If you’ve been streaming Crave with a VPN, you may have suddenly started running into an error that looks like this, “We’re sorry, this content is only available for viewing in Canada.”
The reason this error is coming up is because Crave has figured out you’re outside Canada and are using a VPN to access its platform.
This can be frustrating as what once may have been working isn’t anymore.
Don’t worry though; there’s a number of easy fixes you can try to fix the error and allow you to stream Crave from anywhere in the world reliably.
See Also:
- How to watch Crave outside of Canada
- How to watch CBC Gem outside of Canada
- How to watch British TV in Canada
Crave not working with VPN: Fixes
Below are a number of fixes you can try to resolve Crave not working with VPN.
Try these fixes in order, if one doesn’t work, move on to the next one until you can watch Crave with a VPN again.
Total Time: 3 minutes
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Delete Cookies
When you connect to the internet, some websites ask you to accept cookies. Cookies are not malicious; in fact, they intend to make your web surfing experience easier and more streamlined.
The problem here is that some cookies contain information that discloses your location.
You need to delete all of your cookies to make sure that Crave is not using this information to figure out that you aren’t trying to stream Crave outside of Canada.
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Connect to a different Canadian server
You cannot stream Crave anymore because the IP address your VPN has given you has been blacklisted by Crave.
If you change to a different Canadian server, you’ll be given a different IP address. This IP may not have been blacklisted by Crave meaning you’ill be able to continue streaming its content.
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Change to a different protocol
Always check to see if your VPN supports multiple protocols.
VPN protocols are a set of rules that determine how your VPN encrypts and redirects your online data.
There are protocols that prioritise speed and there are others that prioritise security.
Your VPN may have stopped working with Crave because the protocol you’ve selected isn’t matching the demands of the Crave streaming service.
If possible, change to a different protocol and see if that fixes the problem.
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Update/reinstall your VPN
Check to see if your VPN has an update available.
Often, any well-known bugs, that may be causing the problems you’re having streaming Crave, may have been fixed by your VPN provider and updating to the latest version will get you those fixes.
If that doesn’t work, you can always try fully reinstalling the VPN as that will give you a clean version of the software and will remove any errors you may have picked up.
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Upgrade to a VPN that still works with Crave
If you’ve made it this far, unfortunately your VPN has had all of its IP addresses identified and blocked by Crave. This has happened because it doesn’t have the measures in place to ensure it works reliably with the streaming service.
To fix this, you need to upgrade your VPN. I recommend using a high-end streaming VPN such as ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) as it has the best setup for unblocking major streaming services like Crave.
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) has numerous servers and IP addresses for you to use, and it plays a game of Cat and Mouse with major streaming services, where they replace any blacklisted IP addresses with fresh, undetected IPs – therefore allowing users to stay one step ahead of streaming sites’ blacklisting techniques.
There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee with ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and it has an excellent support network so that you can be comfortable upgrading to their service.
Why does Crave block my VPN?
The reason Crave blocks VPNs is because of broadcast rights and international licensing.
Crave only has the rights to stream its content in Canada. The service has paid a lot for these broadcast rights and it protects its investment by not allowing anyone to watch its content anywhere in the world.
Crave protects itself by geo-restricting its content. Anyone outside of the Canadian borders, cannot access Crave’s content.
How does Crave block my VPN?
Although it may have only just happened to you, streaming services blocking VPNs is not new. Companies like Netflix, HBO, Disney and NBC have been blocking VPNs for a long time.
They identify and block VPNs using three main techniques.
- The most common technique is to do with the IP addresses that your VPN can provide. VPN providers have more customers than the number of IP addresses they can provide; this means that customers can use the same IP addresses. Usually, only a household with a few devices uses the same IP address. When Crave sees hundreds or even thousands of connections coming through on the same IP address, it knows that it is a VPN and it blocks it.
- Crave monitors for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
- Crave teams up with GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. If the IP address your VPN provides is on one of these databases, Crave will be able to find out where in the world you are connecting to the internet from and it will block you.
Do VPNs work with Crave?
Yes, but you need a VPN like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) that is still compatible with Crave.
Lower-end VPNs will not always work with Crave because they don’t get around Crave’s checks. Higher-end VPNs et around these checks because they play a game of cat and mouse with Crave.
Whenever Crave identifies and blacklists an IP address, good VPNs like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) respond by closing that IP address and opening new ones. This ensures that there are IP addresses for you to use and it allows you to stream Crave from anywhere in the world reliably.
How to fix Crave not working with your VPN?
The fix is simple. You need to upgrade your VPN to one that plays cat and mouse with Crave and has reliable Canadian servers.
I recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) both of these VPNs are compatible with Crave and have fast speeds so you can reliably stream content.
All of the VPNs below play that game of cat and mouse with Crave and will work with the streaming service.
The best VPNs for streaming Crave outside Canada
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2023
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
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Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
Special Offer for you
(30-day money-back guarantee)
2. NordVPN 🥈
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
Read our NordVPN review.
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3. Private Internet Access
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
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4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
Special Offer – 7-day FREE trial!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
Take advantage of CyberGhost’s 1-day FREE TRIAL!
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
(30-day money-back guarantee)
Can you watch Crave outside Canada?
Officially, you can’t watch Crave outside Canada. This is because Crave is a Canadian streaming service only available for Canadian-based customers.
The good news is you can access Crave anywhere in the world with a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.19/month).
All you need to do is download ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.19/month), connect to a Canadian server and you’ll be able to access Crave anywhere in the world.
Is watching Crave with a VPN legal?
Yes, watching Crave with a VPN is legal, however it does go against the streaming services terms and conditions.
When you sign up to Crave, you automatically agree to its terms of use. These are a set of rules that detail what you’re allowed and are not allowed to do with the streaming service. In here it says, “We make no representation or warranty that the Service is appropriate or available for use at any locations outside Canada.”
What this means is Crave doesn’t guarantee that its content or platform is available outside Canada, and if you use a VPN to access the streaming service outside Canada it may block or ban your account.
With that said there are many legitimate and legal use cases for VPNs, like online privacy and anonymity. It’s fair to suggest that banning customers for using a VPN would be a heavy-handed and financially costly policy for Crave (and other streaming services) to enforce.
In theory, if you’re trying to watch a streaming service (that you pay for) in a region where it does not traditionally operate, you risk having your account banned. However, as the best VPNs use military-grade encryption, it’s impossible for streaming services to trace where you’re physically accessing its content from. And there’s one final thing to note on the subject: Crave has never banned anyone for using a VPN to access its service.
Also, it’s important to know that if you’re using a VPN to access Crave in a country where VPNs are restricted or prohibited, then using one is illegal and is not advised. The countries that heavily restrict VPNs are China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, North Korea, Iraq, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Seychelles, Suriname, Namibia, Slovenia, Nicaragua and Tajikistan.
For more information you can check out our article answering Is streaming with a VPN legal?
