Eric Goldstein
Updated on: December 26, 2023
Only 3 Steps (Quick + Easy) to Watch Hotstar Online With a VPN in 2024:
- Step 1: Install a VPN that works with Hotstar. I recommend ExpressVPN thanks to its consistently fast speeds.
- Step 2: Connect to a server in India. Open your VPN’s server menu and connect to a server in India. However, if you’re not in India or any other location where Hotstar is available, using a VPN to watch the streaming platform violates Hotstar’s Terms and Conditions and could even constitute copyright infringement.
- Step 3: Sign into your Hotstar account. Visit Hotstar, log into your account, and enjoy watching TV shows and live sports.
Hotstar is only available in certain countries, including India, Canada, and the UK — but the same content isn’t available in Canada or the UK as is available in India. This is because of various licensing agreements that restrict content to certain countries. Streaming platforms like Hotstar determine your location using your IP address.
In theory, a VPN can potentially help you access content not available in your location since it can give you a new IP address from anywhere in the world. However, it’s crucial to understand that doing so may breach copyright laws and the Terms of Service of many streaming platforms, which SafetyDetectives strictly doesn’t condone.
If you’re considering streaming Hotstar through a VPN to protect your online privacy, I’d suggest ExpressVPN. With its super fast speeds and user-friendly apps, watching Hotstar is easy. Plus, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to test it without any commitment.
WATCH Hotstar with ExpressVPN Now
Best VPNs for Watching Hotstar Content in 2024
- 🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for watching Hotstar in 2024.
- 🥈2. Private Internet Access — Great for watching Hotstar on mobile.
- 🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Reliable dedicated streaming servers for Hotstar.
- Comparison of the Best VPNs for Watching Hotstar in 2024.
Disclaimer: At SafetyDetectives, we don’t condone violating copyrights. Since the VPNs we recommend below maintain strict policies against logging user activities, it’s up to you to use a VPN ethically, so always follow the necessary rules and guidelines.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Watching Hotstar in 2024
Approved by our experts
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for streaming Hotstar. It has the fastest speeds in the industry for streaming and offers some of the most intuitive apps out there.
The provider has 2 virtual Indian server locations — virtual servers are not physically located in their corresponding country but still provide you with an IP address from the country you actually want to connect to. ExpressVPN also has servers in other countries where Hotstar is available, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, so users in each nation can safely watch Hotstar.
It’s so easy to connect to an Indian server with ExpressVPN. All server locations are split into different regions, with India in the Asia Pacific menu. There’s a search bar so you can narrow your search, and ExpressVPN lets you pick your favorite servers for instant access. Also, I really like ExpressVPN’s Shortcuts feature, which allows you to choose up to 5 apps and sites to appear under your connection window so you can quickly launch them with a single click (you can add Hotstar to your Shortcuts if you’re in a country where it’s available).
What’s more, ExpressVPN is the best VPN for streaming. It works with 100+ other streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime. ExpressVPN also includes split-tunneling, which is a convenient feature that lets you choose which apps should use a VPN connection and which apps should connect directly through your internet service provider (ISP).
ExpressVPN’s security features are some of the strongest you can find on the market. It has a strict no-logs policy that’s been independently verified by auditors, and it uses RAM-only servers, which means your data is completely erased each time the server is rebooted. Also, it has perfect forward secrecy (changes your encryption keys to prevent past and future keys from being hacked) and includes full leak protection — I ran multiple IP leak tests and ExpressVPN reliably prevented IP leaks each time.
ExpressVPN has plans that start at $6.67 / month — these prices are a bit expensive, but it’s totally worth the extra cost because it’s the best VPN on the market in 2024. All ExpressVPN plans are backed by a no-risk 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Great for Watching Hotstar on Mobile
Private Internet Access (PIA) has fast speeds, robust security, and customizable mobile apps. PIA offers virtual servers for India — and the VPN confirmed that these work reliably with Hotstar.
PIA is one of the fastest VPNs we’ve ever tested. I was able to stream in HD with no delays, and 4K videos played after only a few seconds of initial buffering — but it was still slightly slower than ExpressVPN. I also like that PIA displays the latency of each of its servers (a measure of how long it takes the internet signal to travel from your device to the server) to help you select the fastest server.
PIA’s mobile apps offer extensive customization options. With its iOS and Android apps, you can change many preferences, including encryption levels, VPN protocols, and your public Wi-Fi connection preferences. I managed to get a 15% speed boost by using a combination of 128-bit AES encryption plus the WireGuard protocol.
The mobile apps feature a neat and uncluttered interface. The main menu shows you the currently selected VPN server and includes a button to open the full list of available servers. Plus, it has quick connect buttons for your favorite servers, so you can instantly connect to them.
You’ll also like that PIA has great streaming support and works with many other top streaming services. Plus, PIA’s split-tunneling feature is even better than ExpressVPN because it lets you exclude apps as well as website IP addresses from the VPN connection — ExpressVPN can only exclude apps.
Like ExpressVPN, PIA also includes advanced security features like RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and full leak protection (I never saw a leak in any of my tests). PIA’s no-logs policy also passed an independent audit, and all of its apps are open-source — this means anyone can inspect their code for cracks in security.
Private Internet Access’s plans start at $2.11 / month, making it one of the cheapest VPNs on the market. PIA backs all of its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Reliable Dedicated Streaming Servers for Hotstar
CyberGhost VPN is a beginner-friendly VPN with excellent streaming support. Its apps have a neat and clean design, which makes it easy to navigate, and it has a dedicated streaming server in India for Hotstar — so, if you’re in India, you can quickly start watching your favorite TV shows and live sporting events. If you’re in another country where Hotstar is available, all you need to do is connect to a regular server from your country.
In my speed tests, 4K videos played with minor buffering and no other interruptions — the speeds were similar to Private Internet Access but slower than ExpressVPN.
CyberGhost VPN is one of my favorite VPNs in terms of ease of use. Setting up and using the app for the first time is very intuitive. I also appreciate that you can set specific servers as a favorite for a quick 1-click connection from the main menu screen. I also like its Smart Rules feature, which allows you to tinker with connection preferences — for example, you can set it up to automatically connect to a server when you launch the CyberGhost app.
CyberGhost VPN has advanced security features, including RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and full leak protection. Its no-logs policy has been independently audited and verified, and CyberGhost also publishes transparency reports, which disclose the number of requests it received for user data and how it never handed anything over.
CyberGhost VPN offers plans starting at $2.03 / month and covers its long-term plans with a 45-day money-back guarantee (the shortest plan has a 14-day refund window).
Read our full CyberGhost VPN review
Comparison of the Best VPNs for Watching Hotstar in 2024
How to Choose the Best VPN for Watching Hotstar in 2024
- Choose a VPN that consistently works with Hotstar without any issues. All of my recommendations work reliably with Hotstar at any time of day (confirmed by each VPN’s customer support).
- Get a VPN with excellent streaming support. The VPNs on my list work with other popular streaming sites as well, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime.
- Look for a VPN with fast streaming speeds. VPN encryption always leads to a slower connection, but all the VPNs listed here minimize this speed drop due to an advanced server network. ExpressVPN had the fastest speeds in my tests.
- Select a VPN that’s easy to use. I only recommend VPNs that offer dedicated apps for multiple platforms, have intuitive interfaces, and work as intended without any errors or glitches.
- Opt for a VPN with strong security. I only recommend VPNs that include industry-standard VPN security features like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch (protects traffic leaks by shutting down your connection if the VPN disconnects), leak protection, and a no-logs policy that prevents the VPN from tracking your online activities.
- Choose a VPN that provides good value. All the VPNs on my list support at least 7 simultaneous connections, offer competitive pricing plans, and back each plan with money-back guarantees.
How to Watch Hotstar Content on Any Device
How to Watch Hotstar Content on Your PC or Mac Device
- Choose a VPN that works with Hotstar. I recommend ExpressVPN because it offers the best apps for Windows and macOS, and it maintains the fastest speeds for streaming services like Hotstar.
- Download and install the VPN. Just follow the instructions provided by the installation wizard (it takes less than 2 minutes).
- Connect to a local server and log into your Hotstar account. Have a good time enjoying your favorite content on Hotstar!
How to Watch Hotstar Content on Your Smartphone or Tablet
- Pick a good VPN for Hotstar. ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access both have great mobile apps.
- Download and install the VPN. Simply download the VPN app from the Apple Store or Play Store. Follow the on-screen instructions in the apps to complete the setup on your device (only takes 1–2 minutes).
- Launch the VPN, connect to a nearby server and open the Hotstar app. Watch your favorite shows or enjoy Hotstar’s live coverage of sporting events.
How to Watch Hotstar Content on Your Smart TV
- Get a VPN that works with Hotstar. ExpressVPN works great for smart TVs, Android TVs, and routers.
- For Android TVs. Open the app store on your TV and download the VPN. Then, open the VPN and connect to your local server.
- For other smart TVs. Download and install the VPN on your router (ExpressVPN supports most routers via a dedicated router app). Connect the VPN to a nearby server — now, all devices connected to your router will automatically be connected to the VPN.
- Launch Hotstar on your Android TV or smart TV. That’s it — you can start streaming your favorite Hotstar shows.
How to Watch Hotstar Content on Amazon Fire Stick
- Choose a great VPN for Hotstar. I recommend ExpressVPN because it has a user-friendly Amazon Fire Stick app.
- Download and install the VPN app from the app store. Follow the on-screen instructions to add the VPN to your Fire Stick.
- Open the VPN, connect to a local server, and launch the Hotstar app. You can now watch your favorite content on Hotstar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best VPN for streaming Hotstar?
ExpressVPN is my top pick — it has lightning-fast speeds, excellent security features, and easy-to-use apps for all of your major devices.
Does Hotstar work in other countries?
Yes, but there’s a catch. Hotstar has an app in the UK, Canada, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, but the Hotstar content library in each of these countries is different from the library for Hotstar India. A show that is available on Hotstar India may not be offered in another country due to licensing agreements.
While you might be able to use a VPN to fix this issue, you may violate Hotstar’s terms and conditions and even commit copyright infringement. My favorite VPN for safely Hotstar is ExpressVPN — it has virtual servers in India that provide fast streaming speeds.
Can I use a free VPN to stream Hotstar?
You can, but I advise against it — free VPNs typically don’t have servers in India or other countries where it’s available, preventing you from watching Hotstar. For the few free VPNs that have servers in India and allow streaming, most don’t work with Hotstar, are slow, have strict data limits, and lack essential security features. Instead, I recommend getting a premium VPN like ExpressVPN — it has servers in India and is very fast.
Should I stream Hotstar with a VPN?
Yes, I recommend using a VPN for streaming Hotstar if you’re in a country where it’s available. VPNs provide excellent security features to protect your identity, data, and device. Plus, premium VPNs like ExpressVPN have really fast speeds.
