Overview
The moment you cancel Hulu, every show you ever watched disappears. Even while you are paying, content rotates off the platform without warning. On the ad-supported plan, commercials interrupt every few minutes. This extension saves Hulu shows, movies, and originals as clean MP4 files that live on your computer permanently.
Browse Hulu in your browser as normal, find what you want, and click download. The extension grabs the video at up to 1080p and saves it with subtitles embedded. On the ad-supported plan, it automatically detects commercial breaks and strips them out so your downloaded files play straight through. Need to save a whole season before a road trip? Queue it up and the extension downloads every episode in order, properly named by season and episode number.
All processing runs locally in your browser. Nothing gets uploaded anywhere, your watch history stays private, and the files work in any media player on any device. Try 3 downloads free before you buy.
Why It Exists
- Watch Hulu content offline on flights, commutes, or devices without Hulu app support
- Build a permanent personal library of your favorite series without expiration dates
- Save bandwidth by downloading episodes once over Wi-Fi instead of re-streaming on mobile
- Keep your Hulu viewing habits private with fully local processing and no cloud relay
Key Features
- Download Hulu shows, movies, and originals in up to 1080p quality as MP4 files
- Batch download entire seasons with automatic season and episode numbering
- Automatic ad segment detection for cleaner downloads on ad-supported Hulu plans
- Embed multiple subtitle tracks and audio streams directly in the output file
- Support for Hulu Live TV recordings and DVR content where available
- Resume interrupted downloads without re-fetching completed stream segments
- Choose between available quality levels with file size estimates before downloading
- Organize downloads by series name, network, or genre with custom folder naming
- Duplicate detection prevents re-downloading episodes already in your library
- Works on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, and Opera on Windows, macOS, and Linux
How It Works
- Install and sign in: Add Hulu Downloader to your browser and log into your Hulu account as you normally would.
- Browse Hulu content: Navigate to any show, movie, or Hulu Original and the extension detects the player and available quality options.
- Download or queue episodes: Download individual titles or queue full seasons for batch processing with automatic episode naming and ad segment detection.
- Watch offline ad-free: The finished MP4 files with embedded subtitles play on any device in any media player, without commercial interruptions.
Reviews
- Ad detection makes downloads from Hulu much cleaner (5/5): I have the ad-supported Hulu plan and the commercial detection is a godsend. Downloaded files come out clean without the ad breaks. Batch downloaded two full seasons overnight with perfect episode naming. - Brandon Ortiz
- Better than Hulu's built-in download for travel (4.9/5): I use this to save Hulu shows for long-haul flights. The quality is excellent and the files play on every device I've tried. Much better than Hulu's own limited download feature. - Taylor Whitfield
- Embedded subtitles work great for multilingual households (4.8/5): The subtitle embedding is exactly what I needed. I download shows with Spanish subtitles for my parents and the tracks are embedded right in the MP4. Plays perfectly in VLC. - Monica Estrada
Platform Support
Browsers
- Chrome
- Edge
- Firefox
- Brave
- Opera
Operating Systems
Supported Content
- Hulu shows, movies, originals, and next-day TV episodes
- Ad-supported and no-ads plan content with ad segment detection
- Hulu + Live TV DVR recordings (VOD only)
- Multiple subtitle and audio track embedding
Not Supported
- Content with strict DRM that blocks browser-level access
- Live TV broadcasts still in progress
- Content outside your Hulu subscription tier
- Safari and mobile browsers
Privacy and Permissions
Supported regions: Worldwide.
Limitations:
- Active Hulu subscription and browser login required.
- Maximum quality is limited to what Hulu delivers to the browser (up to 1080p).
- Ad segment detection may not catch every ad break on all content.
- Live TV must finish broadcasting before DVR recordings can be downloaded.
- Download speeds should be kept reasonable to avoid Hulu's abuse detection.
- Safari and mobile browsers are not supported.
Permissions:
- downloads: Saves completed MP4 video files to your local downloads folder after stream processing.
- activeTab: Detects Hulu's video player on the current page to display download options only on Hulu pages.
- storage: Stores quality preferences, download queue state, and completed download history locally in the browser.
- notifications: Sends a notification when episode downloads or batch season queues finish processing.
FAQ
Does it work with both ad-supported and no-ads Hulu plans?
Yes. On ad-supported plans, the downloader detects commercial segments and can skip them during the download process. No-ads subscribers get clean downloads directly. Both plan types are fully supported.
Can I download entire seasons of Hulu series at once?
Yes. Navigate to a series page, queue individual episodes or full seasons, and the extension processes them sequentially. Each file is named with the series title, season number, and episode number for easy organization.
Does it support Hulu Live TV recordings?
DVR recordings from Hulu + Live TV can be downloaded if they play in your browser. Live broadcasts must finish before they can be captured. The extension uses your existing Hulu session and subscription access level.
What about subtitles and closed captions?
Available subtitle and closed caption tracks are embedded directly into the MP4 file. You can toggle them on or off in any compatible media player like VLC, MPV, or Plex.
Will Hulu know I'm downloading?
The extension accesses streams through your normal browser session, the same way the Hulu player does. We recommend using reasonable download speeds and a VPN for additional privacy. The extension never shares session data or credentials externally.
Is this legal?
DISCLAIMER: We are not attorneys and do not offer legal advice. Laws vary by country and platform. For any legal question please consult a qualified legal professional.
We give you full control over download speeds because we believe users should decide how they use their software.
That said, here are a few widely accepted best practices for safe, responsible downloading:
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Only download content you created, own, or have explicit permission from the rights holder to access.
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Protect your personal data by respecting platform rules and rate limits with reasonable download speeds to avoid automated abuse systems putting your account at risk.
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Protect your privacy by using a reputable VPN for IP protection before initiating downloads — this is the VPN we recommend & use.