r/cordcutters - "gone belly up?" (2019)
Has https://www.simpletelly.com/ gone belly up?
Abandoned for years, no Netflix, a frozen service list and three different entity names - only the 14-day e-mail trial makes it testable; treat it as a cheap experiment, not a long-term plan.
site reachable · checked 12 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
Start the 14-day trial without a card and test on your own device. Evidence labels and dates: meta-review.

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 →
What it takes to start with SimpleTelly, from documented facts only - undokumented steps are named as such. More: SimpleTelly FAQ.
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 - Abandoned for years, no Netflix, a frozen service list and three different entity names - only the 14-day e-mail trial makes it testable; treat it as a cheap experiment, not a long-term plan. User reports and operator background are documented with dated sources in the meta-review below.
SimpleTelly is gone; these providers are still operating and have documented Smart DNS.
A long-running cheap bundle, but US unblocking has been broken for long stretches since 2024 and the trial is only 3 days - start the trial, test US services first and hold off the lifetime plan until they work for you.
A long-running Icelandic operator with honest trial terms (7 days without a card, 30-day money-back), but only 55 services and a logging claim an independent review disputes - start the trial with your own catalog before paying.
Verifiable Danish operator (Unlocator ApS, CVR 44498383) with 197 listed services, a 7-day no-card trial and a 30-day money-back - the strongest documented package in this comparison, even though the DNS-only price only shows at checkout. Start the trial, test Netflix and BBC iPlayer on your own TV, then take the annual plan.
Also see the full discontinued list and the standalone ranking.
No comments yet - be the first. Posting runs a short proof-of-work in your browser (anti-spam), no account needed.