The Best VPNs for Hotstar in 2023 (Watch From Outside India)

Out of 55 VPN services we tested and reviewed, only 31 have physical or virtual servers in India.

Of these 31 India VPNs, six work with Hotstar but only three are worth using to unblock Hotstar content.

These best VPNs for Hotstar operate India virtual servers that deliver fast international speeds and easily unblock Disney+ Hotstar from outside India.

The VPNs below also work with other streaming platforms that host Hotstar content, including Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max.

1. ExpressVPN: The Best VPN for Hotstar

ExpressVPN comes with two Indian city servers and unblocks Hotstar, HBO Max, Hulu, and Disney+.

Pros	Cons
Two virtual India servers	Expensive subscription
Reliable access to Hotstar outside India	No split tunneling on Mac app
Access to Hulu, Disney+ & HBO Max	Servers in India are virtual only
User-friendly apps for streaming
Live chat support & refund guarantee

ExpressVPN offers access to two India virtual servers (connecting via the UK and Singapore).

In response to India’s VPN Data Law, ExpressVPN no longer has physical servers in the country. But, you can still get an Indian IP address via the VPN’s India virtual servers.

The best India server for unblocking Hotstar connects via Singapore. It successfully spoofed our geolocation and bypassed Hotstar’s geo-restrictions.

Additionally, the VPN service is the best VPN we tested for streaming. Crucially, it reliably unblocks all streaming services that contain Hotstar content (Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max).

These unblocking capabilities apply to all of the VPN’s user-friendly applications for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Fire TV.

ExpressVPN’s overall speeds are exceptional, including those we recorded connecting into India. It’s one of the fastest VPN services available in 2023.

If you want to test ExpressVPN, take advantage of its risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

If for whatever reason you don’t want to continue your subscription, ask for a refund within 30 days via the service’s 24/7 live chat support.

2. Private Internet Access (PIA): Best Cheap VPN for Hotstar

PIA’s servers in Mumbai get around Hotstar VPN blocks.

Pros	Cons
India server works with Hotstar	Only one server in Mumbai
Fast international speeds	Slower than ExpressVPN
US servers unblock Disney Bundle	Smart DNS service is unreliable
Cheaper than ExpressVPN
24/7 live chat support

Private Internet Access (PIA) is another secure and easy-to-use VPN service that streams Hotstar from outside India.

PIA’s India virtual server, which assigns a Mumbai IP address, bypassed Hotstar’s geo-blocks at every attempt.

We’d like to see more Indian city server options, but we’ve never experienced network congestion, and speeds have remained relatively fast.

Using Private Internet Access, we recorded an average international download speed of 86Mbps testing from the US. This is a 14% speed loss versus our baseline 100Mbps internet speed.

In comparison, ExpressVPN registered average international streaming speeds of 85Mbps, while CyberGhost even slower speeds of 81Mbps.

What stands out is how well PIA VPN unblocks US streaming platforms, especially HBO Max, Hulu, and Disney+.

The VPN runs a huge network of 17,087 servers worldwide, including 50 US states.

This level of unblocking and server coverage in the United States is optimal for watching Hotstar via the US Disney bundle.

Despite being slower than ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access represents very good value, costing only $2.19 per month on a two-year pricing plan.

3. CyberGhost: Best Free VPN for Hotstar

CyberGhost offers a 100% free trial on PC and Mac, and its Mumbai servers unblock Hotstar.

Pros	Cons
India server works with Disney+ Hotstar	Only one India server location
US access the Disney Bundle	Reduced speeds connecting to India
100% free trial available	Not as user-friendly as ExpressVPN
Cheaper subscription deals
Extended money-back guarantee period

If you want to unblock Hotstar for free, CyberGhost VPN is your best option.

CyberGhost isn’t completely free, but it does offer a genuine VPN free trial with no registration.

You can in fact use the VPN completely free for 24 hours on Windows and macOS computers, with no payment details required.

Furthermore, you can take advantage of a seven-day free trial on iOS and a three-day free trial on Android.

We tested CyberGhost’s Mumbai virtual server and it still works well with Hotstar. Moreover, the VPN’s US servers also unblock Disney Plus, and the wider Disney Bundle.

Similarly to ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, CyberGhost’s 24/7 live chat support is very quick and well-informed.

The main issue you’ll face using CyberGhost with Hotstar is the streaming speeds we recorded connected to the Mumbai server.

In all our tests, CyberGhost was noticably slower (81Mbps) than ExpressVPN (85Mbps) and Private Internet Access (86Mbps).

In our experience, the service’s apps aren’t as easy to use as ExpressVPN’s either.

However, the fact CyberGhost is completely free to try for one day partially compensates for the software’s shortcomings.

Based on our Hotstar-specific tests of 55 VPN services, most VPNs weren’t good enough to unblock the Indian streaming platform.

Even some very popular VPNs were not up to scratch, often because they no longer offer servers in India.

We’ve listed below some of the more notable VPN services that currently don’t unblock Hotstar India:

Below is a table with a selection of the 55 VPNs we tested to find the best VPNs for Hotstar India:

There are different local versions of Hotstar depending on where you are in the world.

The best way to watch Hotstar will depend on where you live and which Hotstar content you need access to.

Use the flowchart below to find the best way to watch Indian Hotstar based on your specific circumstances:

If you’re in America and want to watch premium Disney+ Hotstar, you’ll need access to an Indian payment method and create a Hotstar account using a VPN.

With an Indian payment method and a VPN, you can access the cheapest, and most complete version of Disney+ Hotstar.

If you’re in the USA, but don’t have access to an Indian payment method, you can subscribe to the Disney Bundle, which contains most Hotstar India content.

What’s more, you can also use a VPN to get an Indian IP address and stream free Disney+ Hotstar content.

If you’re located outside India and the US, and don’t have access to an Indian phone number or US payment method, we suggest signing up to Hulu to access Hotstar content.

Do I Need a VPN to Watch Disney+ Hotstar?

You can watch Hotstar without a VPN if there’s a local version of Hotstar in your country, but you’ll have access to very limited content.

There are regional versions of Disney+ Hotstar in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. There are also versions of Hotstar in the UK, Canada, and Singapore.

You can also stream Hotstar content in the USA by subscribing to the Disney Bundle package, and HBO Max.

Of all versions, Disney+ Hotstar India is the most content-rich. To access it, you’ll need a VPN to change your IP address. This includes both the free and paid version of Hotstar.

If you want the ad-free, premium version of Disney+ Hotstar, which includes live broadcasts, you’ll also need an Indian phone number and payment method on top of your VPN.

If you’re outside the US and want to watch Hotstar, you’ll need a VPN and US payment method to subscribe to the US Disney Bundle. This is because you can only upgrade to the Disney Bundle through Disney+ or Hulu directly and not through gift cards.

If you’re in the UK or Europe and don’t have access to an Indian or US payment method, you’ll need a VPN to subscribe to Hulu.

Method 1: Use an Indian Phone Number & Payment Method

The only way to access the full premium version of Hotstar outside of India is to use an Indian phone number and payment method in combination with an Indian VPN server. There are no other reliable workarounds.

This solution isn’t applicable to everyone, but it is the only reliable way to access Hotstar premium outside India if you don’t already have an account.

Some websites suggest purchasing a virtual phone number or using Fiverr to pay a third-party, but we don’t recommend these methods due to the potential security risks involved. There are other ways to watch Hotstar, though.

Method 2: Subscribe to the Disney Bundle Package

You can access most of Hotstar India’s content from the USA by subscribing to the Disney Bundle package. This bundle grants access to Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+ – three platforms that contain most of Hotstar’s content.

If you don’t have an Indian phone number, or another way to set up an Indian Hotstar account, this is the best and easiest way to watch Hotstar if you’re outside of India.

If you’re located outside the USA, you’ll need to use a VPN that works with Disney Plus and a US payment method.

How to Access Hotstar on Hulu

StarHub on Disney+ is the European and UK version of Hulu. It doesn’t include all Hulu content, though, especially some of the Hotstar content available on Hulu USA.

To access Hotstar content from Europe and the UK, sign up for the Disney Bundle package, or use a VPN to access Hulu from outside USA.

In the video below, you can see how easy it is to stream Hotstar content directly from Hulu. We used ExpressVPN from the UK:

Hotstar in India also includes content that is available on HBO Max. Therefore, if you want the full Hotstar experience, it’s worth subscribing to HBO Max, too.

The original version of HBO Max is exclusive to the US, so you’ll need a VPN to access HBO Max from abroad.

Method 3: Use a VPN to Watch Free Hotstar Content

Indian Hotstar has a lot of free content that you can stream from anywhere in the world if you connect to an Indian VPN server. You don’t even need to create an account.

The content you can watch for free is limited to sports highlights and select movies and TV shows. There are also ads.

But you’ll be able to stream popular shows, Bollywood blockbusters, and lots of sports, including access to full F1 races, NFL games, cricket matches, and more. You can’t watch sports live, though.

In the video below, we used ExpressVPN’s Chennai server to access Hotstar India from the US and stream a replay of a Formula One race:

We tested 55 VPNs following our Hotstar-specific review process.

Thanks to streaming-optimized India servers, top VPNs for Disney+ Hotstar India assign you Indian IP addresses that bypass the streaming service’s geo-restrictions.

A VPN’s compatibility with streaming devices is another key factor we consider.

For Hotstar specifically, we highly rate VPNs with a native Fire TV Stick app and router compatibility. The latter allows streaming on devices that don’t support VPN applications.

Furthermore, we expect a VPN service’s customer support to be knowledgeable about unblocking Disney+ Hotstar.

We calculate the overall Hotstar VPN rating based on the weighting of the test categories below:

• Unblocks Hotstar India: 40%
• Speed: 20%
• India Servers: 20%
• Ease of Use: 10%
• Customer support: 10%

The table below summarizes the results of our VPN tests specific to Hotstar:

Disney+ Hotstar is a streaming service that was originally exclusive to India.

There are now international versions of Hotstar in countries like Canada, Singapore, and the UK. These are very limited compared to the Indian version, though.

Hotstar is no longer available in the US. It was discontinued on November 30, 2021 after The Walt Disney Company bought Star India, the company behind Hotstar.

The Walt Disney Company decided to migrate all Hotstar content across the Disney Bundle package that includes Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu.

While Hotstar is no longer available as a subscription service in the US, Hotstar’s content can still be viewed on various US streaming services.

For example, Bollywood movies and Indian TV shows have moved to Hulu and are marked as Hotstar Specials. Indian sports fans can find cricket, soccer, and other popular sports on ESPN.

In India, Hotstar still exists and is available under the new name of Disney+ Hotstar. It now includes Disney+ content, too.

The India-exclusive Disney+ Hotstar now combines all the content available on Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, and HBO Max. If you’re in the UK or Europe, it includes some content from Disney+ Star, too, but not all of it.

Use the chart below to see how US streaming platforms divide Hotstar content and how they’re connected to each other:

What Can I Watch on Hotstar?

With over 30 individual channels, India’s Disney+ Hotstar has one of the biggest media libraries of any streaming service.

Alongside Bollywood movies, TV shows, sports, and news from India, there are thousands of English-language titles, including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and National Geographic.

Some of the most popular content hubs on Disney+ Hotstar include:

• Asianet
• Disney+
• FOXlife
• HBO Original Programming
• Hotstar Specials
• Showtime
• StarPlus
• Star Sports

There is an extensive selection of sports available, too, including NFL, English Premier League soccer, Bundesliga, the ICC Cricket World Cup, F1, tennis, martial arts, kabaddi, hockey, and golf.

However, live sport is reserved to premium Disney+ Hotstar subscribers in India, only.

If you can’t create an Indian Hotstar account, you’ll be restricted to certain content. But you can watch Koffee with Karan, sports replays, and select movies like Baaghi 2 and Junglee.

As we mentioned above, Disney+ Hotstar hosts content split between Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, and HBO Max in USA. Below is a venn diagram of what you can watch on Hotstar India compared to the US Disney Bundle:

Is Hotstar the Same as Disney Plus?

Although Hotstar is now owned by The Walt Disney Company, it is not the same as the Disney+ streaming service. For example, you cannot access most Hotstar content if you subscribe to the regular Disney+ package.

However, the Disney Bundle package is much closer to the full India Hotstar offering, because it includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. This is where Hotstar content was moved to after Disney bought it. Even then, it’s still not as comprehensive as Hotstar in India.

The closest thing to Hotstar in the USA is a combination of Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and HBO Max.

Is Hotstar Free with Disney Plus?

If you’re in India, Disney+ and Hotstar are the same and are combined in one package. In this sense, Hotstar is free with Disney+ in India.

If you’re in the US or anywhere else, Hotstar is not free with Disney+. Hotstar has different content and is not included as part of a standard Disney+ subscription.

You can only access additional Hotstar content via Hulu and ESPN+ as part of the more expensive Disney bundle package.