OverPlay VPN Review for 2023

To start off, OverPlay offers two plan options: SmartDNS and SmartDNS + VPN, which appeals to us since a variety of features is key to catering to customers’ needs. To give you a little background, a SmartDNS, or domain name server works by changing your IP to allow access to regionally restricted content. A VPN, or virtual private network, does the same thing, but with a layer of encryption.

Their SmartDNS service truly functions like a ticket to entertainment from around the world as it supports hundreds of channels, covering everything from TV series to blacked-out sports games. Their VPN plan offers those same benefits, yet with the added protection of a VPN’s encryption for those looking to stay protected while browsing. Keep reading as we’re going to take a look at the array of features that OverPlay offers.

OverPlay VPN got acquired by StrongVPN recently.

OverPlay VPN Introduction

OverPlay VPN has been around since 2009, albeit it first provided only DNS solutions. Later on, it also started delving into VPN services. As such, it can be considered a pretty new provider, with 950+ servers in over 100 locations. Although, it does offer around 12000 IP addresses for the users. While the service provider does a fairly decent job on many fronts, such as privacy, security, and VPN speeds, it is fairly known for its SmartDNS capabilities.

Coming from the UK, there is cause for concern as the nation is a contributing member of the Eyes Alliance, but then the provider claims to log no data. However, it is a bit costly when compared to the competition.

Jurisdiction

The OverPlay VPN is headquartered in the United Kingdom that is a member of the Eyes Alliance. The VPN does promise a zero-logs service to mitigate this risk.

Leak Protection

OverPlay VPN is a truly leakproof service. It has built-in IP and DNS leak protection, which is crucial for a VPN. It even excelled at WebRTC leak tests. The website can ensure your anonymity as it is capable of altering your IP address and DNS and also disables WebRTC to protect your online browsing sessions.

Unblock Content

As the primary function of a SmartDNS service, this awesome feature is what makes OverPlay one of the best in the industry by our standards. As we mentioned earlier, they support over 200 channels and offer over 5,000 anonymous IP addresses to choose from to access that content. Whether you want to access all Netflix regions, stream HBO NOW from a region where it’s not normally supported, or even catch your favorite local sports games that are blacked out, OverPlay pretty much has it all in terms of content offerings.

JetSwitch

Out of all of OverPlay’s features, this is the one we were most excited to try. The JetSwitch tool allows users to access different streaming services, like Netflix, individually from different regions simultaneously — no need to switch back and forth. The best part is that you don’t have to reconfigure your entire SmartDNS settings every time you need to access a service that requires a different region. We found that this tool delivered without a glitch and made streaming and browsing global content much easier, and they also offer unlimited region switching.

VPN Option

If you choose to sign up for OverPlay’s SmartDNS + VPN plan, you’ll have all the benefits of a SmartDNS service while staying secure and anonymous under the shield of a VPN – you could say it the best of both worlds. As with any VPN service, your connection speed may be a tad slower due to the encryption versus just using a SmartDNS, but if security is a priority to you then that shouldn’t bother you. OverPlay’s VPN specifically features 140+ VPN servers in 48 countries, allowing for a wide variety to choose from.

OverPlay’s VPN uses OpenVPN, PPTP and L2TP for its network. To check out the security of connections, we tried a few leak tests. The results proved that OverPlay doesn’t leak true IP addresses or SmartDNS – a flaw often found with most services.

Identity Protection

Like any VPN, one of the largest perks OverPlay’s VPN provides is identity protection, especially at public Wi-Fi hotspots. Browse content using their SmartDNS while remaining secured and protected by their VPN — using this, hackers won’t be able to get their hands on your private information, giving you peace of mind while you access anything you want.

Supported Channels

While one of OverPlay’s great perks is their content offerings like we mentioned, an important part to note about that is how often they add new channels as well as the variety they include. OverPlay recently added 80 new channels to their list, tallying their entire channel count to over 200 – that’s pretty much a leading number in the industry.

The new channels include popular ones from the United States like MLB.tv, ESPN, FX, and Spotify to cater to those outside the country trying to access good old American content. And the best part? They are regularly adding to that list which is sure to please the avid streamers looking to expand their libraries. Take a look at OverPlay’s list of supported channels here.

Faster Speeds + no throttling from ISPs

OverPlay’s SmartDNS speeds have shown to be very fast as they are “Turbo-powered,” as they call it, which proved itself to be true. Their SmartDNS speeds showed no signs of video lags or interruptions, and they also prevent ISPs from throttling connections. Even OverPlay’s VPN showed impressive connection speeds as they offer a very large amount of servers in their popular regions (the United States and the United Kingdom), which makes for high speeds that perform above the average VPN.

International Channels

One of the features that make OverPlay’s SmartDNS stand out is its offering of international content. Once you connect to their DNS, you can pick from the broad list of countries they support and access new channels you might not have even heard of before that aren’t supported elsewhere.

Providing access to everything from French entertainment to popular British television, OverPlay doesn’t lack in the entertainment department no matter where you want to stream from. They’ve even recently added support for streaming services from Australia, India, and Canada.

Easy Setup

OverPlay’s free software and mobile apps are noted for their simplicity and ease of use, even for beginners. OverPlay can be configured on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Amazon, Apple TV, Boxee, Roku, PlayStation, and Xbox, and they also provide you with step-by-step guides to help you get started.

Available for Many Devices

OverPlay is available for a wide variety of devices, allowing for a satisfying amount of use when you sign up with their service. Offering support for systems like Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and even custom routers, you won’t feel limited. Whether you want to be connected to their SmartDNS or VPN at home or on the go, you’ll stay connected to the devices of your choice.

Customer Support

One of the benefits of using OverPlay is its surprisingly reliable support team. They’re available 24/7, 365 days a year. While they don’t have live chat or phone support, they are available to contact via an email ticketing system which has proven to work very quickly with a polite and patient support team. OverPlay also has a very helpful support forum where you can post your question, as well as a plethora of FAQs to help you find a quick fix.

Installation and User Interface

To get started with OverPlay you’ll first have to choose which plan you want, sign up, and you’ll be prompted to set up your operating system or device with the proper software. You’ll see that the interfaces for both OverPlay’s SmartDNS and VPN software appear simple and minimal enough for those new to the technology, and they even provide step-by-step guides for configuring your devices.

One of the features worth noting in the VPN app is the “Advanced Mode” option. This little tool brings you to the advanced version of OverPlay VPN, where you can delve into customizing your connection settings (probably more suited for the tech-minded person.) Here you can change the protocol as well as choose a specific server to connect to, versus just using the default one in your chosen region. We noticed that, if you want to pick a specific server, you can also preview the shared IP address and name of the server’s host to get an idea of what you’d have.

OverPlay Pricing

As you know by now, OverPlay offers two plan options: SmartDNS and SmartDNS + VPN. Their SmartDNS plan is available as a 1-month plan for $4.95/month, a 3-month plan for $4.65/month, a 6-month plan for $4.49/month, and a 12-month plan for $4.16/month. Their SmartDNS + VPN plan starts with a 1-month plan for $9.95/month, a 3-month plan for $9.32/month, a 6-month plan for $8.83/month, and a 12-month plan for $8.33/month.

As far as payment options go, OverPlay is a tad limiting as they only accept major US credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover) and PayPal, but we hope to see they add BitCoin to their list in the future. However, for the low process, they offer for such feature-packed plans, there’s not much to complain about in this area, and they also offer a 5-day money-back guarantee.

Extra Features

One of OverPlay’s notable extra features is their TurboDNS setting. This somewhat new addition simply means their service now features increased speeds, enhanced security, easier setup, improved multi-regional channel support through JetSwitch, and even more increased reliability — in simpler terms, an overall makeover to enhance users’ SmartDNS experience.

Another thing we love that OverPlay offers is its resourceful blog. They regularly feature articles discussing the latest news in entertainment such as what titles are streaming on which services, as well as tips on streaming content.

Conclusion

Regardless of which of their plans you choose, OverPlay offers a ton of incredible region-unblocking features for a better and faster overall DNS experience. It’s not surprising that they are a leading product in the industry as we were rather impressed with what they offered for such decent pricing. If you go the VPN route, their encryption benefits will satisfy your need for protection while still giving you all the fun perks of a DNS.