How to watch Crave outside of Canada

Crave is the leading streaming service in Canada, featuring exciting titles from Showtime, HBO Max, and Starz, as well as original French-language movies and shows. However, if you want to access Crave from outside of Canada, you’ll run into a digital blockade as the platform uses geographic restrictions to limit its content to viewers in Canada; unless you use a VPN that works with Crave.

Like other region-locked services, the platform detects your foreign location through your IP address and denies access. This means you can’t catch your favorite shows, even if you have an active Crave subscription. What to do? You can wait until you return to Canada — or change your IP address.

There are a few ways to do this, and in this article, we’ll take a closer look at each before highlighting the most reliable option. Hint: it involves using a virtual private network (VPN).

Why you can’t watch Crave outside of Canada

Let’s say you’re somewhere outside of Canada. Here’s what happens when you browse Crave’s content library and click Play in a movie or trailer:

An error message appears on the screen explaining that the content is not available in your region. This is because Crave is geo-restrictedwhich means there is a geographic restriction due to licensing agreements limiting the distribution of its content to other territories.

In Canada, all you need to do to use the service is buy a subscription. That won’t help if you’re traveling, even if it’s just south of the U.S. border. The same problem exists with other streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, except that most international services offer you a library tailored to your location. That’s not the case with Crave, though, because this is exclusively Canadian.

How to watch Crave abroad – all the options

Crave’s geo-restrictions may seem like a dead end, but that’s not the case, as there are workarounds to get around them. Let’s take a quick look at each of them.

1. VPN

Using a VPN is most reliable way to use Crave outside Canada. When you connect to a Canadian server, the technology encrypts your traffic and redirects it through a secure tunnel to that server.

This makes it look like you’re accessing Crave from within that country, effectively bypassing any geographic restrictions.

Access Crave Outside Canada with NordVPN

2. Proxy server

A proxy server is the closest alternative to a VPN.

Like VPNs, proxies will route your connection through a remote server in Canada. However, they don’t encrypt your trafficexposing your data to interception and theft. What’s more, proxies are much less effective than VPNs when it comes to bypassing tough geographic restrictions. There’s no guarantee they’ll help you access Crave abroad.

3.Track

Tor is a great tool for semi-anonymous browsing because it routes your internet traffic through a series of volunteer-run relays around the world. Regardless of your actual location, you can configure your exit node location to Canada.

While this technically means you can watch Crave outside of Canada using Tor, it’s not an optimal streaming tool because this option is associated with extremely low speed.

Best VPN for Watching Crave Abroad

We have determined that VPN is the safest and most convenient of all the methods discussed above. Is every VPN service suitable? Unfortunately, this is not the case Many suppliers actually perform well below the level they declare.

That’s why we decided to put together a list of the best VPNs for unblocking Crave abroad. After extensively testing over 40 VPNs, here are three providers you should consider because they offer the best combination of functionality and performance.

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is the best VPN for streaming on the market. Easily Unlocks Crave wherever you are. In fact, over the years and through a series of tests, we haven’t come across any streaming service with geoblocks that are too difficult for NordVPN to get through.

The VPN has over 6,400 servers spread across 111 countries, including: 480+ in CanadaWith this huge resource, you can also bypass geo-restrictions on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more.

Visit NordVPN

NordVPN is fast enough for smooth streaming thanks to its high-bandwidth servers and a speed-friendly proprietary protocol called NordLynx that is built around WireGuard. It also doesn’t throttle your data or limit the amount of bandwidth you can use.

When watching Crave, NordVPN protects your data with virtually unbreakable 256-bit AES encryption, along with lots of advanced and additional tools. Moreover, it does not store any information about your online sessions on its servers (only RAM).

NordVPN offers native apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, and streaming devices. You can even stream on devices without native VPN support with NordVPN’s SmartPlay. Additionally, NordVPN lets you connect up to 10 devices to one account at the same time.

For more information on this VPN, check out our comprehensive NordVPN review.

2. ExpressVPN

Our next best VPN unblocked Crave instantly every time we tried. Like NordVPN, bypasses geographic restrictions on virtually every streaming serviceExpressVPN also unblocks US Netflix, Canadian Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and more.

The provider offers over 3,000 servers in 105 countries and has locations in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. We connected to servers in each location and were able to watch Canadian TV abroad instantly. The VPN unblocked Netflix Canada, CTV, CBC, Tubi TV, and Sportsnet.

ExpressVPN delivers on its promise of high performance with 10 Gbps servers and a proprietary protocol called Lightway. You can enjoy high quality streaming with little to no buffering, even when connecting to a Canadian server from a long distance.

Visit ExpressVPN

Because of its bank-grade encryption, your ISP can’t throttle your connection. The VPN also has a kill switch to plug any leaks as soon as your VPN connection drops. What’s more, ExperssVPN has a strict no-logs policy, meaning it won’t share your activity logs with any third parties — it doesn’t store them at all.

You can watch Crave outside of Canada on your computer, mobile phone, tablet and Smart TV because ExpressVPN has lightweight, user-friendly apps for each platform and offers up to eight simultaneous connections.

For more information about this service, read our full ExpressVPN review.

3. Private Internet Access

If you like streaming content across multiple devices, Private Internet Access should be high on your list of options. allows for unlimited simultaneous connections.

While Crave offers access to HBO Max and STARZ, you can get even more variety whenever you want, as PIA also unblocks Netflix Canada and lets you watch Canadian TV channels on the go. We found that its regular servers worked well enough for Crave, but you may need to switch to streaming-optimized servers for tougher geoblocks.

VPN has the most extensive collection ultrafast 10 Gbps servers on the market, so you can expect buffering-free streaming. We got the best results using WireGuard, which is offered alongside OpenVPN.

Visit Private Internet Access

Is Private Internet Access safe? Of course it is. You can rely on the provider’s top-notch privacy and security measures, including a strict no-logs policy that has passed multiple security audits. It also implements 128-bit AES encryption with the option to upgrade to the even more secure 256-bit AES algorithm.

PIA is compatible with all major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. You can even stream Crave directly from your smart TV via Smart DNS or PIA’s native Android TV app.

For more details, see our Private Internet Access review.

How to Watch Crave Abroad with a VPN: Tutorial

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to stream movies from the Crave library when you’re not in Canada using a VPN:

1. Choose a reputable VPN servicebest of the list of best VPNs for Crave in 2024. You want your choice to be able to unblock Crave (and other streaming services you’re interested in) and offer a smooth streaming experience across devices. Our favorite option is NordVPN.
2. Subscribe to VPN by selecting one of the VPN plans and making a purchase on its website.
3. Download and install the VPN app on your device from a website or mobile app store. The most popular VPNs have native apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.
4. Connect to Canadian server by logging in and navigating to the Canadian server location in the app’s server menu. This is a necessary step to getting a Canadian IP address.
5. Return to the Crave website and enjoy streaming abroad.

If you are still blocked, clear your browser cache and cookies. You can also switch to another Canadian server. Here is a comprehensive guide to help you overcome persistent connectivity issues.

How We Picked the Best VPN for Crave

Many VPNs have Canadian servers, but that doesn’t automatically qualify a provider as a good VPN for Crave. Here are the factors we considered when testing over 40 providers for this list:

• Server network: VPNs were our priority solid networksincluding Canadian servers to ensure reliable connections and optimal streaming performance.
• Unlocking options: We tested each VPN’s ability to bypass Crave’s geo-restrictions consistently and reliably. It should also unblock other popular streaming services.
• Speed ​​and performance: Fast connection speeds are essential for high-quality streaming. We rated VPNs based on their download and upload speeds. The three VPNs on this list are among the fastest options on the market.
• Security and privacy: We placed special emphasis on VPNs with advanced security features such as military-grade encryption protocols, kill switches, and no-logging policies.
• Device Compatibility: We looked at VPNs that offer apps for a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and smart TVs. That way, you can watch Crave outside of Canada on any device you want.
• Customer service: You need reliable support, especially when you run into problems. Every VPN on this list has 24/7 support.
• Prices and value: Cheaper isn’t always better. We compared different pricing plans (and features) to find the best value for money.

Final Thoughts

Fancy a Crave streaming marathon even though you’re not in Canada? No problem. A quality VPN for Crave is all you need. In this article, we’ve explored the best options.

Our top pick is NordVPN because it consistently unblocks Crave and offers smooth, private streaming. The 30-day money-back guarantee lets you test the service for yourself risk-free.

Watch Crave Anywhere with NordVPN