r/cordcutters - "gone belly up?" (2019)
Has https://www.simpletelly.com/ gone belly up?
Technically alive but visibly abandoned for years: no Netflix, a frozen 230-service list full of dead names, and an operator that is unclear across three different named entities. Only the 14-day e-mail-only trial makes it testable - treat everything else as unverified.
site reachable · checked 11 h ago · daily check
curated review - researched and written by the smartdnscomparison desk · prose updated 2026-10-04 · facts as of 2026-10-04 · how we verify

SimpleTelly is a standalone Smart DNS service that has technically survived since 2014 (domain registered 2014-02-21, renewed in February 2026 through 2028 [6]). It is alive in the operational sense - the homepage answers, the member portal runs [5], and the login is behind active Incapsula protection [1] - but nothing about the product has changed in roughly a decade: the blog's last posts are from December 2016 [4], the services list is frozen with dozens of dead entries [4], and the homepage's "What's new this month" section is identical to archived captures and shows a template error [1].
The services page documents 230 entries [4] - fewer than the old database claim - and Netflix is not among them [4]; many listed services (Blinkbox, Wuaki.TV, DramaFever, Filmstruck, Go90) stopped existing years ago [4]. A Reddit thread from 2019 already asked whether the service had "gone belly up" [7]. Hulu and BBC iPlayer are listed [4], but with a catalog frozen for the better part of a decade there is no reason to trust any per-service claim without testing. Every service still needs its own paid subscription [4].
The devices page covers computers, mobiles, consoles, smart TVs, routers and media players [4]. Setup is standard DNS configuration; signup for the trial requires only an email address [2]. There is no dynamic DNS feature documented.
Smart DNS reroutes only the geo-check DNS lookups, so streams keep line speed - the technology has not changed. But the service's actual state today is unverifiable: the member dashboard answers [5], yet no current independent evidence documents whether unblocking works at all. The site being maintained (paid renewals, working portal [6]) is not the same as the service working.
No logging statement exists on the site - neither a policy position nor a privacy-specific DNS statement - so the honest answer is "not documented". The jurisdictional picture is muddled: the about page names Global Stealth, Inc. (Seychelles) [6], the terms name Global Network Services Ltd [6], and the footer shows a 2026 copyright of Digiport OU (Estonia) [7] - three different entities across three pages. Smart DNS does not encrypt traffic or hide your IP.
$4 per month after the trial [2] - a price byte-identical to the service's 2016-era snapshot [2]. The 14-day trial needs only an email [3]. No money-back guarantee is documented anywhere [6]. There is no VPN bundle - Smart DNS only.
Launched in 2014 per its domain record [6]; community activity peaked around 2014-2016, with the 2019 "belly up?" question marking the first public doubt [7]. Since then: continuous Wayback captures but no product changes, a triple-operator identity mess [6], and no independent coverage. The database's previous picture of an active provider with a larger catalog overstated both the catalog and the vitality [4].
SimpleTelly is the cautionary tale of this market: infrastructure paid years ahead, content abandoned years ago [4][7]. With no Netflix, no money-back guarantee and an operator nobody can name with confidence [6], the 14-day email-only trial is the only way to find out if anything still works - and the ranked alternatives above are safer first picks.
| Free trial | 14 days - no credit card required |
|---|---|
| Documented pricing | $4/mo |
| Pricing notes | $4/month after a 14-day email-only free trial (same pricing since at least 2016). No money-back guarantee documented. |
Run the long-term math: price calculator with these plans →
Affiliate traces exist; terms not public.
Compared in detail on Best affiliate programs.
Real captures of the public website and setup/client pages, taken by us. We do not fake product shots - pages we could not reach (bot walls, geo blocks) simply have no image.

Ready to try SimpleTelly? Start with the free trial or the money-back window - set up one device, test the exact services you watch.
Based on our checks as of 2026-10-04: SimpleTelly scores 3.3/10 in our weighted review. We logged no red flags. Facts are archived, not fully verified - test with the free trial first. Current status: watch - Technically alive but visibly abandoned for years: no Netflix, a frozen 230-service list full of dead names, and an operator that is unclear across three different named entities. Only the 14-day e-mail-only trial makes it testable - treat everything else as unverified. User reports and operator background are documented with dated sources in the meta-review below.
Veteran Australian Smart DNS with a lifetime plan and VPN bundled into paid tiers.
A long-running Icelandic Smart DNS (now bundled with a VPN) with honest trial terms - 7 days no card, 30-day money-back - but a small 55-service list and a logging claim disputed by an independent review.
Polished Danish Smart DNS + VPN bundle with a strong reputation and unlimited DNS devices.
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