1984.is vs 3scale vs 4EVERLAND: Which Is Right for You in 2026?

These three are the most coherent trio in this comparison set — all are developer infrastructure, but for entirely different layers of the stack: 1984.is…

1984.is

free · From Free

Best for: Anyone who wants free, unlimited DNS zone hosting with dynamic DNS and DNSSEC and doesn't want to evaluate paid tiers.

3scale

custom

Best for: Enterprise API teams, particularly those in the Red Hat/OpenShift ecosystem, that need hybrid-cloud API security, publishing, and monetization backed by sales-assisted support.

4EVERLAND

freemium · From Free Trial and Standard packages available; usage beyond free limits is billed in LAND tokens (1 USD is pegged to 1,000,000 LAND)

Best for: Web3-native teams that need decentralized hosting and storage and are comfortable budgeting in LAND tokens rather than flat dollar subscriptions.

At a Glance

 1984.is3scale4EVERLAND
Primary categoryDeveloper ToolsDeveloper ToolsDeveloper Tools
RatingNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelfreecustomfreemium
Starting priceFreeNot documentedFree Trial and Standard packages available; usage beyond free limits is billed in LAND tokens (1 USD is pegged to 1,000,000 LAND)
Free planNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Free trialNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
PlatformsNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Public APINot documentedNot documentedNot documented

Standout Differences

1984.is is the only one of the three that's simply free, full stop

1984.is offers unlimited DNS zones, dynamic DNS, and DNSSEC at no cost, whereas 3scale is custom-priced and sales-driven (now sold as part of Red Hat's enterprise portfolio) and 4EVERLAND's usage beyond its free/Standard packages is billed in LAND tokens pegged to USD.

1984.is, 3scale, 4EVERLAND

3scale is backed by Red Hat, giving it an enterprise story the other two lack

Since being acquired, 3scale is developed and sold as Red Hat 3scale API Management, positioning it for hybrid-cloud enterprise buyers rather than the free/self-serve, developer-first models of 1984.is and 4EVERLAND.

3scale

4EVERLAND's billing model is unlike anything else here

Rather than dollars or a simple free/paid split, 4EVERLAND bills usage beyond free limits in LAND tokens (pegged at 1,000,000 LAND to 1 USD), reflecting its Web3-native positioning around IPFS, Arweave, and multi-network gateway access.

4EVERLAND

These three cover different layers of the stack, not competing features

DNS (1984.is), API gateway and management (3scale), and decentralized app hosting and storage (4EVERLAND) are complementary infrastructure layers — a team building a Web3 app could plausibly use 4EVERLAND for hosting, 3scale for API management, and 1984.is for DNS, all at once.

1984.is, 3scale, 4EVERLAND

Feature-by-Feature

Pricing & Plans

Feature1984.is3scale4EVERLAND
Free tierAvailableUnavailableAvailable
Custom / enterprise quote pricingUnavailableAvailableUnavailable
Token-based billingUnavailableUnavailableAvailable

Core Function

Feature1984.is3scale4EVERLAND
DNS hosting / managementAvailableUnavailableNot documented
API gateway / management / monetizationUnavailableAvailableUnavailable
Decentralized storage (IPFS / Arweave)UnavailableUnavailableAvailable
DNSSEC supportAvailableNot documentedNot documented

Backing & Positioning

Feature1984.is3scale4EVERLAND
Backed by a major enterprise vendorUnavailableAvailableUnavailable
Web3-native designUnavailableUnavailableAvailable

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

1984.is

FreeDNS — $0 N/A

3scale

Red Hat 3scale API Management — Custom quote annual

4EVERLAND

Trial — Free n/a
Standard — Free (with usage limits) n/a
Pay-as-you-go — Billed in LAND (1 USD is about 1,000,000 LAND) usage-based

Pros & Cons

1984.is

Pros

  • Completely free with no zone or domain limits
  • Backed by an established, privacy-focused Icelandic hosting company operating since 2006
  • Supports advanced records like DNSSEC and TLSA not always found in free DNS tools
  • Long-standing, reliable uptime track record
  • No requirement to be a paying 1984 hosting customer to use it

Cons

  • No formal SLA or dedicated paid support tier specifically for FreeDNS
  • Interface is more utilitarian than modern, design-forward DNS dashboards
  • As a free service, support responsiveness may be slower than with paid DNS providers
  • Lacks advanced enterprise features like GeoDNS or load-balancing based DNS responses found in commercial DNS platforms

3scale

Pros

  • Mature, proven API management platform backed by Red Hat's enterprise support and ecosystem
  • Strong hybrid cloud and OpenShift integration for containerized and microservices architectures
  • Comprehensive feature set spanning gateway, analytics, developer portal, and monetization
  • Backed by a large, established vendor for long-term product stability

Cons

  • No self-serve public pricing; requires contacting Red Hat sales for a quote
  • Best suited to enterprises already invested in Red Hat and OpenShift, less appealing for small teams
  • More complex to deploy and manage than lightweight, cloud-native API gateways
  • The independent 3scale brand no longer operates separately, fully folded into Red Hat's product naming and portals

4EVERLAND

Pros

  • Combines several DePIN protocols (IPFS, Arweave, Dfinity, BNB Greenfield) behind one account and API
  • Free Trial and Standard packages let developers test services before paying
  • Fast hosting deployment workflow that resembles mainstream platforms like Netlify or Vercel
  • Adds AI model access and Layer 2 rollup tooling alongside storage and hosting
  • Supports stablecoin payments in addition to its native token

Cons

  • Token-denominated pricing (LAND) adds a layer of complexity compared to flat fiat billing
  • Primarily useful for Web3 or crypto-native use cases, limiting appeal for general Web2 hosting needs
  • Public information on company headquarters and team size is inconsistent across sources
  • Reliant on the uptime and economics of underlying third-party decentralized networks it aggregates

Use Cases

Choose 1984.is: Anyone who wants free, unlimited DNS zone hosting with dynamic DNS and DNSSEC and doesn't want to evaluate paid tiers.
Choose 3scale: Enterprise API teams, particularly those in the Red Hat/OpenShift ecosystem, that need hybrid-cloud API security, publishing, and monetization backed by sales-assisted support.
Choose 4EVERLAND: Web3-native teams that need decentralized hosting and storage and are comfortable budgeting in LAND tokens rather than flat dollar subscriptions.

1984.is

  • Free DNS for personal and small business domains — Individuals and small businesses use FreeDNS to manage DNS records for their domains without paying for a commercial DNS provider.
  • Dynamic DNS for home labs — Self-hosting enthusiasts use FreeDNS's dynamic DNS support to keep domains pointed at home servers with changing IP addresses.
  • Privacy-focused DNS hosting — Privacy-conscious users choose 1984's FreeDNS to keep their DNS management with a provider outside major US cloud platforms.

3scale

  • Enterprise API governance — Enterprises use Red Hat 3scale to manage internal and partner-facing APIs across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
  • Microservices API management — Platform teams running microservices on OpenShift or Kubernetes use 3scale for integrated API gateway and analytics functionality.
  • API monetization programs — Companies selling API access as a product use 3scale's developer portal and usage-based billing tools to manage external API consumers.

4EVERLAND

  • Hosting decentralized front ends — Deploy DApp and website front ends directly to IPFS or Arweave for censorship-resistant, tamper-evident hosting.
  • Storing NFT and application metadata — Use S3-compatible Bucket storage backed by IPFS and Arweave to persist NFT assets and metadata reliably.
  • Accessing blockchain infrastructure without running nodes — Use RPC and Gateway services to read and write to multiple blockchain networks without operating your own node infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 1984.is, 3scale, and 4EVERLAND together?

Yes, and it's plausible — they cover different layers of infrastructure: 1984.is could handle DNS for your domain, 3scale could manage and monetize your APIs, and 4EVERLAND could host a decentralized app with IPFS/Arweave storage. They aren't mutually exclusive choices.

Which of these three is actually free?

1984.is is fully free with no paid tiers, offering unlimited DNS zones, dynamic DNS, and DNSSEC. 4EVERLAND has a Free Trial and Standard package but bills usage beyond free limits in LAND tokens. 3scale has no published free tier and uses custom, quote-based enterprise pricing.

Is 3scale still an independent product?

No — 3scale is now developed and sold by Red Hat as Red Hat 3scale API Management, so buyers should expect Red Hat's enterprise sales process, hybrid-cloud positioning, and pricing rather than a standalone startup product.

What does 4EVERLAND's LAND token pricing actually mean for cost?

Beyond its Free Trial and Standard packages, 4EVERLAND bills additional usage in LAND tokens, with 1 USD pegged to 1,000,000 LAND — so costs are denominated in a platform-specific token rather than a flat dollar subscription, which teams should factor in when budgeting for scale.

Do any of these three offer DNSSEC?

1984.is explicitly supports DNSSEC as part of its free DNS hosting service. DNSSEC support isn't documented for 3scale (an API management platform, not a DNS provider) or 4EVERLAND, so treat 1984.is as the confirmed option for that specific need.

Read the full 1984.is review · Read the full 3scale review · Read the full 4EVERLAND review