If you’ve stumbled upon our guide, you’ve probably discovered one of your favorite episodes on Youku isn’t available for streaming outside of mainland China.
Many posts across the internet report Youku block content, due to government restrictions. This is incorrect, the video is blocked due to licensing rights, from the Korean, US, UK or Japanese owners. Most of the Chinese produced content on Youku is available to watch anywhere in the world without restriction.
Contents
Unblock Youku VPN Outside Mainland China
So how do you unblock all Youku content, even when located abroad? Youku’s servers determine your location by checking your IP address when opening their website. If your IP address is based outside of mainland China, then you are only permitted to watch the content licensed for overseas viewers.
By using a VPN with servers located in China, Youku allows any content, including Korean, US, UK or Japanese shows (with Mandarin subs).
Best VPN for Youku
| Hide My Ass | Proxy.sh | PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | |
| Servers | Beijing Shenzhen Chengdu | Beijing | Shanghai Shenzhen |
| Features | Easy to Setup Reliable Network | Highly configurable | Low price Speed unreliable |
| Money Back | 30 Days | Lifetime* | 7 Days |
| Pricing | $6.99 monthly | $10 monthly | $3.25 monthly |
Chinese government regulations don’t permit foreign VPN companies to set up servers in the mainland. So there aren’t many providers available, but luckily there are a few quality services that have found a workaround (don’t ask us how they managed this).
It’s worth noting VPN services based in Hong Kong and Macao won’t work. Connections in the special administrative zone regions won’t unblock Youku content.
Which VPNs Do We Recommend into China?
We recommend two VPN providers for watching and downloading from Youku.
PureVPN is one of the cheapest providers on the market – usually available for under $3USD each month.
Personally, I’d rather pay a small price and avoid the hassle of using an unreliable ‘free’ VPN.
PureVPN using two separate data center locations in China, Shenzen, and Shanghai. PureVPN Shenzen network is very reliable, and I haven’t experienced many issues. But if the connection seems slower than usual I just connect to their Shanghai server and enjoy Youku.
Our second recommendation is HideMyAss. They have three server locations, in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Chengdu. This increased network availability means you’ll never have to worry about having videos available.
How to Watch Youku on iPhone and Android
- Sign-up with PureVPN
- Download their software client on your Smartphone or PC
- Open the PureVPN software client and connect to a server in either: Guangdong or Shanghai
- Open the Youku app or website and watch your favorite shows
Which Devices Are Compatible With PureVPN?
- Windows
- Mac
- iOS
- AndroidPureVPN is compatible with routers, gaming consoles, BoxeeBox, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV,
- Browsers and 20+ other OS and devices
Conclusion
PureVPN offers one of the cheapest VPN services on the market (under $3 a month). Their network performance is perfect for streaming video and music.
If you want to unblock Youku outside mainland China – check out PureVPN. If you’re not happy, there’s money back guarantee.
