How to Watch Hotstar in the USA, UK and Anywhere in 2020!

Need a guide showing you how to watch Hotstar in the USA?

There are many Bollywood fans anxiously waiting to binge on all their favorite Hotstar TV shows from outside India. However, they’ll often find themselves stuck halfway. But, no problem! Did you know that there are ways to access its premium content from anywhere?

Read on!

Before we move on…

For those who aren’t familiar with Hotstar, it is India’s biggest streaming service known worldwide for its up-to-date Indian movies, TV shows, sports content, etc, particularly Geo-accessible to India. It’s basically India’s version of Netflix!

Sadly, its premium account is only available to the people living in India, the US, UK, and Canada. So, if you’re living outside India and want to get your hands on the latest shows and access all libraries on Hotstar, the best way to do so is with a VPN.

Before moving on to the nitty-gritty details, and to put an end to your wait, here’s a quick look at the best VPNs that’ll show you how to watch Hotstar in the USA and anywhere in the world. They are:

1. Surfshark – big-league VPN with 3 Indian servers for unblocking Hotstar worldwide at $2.49/mo.
2. NordVPN – smashing Hotstar’s Geo-restrictions having 27 Indian servers at $3.71/mo.
3. ExpressVPN – all-rounder VPN with 3 dedicated Indian servers at $6.67/mo.
4. IPVanish – perfect for unblocking any Geo-blocked platform with 5 Indian servers at $3.25/mo.
5. CyberGhost – tight security VPN, encompassing 22 Indian servers for Hotstar at $2.75/mo.
6. FastestVPN – high speeds and heavy security having 2 Indian servers at $0.83/mo.

How to watch Hotstar in the USA and anywhere around the globe for free

Remember when I mentioned that Hotstar is like the desi version of Netflix? Just like Netflix is fully accessible to only its US citizens, with some of its content shown for free, Hotstar is widely available for free to the people living in India.

And, even though its availability is towards the US, UK, and Canada, on the Google Play Store and iOS App Store, the “free” part doesn’t apply towards them.

It’s a sad fact that if you’re living anywhere outside India, you’ll have to pay a huge subscription fee to access premium Hotstar services. Unfair right? But still luckier than those living outside these 3 countries mentioned above!

For those living elsewhere in the world, Hotstar is on the list of streaming services that are blocked or restricted. But, don’t worry! Good news! – there’s a workaround method for that!

It doesn’t matter where in the world you’re situated, here’s how to watch Hotstar in USA, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, or anywhere around the world, without having to pay huge subscription fees:

• Subscribe a Hotstar VPN. I’ve listed 6 that offer the best VPN deals.
• Download and Install the app on a Hotstar compatible device.
• Launch the app and click on its locations connecting to an Indian server. Here’s a Surfshark VPN sample:

• Head over to the Hotstar app or go to hotstar.com from wherever you are and start binging on any free content available which isn’t premium.

We’ll move on to why we chose this strategy in a hot minute. But before that, just bear with me a little longer and read up on what makes these 6 VPN services the best choice for Hotstar.

Sign up for Hotstar services in the USA or anywhere else (Premium)

Now there’s a difference when it comes to accessing Hotstar’s free content as compared to accessing its premium services.

Remember when I said that Hotstar is a lot like Netflix? Well, I still stand by that, and here’s why:

Netflix usually offers a free trial but with limited use of its libraries; serviced only towards the people of the US. In the same way, Hotstar allows the people in India to access some of its free content (movies/TV shows) along with premium services.

However, if you’re living outside India, you’re only allowed to go through certain libraries provided to you.

To jet across these restrictions and watch Indian content like the latest movies or live cricket, here’s how you can access its Indian libraries with a premium subscription:

• Go to Hotstar.com on any browser, and “choose your payment plan”

• Click on any one of the plans available.

• After choosing your plan, move on to sign up/create your account. You can also do that by signing in with Facebook.

• After you make your payment, follow along with further instructions to confirm your paid subscription.

NOTE: Signing up with the Hotstar service to access the Indian libraries is fairly simple. However, the only major effort you’ll have to put into it is getting someone from India to help you sign up using their Credit cards.

The reason being, since the sign-up process is mainly rendered towards Indians, you’ll have to sign up using one of the Indian credit/debit cards. There are a couple of websites that include offers or services in helping you get through with your payments.

Now let’s move on and discuss a little more about what makes the 6 VPNs I chose, the best for Hotstar.

Unblocking Hotstar – Why we chose these 6 VPNs

For those who aren’t familiar with a VPN, it’s the ultimate software to get you full access to Geo-restricted websites from anywhere in the world.

It also goes a long way in providing you access to the best online security, access to streaming services worldwide, privacy, high download speeds, and unlimited bandwidth; which in this case is our main focus.

The reason for needing a VPN goes far beyond than just gaining access to Hotstar, but rather the safest way to make sure your actual IP doesn’t get detected trying to gain Hotstar access. This is mainly when the Hotstar service is not accessible in your country.

For this, I’ve put together the best VPNs that will show you exactly how to watch Hotstar in the USA, in no time. They are:

1. Surfshark

This British Virgin Islands VPN is known to be one of the top-dogs in the VPN industry. Surfshark is by far the best choice when it comes to accessing Geo-restricted content, internationally. Accessing a service like Hotstar and all its libraries would be a piece of cake.

It has around  1700+ servers in 64 countries all optimized for streaming on multiple platforms. In its list, it includes around 3 servers in India (Mumbai, Indore, and Chennai). Connect to any one of these and enjoy the latest Bollywood entertainment.

Apart from gaining access, another thing that makes this VPN a top choice is its superlative security measures. It operates on AES 256-bit encryption and covers all the major protocols (OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Shadowsocks).

Other Surfshark features include Clean Web, Multihop, DNS and IP leak protection, unlimited bandwidth, and GPS Spoofing. It also has a Hacklock and BlindSearch feature.

You can put this VPN to the test using the Surfshark free trial, or try out its 30-day refund policy for a longer testing period on multiple devices.

Surfshark offers much more than what’s already mentioned. For that, you can go through a detailed Surfshark review, discussing all its features, fast speeds, and overall performance.

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2. NordVPN

This Panama born VPN also ranks as having covered a wide range of server locations, making it another top choice for a Hotstar VPN; breaking through restricted sites.

 It has around 5000+ servers in 59 countries with around 33 (updated) servers in India, opening up full access to unblock Hotstar from wherever you are in the world.

Besides the above, NordVPN is known to have some of the heaviest security features in the VPN market. NordVPN has military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, and support towards the major protocols (OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP/IPsec).

There are other advanced features like a Kill Switch, a CyberSec feature, DNS, and IP leak protection, unlimited bandwidth, an AD Blocker, and more.

If you’re wondering how to watch Hotstar in the USA or anywhere else, why don’t you first test out NordVPN using its free trial? You could also ask for a full 30-day refund, if not satisfied. So, now you can test out NordVPN on multiple devices, unblocking many other streaming services.

This makes it an ideal choice for acquiring access to Geo-blocked websites or streaming services like Hotstar. In case you’re feeling a little more intrepid and want to scout out some of its features, check out my detailed NordVPN review.

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3. ExpressVPN

Another British Virgin Island VPN, known as an all-rounder in the VPN realm. ExpressVPN is the public’s choice for bypassing Geo-blocks and having a good security backing in its list of features.

It has around 3000+ servers in 94 countries with the inclusion of 3 Indian servers (India via UK, Chennai, and Mumbai-1). ExpressVPN is one of the best choices for producing the fastest speeds that are required for streaming on Hotstar.

So, if you’re wondering how you can attempt to watch Hotstar in the USA or anywhere, let ExpressVPN lead the way! Try testing it out on your own, using the ExpressVPN free trial, or go for a longer trial run using its 30-day refund policy.

Apart from sporting great speeds, it has top-notch security features. Some of it includes 256-bit encryption, support on major protocols (PPTP, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPsec), a Kill Switch, and unlimited bandwidth. It also has a private and encrypted DNS feature on every server, Split Tunneling, and more.

ExpressVPN is widely known for having a Smart DNS feature called MediaStreamer. You can read all about its features in detail from an ExpressVPN review; enhancing your knowledge of its VPN services.

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4. IPVanish

Based in the US, this makes IPVanish another all-rounder in accessing Geo-restricted websites.

It has around 1300+ servers in 75+ countries, which includes 5 Indian servers (New Delhi and Mumbai) in its list. So now, not only does it unblock Hotstar, but also the US Netflix library and other streaming services. There’s no IPVanish free trial to test it out, but the VPN does come with a 7-day refund policy.

Its security includes AES 256-bit encryption, multiple protocols (OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP/IPsec), unlimited bandwidth, a SOCKS5 web proxy, split-tunneling, and a lot more which you can read about in an IPVanish review.

Also, did you know that IPVanish has now updated 10 device connections to unlimited simultaneous connections? That means you can enjoy Hotstar on multiple devices in one go.

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5. CyberGhost

Hailing from Romania, CyberGhost is another great choice for every Hotstar fan around the world. Along with its ability to smash through restricted websites, it has one of the widest platforms of servers in its list.

It covers around 6000+ servers in 90 countries to be exact, with the inclusion of 22 Indian servers. All are more than capable of unblocking Hotstar in every country outside India.

If we’re talking about accessing Hotstar outside India, US, UK, and Canada, you’re probably going to need a VPN that has the best security too.

CyberGhost has impressive security with 256-bit encryption, supports major protocols (OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP), a Kill Switch, and is DNS, IP, and WebRTC leak protected. The VPN also provides fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth.

The list of CyberGhost features is ongoing, so it’s better you check out all its tiny but major details in my CyberGhost review; testing out its overall functionality. CyberGhost also offers a free trial for a limited time but has a 45-day refund policy on top of paid subscriptions. This allows you to test the VPN for a longer time, with surety of a refund during the time frame.

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6. FastestVPN

This Cayman Island VPN is a dark horse. It may seem like a new VPN in the industry but possesses some of the best security features and functional proficiency in every aspect. It packs a triple punch in high speeds, security, and the ability to access Geo-barricaded websites from anywhere in the world.

Its simple list of 350+ servers in 39+ countries may throw you off for a bit, but you should know that sometimes less is more. It also has 2 Indian servers (Shiliguri in West Bengal) in its list, open a portal on how to watch Hotstar in the USA or anywhere in the world.

Now coming to its security, there’s so much that this VPN has to offer. A few notable features are AES 256-bit encryption on (OpenVPN, L2TP, OpenConnect, IKEv2, and IPSec) and AES 128-bit encryption on its PPTP protocol.

Other advanced features include Anti-Malware, DNS leak protection, Kill Switch, Smart Connect, and unlimited bandwidth.

As I said, there are so many features that this VPN provides that if discussed in detail would turn out to be a FastestVPN review. You should definitely check out my detailed review, discussing its overall performance and extensive features. The only downside according to me is that FastestVPN doesn’t offer a free trial, but does have a 15-day refund.

Get FastestVPN Now

Hotstar Prices – Here’s why you need a VPN

Having gone through what makes these top 6 VPNs the best for watching Hotstar in the USA and anywhere in the world, it still all comes down to needing the best VPN for gaining access to it. It also revolves around other factors like having to pay a huge buck for Hotstar streaming services outside India.

So, the thing is, if you’re within India, you automatically have free access to Hotstar’s premium content, which includes Indian as well as western libraries.

If you’re within the US, UK, and Canada, yes, you have access to Hotstar, but still will have to pay double the amount to just unlock libraries within the country code. So what’s the point of that? Below you’ll see the various price ranges of Hotstar in India.

The prices of Hotstar in India:

This may look like a lot to the people outside India, but it’s actually not. See, if I convert it to dollars, it’s around $14.10 per year. However, the prices vary according to whether you’re living in the States, UK, or Canada.

Price of Hotstar in US and UK in comparison to India

Let’s take the USA for starters. While the people in India are paying around 14-15 dollars a year for premium access to Hotstar, the residents in the US will be paying double the amount for services with major restrictions.

• Price of Hotstar India – $4.30/mo. and $14.10/year.
• The price of Hotstar in the US – $9.99/mo. and $74.99/year.
• Price of Hotstar in the UK – £11.99/mo. and £59.99/year.
• The price of Hotstar in CA – $49.99/mo.

What exactly are you paying double the amount for again? So, long story short, a VPN is the only way around avoiding such a huge fee, and that too for limited Hotstar perks. A VPN is your ticket, showing you how to watch and access Hotstar in the USA and many other countries around the world.

Hotstar – How to download the app from outside India

Now we know that Hotstar is only available in India, and allowed in some parts of the world like the US, UK, and Canada. But, how are you going to watch unlimited content on Hotstar when living in the USA or elsewhere?

I can’t stress on this fact any longer but the answer to ALL your Hotstar problems is literally right here!

I have already shortlisted the best VPN services (Surfshark, CyberGhost, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, FastestVPN, and IPVanish) for allowing you full access to Bollywood’s biggest hits, now all you need to do is subscribe to any one of these VPN services.

• If you’re a mobile user, first subscribe and connect to an Indian server on the VPN you chose, and head over to either the Google Play Store or the iOS App Store to download the app.
• If you happen to be a desktop user, like myself, connect to any of the Indian servers, go to any browser and visit Hotstar.com. It’s just that simple.

Also, did you know that you can get a free-trial if downloaded on Google Play and Apple stores? But, this doesn’t apply towards the VIP subscription.

Do I have to change my regional location to download the Hotstar app?

In relevance to the above mentioned, this is one of the more commonly asked questions. The thing is, since the Hotstar app is only available in India, US, UK, and Canada on Android and iOS, you may or may not need to change the regional location.  However, if you’re living in another country other than the ones mentioned, you should proceed with the following steps:

For Apple stores:

• Go to the “Settings” portion on your iOS.
• Click on your name followed by clicking on “iTunes & App Store”.
• Next, you click on “View Apple ID” and log-in your identification details if asked to provide them.
• Then click on “Country/Region”.
• After you’re in, there’ll be a few instructions to be followed and/or the option to change the settings.

For Google Play Store:

• Start by visiting the Google Pay page and sign in with your ID.
• Go to “Settings”
• Tweak around with your location settings, changing the location to India. You can also add an Indian address to the “Address” portion using a Fake Address Generator.

Hotstar – Compatible devices

Just for general know-how, Hotstar is compatible with the following devices:

• Android
• iPhone
• iPad
• Apple TV
• Chrome Extension
• Amazon FireStick
• Other Smart TVs
• Windows PC
• OSX Mac
• Chromecast

Hotstar in the USA – Using different devices

We’ve been through the best VPNs for Hotstar and how to access it worldwide or outside India. Now, we move on to how to configure the Hotstar app on the various platforms you commonly use. It includes:

1. Watch Hotstar on Android

Hotstar can be accessed fairly easily on Android. You start by:

• Download the Hotstar app from the Play Store.
• Download it and Install
• Open the app on your home screen and enjoy all your Indian favourites.

2. Watch Hotstar on iOS

Just like Android, accessing the Hotstar app on iOS is another walk in the park. You begin by:

• Look for Hotstar on the Apple Store.
• Just in case you don’t come across a lot of apps by the name of Hotstar, look for the one that has a “Novi Digital” imprint under it.
• Type in your Apple ID details and proceed to download the app.
• Once “Downloaded” and “Installed”, open the app and connect with either your Facebook or Gmail account details that you previously provided to sign up with Hotstar.
• And you’re done!

3. Watch Hotstar on Firestick or Fire TV

Here’s how to get started with Hotstar on your Fire devices:

• Click on the search tab on your Fire TV home screen
• Look for the Hotstar app on the search bar
• Download the app.
• Once downloaded, open it.
• Sign in to your Hotstar account and start binging!

4. Watch Hotstar with Chromecast

Hotstar supports a number of devices including Chromecast. All you need to do is look up the various casting options from its app and start streaming all your favorites on your big screen!

5. Watch Hotstar on macOS

You can easily access the Hotstar app for macOS. Start by

• Downloading the Android emulator on your device.
• Install it.
• Once installed, open the emulator and download the Hotstar app from the Play store on it.
• Install the Hotstar app, sign in and watch all the latest Hotstar movies, TV shows and live cricket matches!

6. Watch Hotstar on Apple TV

Among its supported Hotstar devices is Apple TV. To get started go to the app store on your Apple TV and download the Hotstar app. That’s all it takes.

7. Watch Hotstar with the Chrome Extension

You can watch Hotstar with a Chrome extension, by first starting off with connecting to your VPN of choice. And as much as I hate to pick just one, my first preference is Surfshark. So begin by adding the Surfshark Chrome Extension to your browser of choice, and access Hotstar with the following steps:

• Look up Surfshark on Google chrome web store.
• You’ll find a blue button for adding it as an extension. Click on it.

• You’ll be redirected towards a pop-up, click on Add-Extension.

• Once you’ve added an extension, sign in to your Surfshark account.

• Click to connect to the VPN. And you’re in!

• Now you can pick and connect to any Indian server to access Hotstar.
• Once connected, go to Hotstar.com and stream Hotstar’s free content.

Can you watch Hotstar (Premium) in the USA for free without a VPN?

Yes, you can!

It’s mentioned above that besides India, Hotstar is catered towards the US, UK, and Canada. All you’d be required to do is download the app from either the Google Play Store, Apple Store, or Amazon Store. Once you download the app, you’d be asked to create an account or sign in here, further provided with more details as you proceed.

Also, you need to note that this isn’t the same as using a VPN in the US to access the Indian libraries. It’s completely different without the use of a VPN. You will have to sign up, creating a totally different account as compared to the one created before while using a VPN.

Secondly, even though Hotstar is allowed in the US without a VPN, there are limitations that come along with it. The whole point of using a VPN was to avoid paying a bucket load of cash for Hotstar services.

And now, since you wish to watch Hotstar without a VPN, you’re back to paying seven times more as compared to the prices in India. This will cost you around $74.99/year., instead of $14.09 a year.

It just makes more sense to spend way less by using a VPN. However, to each his own. To continue without a VPN, start by:

• Going to Hotstar.com/us and sign up for another account.
• Either use your Facebook or email ID.
• It’ll ask you to enter in your credit card credentials
• After you choose your payment method and successfully subscribed to it, you’re in
• Every time you need to sign in to Hotstar without a VPN in the US, you can continue by using the same link.

Generating offline viewing for Hotstar

Another great thing about Hotstar is that just like Netflix, it allows you to download all your Indian favorites for viewing later on if ever you’re without Wi-Fi signals or a connection. I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy a buffer-free movie for a change? So to get started, all you have to do is:

• Jet start the Hotstar app on either your Android or iPhone.
• Once you open the app, go to the home screen, search, or select the video you want to watch offline.

• Once you’ve picked a movie, there’ll be a “Download” option available. Click on it.

• You’ll be provided with a list of download quality options or resolutions. Pick one.

• Click on it and start your download.

Can I use a free VPN for Hotstar?

No! I really wouldn’t recommend that.

There’s no such thing as a free VPN and as much as everyone claims it is, it just isn’t safe. Firstly, I’m going to be real honest and just say it, but, there’ll never be a VPN provider that’ll offer free services.

It may pull you in with an enticing offer, but what you really don’t know is that the VPN provider often takes all your personal information and sells it to third parties for a price.

Secondly, free VPNs never provide a buffer-free streaming experience; providing you with a bandwidth throttling experience.

Thirdly, they lack basic encryption or security measures. All-in-all, no I don’t recommend it. There are so many top VPN services in the market that you could choose from. However, if you’re wondering how to watch Hotstar in the USA and are looking for something affordable, there are budgeted options.

To conclude

Since Hotstar is listed among other Geo-restricted streaming services/websites and applicable in full swing to the people of India, that doesn’t mean you can’t access it from anywhere else around the world.

So, if you’re wondering how to watch Hotstar in the USA or abroad, these top 6 VPN services (Surfshark, CyberGhost, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, FastestVPN, and IPVanish) can make that possible. I shortlisted them on their overall competence or performance.

Also, I selected them based on their ability to unblock websites, secure your devices, and preserve your anonymity, worldwide. So, go on and enjoy unblocking Hotstar from the USA and anywhere else in the world!