How to Watch Hotstar With a VPN (Tested in 2023 — No Lags!)
Hotstar is only available in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Plus, it’s available in the UK, Canada, and Singapore with limited availability. These geo-restrictions protect the platform’s licensing agreements. To watch exclusive Hotstar shows and movies, you have to access the platform from one of these countries with a local IP address.
A VPN can technically get you an IP address in any of these countries to make it seem like you’re legally entitled to access Hotstar, even if you’re elsewhere. This is against Netflix’s terms of service and you’ll be violating international copyright laws, which I don’t condone.
If you still want to use a VPN to watch Hotstar, you’ll find that many don’t work because Hotstar curbs piracy and protects its agreements by blocking VPNs. But our international group of testers has found a few that work in India and other countries. ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Hotstar as it’s the fastest for lag-free UHD streaming.
Watch Hotstar online with a VPN!
Important! My team and I don’t condone breaking any copyright laws or Hotstar’s terms of service. All the recommended VPNs have strict zero-logs policies so they cannot keep track or see your online activities. It is up to you to use your VPN responsibly and follow all rules and regulations.
How to Get Hotstar on Android, iOS, and Apple TV
If you’re in India or another country where Hotstar is available, you can easily download the app with a VPN.
Android
- Get a VPN. If you want to stream in UHD without lags, I recommend ExpressVPN as it’s the best for Hotstar with fast connection speeds.
- Connect to a server. Choose one in your location whether it’s India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the UK, Canada, or Singapore, where Hotstar is available.
- Download the Hotstar app. Install the app to your Android device, subscribe, log-in, and start streaming.
iOS and Apple TV
- Get a VPN. You need a fast VPN to make sure you can stream without interruptions, ExpressVPN is your best bet for Hotstar.
- Connect to a server. Select one in your location, where Hotstar is available (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the UK, Canada, or Singapore).
- Create an Apple account. Select any free app in the store to prompt iTunes to invite you to create an account.
- Log-in to Apple account. Log-in to your Apple device with the Apple ID you just created.
- Install the Hotstar app. Download the app to your iOS device, subscribe, and start streaming.
Best VPNs to Watch Hotstar Lag-Free
1. ExpressVPN
- 3,000+ servers in 94 countries
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and routers
ExpressVPN has super-fast servers ideal for those of us wishing to stream Hotstar in HD. The company also boasts of fast speeds, and with its 30-day money-back guarantee, you have the luxury of an extended trial without risk.
You can depend on ExpressVPN to keep you safe. Robust 256-bit AES encryption, DNS/IPv6 leak protection and its no-logs policy mean that you and your information are protected while online.
While ExpressVPN does not offer a free trial, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. CyberGhost VPN
- 9,600+ servers in 91 countries
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux
With CyberGhost VPN boasting 29 servers in India, there’s ample bandwidth for local Hotstar fans to watch Indian TV series and movies. However, safety is also a big part of CyberGhost’s offerings.
The company wants its users to enjoy the internet without “fear of hackers, mass surveillance, and online behavior-tracking.” To this end, their fully encrypted service comes with 256-bit AES technology. They also abide by a strict no-logs policy.
CyberGhost VPN protects a maximum of seven of these devices at once. To help you get a sense of the software, CyberGhost offers a 7-day free trial of its premium service and a 45-day money-back guarantee.
3. Private Internet Access (PIA)
- 35,000 server locations in 84 countries
- Unlimited bandwidth and speed
- Compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, and routers
Private Internet Access (PIA) is an excellent choice for access to Hotstar programming, boasting a quick 1-click setup. More importantly, its India server locations mean you can watch Hotstar safely, even if you’re streaming using the local public WiFi.
To keep you safe, the company offers 2048-bit encryption with AES-256. Also, their “zero data logging policy” means they will never hold your data on their servers.
PIA promises complete support to all its customers, but if for any reason you are unhappy, the company will uphold its full 30-day money-back guarantee.
A Note about Free VPNs
The idea of accessing Hotstar on a free VPN is of course, enticing, but users will soon discover why it’s worth paying for a premium service instead.
Free VPNs usually fall short of their paid counterparts when it comes to speed and the number of available server locations. Also, users frequently have to work against bandwidth throttling and data caps. Not good news for bandwidth-intensive streaming.
Free VPN services also tend to compromise on safety, offering users diluted encryption and safety protocols. You risk the possibility that your data will be stolen and sold to the highest bidder.
For this reason, we don’t recommend users opt for a free service. However, keep in mind that a free trial of premium service is not the same. We do recommend users take a free trial whenever offered to get a feel of the VPN before purchasing a subscription.
Final Word
Whether you’re located in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Canada, the UK, or Singapore, it’s advisable to watch Hotstar with a VPN. This is because you can never know who’s watching your activities online. Unfortunately, not all VPNs work with the platform.
That’s why I enlisted the help of my teammates in Asia, Canada, and the UK to test dozens of VPNs for Hotstar. The VPNs on this list not only have servers in all the locations where the streaming service is available, but they also hide your traffic with the strongest encryption.
The best VPN for Hotstar is ExpressVPN. It’s secure, fast, and has tons of IP addresses in each Hotstar location to stream shows without overcrowding and buffering. If you get ExpressVPN for Hotstar, your purchase is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
