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How to Watch The Handmaid's Tale

How to Watch Handmaid’s Tale Online in 2024: Free & Paid Options

A totalitarian government condemns fertile women to a life of servitude in chilling drama series The Handmaid’s Tale. If you’re ready to stomach the aftermath of season 4’s staggering finale, read on to find out how to watch The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 from anywhere.

Kit CopsonSandra PattisonEugenie Tiu

Written by Kit Copson (Writer, Briefing Editor)

Reviewed by Sandra Pattison (Editor)

Facts checked by Eugenie Tiu (Editorial Assistant)

Last Updated: 2024-01-25T08:16:00+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

The Hulu adaption of Margaret Atwood’s classic novel The Handmaid’s Tale stars Elisabeth Moss as protagonist June Osborne as she leads the rebellion against a totalitarian society that exploits women. The series is easy to watch if you’re in the U.S., but if not, we’ll show you how to watch The Handmaid’s Tale wherever you are. 

Key Takeaways:

  • Hulu original series The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 will be released on Sept. 14, 2022. 
  • If you’re not in the U.S., you’ll need to use a VPN to access your Hulu account via a U.S. server. 
  • If you don’t have a Hulu account because you don’t have a U.S. payment method, you can buy a Hulu gift card from an online vendor. 
  • ExpressVPN is our top VPN recommendation for Hulu. NordVPN and Windscribe are also excellent choices. 

Not available in your country?

Watch The Handmaid’s Tale now on Amazon Prime Video and other streaming platforms.

Status checked 2024/04/08:

paramount

The Handmaid’s Tale is a Hulu original, so the fifth season will be released there. Hulu is a U.S. streaming service, so regional restrictions prevent viewers from outside the U.S. from accessing it.

Fortunately, there are workarounds that will allow you to subscribe to and watch content on Hulu even if you’re not in the U.S. — such as using a great streaming VPN, like ExpressVPN. Read on to find out more. 

  • 09/12/2022

    Updated this guide to show how to watch the latest season of The Handmaid’s Tale.

How to Watch The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 5 Release Date

The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 will be released on Hulu on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The first two episodes will be released on this date, and the remaining episodes will be released every Wednesday after that. It’s still uncertain whether the fifth season will be the final one. 

Since Hulu is geoblocked to the U.S., you’ll need to use a VPN (virtual private network) to access Hulu if you’re outside the U.S. This includes Hulu subscribers from the U.S. who are traveling elsewhere. We’ll show you how to use a VPN to stream The Handmaid’s Tale online further down. 

Where Else Can I Watch The Handmaid’s Tale?

In the U.K., The Handmaid’s Tale season 5 will air on Channel 4, though the exact date and time hasn’t yet been confirmed. If you’re in the U.K., keep an eye on Channel 4’s TV guide — which you can also find online — for the release date. The fourth season and previous seasons are available on Hulu. 

In the U.K., seasons 1 through 4 are free with an Amazon Prime Subscription, but not in the U.S. On Amazon Prime Video U.S., you need to purchase seasons or episodes. You can also buy the series on Vudu and iTunes. 

The Amazon Prime Video and Hulu apps are compatible with most smart TVs and streaming devices like Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku and Firestick, so you can watch them on the big screen.

Where to Watch The Handmaid’s Tale Free

Hulu offers a free trial, so if you’re in the U.S., you can use this to watch The Handmaid’s Tale. If you don’t have a U.S. payment method, you won’t be able to get Hulu’s free trial, as you have to enter payment details when signing up. 

If you want to rewatch previous seasons, though, you can get a free trial with Amazon Prime. As The Handmaid’s Tale is free with Prime in the U.K., you’ll be able to access it if you connect to a U.K. server on a VPN. 

How to Stream The Handmaid’s Tale With a VPN

This section explains how to sign up for and stream Hulu on compatible devices if you don’t live in the U.S. or have a U.S. payment method. 

If you already have a Hulu account in the U.S. but are traveling elsewhere, you only need to follow the steps for using a VPN. You do not need to purchase a Hulu gift card. 

  1. Get ExpressVPN

    Go to ExpressVPN’s website and sign up for a plan. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

    get expressvpn
  2. Download ExpressVPN

    Navigate to “products” and select the ExpressVPN app for your device. Click “download” on the next page.

    expressvpn download
  3. Connect to a U.S. Server

    Open the ExpressVPN app and connect to a U.S. server. If you experience any difficulties, try connecting to a different U.S. server.

    expressvpn app
  4. Purchase a Hulu Gift Card

    Visit an online vendor like mygiftcardsupply.com and purchase a Hulu gift card. Make sure you add enough credit to the gift card to cover the Hulu subscription you want. You will receive your gift card code by email.

    hulu gift card
  5. Redeem Your Gift Card

    Redeem your gift card on Hulu. If you’re asked to provide a U.S. zip code, google one to use.

    hulu-expressvpn redeem gift card
  6. Stream The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu

    Log in to your Hulu account and start streaming.

    hulu-watch-handmaids-tale

The 3 Best VPNs for Watching The Handmaid’s Tale

There are so many VPNs out there, all claiming to be the best. If you’re just getting started, it can be hard to sift the diamonds from the dust. Here are our top recommendations for streaming if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the choices.

1. ExpressVPN

expressvpn
ExpressVPN is our top recommendation for accessing geoblocked streaming services. 

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Indestructible security 
  • Great speeds 

Cons:

  • Pricey 

If you’re a regular Cloudwards reader, it will come as no surprise that ExpressVPN tops our list of recommendations. When it comes to streaming, we consider ExpressVPN the best choice, not only because of how secure it is, but also because it’s fast and easy to use. 

For those new to VPNs, all the different features, terms and settings can be quite intimidating, but ExpressVPN is pretty straightforward to set up and use on both mobile and desktop, which makes it a great beginner VPN.

We’ve tested it with a variety of streaming services including Hulu, Max, Netflix and BBC iPlayer and it has had no problem getting around the geoblocks. 

To learn more, check out our ExpressVPN review, or try it out yourself using the 30-day money-back guarantee

2. NordVPN

nordvpn app
NordVPN has an intuitive user interface and best-in-class speeds. 

Pros:

  • Exceptional speeds
  • Intuitive user interface
  • A variety of plans available 

Cons:

  • Mobile app isn’t easy to use

NordVPN is another noteworthy VPN for streaming thanks to its exceptional speeds — download speeds in particular as per our recent speed tests. This means you’re less likely to have to endure lags or buffering when binging on Hulu or other streaming services. 

Another pro of NordVPN is that it has multiple plans available (one month, one year, two years) and multiple options within each plan. Though the monthly and yearly plans aren’t the cheapest, its two-year plan is pretty reasonable. The desktop app is very simple to use and has a great interface, but this doesn’t work quite as well on the mobile app.

To find out more, check out our NordVPN review

Basic
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 6
  • Yes
Plus
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 6
  • Yes
Complete
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 6
  • Yes

3. Windscribe

windscribe
Windscribe offers secure free and paid plans and gets into major streaming services. 

Pros:

  • Free plan offered
  • Respectable speeds
  • Affordable & flexible plans 

Cons:

  • Cluttered interface
  • Short money-back guarantee

If sticking to a budget is your goal, Windscribe is an excellent choice for watching content on Hulu and other streaming platforms. Windscribe offers a free plan with 10GB of data, which renews monthly. This won’t get you very far — perhaps a few episodes at most — but given that The Handmaid’s Tale will release new episodes weekly, you might just manage. 

If you do run out of data, Windscribe’s paid plans are affordable and flexible, starting at $3.00 per month. We particularly like its build-a-plan option, which allows you to choose only the servers you want to connect to. 

Windscribe’s interface is not quite as beginner-friendly as those of ExpressVPN and NordVPN, but if you just want to connect and stream, there’s nothing too tricky about it. To find out more, give our Windscribe review a once-over. 

Free
  • Up to 15 GB free with email confirmation and Tweet
  • 15GB
  • Unlimited

Final Thoughts

Wherever you are in the world, there’s no need to be put off by Hulu’s geoblocks. With a respectable VPN, you can watch The Handmaid’s Tale online from anywhere. 

Now that you know how to watch The Handmaid’s Tale, read our guide on how to watch New Amsterdam and Young Sheldon online.

We hope our guide has helped you get geared up to revisit The Handmaid’s Tale and stream the new season on Sept. 14. Do you use a VPN to access Hulu from outside the U.S.? How effective is it at breaking through the geoblocks? Let us know in the comments and, as always, thanks for reading! 

FAQ

  • No, The Handmaid’s Tale is a Hulu original series.

  • The Handmaid’s Tale seasons 1 through 4 are free with a Prime subscription in the U.K., but not in the U.S.

  • You can watch The Handmaid’s Tale season 4 on Hulu or Amazon Prime U.K. If you don’t mind buying it, you can get it on Amazon Prime U.S., Vudu or iTunes.

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