What Is Hotstar and What Does It Do?
Launched in 2015, Hotstar is an over-the-top streaming service that is owned by Star India. It’s one of the popular video streaming applications in the country, with over 350 million downloads to date. This premium streaming channel comes with 100000 hours of video content that includes top TV shows, movies, documentaries, and live sporting events. Other than the above, you can also stream news channels and on-demand entertainment videos.
In Which Countries You Can Stream Hotstar?
How Much Does Hotstar Membership Cost?
If you live in India, Hotstar offers you a free streaming option. You can also go a little extra to enjoy Hotstar’s premium videos by subscribing to its membership. Remember that this free streaming option is possible only inside India. The other versions (US/CA/GB) of Hotstar require a mandatory subscription.
This is how Hotstar’s subscription models look in different regions:
| Country | Plan | Cost |
|---|---|---|
 India |
Free | N/A |
| VIP | ₹365/year | |
| Premium | ₹299/month or ₹999/year | |
 United Kingdom
| Premium | £11.99/month or £59.99/year |
 United States |
$49.99/year | |
 Canada |
C$49.99/year |
What are the Difference between Hotstar VIP and Hotstar Premium Plan?
Hotstar VIP Plan
- Includes Live sports like Cricket,
- Premier League, Formula1.
- Premiers new Indian movies.
- Includes Hotstar specials.
- Latest episodes of Indian shows before TV.
- No access to English shows.
Hotstar Premium Plan
- Latest American shows.
- Includes Hollywood blockbuster movies.
- Streams live sports just as Hotstar VIP.
- Premiers latest Indian movies.
- Latest episodes of Indian shows before TV.
- Uncut and ad-free streaming.
Does the Premium Membership Have a Free Trial Option?
Yes! It does. As you know, Hotstar is a free streaming application inside India. You do not have to pay for the videos you watch, but the premium videos are available only for paid subscribers. Fortunately, Hotstar offers you a 30-day free trial option for all premium plans before signing up for their membership.
What Are the Devices That Support Hotstar?
Can Hotstar be regarded as the Indian version of Netflix?
Yes, Hotstar does more than Netflix. It has a range of English movies, sporting events, news, reality shows, and Bollywood entertainment. The success of this application can be attributed to the fact that it equally focuses on regional content, just like it streams Bollywood videos. Above all, it is also one of the few applications to live stream sports events. If you are a movie buff or a sporting enthusiast, Hotstar could be the perfect entertainment destination for you.
Does Hotstar have a live TV?
No, Hotstar does not support live TV options. But, it allows you to stream videos from 30 regional and English channels, including HBO, Fox Life, National Geographic, Star Sports, and more. All these videos are available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Marathi, Kannada, and Gujarati.
How to Unblock Hotstar From Anywhere in the World Using a VPN?
But the good news is that you can get around Hotstar blackouts quickly and safely using a VPN connection. With a Virtual Private Network, managing geo-blocks becomes simpler than you had imagined. A VPN connection grants you complete access to your favorite entertainment videos on Hotstar.
VPN for Hotstar – How does it work?
An ideal VPN masks your original IP address and virtually relocates you to India by connecting with a temporary Indian IP, which means you are good to go with your Hotstar streaming from anywhere you wish. It also offers a lot more than just streaming your desired video content online. Connecting to a VPN anonymizes your virtual identity, as it replaces your real IP address with a temporary one.
By doing this, a VPN can protect you from unauthorized third-party snooping, including your Internet service providers that are curious about your online activities. In other words, your online session with a VPN connection entirely remains anonymous.
Go beyond unblocking Hotstar – See how a VPN helps you
Most VPN providers these days come with robust security features like having reliable encryption protocols, split tunneling functionality, an automatic kill switch, and a Wi-Fi protection option. All these data security standards will ensure that your communication with the intended party over the Internet is a secure one.
Since a VPN is all about securing any network to which you are connected, you can access your preferred streaming media even on an untrustworthy public Wi-Fi Hotspot, without compromising your online privacy and security. What more could you ask for when entertainment comes in association with privacy and data security?
But, choosing a VPN provider can be overwhelming, as there is an enormous number of providers on the market. Moreover, a VPN, by its tendency, cuts down your internet speed, thereby impacting your video streaming capability. If you are counting on all these factors, it might get difficult for you to come up with the right VPN provider.
To help you out, VPNStore has come up with the list of top 5 best VPN for Hotstar which are optimized for video streaming.
Best VPNs to Unblock Hotstar Plus
- NordVPN
- ExpressVPN
- Surfshark VPN
NordVPN – The Best Budget VPN to Access Hotstar From Anywhere
Enabling NordVPN’s SmartPlay feature is the easiest way to access Hotstar outside India. This VPN provider offers excellent global server coverage. There are more than 5000 VPN servers available in 58 countries. To help you unblock Hotstar, NordVPN comes with 18 streaming-optimized VPN servers from India. When tested from different locations, we found that these servers are consistent in speeds required to stream high-definition content on Hotstar.
NordVPN comes with impeccable security features to protect your connection against online vulnerabilities. More than masking your real IP address, NordVPN offers DoubleVPN protection that encrypts your connection twice. Likewise, NordVPN’s CyberSec keeps your connection away from malware attacks and phishing. You can use NordVPN’s Onion Over VPN to get an extra layer of privacy when accessing the Tor browser.
- 5200+ servers in 62 countries
- Use up to 6 devices
- Next-generation Encryption
- Double VPN Feature
- Strict no-logs policy
NordVPN is a great choice for users with multiple devices. With a single NordVPN account, you can simultaneously connect to more than one device and enjoy your favorite streams on Hotstar from anywhere. NordVPN allows you to test the software with a risk-free 30-day moneyback guarantee. It is compatible with all major platforms like PC, iOS, Mac, Linux, and Android.
Reasons to Choose NordVPN for Unblocking Hotstar
- 18+ servers in India
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Strict no-logs policy
- Absolute IP masking
- Six simultaneous connections
- Consistent speed
- Free access to the latest Bollywood movies
ExpressVPN – The Super Fast VPN Provider to Unlock Hotstar’s Content Libraries
If you are geographically far from India, ExpressVPN could be the right VPN provider for you. It offers high-speed VPN servers for your streaming and browsing needs, regardless of your actual location.
ExpressVPN is one of those few VPN service providers on the market that can unblock a lineup of streaming channels, including the premium version of Hotstar.
ExpressVPN has an in-built smart DNS feature known as MediaStreamer. This application allows you to unblock even the most rigorous geo-based content censorship in different regions. If you are looking to binge your favorite Bollywood movies, or if you want to stream the T20 IPL games from outside India, ExpressVPN could be your best bet.
- 160 server locations
- Network Lock kill switch
- Zero-knowledge DNS
- VPN split tunneling
- Stream Sports online
ExpressVPN comes with AES-256-bit encryption, an automatic kill switch to keep your connection protected all the time. It also offers DNS, IP, and WebRTC leak protection.
ExpressVPN promises and practices a strict no-data-logging policy, which implies your browsing activities are free from all kinds of surveillance programs.
ExpressVPN works on Windows, iOS, Mac, Linux, Android, and routers. This VPN provider has an assured 30-day moneyback policy.
Why Choose ExpressVPN for Unblocking Hotstar
- Offers lag-free connection
- Unblocks almost any streaming service
- Great choice for privacy lovers
- Excellent device compatibility
- Accepts anonymous payment options
- Get instant access to live cricket matches
Surfshark – Watch Hotstar’s VIP Content on Multiple Devices
Surfshark has a place in our recommendation list because of its ability to connect with limitless devices at once. Though Hotstar has dedicated applications and sites in different countries like the United States, The United Kingdom, and Canada, the Indian Hotstar content has exclusive Bollywood movies and premium sports streams. Surfshark helps you access the different versions of the streaming service instantly at an affordable pricing range.
Surfshark VPN has private DNS on each server and follows a strict no-log policy. This private DNS protects you against DNS request tracking and personalized ads.
More than removing Hotstar’s geo-restrictions, Surfshark offers various security features. You can enable the MultiHop feature to increase your privacy, security, and connection speeds. Similarly, the Camouflage mode hides your VPN connection from your ISP and other unwanted external parties.
- Connect unlimited Devices
- AES-256-GCM encryption
- IP & DNS leak protection
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Free Browser Extensions
- Strict no-logs policy
Reasons to Choose Surfshark VPN for Unblocking Hotstar
- Offers Multiple connections
- Feature-rich VPN provider
- Affordable subscription plans
- Seamless access to Hotstar India
- User-friendly client
How to unblock Hotstar using a VPN?
- Choose a VPN provider that best works for you and sign up.
- Select an Indian IP address by visiting the server list.
- Go to Hotstar and sign in/up.
- Start streaming the videos and have fun.
Biggest Discount: 72% Discount on World's
