Imagine you are one day before the finale of your favorite show on Hulu and you get an assignment to go across the border on a business trip but cannot wait to enjoy the episode you were so longing to watch. Oops, unlucky for you, the service is not available outside the US and your weekend can be completely ruined. Fortunately there are a few ways to solve this problem for you involving digital aides like anonymous proxies Hulu supports and VPNs with US-based servers.
In this article we will cover the most essential aspects about getting access to Hulu with special Hulu proxies. You will learn how they are different from other proxy servers and what you need to set them up properly on your machine. Also, we will talk about the obvious alternative to proxies – VPNs, and present you with the top performing Hulu VPNs the market has to offer.
What Is a Hulu Proxy?
So, to gain access to Hulu outside the US you need an IP that would be acceptable for the streaming service.
A reliable Hulu proxy would be a high-performing residential proxy server with a dedicated IP (some service providers refer to such proxies as “elite proxies”). Thinking about getting away with a free alternative here, would be extremely risky. Trying to connect to Hulu with a free public proxy will easily jeopardize the security of your computer and the personal data you store on it.
Sometimes, a shared or semi-dedicated proxy can be also used for Hulu. This way you will share the IP with other users. But with time, you may realize that it is not worth the chance of getting banned due to abuse on the part of other users sharing the same proxy. And, while it may be economically more viable, the bandwidth would definitely suffer in case of a shared IP.
How to Watch Hulu outside the USA?
Now, you might be wondering why Hulu restricts access to its shows outside the US. The main reason is related to copyright restrictions for video content distribution that applies to such intellectual property. In other words, Hulu and the distributors want to have full control over the release schedule of their shows and make the content inaccessible freely from all parts of the World ubiquitously.
So, whenever you want to continue using your US account on Hulu outside the States, you can go with two major alternatives: an anonymous proxy or VPN that Hulu will not detect as an access attempt from the outside.
Now, we want you to have a balanced view on the subject but still a dedicated Hulu anonymous proxy appears as a much safer and effective way to watch Hulu. With a VPN you will have the same type of problems a shared IP demonstrates: low bandwidth due to multiple users on the same connection, which can cause a ban of the VPN’s network at any time. With a dedicated residential static proxy you will easily prevent this sort of thing from happening.
Watch Hulu With a Proxy
There is one important life hack that would help you in using Hulu proxies without getting banned.
If you want to avoid a Hulu proxy error, you can create a second account on the service for using while you are traveling outside of the US with your Hulu proxy IP. The thing is that Hulu, just like Netflix, is extremely sensitive for IP alterations coming from a single profile. So, accessing Hulu from one account from home and another one while your dedicated Hulu proxy is activated would be a much better solution.
Alright, now you know that watching Hulu with a special dedicated proxy from a reliable provider sounds like the right way to do it. But what about the VPNs? As we promised, here is a list of the most recommended and quoted VPN services that also will do the job of granting you access to Hulu while traveling.
TOP 5 VPNs for Hulu
Here is our list of the Top-5 VPNs that demonstrate stable user experience when it comes to accessing Hulu.
1. ExpressVPN
Although ExpressVPN may be viewed as a slightly expensive VPN service among our contenders, its benefits such as fast US-based servers and reliable Hulu streaming make it show up on top of the list.
And, yes, it can be used not only for streaming video from Hulu but from a range of other geo-restricted services (like BBC and HBO). Its servers demonstrate low latency, which is essential for streaming high-quality content without buffering or lagging.
As for the software side, ExpressVPN offers user-friendly apps for all major platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, making it easy to stream Hulu on any device.
Also, you can engage such features as AES-256 encryption and a no-logs policy to protect your online activity and privacy.
Live chat is also available to provide you with customer care if you encounter any issues while using Hulu.
Overall, ExpressVPN is a reliable and trusted VPN service that is well-suited for streaming Hulu due to its fast speeds, large server network, and advanced security features.
Price: maximum $11.99 a month with 30-day money back guarantee
2. NordVPN
With NordVPN you will be on the safe side while watching Hulu. Its US server network proves to be among the fastest in this list of VPNs. Although, sometimes unblocking Hulu may require sifting through a couple of servers before a reliable connection is established. This can be a bit irritating for general users.
Just like ExpressVPN, NordVPN is readily available across all platforms that you can think of. You can use it on MacOS at home and on a Linux machine at work. Mobile platforms like iOS and Android are also available. Encryption can be engaged on all popular browsers including Chrome, Firefox and Edge. One account of NordVPN grants you access to content from six different devices simultaneously.
All-in-all, NordVPN appears as a great affordable alternative to our rating leader and will never disappoint you by its performance parameters.
Price: from $4.99 a month (annual plan) with 30-day money-back guarantee
3. CyberGhost
Now, what makes CyberGhost special in our list of top Hulu VPNs is its network of services dedicated specifically to Hulu. For you it means that US-based servers will be always readily available and the quality of streaming will be impeccable. Although, some tests show that the speeds from the servers of CyberGhost can be inconsistent over time. One day you can have fast access and the next day data buffering and lagging may occur. All this tells us about occasional network overloads.
On the plus side, CyberGhost features a great user-friendly interface of its apps with programmable features. All popular platforms are also supported here (MacOS, Windows, Android, iOS, Linux) and up to 7 devices can be used at the same time on a single connection. CyberGhost can be configured to be used on your router, SmartTV or game console as well.
Price: maximum $12.99 a month with 45-day money back guarantee
4. Surfshark
Surfshark appears to be the most affordable VPN service among the top-performing group under review. It features a couple of dozens of locations (i.e. server networks) in the US and it is more than enough from the Hulu users’ perspective.
Although, the low starting price of Surfshark comes from the fact that you pay for a shared IP with an entry level plan. This implies the risks of all shared services, where your subnet can be blocked due to abusive behavior of some of its users. If you want to have a consistent IP with your sessions, you need to engage the “static IP” option in your plan to connect with the same IP to Hulu each time you activate the VPN.
On the plus side, Surfshark allows you to have an unlimited number of devices connected via the VPN at any given moment. The “No logs” policy and 24/7 customer support come as standard.
Price: max $12.95 a month ($2.49 a month for a 2-year plan) and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Proton VPN
The most remarkable feature of Proton VPN is the availability of free and paid US servers capable of delivering high quality streaming from Hulu. Clearly, with the free service you have access to US servers at a slower speed and Proton kindly asks you to upgrade to a paid plan for Hulu to ensure risk-free streaming.
User’s privacy is a big concern for Proton, and being a Swiss-based company they take this matter seriously. So, needless it to say that the company claims that it does not log any of the users’ activities and does not share the data with the third parties.
Multi-platform support comes as standards and the service allows up to 10 devices to access it simultaneously.
Price: max $9.99 per month (with unlimited bandwidth) and 30-day money-back guarantee
Conclusion
Now you know about the most convenient ways to access Hulu from outside the United States. So, it is up to you to choose between a reliable Hulu anonymous proxy or VPN to continue enjoying your favorite shows. If you want to find out how to secure your permanent IP for this purpose, let us know in the chat box below. Also, if you are interested in other products like rotating proxies, our account managers are available around-the-clock to help you pick just the right proxy package for the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please read our Documentation if you have questions that are not listed below.
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How to Fix Hulu Proxy Error?
In the event that you installed a “free” or shared proxy for watching Hulu and it failed, you need to apply for a paid dedicated proxy service. In this case you will be on a safe side by using an exclusive US-based IP that will ensure high quality streaming from Hulu at all times.
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How Does Hulu Detect VPNs?
Hulu, just like any popular streaming service, has a sophisticated IP detection system that can easily identify the origin of your IP. This underlines the importance of using a proven VPN or proxy service where your IPs cannot be easily detected to ensure continuous use of Hulu while you are outside the US.
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How to Bypass Hulu VPN Blocking?
Hulu VPN blocking may occur if you are using a free or shared pool of IPs from a subnet that your VPN service provides. Bypassing this blocking will require switching to a paid proxy or VPN plan with dedicated IPs. With video streaming you are getting what you pay for and with paid proxy or VPN plans it is more than justified.
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It is really surprising how many people or even customers of proxy providers don’t even have a clue that they use proxy servers in everyday life while working remotely from their homes, hotels, and remote offices when they access their corporate networks. The whole idea that a computer is assigned an IP (Internet Protocol) number whenever it goes online is mind-boggling for most PC users. But this very phenomenon creates some critical vulnerabilities related to security risks and data privacy.