Smart DNS Proxy is a popular method of unblocking online video streaming content, such as the BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and Netflix. Using Smart DNS Proxy, you can hide your original IP address and “spoof” an IP address in another country – allowing you to watch geo-restricted content easily.
However, this has not gone unnoticed by content providers. Companies like Netflix, Hulu, and others are now taking measures to prevent Smart DNS Proxy and other Smart DNS services from connecting to their servers. This is why so many people are looking for Smart DNS Proxy alternatives.
In this article, we’ll discuss your best options for Smart DNS Proxy alternatives – and why VPNs are a better choice than Smart DNS services.
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The Best Alternatives to Smart DNS Proxy
Smart DNS services like Smart DNS Proxy do not encrypt or protect your browser information and IP address.
All they do is make it look like you’re connecting from a different IP address – your information is still clearly visible to websites like Netflix. This means it’s incredibly easy for them to block you from watching their content.
In contrast, VPNs like ExpressVPN protect and encrypt your entire connection, and fool Netflix and other such services into thinking that you’re really connecting from a different country. VPNs are much harder to detect and block because of this.
This is why VPNs such as ExpressVPN are the best Smart DNS Proxy alternatives. Let’s take a look at our top picks now.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the most well-regarded, widely-used, and popular VPN services on the market today. It uses proprietary server architecture to create a safe and secure connection, and unblock geo-restricted content. Here are the details about ExpressVPN.
What we like
ExpressVPN has plenty of features, and tons of different servers. There are more than 1,500 total VPN servers available in a total of 148 locations and over 90 countries. This means that you will have plenty of options when it’s time to pick out a VPN server, and you’ll never have to worry about over-crowded servers which can reduce downloading and streaming speeds.
ExpressVPN also has support for just about every modern platform and computer, including Apple, Windows, Linux, and iOS/Android for on-the-go- browsing. There are also browser extensions available for web browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
The company uses only the highest-quality encryption standards such as OpenVPN, and they have a strict “no-logs” policy. This policy ensures that ExpressVPN does not keep any information about your browsing habits, or save any information related to what you stream, download, or access online.
Another great feature of ExpressVPN is that the company has really good customer service. Though VPN servers are harder to block than Smart DNS Proxy, they do sometimes get recognized by video streaming websites like Netflix and Hulu.
If this happens, you can simply go to ExpressVPN and ask a customer service representative which server you should use to access your preferred service. You’ll be back to watching your favorite content in no time.
Finally, you can purchase your subscription with Bitcoin, which can further ensure your anonymity and allow you to use ExpressVPN without sharing any credit card information.
What we don’t like
There’s no such thing as a perfect VPN, and ExpressVPN is no exception. There are a few problems we have with the service, though they are minor.
First, the cost. ExpressVPN will cost you $12.95 per month for a monthly subscription. You get discounts for longer subscriptions, though. If you buy a 6-month subscription, you’ll pay $9.99 per month, and a year-long subscription costs only $8.32 per month.
This means it’s quite a bit more expensive than Smart DNS Proxy, which costs $4.90 per month, or $39.90 for a full year’s subscription. While ExpressVPN is a much better service, the high cost may still turn off some potential customers.
You also can’t stream on as many different devices as you can with Smart DNS Proxy. You can only use ExpressVPN on 3 devices at once. With Smart DNS Proxy, you can use up to 5 devices at once with one subscription.
Still, ExpressVPN offers much better performance than Smart DNS Proxy, and it’s well-worth the extra monthly price.
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VyprVPN
VyprVPN is a newer VPN service, introduced by Golden Frog, a leading internet security company. The VPN was originally developed by the company in response to the NSA spying allegations in America in 2013. It was designed to be extremely secure, and Golden Frog developed a specialized “Chameleon” obfuscation protocol to help protect user data.
What we like
VyprVPN has one distinguishing feature which makes it unique – Chameleon. This data obfuscation protocol is designed specifically to protect web browsing metadata from DPI, or Deep Packet Inspection.
DPI is how websites like Netflix and Hulu try to determine the original location of a web connection, and determine if it is originating from a VPN. Chameleon scrambles the metadata of a VyprVPN user, allowing them to easily avoid geographic content blocks and other such restrictions.
VyprVPN also has servers in 70+ countries, and 700+ servers as well as 200,000+ unique global IP addresses. This means that plenty of connections are available, no matter where you may be in the world.
Finally, the company has an air-tight no-logs policy, which ensures that your browsing history and personal information are secure.
What we don’t like
Chameleon is the most useful and important part of VyprVPN – but it doesn’t come cheap. Unfortunately, you have to pay extra to get it.
While you can get a VyprVPN subscription for just $9.95 per month, or $5 per month if you pay for a year-long subscription, this base-tier subscription doesn’t come with the Chameleon protocol.
If you want Chameleon, you have to pay extra for a VyprVPN Premium subscription, which costs $12.95 per month, or $6.67 if you buy a year-long subscription.
You also can only try the service out for 3 days free of charge, which is quite a short trial compared to the two-week trial of Smart DNS Proxy.
Considering how useful the Chameleon protocol is, the more expensive VyprVPN subscription is worth it, but this means that VyprVPN is still quite a bit more costly than Smart DNS Proxy.
Overall, VyprVPN is a great choice for you if you regularly use a large variety of video streaming services, and need a VPN that can get past every type of geo-restriction as well as Deep Packet Inspection.
NordVPN
If you’re looking for a Smart DNS Proxy alternative that has thousands of servers, advanced features, end-to-end encryption – and is still incredibly affordable – NordVPN is the right choice for you. This service offers excellent, reliable VPN connections for a fraction of the price of competing VPN companies – as long as you can commit to a longer-term contract.
What we like
Let’s start with the price. We understand that one of the reasons that people gravitate towards Smart DNS Proxy is because it’s very affordable.
Smart DNS Proxy offers a one-month subscription for just $4.90, with huge discounts for longer-term subscriptions. If you purchase a two-year subscription to Smart DNS Proxy, for example, you’ll pay just $49.90, which works out to just $2.08 per month.
It must be impossible for VPNs to compete, right? Wrong. NordVPN is a little bit pricier than Smart DNS Proxy – but not by much.
NordVPN offers a $12 month-to-month subscription, which is pretty standard. But if you buy a 2 year plan, you will pay only $3.29 per month. The company even offers a 3-year subscription from time-to-time. You’ll pay only $2.75 per month if you choose this deal.
Despite this bargain-basement price, NordVPN doesn’t disappoint when it comes to features, either. NordVPN has more than 4,300 servers in total, and they add more every month. These servers are located in 62 countries, and there are more than 2,000 servers in America alone.
In addition, NordVPN offers a number of specialized servers, optimized for tasks like P2P file sharing, connection obfuscation (to avoid geographic content blocks) and even anti-DDOS. Smart DNS Proxy has none of these features.
Finally, it’s very easy to use – and it supports up to 6 simultaneous connections, which is more than the 5 simultaneous connections supported by Smart DNS Proxy.
What we don’t like
NordVPN is still not quite as cheap as Smart DNS Proxy, although it’s close if you purchase a long-term subscription. However if you subscribe month-to-month, it’s still quite costly.
Also, you can only enjoy a 3-day trial with NordVPN, compared to a free 14-day trial with Smart DNS Proxy. However, NordVPN does offer a 30-day money back guarantee, no questions asked – so you can always get your money back if you decide you don’t like the service.
Overall, though, NordVPN is the best option for anyone looking for Smart DNS Proxy alternatives that are affordable, reliable, and technologically-advanced.
VPNs And Smart DNS Proxy – What’s The Difference?
You still may not be sure if a VPN is a better choice than a Smart DNS service, like Smart DNS Proxy. That’s understandable, given how affordable and easy-to-use these kinds of DNS services are.
But VPNs are always a better choice than Smart DNS proxy. Let’s discuss the difference between these two types of services in-depth to show you why.
Smart DNS services are unsecured, but provide fast connections
DNS stands for Domain Network Service. The DNS is what helps your computer locate domain names and translate them into IP addresses – allowing for access to the internet.
Smart DNS Proxy works by modifying your DNS, and rerouting traffic that is usually used to determine your geographical location. This “tricks” a webpage into thinking that you are connecting from a different country – because your computer is using a DNS from that country.
They don’t affect the speed of your connection, because your connection is not encrypted and is not sent through another third-party server. This is the primary reason that Smart DNS Proxy and similar services became very popular for streaming online content and avoiding geo-restrictions.
Smart DNS Proxy and comparable services do nothing except change your DNS and IP address. They do not encrypt your connection – or even hide your original IP.
This means that it’s extremely easy for a service like Netflix or another content provider to recognize a DNS, and block DNS users from connecting to their service. This has become very common in the last year or so, as content providers crack down on geo-unblocking.
This is why VPNs are a better choice for video streaming. They are harder to detect and block.
VPNs protect your IP and encrypt your traffic for maximum protection
VPN stands for “Virtual Private Network”. A VPN is similar to a Smart DNS, in that it can change your connection to make it appear like you are connecting in a different country.
However, the difference is this: A VPN actually connects you to a physical server in another country. Your connection is encrypted then sent through an IPv4 or IPv6 “tunnel” to an actual server, running somewhere in the world.
This means that, unlike when you use Smart DNS Proxy, all of your traffic using a VPN like ExpressVPN is completely secure from third parties like government agencies, ISPs, and anyone else who may want to view your browsing data.
It’s also harder for a web page to detect if you are using a service to change your IP address, because your original IP address is hidden and encrypted.
The only real drawback to VPNs is that they are sometimes a little bit slower than Smart DNS services, because all of your web traffic must be sent through a VPN server. Despite this, the advanced encryption and features of VPNs make them a much better choice than Smart DNS services like Smart DNS Proxy.
Eric Liston is a content writer based in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2015, he’s been writing about technology, cord-cutting, and helping everyday people save money. He also has expertise writing about medicine, dentistry, insurance, and a variety of other industries. No matter what he’s writing, his focus is always on simplifying complex concepts and making them approachable for everyone. When he’s not slamming away on his keyboard at his home office, you’ll find Eric reading sci-fi novels, improving his disc golf game (he just hit his first 400-foot drive) and playing video games on his gaming PC.
