ExpressVPN not working with Crave? Try these EASY fixes! (September 2023)

If you’ve been watching Crave with ExpressVPN and it’s stopped working, Crave has managed to identify and block the IP address ExpressVPN has given you.

This has happened because the measures ExpressVPN uses to ensure it works reliably with Crave have stopped working.

This can be frustrating, especially if it was working and now it suddenly isn’t.

Fortunately, there’s no need to panic. There’s a number of fixes you can try to resolve this issue.

This article will explain how to fix ExpressVPN not working with Crave.

See also:

• Watch Crave outside Canada: It’s EASY and ONLY takes 2-minutes! (September 2023)
• Crave not working with VPN? Try these EASY fixes! (September 2023)

ExpressVPN not working with Crave: Fixes

Why has ExpressVPN stopped working with Crave?

The reason ExpressVPN is no longer working with Crave is because all of its current IP addresses have been blocked by the streaming service.

Crave does not have the rights to broadcast its content outside Canada. For this reason, Crave tries to prevent users from watching its content in other parts of the world.

If you were using ExpressVPN with Crave and it’s no longer working, the measures ExpressVPN uses to ensure it works reliably with the streaming service are no longer working.

Why does Crave block ExpressVPN?

Crave tries to block all VPNs not just ExpressVPN. It does this because VPNs are well-known ways to watch Crave outside its broadcast zone, Canada.

Crave only has the rights to broadcast its content within Canadian borders. If it made itself available outside Canada it would be infringing on copyright and licensing deals already in place with other streaming services in that location.

These infringements are often met with severe financial punishments and a customer using ExpressVPN to watch Crave outside Canada could result in Crave being found guilty of this sort of infringement.

So, to protect itself Crave needs to employ methods and be seen trying to block VPNs like ExpressVPN.

How does Crave block ExpressVPN?

Crave cannot block ExpressVPN entirely, but it can block the IP addresses it provides.

It does this using three main techniques:

1. The most common technique is to do with the IP addresses that your VPN can provide. VPN providers have more customers than IP addresses; this means that customers are forced to share 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. 
2. Crave monitors for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
3. 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.

Does Crave still work with a VPN?

Yes, Crave definitely still works with VPNs. I’ve been comfortably watching Crave outside Canada with a VPN for years.

The trick is you need to use a VPN that has powerful measures to stay ahead of Crave’s blocks.

The best VPN for this is Private Internet Access ($2.03/month). Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) plays a game of cat and mouse with Crave to ensure it can stay ahead of the streaming service’s VPN blocks. This is a simple but effective measure that will allow you to watch Crave anywhere in the world reliably.

When Crave blocks an IP address provided by Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) this VPN will close that IP address and open a new unblocked one.

This allows the VPN to stay one step ahead of Crave and will ensure there’s always an IP address for you to use. This means you won’t come across the same issues you’ve come across with ExpressVPN.

Disclaimer: Crave is getting better and better at identifying and blocking IP addresses provided by VPNs. The best practice for being able to watch Crave reliably is to have multiple VPNs. Even the best VPNs get blocked by Crave from time to time. Subscribing to two VPNs will ensure that you can continue to watch Crave while the other VPN fixes the issues on its end if needed. 

The best VPNs for Crave when ExpressVPN isn’t working

1. Private Internet Access 🥇

The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!

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

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).

2. NordVPN 🥈

A very quick and trustworthy VPN

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

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.

3. Ivacy 🥉

A very quick and trustworthy VPN

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

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.

4. CyberGhost

A very quick and trustworthy VPN

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

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.

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?