Unlocator Review

Unlocator is a premium VPN, hybrid, and Smart DNS service. The company very generously allows for an unrestricted 7-day free trial of their service so you can test it out. We are happy to see that they offer VPN and Smart DNS services for iOS, macOS, Windows, Android, Amazon, and more. While the company is not as well known as some of the other providers, the creators founded the company in 2013. In our review of Unlocator, we will go into specifics about the service and see how it performs.

How Much Does Unlocator Cost?

There are 8 different options you can choose from with Unlocator. You have the Smart DNS plans and you have the Smart DNS+VPN plans. If you choose only the Smart DNS plans, a month is $4.95, 6 months is $4.58 a month, a year is $4.16 a month, and the two-year plan is $3.29 a month. If you choose the Smart DNS+VPN plans, they are $9.99 for a month, $8.17 a month for 6 months, $6.58 a month for a year, and $4.96 a month for 2 years. They accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, Diner’s Club, JCB, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. While that is quite a few, we would like to see them offer cryptocurrency payment options to offer more anonymity.

About Unlocator

We are not able to tell you much about Unlocator, except that they show their headquarters in Denmark. That is one of the 14 Eyes countries. Even though its goal is to protect the privacy of its users, a majority of the users connect to the service to help them gain access to several different streaming services around the world. They clearly state they do not keep logs. You can feel free to look at their privacy policy if you would like to know the specifics.

Where Does Unlocator Have Servers?

Now, we will take a look at where the servers are located for Unlocator. We noticed they have servers in 39 different countries. They state they have 50 virtual locations as well as 234 websites and services available. With all of those options, you can easily find ways to watch your favorite content or discover new options.

As you see, there are quite a few different options. We are glad to see you can choose between OpenVPN UDP and OpenVPN TCP protocols. We recommend using UDP unless you have connection issues as the speeds are faster.

Unlocator App and Features

Unlocator has a simple and straight forward console. If you want to change the server, simply click on the box in the console and change the “Connect to” location. Afterward, you just click the flashing “On” button. In the image to the left below, the arrow points to the gear (settings) icon. As you can see, the VPN has several different features. That is where you have the ability to change your preferences. You can choose to enable a kill switch, connect on start, start with Windows, and automatically check for updates. You can also choose between whether to use UDP or TCP OpenVPN ports.

• Kill Switch – This feature will stop internet traffic. If for some reason your connection drops, you will not be able to access it again until it re-connects. That is useful because it will help protect your privacy while the VPN reconnects.
• Hybrid settings – With these features, Unlocator offers you the ability to protect your privacy and watch content in different regions at the same time. That is because the Smart DNS service changes your settings to make geo-blocking software think you are elsewhere. All you have to do is choose a VPN server close to you to protect your privacy, and then use the mobile app to change the DNS settings. You could also tweak the settings to unblock content from other regions. That provides you with the best of both worlds.

As you can see, Unlocator is able to tackle issues by taking a different approach than you may be used to.

Does Unlocator Leak?

DNS leak tests are important. If your VPN gives away your location/IP address, there is no reason to try to protect your privacy. As you see in this image, Unlocator did not reveal our IP address or our real network. In the DNS request source, it shows a request from the Netherlands. Unlocator passed the test with flying colors.

Is Unlocator Fast?

The biggest reason to check the speed of a VPN is to see how they will perform under pressure. Since this one gives you the option to tweak your settings for unblocking content, speeds are not as important. Let’s look at some examples. In this image, you can see that our baseline speed is 461.31 Mbps. That is tested to a speed test server in Los Angeles, California.

When you look at the speed with the VPN in the image below to the same server, you see a speed of 50.98 Mbps. However, it is still fast enough to enjoy content in high definition without using the Smart DNS feature. Since Smart DNS does not use any encryption, all you have to do is find a VPN server close to you. Then, just tweak the settings. Traffic passing through their Smart DNS service will not be encrypted so you can expect great speeds.

Does Unlocator Unblock Streaming Services? – Netflix and BBC iPlayer Tests

When you consider that Unlocator is designed for this reason, the answer is yes. To keep it fair in this review, we decided to test the VPN alone. That means we did not use the Smart DNS features to get our results (though they certainly work). In the image below, you can see that we got Netflix to play while on the VPN. That is significant because Netflix can often detect if you are using a VPN or proxy. Even if you are in the area you are trying to access, it will often stop you if connected to a VPN. We connected to a server in Chicago and accessed Netflix without any issues.

Not surprisingly, it easily passed the BBC iPlayer test as well. Here, we chose one of the two servers located in the UK. We were impressed by the ability of Unlocator VPN to unblock BBC iPlayer. This means you can connect to the VPN for privacy and still enjoy your favorite content. If privacy isn’t a priority, then connect using their Smart DNS for the best possible speeds.

Customer Service

Customer service is always important if you have questions. Unlocator has 24/7 support. If you need help, there are several setup guides you can find. They also offer an email service and state that they usually answer email questions within a few hours. You can access the answers or ask questions from the chat window at the bottom of the website.

Conclusion

We came through this review with good feelings about Unlocator. We were quite impressed with their ability to unblock popular streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer. While the VPN speeds were not as high as we would like to see, the service has some great features for a reasonable price. Let’s take a look at the good points and some ideas for future improvements.

Good Points

• Good price and multiple payment options
• 7-day free trial with unrestricted access
• good-sized network
• Worked for Netflix & BBC iPlayer
• Protocols well labeled
• Smart DNS settings for many different services
• 30-Day money-back guarantee.
• Advanced features like VPN Kill Switch
• Native software for multiple platforms

Ideas for Improvements

• Increase the number of servers
• Improve network performance for VPN users
• Relocate outside the 14 Eyes countries.

The bottom line is, Unocator works as advertised. That’s high praise as most services fall short of this achievement. Unlocator is well priced for what it offers, and the VPN will keep you safe. If you are looking for a way to protect yourself and access content from other regions, this is an excellent choice. You could definitely make worse choices for unblocking and privacy solutions.