UltraDNS
UltraDNS is Vercara/DigiCert's cloud-based authoritative DNS hosting service, providing 100% SLA resolution across 47 global nodes to enterprises, registries, and verticals including eCommerce, finance, healthcare, and gaming via subscriptions and professional services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersSan Mateo, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What UltraDNS does
UltraDNS is the flagship authoritative DNS hosting service of Vercara, a cloud-infrastructure and cybersecurity division operating under DigiCert, Inc. The service has run for over 20 years and is delivered as a cloud-based, proprietary (non-open-source) platform targeting large enterprises, registries/registrars, financial services, healthcare, eCommerce, online gaming, CSPs, and travel companies that require mission-critical DNS resolution with a 100% uptime SLA. Customers include Snapdeal (eCommerce) and a broader installed base surveyed at 15,000+ accounts, with 96% reporting extreme satisfaction on availability and 95% on reliability and performance.
Technically, UltraDNS relies on BGP and IP anycast routing across 47 nodes on 6 continents, with co-location of authoritative, recursive, and TLD servers designed to deliver near-zero-latency responses and instant cache updates. The platform handles up to 100 billion global authoritative DNS queries daily. Core features include one-click DNSSEC, built-in DDoS protection, SiteBacker monitoring/failover, Traffic Controller weighted load balancing, Directional DNS geolocation routing, Multi-CDN traffic distribution, Terraform infrastructure-as-code support, and the UltraDNS2 redundancy option that adds a second anycast network with 18 additional global nodes. A Private Data Lake module offers DNS analytics, and the UltraSecure sub-brand bundles DNS, DDoS, and WAF for SMBs.
Commercially, UltraDNS is sold primarily through enterprise field sales with custom packages; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Revenue is split between recurring DNS hosting subscriptions and professional services for DNS zone migrations and assessments. The service is accessed via a web portal (portal.ultradns.com) or REST API, and the company is privately held with no public listing or recent venture funding disclosed — historic funding included an $8M round in 2000 (VantagePoint-led) and a $25M round in 2001 (Reuters Venture Capital-led).
UltraDNS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UltraDNS
- Legal name
- DigiCert, Inc.
- Website
- https://ultradns.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- UltraDNS is Vercara/DigiCert's cloud-based authoritative DNS hosting service, providing 100% SLA resolution across 47 global nodes to enterprises, registries, and verticals including eCommerce, finance, healthcare, and gaming via subscriptions and professional services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UltraDNS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Managed DNS Services
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- DNS, Anycast & Traffic Steering (GSLB, Geo-routing) (HDABAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- DNS Security & Protective DNS (HDADABAF), DNS/DHCP/IPAM (DDI) Services (BPAEAEAK), Resilient DNS, Traffic Management & Global Load Balancing (HDABAIAI)
Keywords
Where UltraDNS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Mateo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
UltraDNS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- DNS Hosting Services: Cloud-based authoritative DNS hosting with subscription-based service tiers offering customizable packages. Includes primary, secondary, or dual primary managed DNS solutions with built-in security protections.
- Professional Services: Expert services including DNS zone migrations, DNS assessments, and product guidance for optimizing Vercara solutions to meet specific business and security needs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
UltraDNS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UltraDNS is a cloud-based authoritative DNS hosting service that delivers secure, fast, and accurate DNS query responses for enterprise organizations, supported by BGP and IP anycast routing across 47 global nodes on six continents and a 100% SLA for DNS resolution. The platform includes built-in DDoS protection, one-click DNSSEC management, advanced traffic management (load balancing, geolocation routing, Multi-CDN), monitoring and failover, Terraform-based infrastructure automation, and a private DNS Data Lake for analytics. The service is offered in primary, secondary, and dual primary managed DNS configurations, with UltraDNS² providing an additional anycast network for redundancy and UltraSecure bundling DNS, DDoS protection, and WAF for small and mid-sized businesses.
Product overview
UltraDNS is Vercara's authoritative DNS hosting platform that operates as a cloud-based service with authoritative DNS servers. The core UltraDNS product provides secure, fast, and accurate DNS query responses with 100% SLA, built-in DDoS protection, and DNSSEC management. The UltraDNS² add-on provides additional redundancy with two separate DNS anycast networks. Additional modules include UltraDNS Private Data Lake for DNS analytics, Multi-CDN Management for traffic distribution, SiteBacker for monitoring and failover, Traffic Controller for weighted load balancing, Directional DNS for geolocation routing, Health Check for compliance validation, and Terraform integration for infrastructure automation. The UltraSecure sub-brand offers bundled security packages for SMBs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- UltraDNS²: Enhanced DNS service redundancy with two separate DNS anycast resolution networks, 18 additional global DNS nodes, and advanced DNS features
- Vercara
Products and services
- UltraDNS
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% of customers extremely satisfied with availability
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use UltraDNS
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
UltraDNS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature10 records
UltraDNS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
UltraDNS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NS1 (Akamai): NS1 provides managed authoritative DNS with advanced traffic steering, now part of Akamai. Direct competitor in enterprise managed DNS with comparable anycast and intelligent routing capabilities.
- Constellix: Constellix offers managed authoritative DNS, GSLB, and traffic steering solutions targeting enterprise customers. Closely comparable product feature set including geo-routing, load balancing, and DNSSEC, making it a direct specialist competitor.
- Cloudflare: Cloudflare offers authoritative DNS alongside DDoS protection, WAF, CDN, and edge compute in a unified platform. Most direct competitor given overlapping feature set, global anycast infrastructure, and shared enterprise target customers.
- Google Cloud DNS: Google Cloud DNS offers managed authoritative DNS with low-latency global anycast resolution. Competes for Google Cloud-native workloads and enterprise customers prioritizing Google's networking infrastructure.
- Microsoft Azure DNS: Azure DNS provides authoritative DNS hosting for Azure cloud workloads. Competes primarily for enterprises standardized on Microsoft infrastructure, often bundled into broader Azure enterprise agreements.
- Amazon Web Services (Route 53): AWS Route 53 is a managed authoritative DNS service deeply integrated with the AWS cloud ecosystem. Competes on price-performance with UltraDNS, particularly for cloud-native enterprises using AWS as their primary infrastructure.
Broad incumbents
- Oracle Dyn: Oracle Dyn (formerly Dyn) provides managed DNS services as part of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. Direct DNS competitor now repositioned within Oracle's broader cloud and edge portfolio.
- Akamai: Akamai operates Edge DNS as part of its broader CDN and security platform. Comparable through its authoritative DNS and traffic steering capabilities, though positioned as a comprehensive edge and security provider rather than DNS specialist.
- Verisign: Verisign operates authoritative DNS for .com and .net TLDs and offers Managed DNS services. Comparable through its role in the DNS ecosystem and TLD registry operations, though positioned as a broader internet infrastructure incumbent.
Emerging players
- DNSimple: DNSimple provides managed authoritative DNS with an API-first, developer-focused approach. Comparable as a managed DNS provider though positioned for smaller and developer-led customers rather than UltraDNS's enterprise focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
UltraDNS social profiles
Digital presenceUltraDNS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UltraDNS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
UltraDNS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UltraDNS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about UltraDNS
What does UltraDNS do?
UltraDNS is a cloud-based authoritative DNS hosting service that delivers secure, fast, and accurate DNS query responses for enterprise organizations, supported by BGP and IP anycast routing across 47 global nodes on six continents and a 100% SLA for DNS resolution. The platform includes built-in DDoS protection, one-click DNSSEC management, advanced traffic management (load balancing, geolocation routing, Multi-CDN), monitoring and failover, Terraform-based infrastructure automation, and a private DNS Data Lake for analytics. The service is offered in primary, secondary, and dual primary managed DNS configurations, with UltraDNS² providing an additional anycast network for redundancy and UltraSecure bundling DNS, DDoS protection, and WAF for small and mid-sized businesses.
Is UltraDNS a public or private company?
UltraDNS is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was UltraDNS founded?
UltraDNS was founded in 1999. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is UltraDNS based?
UltraDNS is headquartered in San Mateo, United States, in the North America region.
How does UltraDNS make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. DNS Hosting Services are the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are UltraDNS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NS1 (Akamai), Constellix, Cloudflare, Google Cloud DNS, Microsoft Azure DNS and Amazon Web Services (Route 53). Broad incumbents are Oracle Dyn, Akamai and Verisign. DNSimple is listed as an emerging player.
Does UltraDNS have an API?
Yes. REST API for managing DNS changes and configurations. Allows users to easily manage changes through a user-friendly web-based portal or REST API, streamlining DNS management processes.
What industry is UltraDNS in?
UltraDNS's product category is Managed DNS Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABAGAE, DNS, Anycast & Traffic Steering (GSLB, Geo-routing), with a secondary code of HDADABAF, DNS Security & Protective DNS. Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 7370.