Hotstar is the largest Indian streaming platform under Disney+’s ownership. This platform has a variety of Bollywood movies and shows that Indians and people abroad find charming. Unfortunately, Hotstar is impossible to access directly if you’re outside India. It’s available only in a few selected countries.
Indians can enjoy a full content catalog, while people in the UK, Canada, Singapore, and the United States must pay for third-party services to access it. So if you’re not in South Asia and you’re hell-bent on accessing this platform, how to watch Hotstar outside of India? Here’s how to access Hotstar abroad quickly and safely.
How to Watch Hotstar Outside of India?
Let’s start this guide by discussing the very subject, and that is how to watch Hotstar outside of India. To do that, you’ll need to trick the platform into believing that you’re in this country, which can be done by changing your IP address to India. This can only be done with a VPN with reliable Indian servers.
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, helps you change your online location to another country and bypass geo-restrictions such as this one, but beware that not every VPN will work with Hotstar for the reasons that we’ll discuss later. For now, let us give you a few small steps that will allow you to access Hotstar abroad.
1. Get a VPN Subscription
If you want to make sure this solution works, we recommend going for a high-quality, premium provider like NordVPN. Despite having virtual servers in this country due to India’s new data-collection legislation, it still works with Hotstar with no issues.
You can subscribe to NordVPN by using the button below, which will let you claim a 73% discount and three free months for all biennial plans. We recommend the Basic plan to save the most money. You’ll even get a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to get a full refund if you’re not satisfied.
Use the button above, choose the plan, and select the payment method. Proceed to the next step.
The Best VPNs to Watch Hotstar From Anywhere in 2026:
8922 servers
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10 simultaneous connections
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2. Install a VPN on Your Device and Sign In
All you must do is install the app on your device. We use a Windows PC, but NordVPN works even on mobile platforms, where the steps are the same. Once you install the app by following the steps from NordVPN, sign in. This can be done by using your email and password during the subscription process.
Once you do all of that, you’ll get to the dashboard that looks like this:
3. Connect to a VPN Server in India
From here, it’s easy to connect to a VPN server in India and watch Hotstar overseas. Scroll down the server list and find India. Alternatively, use the search bar and type India. Once you find the server, click it (or tap it on iOS or Android), and NordVPN will connect in about two to three seconds (check the screenshot below).
4. Watch Hotstar Outside India
Now, you can go to Hostar, sign in, and watch your favorite movies and series. Keep in mind that you’ll always need to connect to NordVPN to access Hotstar abroad. Otherwise, you’ll always encounter a geo-restriction message. If you want more VPN options for streaming, stay with us, as we review them below.
Best VPN to Watch Hotstar Abroad: Top Three for 2026
While not as difficult to unblock as Netflix or Hulu, Hotstar can still detect a majority of VPNs and prevent your access. Not many providers can reliably unblock Hotstar outside of India, but these three can.
1. NordVPN
Pros
- Fast Indian servers
- Impressive unblocking prowess
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Applications for all devices
- Robust security
Con
- Expensive annual plans
- The Basic plan lacks some features
NordVPN is among the best cheap VPN providers. It’s a highly secure VPN that allows you to watch Hotstar outside of India thanks to many virtual servers in the country. They are a part of 8,400+ servers in 127+ countries, which makes for a fairly impressive server network. NordVPN is famous for its performance.
This stems from 10 Gbps servers and the cutting-edge NordLynx VPN protocol. It’s more than enough to enjoy a great streaming experience on Hotstar, Netflix, or any other platform. It’s very easy to use and offers useful add-ons like a Double VPN to encrypt traffic twice or Smart DNS to aid streaming on all devices.
The provider supports Tor over VPN as well and offers ten simultaneous connections for protecting all your devices at no additional cost. NordVPN also has a great VPN app for Android TV and Fire TV Stick, which allows you to watch Hotstar abroad on a big screen and not suffer lag and extended buffering.
As said, it’s pretty cheap, and that applies to its 2-year Basic plan that sports a 30-day money-back guarantee with no conditions. As always, you can get the cheapest deal below and enjoy some of the best Bollywood content anywhere on the planet. Check out our NordVPN review to learn more about this service.
2. ExpressVPN
Pros
- Beginner-friendly apps
- Fast VPN servers
- Up to 14 concurrent connections
- Smart DNS support
- No-logging policy
Cons
- Some plans are pricier
- A few advanced features
ExpressVPN has virtual Indian servers that allow you to get an Indian IP address while being somewhere else. It is anything but a coincidence that many consider it the best VPN in India, right after NordVPN. Currently, the provider offers two virtual locations that are a part of 3,000+ servers in 105 countries.
ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs, essential for smooth streaming without long buffering, stuttering, and other interruptions. Its unblocking capabilities are awesome. It’ll work with Hotstar outside of India, Disney+ (see our list of VPNs that work on Disney+), BBC iPlayer, Peacock TV, and Hulu abroad.
In addition, it offers easy-to-use apps for all systems, allowing you to watch Hotstar on macOS, Android, iOS, or any other platform. ExpressVPN’s users can enjoy impenetrable security thanks to 256-bit encryption, an ad-blocker, an automatic kill switch, and a certified no-logging policy.
The provider comes with 10 to 14 simultaneous connections and offers 24/7 live chat support if any issues arise. That shouldn’t happen, as ExpressVPN’s reliability is at the highest level. While not the most affordable, you can still lower its price significantly with a 73% discount and four free months for the biennial plan.
Take a look at our comprehensive ExpressVPN review.
3. CyberGhost
Pros
- Dedicated Hotstar servers
- WireGuard for fast speeds
- IP and DNS leak protection
- Affordable biennial plans
Cons
- Seven simultaneous connections
- Occasional performance issues
CyberGhost is ExpressVPN’s brother, as they both reside under the Kape Technologies umbrella. Much like ExpressVPN, it has 30+ virtual servers in Mumbai that will work flawlessly with Hotstar and other Indian TV channels and platforms. In its app, you can find dedicated streaming servers in India, too.
They’ll allow you to unblock Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix India just in case you want to expand your streaming capabilities further. Additionally, it has solid performance and comes with the WireGuard protocol for more stable connections. CyberGhost stores no logs and publishes transparency reports every three months.
We also like its ad blocker that works perfectly, along with IPv6/DNS leak protection for preventing unwanted leaks. Unlike NordVPN, it comes with seven simultaneous connections, which may feel underwhelming. Granted, its desktop app isn’t as intuitive and we would like it to be able to work in China.
However, this is the cheapest provider on this list, with a 2-year plan that’ll cost you less than $2.5 a month. Heck, you even get a 45-day money-back guarantee for all long-term plans! Don’t hesitate – try it risk-free for 45 days. For more information, check out our full CyberGhost review.
Will Any Free VPN for Hotstar Work?
Unfortunately, they won’t work. Free VPNs for Hotstar don’t even exist, given that free providers have no servers in India. Now, you’ll say that some of them have servers in the US and Canada, which is true, but even in this case, Hotstar always seems to detect free VPNs and block them.
On top of that, the US and Canadian versions of the site are severely cut down, so we don’t recommend bothering with them. Not to mention that free providers come with monthly bandwidth limits and slow speeds, none of which will improve your streaming pleasure. In addition, many free providers are not secure.
Some of them are known for collecting and selling your personal info to third parties. With so many compromises, getting a free VPN for Hotstar is pointless and isn’t going to work at all. We recommend you do the testing, so get yourself some free VPN providers. In ten minutes, you’ll realize you’re in for suffering.
Hotstar Not Working With a VPN
If Hotstar isn’t working with your VPN, you’re doing something wrong. You might be using a VPN that’s not on our list, one that isn’t guaranteed to work. Hotstar most likely detected that you’re using it and gave you an error message like this:
This happens if you use a Virtual Private Network that isn’t working with the platform, which could also imply that you’re using a free VPN. Also, you can experience a problem like this, where the website fails to load, it doesn’t function, and stays like this infinitely:
It means that you’re not located in India or other eligible countries, either because you’re not using a VPN or because you’re using one that’s detected. The solution? Quite simple – use a VPN that really works with Hotstar! If you use a provider from our list and you encounter a similar error, change the server and try again.
Sometimes, it’ll help to clear out the browser cache, as it contains information about your real location. Or perhaps you can try switching to another browser, which often helps us as well. When switching from Chrome to Edge, we managed to unblock some platforms like BBC iPlayer and Netflix with no problems.
Summary
Watching Hotstar outside of India isn’t difficult. VPNs like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost will work with no issues thanks to their ability to give you an IP address from India. You should avoid incapable free providers. Instead, you can use the providers we mentioned for free for 30 or 45 days (CyberGhost).
This way, you can watch all your favorite shows and movies on the platform and get a refund if you don’t want to pay for a VPN anymore. Although, to be honest, many people avoid getting a refund, knowing that these providers offer impeccable security, safe torrenting, secure gaming, and many more useful benefits.
FAQ
Is Hotstar free?
To make it clear, this is primarily a premium streaming service, which requires a monthly subscription. However, if you’re in India or you have an Indian IP, you can opt for a free version. This version is riddled with ads, and you can’t watch all the content. The good news is that even the free version is decent for many.
With it, you can still access plenty of Bollywood’s finest movies and shows. This free version is accessible through the VPN, the way we explained – by connecting to an Indian server. There’s also a paid option. The Mobile plan starts at ₹499 yearly and is mobile-only, with ads, and one device at a time.
A better plan is called Super, which costs ₹999 yearly, with ads, but with access on all devices, and up to two devices at a time. The Premium plan at ₹1,499 yearly is ad-free, allowing for four devices at a time. Cheaper plans cap at Full HD, the Premium plan allows 4K and includes a few other advanced features.
Does Disney+ Hotstar offer different content than Indian Hotstar?
Yes, it does. Hotstar doesn’t exist anymore the way it did before. Disney+ now owns it and it’s rebranded as Disney+ Hotstar. This means you’ll be getting classic Indian content in combination with Disney+ movies and series on a single website with a premium plan.
If you’re stuck with a free plan, you can access only limited content and can’t watch Disney+ movies and series. Pay for it to unlock Disney+ and Hotstar content.
Is watching Hotstar abroad legal?
Yes, it is legal, and you can use any working VPN to enjoy the service overseas. Bear in mind that Hotstar blocks VPNs because they violate its terms and conditions. However, there’s no legal consequence for the user. In other words, you won’t get fined or arrested for accessing Hotstar outside India with a VPN.
