Surfshark discontinued its SmartDNS feature on February 2, 2026 - the operator's own support article states the feature "will no longer be supported" and points users to VPN-based alternatives. This page stays as an archive; see the standalone ranking for Smart DNS that still exists.
Surfshark Smart DNS dropped the feature - these providers still document and pass our Smart DNS checks, newest facts first.
340+ listed services and a no-logs audit, but Netflix US is missing from the operator's own grid, prices doubled since 2024 and the apps are stale - test your services in the 3-day trial and prefer the 2-year tier for value.
A well-audited bundle extra with a 30-day money-back, but Netflix is Originals-only, UK services are undocumented and unblocking is explicitly not guaranteed - buy it for the VPN and treat the Smart DNS as a bonus.
Per the operator's own support pages CyberGhost SmartDNS no longer unblocks streaming - only take it if you want plain DNS alongside a cheap long-term VPN, and use the 45-day money-back to confirm it does what you need.
Also see the full discontinued list and the standalone ranking.
curated review - researched and written by the smartdnscomparison desk · prose updated 2026-10-04 · facts as of 2026-10-04 · how we verify
Surfshark discontinued its SmartDNS feature on February 2, 2026 - documented in its own support article, created on 2026-01-22 and edited on the effective date [1]. This page remains online as an archive so that old links and search results land somewhere honest. Surfshark itself continues as a major VPN brand under Nord Security, with the merger finalized in early 2022 [2].
The retirement notice is unambiguous: "From February 2nd, 2026, the SmartDNS feature will no longer be supported" [1]. The operator cited limited demand ("we found that demand for this feature was very limited") and instructed existing users to disable SmartDNS on their devices manually, "otherwise, your TV will be unable to connect to the internet" [1]. The feature has since disappeared from the operator's product surfaces - the help-center search returns only unrelated articles [1]. No Smart DNS successor exists: the alternatives Surfshark names are VPN-based (Windows hotspot, router VPN, TV app) plus its plain public DNS resolver, which is not an unblocking service [1].
Surfshark was one of the most visible VPN brands to ship a Smart DNS feature, and its removal is a market signal: bunded Smart DNS features at large VPN operators are being retired when demand does not justify maintenance. Dedicated Smart DNS specialists remain the places where the feature is still the product.
The help-center search confirms the removal: only unrelated custom-DNS and hotspot articles remain [3]. This makes Surfshark the clearest documented case of a major VPN operator retiring its Smart DNS feature outright.
The retirement also left a small documentation gap for former users: anyone who still points a TV at the old SmartDNS resolver must disable it manually or lose connectivity, exactly as the notice warns [1].
Do not sign up with Surfshark for unblocking purposes - the feature no longer exists as of February 2, 2026 [1]. The standalone providers in our ranking still sell Smart DNS as their core product.
| Documented pricing | see provider site |
|---|---|
| Pricing notes | Smart DNS was included with Surfshark until the feature was discontinued. |
Run the long-term math: price calculator with these plans →
VPN affiliate program continues; the Smart DNS feature is gone.
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.
Based on our checks as of 2026-10-04: We logged 1 red flag (listed above). User reports and operator background are documented with dated sources in the meta-review below.
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