How to watch Hulu outside the US

If you love entertainment, especially the TV type, then you’ve likely heard of Hulu.

If you haven’t, where have you been?

With that in mind, many people wonder how they can access Hulu overseas.

Our guide will take you through the straightforward steps on how to achieve this whether you’re an ex-pat American or just a viewer outside the USA who wants to access the great content available on the Hulu app.

Ready to lose yourself in Hulu content? Keep reading.

What is Hulu?

Hulu is a US online entertainment streaming website that is restricted for use within the United States.

As of 2021, Hulu is the 72nd most visited website in the world, according to Ahrefs – so it’s pretty popular then.

They offer free content from Fox, NBC, CW, ABC, Comedy Central, plus a whole host of other networks. So if you like watching Family Guy, South Park, Law & Order, Grey’s Anatomy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and many other excellent American TV, then this is the platform for you.

As well as streaming content, they even offer live TV too, such as MTV, Nickelodeon, History Channel, CBS, ABC, and more.

Why is Hulu restricted?

Hulu is restricted to the United States, which means if you’re an ex-pat, travelling on vacation, away on business or just outside the United States for whatever reason, then you can’t watch Hulu directly.

Most content providers around the world only offer their service to a specific region. They do this by restricting access to the site to internet connections based within the United States.

Your internet connection is assigned an IP Address that is unique to you at the time of connection and from this, the Hulu website and others can tell where you’re located.

If you’re in the US, then you’ll be able to watch Hulu without issue but if you’re overseas and want to watch Hulu abroad, then you’ll be hit with a big fat blocked message.

You may also see a similar message if you’ve tried using an anonymous proxy tool to try and watch Hulu outside the US.

Fortunately, there is a way to avoid these restrictions and access Hulu no matter where you are in the world.

How to watch Hulu overseas on a desktop or laptop

To achieve this, you need a simple tool called a VPN or Virtual Private Network to give it its full name. There are many providers of this service and some are better than others.

To watch Hulu, we used ExpressVPN, which is available worldwide that provide a simple app for your desktop or mobile device.

Some VPNs are blocked by Hulu, which is why we tested ExpressVPN thoroughly before recommending it and can confirm that their service unblocks Hulu.

All you need to do is

1. Sign up for an ExpressVPN account.
2. Download and install their app.
3. Connect to a US connection.
4. Head over to Hulu.

You’ll now be able to watch Hulu overseas with minimal fuss and hardly any set-up requirements.

ExpressVPN will cost you a couple of dollars per month but if you sign up for their 12-month package, you’ll get 3-months free, which makes the service nearly half the price over paying monthly.

Stream Hulu anywhere in the world using ExpressVPN.

30-day money back guarantee

They offer some pretty cool features too, such as a smart DNS proxy service that can be used to help you watch Hulu outside the US and can be used on devices that aren’t capable of connecting to a VPN server.

ExpressVPN works with some Smart TV brands too, which is rare with VPNs, and they also offer unlimited bandwidth that is ideal for streaming both catch-up content and live TV.

If you’re looking for a few other recommendations, then NordVPN and CyberGhost VPN also work with Hulu and come highly recommended. We’ve tested them ourselves and can confirm we had no issues with them.

If you’ve got a Hulu+ account, then this works fine too but if not, you can stream US content for free no matter where in the world you are.

Are there other VPN services for Hulu?

Several other VPN services would be suitable for watching Hulu from outside the US. The best alternatives to ExpressVPN are:

NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the world’s most well-known VPNs. Not only do they have very fast connection speeds, but they’re also very reliable.

They offer you the ability to use either a shared or dedicated IP address.

This makes them perfect for streaming video content from popular streaming services such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and many more.

NordVPN has a reasonably attractive price point, with their cheapest package coming in just under $3.40 per month, plus their 2-year plan gives you an additional 3 months for free.

They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you don’t like their service, you’ll get your money back. Plus, they offer live chat support just in case you need some help.

NordVPN is one of the best Hulu VPN apps out there.

Surfshark

Surfshark VPN is one of my personal favourites for online streaming.

Not only can they unblock Hulu, but they work incredibly well with the Netflix streaming service. They can unblock up to 30 different Netflix libraries from all over the world, including Netflix US, UK, Canada, and Japan, just to name a few.

When it comes to streaming speeds, they come in slightly slower than ExpressVPN but will still be fast enough to stream high-quality video to your streaming device, making it perfect for watching Hulu abroad.

Surfshark VPN is one of the cheapest VPN apps on the market, with prices as little as $2.49 per month, they won’t be breaking the bank.

With unlimited simultaneous connections on each account, you’ll be able to stream Hulu and other streaming sites on all your devices.

Surfshark is one of the best VPN providers for Hulu.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost VPN has one of the largest networks of VPN servers with locations all around the globe, including over 1300 in the US, so finding US IP addresses to connect to will be easier than taking candy from a baby.

They have incredible streaming speeds and specialised servers that have been optimised for streaming videos from online streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and many others.

CyberGhost offers an attractive 3 year VPN subscription that will cost you $1.99 a month, making this one of the cheapest options out there. Plus, this comes with a further 3 months for free.

Not to mention they offer a HUGE 45-day money-back guarantee, making them one of the best VPN providers for unblocking Hulu.

Can I watch Hulu on an iPad, iPhone or Android?

All three of the providers mentioned earlier in this article provide apps for iOS and Android, meaning your iPad and iPhone are covered as well as any other Android devices such as tablets and phones you may have.

As long as you can access the Hulu website or download the Hulu app before you leave the US, then the VPNs app will allow you to unblock Hulu overseas just as it would for your desktop.

One other bonus to mention is you can watch on more than one device at one time, so if you and your wife or husband want to watch on a laptop and your kids on a tablet then this is entirely possible and you only need one VPN account to do that saving you money and keeping you entertained while outside the US.

How to get a VPN for Hulu

To unblock Hulu from outside the US, follow the steps below. I’ll be using ExpressVPN as an example:

1. Visit the ExpressVPN website and click “Get ExpressVPN”, then select which VPN package you want. At the moment ExpressVPN offers a 12-month package that comes with 49% off and an additional 3 months for free.
2. Enter your email address and pick a payment method that suits you, such as Visa, PayPal account, or other. Complete your purchase by entering your payment information and clicking “Join Now”.
3. Download the ExpressVPN app from either the ExpressVPN site or from your device’s app store. Then log in using your email address and password or the activation code.
4. Next, select a location to join by clicking Selected Location, then find and choose the United States. Now press Connect.
5. Lastly, sign in to your Hulu account, now you can access Hulu outside the US, avoiding the Hulu location error warning.

You can now start streaming Hulu content and enjoy your Hulu subscription from anywhere in the world.

30-day money back guarantee

Is there a free VPN for Hulu?

Unfortunately no, there’s no free VPN service for you to watch Hulu outside the US.

Free VPNs are generally very unreliable and potentially dangerous for both you and your devices.

Most free services won’t work with Hulu and many other streaming platforms, as they have blocked the IP addresses that the free Virtual Private Networks use. When Hulu detects that you’re using one of these services, you’ll be blocked from accessing the content you want.

A free VPN service is often very slow, making them awful for streaming video content. You’ll be waiting a long time for videos to buffer and nobody enjoys that.

There’s also the security risks that come with free VPNs, such as your data and information being mined and sold to companies, governments, or hackers. There have been many cases where free VPN users have their information stolen, don’t let that be you.

Also, most free VPNs don’t hide your real IP address or encrypt your web traffic (which is the whole point of a VPN). Online privacy is virtually non-existent with free services.

If you want to access videos from Hulu outside the US, stay away from “free” VPNs, they aren’t worth it. Stick with a paid VPN service like ExpressVPN.

How to sign up for Hulu outside the US

Hulu only accepts US payment methods such as a US credit card, so if you’re from the UK or another country, you’ll need to find a way around this problem.

One solution that you can try is using a prepaid credit card called Statescard.

Statescard is an online prepaid credit card service that provides you with US credit card details and a US postal address so that you can access websites that require you to use US payment information.

This neat little trick will allow you to sneak past Hulu’s barricade that prevents international viewers from paying for the Hulu service.

Alternatively, you can try and buy Hulu gift cards to access the streaming service. Whichever payment option you choose, you’ll still need the VPN app to watch the service.

Summary

Hulu is blocked for anyone outside of the USA. To unblock Hulu from outside the US, you’ll need to use a VPN app.

The number 1 VPN to unblock Hulu is ExpressVPN, they are the world’s leading VPN provider that not only has some of the fastest connections (perfect for streaming from Hulu), but they’re super reliable.

You can get ExpressVPN by following the step by step guide I provided you with earlier in this article. Or if you want to shop around, check out the alternatives I mentioned.

Grab ExpressVPN and enjoy Hulu in any country.