We have a whole guide on how to watch Hulu from outside the US, but the most important element – especially if you already have a Hulu account – is simply to use a VPN, which will let you access the Hulu website or app through a server based in the US, which will make Hulu itself think that’s where you are.
What to look for in a VPN for Hulu
If you’re not sure exactly what a VPN is or want to know how it works in more detail, check out our guide to how to use a VPN, and otherwise read on for our recommendations of great VPNs to use with Hulu. It’s worth noting that these are all paid VPNs – there are some good free VPNs out there as well, but even the best free options tend to be less reliable, slower, and less secure when it comes to your private browsing data. You’ll want a reliable VPN with a large range of servers – in this case, specifically lots of servers based in the US, so don’t worry too much about how many other countries are covered. The more servers a given VPN company has, the more likely they are to keep adding new servers and IP addresses to keep up with Hulu’s attempts to block them, meaning you’re more likely to successfully connect. Speed is obviously also essential for Hulu, as you’ll need a fast connection to watch your favourite shows in HD without any stuttering or buffering, and things almost always run a bit slower through a VPN. Data security and privacy are probably lower priorities if your focus is just on Hulu, but if you expect to use the VPN for anything more sensitive you’ll want to make sure to factor them in.
Best VPNs for Hulu
Currently our top recommendation for a VPN in general, Nord is also the best bet for Hulu thanks to a high server count, steady speeds, and wide device support. There are more than 3,500 servers globally, with plenty available in the US, giving you good odds of finding one that works well with Hulu. It helps that the Nord app will work on most devices you might want to use for streaming Hulu, and you can set it up directly on your router if you want it to watch from your game console or smart TV, which might not support Nord directly. Since the company is based in Panama, NordVPN is also great from a privacy perspective, even if that isn’t the biggest concern for streaming. It also offers impressive speeds, good customer support, and a very user-friendly interface, all of which are likely more important from a Hulu perspective. All you need is a NordVPN account, which is available for as little as US$2.75/£2 per month if you commit to three years. You can sign up to NordVPN here. Read our full NordVPN review. ExpressVPN is also a great choice for Hulu thanks to simple setup and fast servers – though you do pay a slight premium, as it costs more than a few of its rival VPNs. The server list is fairly large, though not the largest – but there are enough in the US to serve for this purpose. More importantly, there’s a built-in speed testing tool that recommends the fastest server for you based on your location, which could help you find a fast enough server for high definition streaming. You can install it on a range of devices, including a browser extension or even directly into your router to cover all of your internet access in one go – perfect for watching Hulu from a console or smart TV that doesn’t support the Hulu app itself. The big downside is the price then, as we warned. It’s not a fortune, but it’s definitely a little steeper than some rivals, so you’ll have to decide if that’s worth it for the simplicity and speed it offers. You can at least save a little if you sign up through our special offer at a reduced rate of $6.67/£4.83 per month if you commit to 15 months, though there are six-month or one-month options available too. Sign up for ExpressVPN. Read our full ExpressVPN review. Goose VPN is less well-known than some of the other VPNs in this list, but it’s worth considering for Hulu because that’s basically exactly what Goose VPN was designed for: streaming TV and film content from other countries. There aren’t as many servers to pick from as with Nord or Express, but as we’ve said, that’s not the highest priority when it comes to accessing Hulu anyway. The UI is clean and simple, and setup is a breeze, making it quick and easy to get it going and start streaming Hulu from wherever you are. There’s a free 30 day trial available, as well as a 30-day money back guarantee as long as you’ve used less than 100GB during that period. The cheapest option gets you one month, with 50GB of data, for £2.99/USD$4.17. That’s probably enough for most, but if you want to stream a lot of Hulu, or use the VPN for all of your online activity, you might prefer the one-year unlimited plan for £4.99/$6.97 per month, or the one-month unlimited plan for a one-off payment of £12.99/$18.14. Find out more and sign up to Goose VPN here. Read our Goose VPN review. CyberGhost is another VPN that makes things easy when it comes to streaming content thanks to a dedicated streaming mode that automatically gives you the ideal settings for accessing your streaming service of choice. ‘Unblock Streaming’ lets you pick the exact service you want to use (Hulu, in this case) and then chooses a server to suit you, taking into account both location and speed to give you the best odds of a working connection. In case that doesn’t work for any reason, you also have the choice of manually picking a server from the list. There’s a CyberGhost app for just about every device, though it’s worth bearing in mind that version numbers aren’t entirely consistent – the Mac app is older than the Windows equivalent for example, so features aren’t identical across every app and device. You can pay for CyberGhost on a month-by-month basis for £8.65/$11.99, for 1 year at £4.32/$5.99 per month, or for two years at £2.52/$3.50 per month. Find out more and get CyberGhost here. Read our CyberGhost review. PureVPN is one of the fastest VPNs around, which makes it an ideal choice for Hulu or any other streaming – you’re very unlikely to have issues with connection speeds or stuttering videos. There are more than 750 servers in over 140 countries, which is definitely overkill for Hulu, but you are at least pretty sure to find a working server for the US. Plus, that much server variety is great if you decide to use the VPN for accessing other streaming services or any other sort of anonymous browsing. Throw in the easy-to-use interface, and Pure is a very strong choice for Hulu or just about any other VPN use case. Best of all, if you’re happy to commit to three years in advance, it can be one of the cheapest VPNs around, costing less than a couple of bucks a month. That’s compared to the regular monthly price of £8.40/$10.95. Get PureVPN here. Tech Advisor’s Deputy Editor, Dom covers everything that runs on electricity, from phones and laptops to wearables, audio, gaming, smart home, and streaming - plus he’s a regular fixture on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
