle supports SHA1 hashing of username/password, so the client can fetch the needed update url dynamically (users need not supply the key needed to do the update)."},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/api/","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"a request for the /api/ page without a session lands on the sign-in page, so the page content is behind a login","capture":"sha256:523269e5231645c2e93013712cddaebad711d02f80b5f0a2d352d5c4b71d1b06","quote":"Keep getting thrown back here? Enable cookies."},{"url":"probe:https://freedns.afraid.org/api/?action=getdyndns&sha=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"the /api/ endpoint ?action=getdyndns with a sha key, which third-party clients call to list update URLs, answers HTTP 200 with the text ERROR: Could not authenticate. to a placeholder key of forty zeros","capture":"sha256:2907b7616e2de83d5a58ebeb7b757b4f30a8ad536ff72e26be0ce87979d60148","quote":"ERROR: Could not authenticate."},{"url":"https://github.com/ddclient/ddclient/issues/180","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"third party: a ddclient issue ties the /api/ page to the v1 update protocol, which takes one request to get the update URL of a host and one to perform the update","capture":"sha256:d4a5a3f6106cb5f22095b9c134f95abc261cbdc6f05f660f36ec15c0493345cc","quote":"The [v1 update protocol](https://freedns.afraid.org/api/) is used, which requires two requests: one to get the update URL for the desired host and another to actually perform the update."},{"url":"https://github.com/ekkis/afraid-dyndns","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"third party: a client's README says the signed-in /api/ page offers Available API Interfaces links whose sha parameter is the account key","capture":"sha256:fccc0d3026beac50c230ee84f1579442321db5e70e0642d43f07b14b955aa352","quote":"log into afraid.org and visit: http://freedns.afraid.org/api/ then click on either of the \"Available API Interfaces\" links and take the value of the \"sha\" parameter (it's a long string) from the url."},{"url":"https://beigebox.co.uk/programming/freedns-management-tool/","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"third party: a script's comment places the API page under the Dynamic DNS menu as a Programmer's XML API with two interfaces, XML and ASCII","capture":"sha256:cc4828f494dbfbe45388bd8c1acf97de7345806182f8c8f869b6189b9f10599f","quote":"Dynamic DNS > Programmer's XML API > Available API Interfaces : XML | ASCII"},{"url":"https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh/wiki/dnsapi","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"third party: the acme.sh maintainers say FreeDNS provides no API to update DNS records other than the IPv4 and IPv6 dynamic DNS addresses","capture":"sha256:6451e746adf77b6173b87f9b3dc391f77e3c074989ee3b42762f5ac68446cfec","quote":"does not provide an API to update DNS records (other than IPv4 and IPv6 dynamic DNS addresses)"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"the features page counts 23,087 domains in the shared registry pool","capture":"sha256:9df6de6eb5f711aef47074aad66020ada3c2efb529367e2bd8c4586813557169","quote":"currently 23,087 domains in the shared pool"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"an account may host any number of owned domains","capture":"sha256:9df6de6eb5f711aef47074aad66020ada3c2efb529367e2bd8c4586813557169","quote":"Unlimited number of domains per account (yes really)"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"a free account gets 5 hostnames on the shared registry","capture":"sha256:9df6de6eb5f711aef47074aad66020ada3c2efb529367e2bd8c4586813557169","quote":"Comes with 5 free hostnames that work in the [shared domain registry]"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/features/","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"each domain the user owns gets 20 free subdomains","capture":"sha256:9df6de6eb5f711aef47074aad66020ada3c2efb529367e2bd8c4586813557169","quote":"20 free subdomains included on each of your own domains"},{"url":"https://freedns.afraid.org/signup/moreinfo/","date":"2026-11-02","proved":"the vendor describes the update path as a fetchable URL that auto-updates the network address, available in the Dynamic DNS section","capture":"sha256:5bedaaeb1d196740356389dee453cd8d674dba3a7ae3891cc1451afa7a79e2bb","quote":"a special fetchable URL to auto-update the network address in FreeDNS is available in the 'Dynamic DNS' section for those whose IP address changes at random."}],"verdict":"qualifies-with-caveat","verified_at":"2026-11-02T10:17:37.729Z","price_per_tb_month":null,"notes":"The name is not yours and the owner can withdraw consent. It is a dynamic-DNS tool with a social dependency, not a name."},"claims":[{"path":"$.free_tier","kind":"has-free-tier","num":1.0,"unit":null,"per":null,"currency":null,"usd":null,"fx_date":null,"parse":"ok"},{"path":"$.free_tier.stated","kind":"free-quota","num":null,"unit":null,"per":null,"currency":null,"usd":null,"fx_date":null,"parse":"unparsed"},{"path":"$.limits[0].value","kind":"limit:per-object-cap","num":null,"unit":null,"per":null,"currency":null,"usd":null,"fx_date":null,"parse":"unparsed"},{"path":"$.limits[1].value","kind":"limit:write-gated","num":null,"unit":null,"per":null,"currency":null,"usd":null,"fx_date":null,"parse":"unparsed"},{"path":"$.limits[2].value","kind":"limit:write-gated","num":null,"unit":null,"per":null,"currency":null,"usd":null,"fx_date":null,"parse":"unparsed"}],"unknown":[["$.interface","interface-unknown"]],"history":[],"drift":[]}]}