OverPlay Review

At a Glance:

OverPlay’s colorful website design and it’s not-so-subtle focus on media makes it an obvious draw. Moreover, the straightforward “freedom to securely access any website from anywhere” introduction and overall simplistic feel to the website indicate that OverPlay is geared for beginners.

OverPlay offers “two ways to play” — with a SmartDNS plan and a combination SmartDNS + VPN plan. Both provide access to an uncensored Internet, but only the virtual private network has encryption.

The best value package offered includes both VPN and SmartDNS and equates to about $7 a month for a year-long subscription ($74.96 billed annually). If you follow OverPlay on social media or read their blog, they often run promotions for new users with savings up to 25%. This is something to definitely look out for, but sign up now if you don’t want to wait!

Features:

The OverPlay VPN network now includes 400+ servers around the world in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, Australia, South Korea, Sweden, the United States, and many more! Overplay recently underwent a huge update, increasing their server haul from 48 to the current 600+, offering servers in new cities around the world for the first time ever. By having servers in so many varying parts of the world, OverPlay VPN can better ensure that strong connections are achievable from anywhere. The recent server update allows OverPlay to compare favorably with other offerings on the market, especially when you consider the OverPlay server list includes nations that many other competitors exclude, such as Fiji, Italy, and Egypt.

Unlike OverPlay’s VPN, their SmartDNS technology comes with some limitations. In short, Smart DNS is an intuitive, high-speed proxy that delivers access to a specific set of popular websites and applications from anywhere, regardless of location-imposed restrictions. While it works across tablets, computers, game consoles and routers, SmartDNS does not offer any level of encryption whatsoever. So even though connections to Facebook or Amazon are secured through OverPlay’s DNS servers, they are not rendered private. On the other hand, because the connection data is not encrypted, connections through SmartDNS are much faster than they are through VPN — particularly for playing videos and games.

Software and Apps:

OverPlay offers a VPN client for both Windows and Mac, but does not currently have any mobile apps. This is probably the biggest negative of the OverPlay VPN service, but they do provide step-by-step guides that are easy to follow for manually setting up iOS and Android devices, as well as Tomato and DD-WRT routers. Since I’m using OverPlay on my MacBook, I downloaded the OverPlay VPN software for OS X. OverPlay recently gave their VPN client a major facelift, and it shows. I found it very easy to install and use. It only takes a few steps to set up once you’ve download the software.

Following login, the OverPlay app is sleek, small, and simplistic, making the user experience quite smooth. Before connecting, you can select a protocol preference, choosing between a speed or security based experience. Both will provide an encrypted connection, but the security based experience will offer military grade protection, which may cause speeds to be a bit slower than the speed based option.

You can also change your visible location before connecting. Just click the geo-pin next to the city name and select from the OverPlay list. To make sure that you pick the best server for your needs, ping times are displayed next to locations.

When you’ve made your protocol preference and visible location selections, click the green connect button and you’re good to go. Once connected, you will see your public IP, visible location, and protocol option. Click the red disconnect button if you’re finished using the VPN or want to change your protocol preference or visible location again.

Bottom Line:

Despite the fact that OverPlay VPN does not offer mobile apps specifically for its VPN service, it is a solid choice that I would recommend to anyone looking for an all-around good VPN, especially beginners. I like that OverPlay because it offers both SmartDNS and VPN technology, can be used on nearly any Internet-connected device, and is incredibly easy to use.

OverPlay is the best VPN for those in search of a simple, powerful solution to avoid censorship and access an unrestricted Internet. What separates OverPlay from the other VPN providers on the scene is the diversity and adaptability of the service. Whether you’re a novice to what a VPN can even deliver or you’re a virtual private network power-user, OverPlay is the tool to securely connect you to any website, anywhere. ‘Period.’