Hulu is one of the top streaming platforms in the US, but due to licensing restrictions it’s not available anywhere else. That’s a major limitation for anyone who lives elsewhere but wants to watch exclusive Hulu shows, and is also an annoyance for Americans who are travelling or living abroad and don’t want to lose access to their Hulu subscription.
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 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.
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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
We have tested all the VPNs below to see if they could successfully unblock an active Hulu account, and can confirm that they all work. Here are our top recommendations, taking into account the price, performance, range of servers and more.
NordVPN
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 5,000 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 under $3/£3 per month if you commit to a multi-year plan. It isn’t the cheapest available, but it offers some of the most reliable servers for unblocking streaming services.
Surfshark
Surfshark is a great choice for unblocking streaming services. It doesn’t do what a lot of rivals do and list the services it unblocks, but it does have thousands of ‘streaming optimised’ servers in 65 countries.
More importantly, we’ve found it reliably unblocks video from various streaming services in our tests, and that includes Hulu. There are 25 different US cities to choose from, meaning that if one doesn’t work for you, you have plenty of other options.
The reason we’ve put Surfshark above some others here is because it’s such a great-value package: it doesn’t put any limits on the number of devices you can use, supports WireGuard for very fast speeds, and has a good selection of apps including Amazon Fire TV.
This is why it’s one of the best choices for most people. Plus, the two-year subscription is excellent value.
ExpressVPN
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/£5.64 per month if you commit to 15 months, though there are six-month or one-month options available too.
PureVPN
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 6,500 servers, 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.
Atlas VPN
Atlas VPN is another extremely affordable VPN that can unblock Hulu with minimal buffering issues. There is a free version, but you’ll want to pay for the Premium option to stream successfully. There are also Fire TV Stick and Android TV apps available for Premium subscribers.
One thing to keep in mind is that the company is based in the USA which is bad for privacy. Atlas VPN claims that – like most VPNs – it operates a no-logs policy. That means it doesn’t record or store any details about how you use its service, so even if the government or any authorities asked for that data, it wouldn’t exist. But as with Surfshark, there’s no proof of this. Some reassurance comes from the fact that Atlas VPN is owned by Nord Security which also owns the well-known NordVPN.
Read our full Atlas VPN review
Author: Hannah Cowton-Barnes, Entertainment Editor, Tech Advisor
As Tech Advisor's Entertainment Editor, Hannah is the resident expert in all things streaming, film and TV. Before joining Tech Advisor in 2019, she studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds and created a website dedicated to geek culture and lifestyle. She's also reviewed a whole range of gadgets including flagship smartphones, wearables and styling tools. Outside of Foundry, she's written freelance pieces for Polygon, Metro and Den of Geek, and is proud to be a Women Techmakers Ambassador for Google.