What is Unlocator?
Unlocator began as a Smart DNS service that has been in operation since 2013. This focuses on bypassing geo-blocking, internet censorship, and restrictions.
This year, Linkwork APS released the second part of their software, so now they offer a Smart DNS and VPN.
While the service can enable users to gain access to overseas streaming services, this does little for user’s security. This is where the VPN service comes into operation.
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Our Unlocator VPN review delves deep into the workings to see if these offerings do as they say and if users will remain safe using such a new VPN service.
Recommended For:
- Unblocking streaming service restrictions
- Use on mobile devices
- Bypassing internet censorship
Pros
Cons
Plans and Pricing
When you look at the Unlocator pricing, there are two options available. One is just for the Smart DNS, and the other is for the combination of DNS and VPN.
Both of these come with a 7-day free trial and a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee.
Smart DNS
Yearly
$4.16
Billed as $49.95 every 1 year
6 Months
$4.58
Billed as $27.50 every 6 months
Monthly
$4.95
Billed monthly
Smart DNS + VPN
Yearly
$6.58
Billed as $79.00 every 1 year
6 Months
$8.17
Billed as $49.00 every 6 months
Monthly
$9.99
Billed monthly
The Unlocator price is quite high when you compare it to other providers for the VPN package. Yet, if you are only interested in streaming and the service delivers, then the Unlocator cost may be justified.
Payment options are debit and credit cards, G Pay, and Apple Pay. When signing up, you are not asked for any payment details as this takes you directly to the 7-day free.
Key Features
Privacy
One of the main concerns for users who look at this kind of service will be “Is Unlocator Safe?”
Denmark does impose some strict GDPR privacy standards for user privacy and is seen as one of the most open for internet freedom.
However, Denmark is a part of the nine-eyes jurisdiction and does mass surveillance and intelligence sharing. The Unlocator DNS won’t encrypt any data in use and will only mask your IP address.
Even when you use the Smart VPN, users may still find they are not as safe as they think.
Protocols in use are OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, and IKEv2, which are standard.
Logging
While the company claims zero logging, they are still obliged to follow EU Data Retention Laws. Deep in Service, the company claims they store personal information such as account details, email address, credit card information, and IP address.
All this is accessible by Unlocator staff and any partners who supply services to the company. Usage logs are retained for 24-hours before being deleted.
Is Unlocator Legal?
There is nothing to say that using Unlocator is illegal. Streaming does come with some grey areas when it is from free websites.
Users who want to unblock paid-for serves outside the hosting country can be frowned on, yet this is not illegal and only goes against the said company TOS.
Ease of Use
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Supported Devices
You can use unlimited devices with each account of the DNS service.
Apps
While compiling this VPN review, it astonished the wide range of devices the service works with. Operating systems include most Windows versions, macOS, and Ubuntu.
Media Players include Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, Roku, and many more. Gaming consoles that come with support are PlayStation 3&4, Wii, Xbox 360, and One.
Smart TVs cover LG, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba, among others.
Phones and tablets are Windows phones, kindle fire, Android, and iOS, among others.
You can go as far as saying that any device that uses the internet can use the DNS settings that users can change.
While this is impressive, changing the DNS isn’t the same as having client apps for devices. Once you have an account, you can change the DNS on a large number of routers.
Sign-Up
There is no credit card required when you first sign up, and all you need to enter is your email and a password. You then receive a confirmation email, which links to the download page for the client apps.
Setup
Anything apart from Windows, iOS, Android, Mac OS, and Fire TV will need you to use the setup guides.
For the common devices, the Unlocator setup is straightforward. Just install the app, and you are then asked to input your email and password to log in.
The main interface is basic with a pulsating power button, a drop-down list for the Unlocator VPN server you want to connect to, and a settings icon. (Read Netflix Trial Without Credit Card)
In the settings, there are minimal options such as start at login, auto-connect, check for updates, the killswitch, and the Unlocator Shield. There is also the option to change the protocol from TCP to UDP.
Advanced Features
How does Unlocator work
The SmartDNS service takes your IP address and changes it for one of the company’s servers, depending on the country you select.
In the VPN, there is a VPN Kill switch, which will stop all connections if the service drops.
This should prevent any DNS leak from occurring, and in testing for this Unlocator review, there wasn’t any showing in our leak test.
As a means of preventing DNS hijacking, users need a router, which supports IP tables. For many, this can be not very clear and does need knowledge and a compatible router.
Unlocator offers its Shield protection; this only allows users to connect when the VPN is activated and running. Aside from that, there are no other advanced features.
Browser Extensions
Unlocator doesn’t offer any browser extensions as all the work is at a system level.
Performance
Speed Test
Unlocator uses its DNS servers, as this is how it allows users to stream content outside their home country.
The service does make best efforts to keep speeds at a maximum, yet the speed test results were not that great in testing. Just one connection to the USA saw a drop of over 50%, and this would be borderline for streaming without buffering.
The best VPN’s also slow connections, yet their drop-off may be as little as ten percent. This can be because of the small network the company offers.
With less than 40 countries supported and no server number, it is a small network. Many servers may also be virtual rather than bare metal servers.
Customer Service
Out of everything we tested, customer support rose to the top, and the company can’t be faulted for this.
They offer various options for getting answers such as email, FAQ pages, a knowledge base, many setup guides, and live chat.
Once you visit the support page, you can see the extent of their various topics.
The support team is quick with a response, and even an email option can give you an answer within 24 hours.
Netflix
Unlocator touts itself as one of the best services to unblock media content that sits behind restrictions.
It doesn’t disappoint because it can unblock 214 different sites and services that users may find blocked.
This, though, does depend on where you live. Luckily, the most common sites such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, CW, NBC, and many others are all accessible. There are even guides on how to go about unblocking each service.
These are in-depth, yet one or two of the payment solutions don’t work as instructed. This is a third-party problem, but it would be suitable for updated information.
Torrenting
There is nothing on the company about torrenting in either direction. This would mean they are not adverse to users downloading torrents.
However, if you look in terms of service, downloading copyrighted material contravenes their services.
Add to this, they are based in Denmark, and any torrenting or P2P is better to be legal downloads or risk account closure.
Wrap Up
Users who are looking to access foreign video services can find the DNS side of the service user.
However, when you want online privacy, things soon fall apart, and Unlocator doesn’t offer many premium VPN services, which come in at a more affordable price.
On paper, it does appear appealing, but there are some downsides and a lack of features that need addressing before you can say it is a viable alternative.
At best, users should only consider using it for bypassing geo-restrictions and accessing blocked content.
If this makes sense, then just the cheaper DNS side of the service will be required. (Save 50% with the discount code XMAS50)
