How to unblock Youku
You can unblock Youku with the help of a VPN. Read on to find out which VPN is the best option for unblocking Youku outside Mainland China.
Whether you're an American who is a great fan of Chinese movies or a Chinese expat working in other parts of the world, Youku is a video content site where you can get all your cat videos in one go. However, Youku is restricted to China, so you'll be unable to access the service if you don't live there.
The best way of unlocking Youku is by using a VPN that can bypass its geo-blocking restrictions. In the following article, we will outline a number of the best VPNs that you can use for this service. We will cover their speed, performance, servers, pricing, extensions, security protocols and much more, all to help you find the perfect VPN for Youku.
Unblock Youku with a VPN: best VPNs
1. EarthVPN
This VPN is based in Northern Cyprus. It uses advanced technology that enables you to bypass restrictions and stream your content.
One of the features we like most about it is the strong encryption that ensures that your online traffic details such as username, passwords, online banking details, and any other sensitive information, are safe.
For $3.99 per month, or $ 39.99 annually, you can see why they remain unbeatable. They have servers in 54 countries and at least 190 physical locations.
EarthVPN does not log user activity and usage. This means that neither EarthVPN nor any IP address can match an account to a certain IP address. The VPN doesn’t provide private or personal info to third parties.
The service has an unlimited outbound and inbound bandwidth, meaning that no arbitrary or artificial quotas are placed on your data. EarthVPN also has servers in every continent, including a location in Beijing, that are specifically optimized for torrent traffic. It works with most ISPs, which means their services are available on every continent.
For a deeper investigation of EarthVPN, read our EarthVPN review.
2. Astrill VPN
Astrill VPN has been in the market since 2009 and is preferred by many due to its high level of security and privacy.
Astrill's high speeds on its Asian servers make it a good choice for online gaming and streaming. It supports additional features such as dedicated IPs and has servers in 57 countries.
The service keeps your IP address secret so you can surf anonymously. Astrill VPN also protects your internet traffic from spies and hackers due to its SSL encryption feature.
For a deeper investigation of Astrill VPN, read our Astrill VPN review.
3. StrongVPN
One of the reasons we recommend StrongVPN is due to its reliable connections and good speeds. It has many servers that offer static IP addresses.
StrongVPN is available for $11.99/month and $3.97 if you choose to pay for 12 months in one go, backed by a 5-day money-back guarantee. StrongVPN allows you to connect up to 2 devices simultaneously.
The service has 682 servers that are spread across 26 nations, including Hong Kong. While its server network is not the biggest and there are no servers inside mainland China, this should be enough to provide you with plenty of options.
StrongVPN services are compatible with a wide range of devices such as Windows, iOS, macOS, Google Chrome, and Android. They also have extensive help centers, where customers can access detailed instructions on how to set up StrongVPN on their home routers.
With StrongVPN, you can connect using all the major protocols such as PPTP, L2TP, OpenVPN, SSTP, and IKEv2. It also comes with a kill-switch that ensures you are safe in case your connection to the VPN server goes down. The only downside of StrongVPN is that it has no live support.
For a deeper investigation of StrongVPN, read our StrongVPN review.
4. VyprVPN
VyprVPN is one of the faster and more reliable VPNs. It uses Chameleon technology to bypass restrictions in China.
It's also available at a fair price of $5.00 per months. As a sign of its superior services, VyprVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Depending on your choice of plan, you can get 3 to 5 simultaneous connections.
VyprVPN also has 24/7 support, and this is definitely a plus for its users. It has servers in Hong Kong that you can use to access Youku in China.
For a deeper investigation of VyprVPN, read our VyprVPN review.
5. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is considered to be the leading VPN service provider in the world, and for a good reason. For one, you can stream all the Youku Premiere movies you want since the Express gives you unlimited bandwidth. This is on top of providing you with a dedicated app for each of your devices, including routers.
Even though ExpressVPN doesn’t have servers in China, it has many in other nearby regions like Macau and Hong Kong. These servers will give you only a negligible drop-off in speeds compared to servers located in the PRC itself.
ExpressVPN ensures that you get virtual protection, as it offers a number of battle-tested protocols together with a high tech encryption system. You can get it up and running on a device in minutes. All you need to do is to download, install, and connect to ExpressVPN.
For a deeper investigation of ExpressVPN, read our ExpressVPN review.
6. Hide My Ass
This is among the most recognized players in the industry. HideMyAss (HMA) is popular due to its very consistent server speeds and the fact that it offers good encryption, but they also collect log files for certain details such as username and IP address.
HMA boasts a large network of over 1100 servers in 210 countries, with one server location in Macau, 3 in mainland China and 6 in Hong Kong.
It has a cross-platform, easy-to-use app that works perfectly on Windows, iOS, Mac, and Android devices. What we're not so happy about, though, is the fact that you can only use two devices on each HMA account. If you have more devices, you will need to upgrade to their business VPN plan. This will, of course, mean higher fees.
For a deeper investigation of Hide My Ass, read our Hide My Ass review.
7. TorGuard
This is a VPN that comes with a wide range of features. TorGuard has 3000 servers in over 48 counties, providing you more than enough choices for bypassing geo-restrictions.
It has strong encryption and a range of secure protocols. TorGuard VPN is also decently priced and has reasonably high speeds on top of its good customer care. The only cons are the lack of 24/7 live chat and not the most user-friendly client.
For a deeper investigation of TorGuard, read our TorGuard review.
8. VPNArea
This is another VPN service provider that comes with servers in over 55 countries including China. They continue to add new options to their server network, which means you'll be able to enjoy the versatility in bypassing restrictions.
This is on top of the fact that VPNArea offers strong security with advanced features like the kill switch, anti-WebRTC, anti-DNS leaks, and protection against the IPv6 leaks.
These days, most VPN providers offer two kinds of pricing packages: monthly and yearly. Even though this is true for VPNArea, they offer a competitive price, with annual costs as low as $50. If you choose the monthly package, you can get it for as little as $3.21 per month, which can be quite a bargain.
VPNArea's speed is relatively high, and their customer service is always there to assist. On top of all these qualities, you can stream geo-blocked movies and TV shows on Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
For a deeper investigation of VPNArea, read our VPNArea review.
Best VPN for unblocking Youku – NordVPN
One of the reasons why we chose NordVPN for accessing Youku is because it offers a no-logs policy. NordVPN also has a wide range of protocol support, double encryption, and excellent customer service. These features make it one of the leading VPNs in the market today.
Subscribers to NordVPN can enjoy 6 simultaneous connections, a wide range of cross-platform support, an automatic kill switch feature, and double encryption that ensures added layers of security. The service also comes with great 24/7 customer support. As proof of their superior service, NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Factors to consider when choosing a VPN for Youku
When looking for a VPN provider, the number one aspect is privacy protection. VPNs make it possible for people to search the web and even access different websites anonymously while managing to protect their identity.
It's best to look for a VPN that:
- Has servers in mainland China and/or Hong Kong
- Has a good privacy policy and keeps no logs of your online activities
- Allows a generous amount of data usage and doesn't limit your bandwidth
- Is fast and powerful
- Has good customer support
- And of course, can unblock Youku
