Hulu is one of the biggest TV and movie streaming services in the U.S. but unfortunately, it is not accessible from all around the world. What’s more, Hulu doesn’t let its existing users connect to their service when they’re on a vacation in another country.
So, people are turning to VPNs to either keep their access to Hulu or to be able to access it in the first place. With a VPN, they first connect to a US-based server from where they can sign-up and then watch all the shows Hulu has in its (vast) catalog. And it has a lot of things going for it.
But that’s just one piece of the puzzle, as a good VPN has much more to offer, access to streaming services like Hulu being just one of them.
Say you’re really into Hulu, which VPN should you use? We’re here to help you out – here are the services we recommend:
Pros
Cons
- 5,000+ servers in the network
- Easy to use - install it and forget it
- One license is good for up to 6 devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Chrome extension is just a proxy
Summary
In addition, NordVPN will have you covered in all other scenarios. Whether you want to keep a low profile on the web, bypass ridiculous content bans and censorship, download and upload files via BitTorrent — this is a VPN that you can rely on. And we love it for that. Highly recommended.
Pros
Cons
- Feature-rich yet easy to use
- One of the best VPNs around
- Strong no-logging policy
- Reliable support you can reach 24/7
- Limited number of servers in Africa and the Middle East
- Kinda pricey
Summary
Add other ExpressVPN features to the mix and you get a service that is hard to beat and is, therefore, one of our favorites. You won't regret buying it.
Pros
Cons
- It's super fast!
- Works with Netflix, BBC and others
- Easy to use apps, browser extensions
- You can try it for free!
- Some advanced features are not configurable
- Not the best for high-censorship countries
Summary
In addition, you can also rely on Hotspot Shield for torrenting, where too you can expect fast download and upload speeds; and the same goes for mobile users — its apps are super easy to use and work out of the box.
As that's typically the case with most VPN services out there, the longer you commit - the better deal you get. However, what makes Hotspot Shield even better is the fact that it offers a 7-day free trial of its service. A few other top VPN providers do the same. Plus, its money-back guarantee lasts for 45 days, making for a risk-free purchase. Cause, you can always get your money back. Sweet and just the way we like it.
Pros
Cons
- Reliable download and upload speeds
- Works with Netflix and BBC iPlayer
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Lets you use it on unlimited number of devices
- Low number of servers in Africa and Australia
Summary
You can rely on it for streaming (we've tested it with all popular services), with included extra features like CleanWeb and MultiHop, delivering a that much better — and more secure — experience.
Surfshark, the company, is based in the British Virgin Islands and with its zero-logs policy makes for a powerful combo to anyone looking to keep its web whereabouts under the radar.
The service is easy to use and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
Cons
- One the best VPNs for torrenting
- Works well with Netflix
- Simple setup on all popular devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Doesn't work with BBC iPlayer
- Doesn't work in China
Summary
The situation can be different with BBC iPlayer and we've had a hard time finding the server we can reliably use. In the end, we did found a server that works but it took as some time. After that, we've got a buffer-free experience every single time.
IPVanish is best used for torrenting and streaming with Kodi. Also, the service doesn't keep any logs, which is always a plus in our book.
Hulu 101
Even if you haven’t heard of Hulu, you have probably heard of Netflix. Well, Hulu is a Netflix competitor – a subscription video streaming service. It is fully controlled and majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast’s NBCUniversal holding a 33% stake in the company. And even those 33% should also be purchased by Disney as early as 2024.
Initially established as a joint venture between News Corporation and NBC Universal, Providence Equity Partners, and later Walt Disney – Hulu serves as an aggregation of recent episodes of television series from their respective TV networks.
In 2010, Hulu launched a subscription service, initially called Hulu Plus, with full seasons of programs from the companies and other partners, and undelayed access to new episodes. In 2017, Hulu with Live TV was launched, offering an over-the-top IPTV service with linear television channels.
Hulu works across devices and platforms; its apps are available on computers, smartphones, tablets, digital media players, and video game consoles.
The basic Hulu subscription is available for $5.99 per month and it includes ads. The ad-free experience costs $11.99 per month, while the “version” with live costs $44.99 per month.
In addition to “standard” programming, Hulu also offers original shows some of which are really neat — and award-winning.
Popular Hulu Originals series
Out of many, many original Hulu shows, we highlight the following:
- The Handmaid’s Tale – based on the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name
- Castle Rock – made in partnership with J.J. Abrams and Stephen King
- Casual – comedy-drama series
- Difficult People – dark comedy series
- Future Man – comedy series created by Howard Overman, Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir
- The Looming Tower – historical drama starring Jeff Daniels and Peter Sarsgaard
- Shrill – comedy series based on the best-selling book by Lindy West
- 11.22.63 – Produced by J.J. Abrams and adapted from a Stephen King novel
- The Act – true crime drama
- Runaways – teen soap featuring high school students discovering their superpowers
- The Wrong Mans – British BBC Television comedy-drama series co-produced with Hulu
- Harlots – British-American period drama inspired by The Covent Garden Ladies by British historian Hallie Rubenhold
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg with Hulu offering many other great shows and movies.
10 Hulu facts you may haven’t heard before
Here are some cool facts you may didn’t know:
- Hulu grew from 5 million subscribers in 2013 to 25 million in just 6 years!
- It is estimated that female subscribers watched Hulu an average of 232 hours in 2 years. What’s even more interesting is that they equally enjoyed live sports along with other content.
- Hulu ran an amazing ad during the Super Bowl 2019 when Alec Baldwin said Hulu would soon take over the world. That ad boosted Hulu traffic by 42%.
- Hulu is only available in America and Japan. Because of rights agreements issues, it has been unable to expand across the globe.
- Related to the previous point, Yahoo tried to buy Hulu in 2011 but the deal failed because of content licensing.
- The most popular show on Hulu, “The Handmaid’s Tale” had 33 Emmy nominations.
- Another show on Hulu, “South Park,” was watched for more than 107 million hours by American subscribers, which is equivalent to 12,000 years of watching a movie.
- Hulu TV shows such as “Saturday Night Live” and James Franco documentary have achieved cult status.
- Hulu library contains more than 3,000 TV series. That’s around 68,000 hours of video.
- As of Q4 2020, Hulu has a 20% account share of live streaming in America.
Hopefully, you’ve learned something new from this list. 😉
How to watch Hulu outside of the United States
You will obviously need a VPN in order to bypass Hulu’s geo-restrictions, but it won’t be that easy. The problem is that Hulu only accepts American credit cards so, if you don’t have one, you’ll have to pay for Hulu’s subscription with a gift card. To get one, we suggest visiting MyGiftCardSUPPLY, where you can also find gift cards for other popular streaming services. Then, once you have that gift card, you can open a Hulu account and watch all the movies and shows you want. It actually just sounds complicated, but it really isn’t.
Don’t get a VPN only for Hulu
Let me make myself clear, I love Hulu – but a VPN has much more to offer. Yes, you will be able to watch many hours of entertainment, but with a VPN you will also be able to do many other things as well, such as:
- Protect your privacy from the government and big corporations
- Bypass restrictions imposed by the government or various organizations
- Change your IP address so you get unrestricted access to Netflix, Disney+, iPlayer, HULU, and other video streaming services
- Encrypt and protect private data from cybercriminals
- Download files with BitTorrent anonymously
The top contenders that check all these boxes — while also let you access Hulu from anywhere — include the following:
