Youtube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: Which live stream is better?

YouTube TV vs. Hulu Live overview

---

---

---

YouTube TV vs. Hulu Live

Live TV streaming services are all the rage these days, as more and more people try to free themselves from rising cable bills. As such, there has been an explosion of providers of this service, and although they’re all very similar, they’re not the same. So how do you choose which live TV streaming provider to go with? We’ll look at two of the top contenders: YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV.

For starters, what’s a live TV streaming service? Well, YouTube TV isn’t just a way to watch YouTube on your television; it’s a service that allows you to cut the cord on your cable provider and save some money. It gives you access to cable and local channels’ live broadcasts, just as a cable provider would, but it’s not tied to your home address. 

Hulu + Live TV is Hulu’s version of the same service, which comes as an add-on to Hulu’s basic on-demand streaming service.

Each service has its strong points, so the choice between the two comes down to preference, but we’ll lay out a few details to help you make a decision.

Pricing comparison

YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV are pretty close in price, but Hulu’s base live TV plan is slightly cheaper at $69.99/mo. while YouTube TV is $72.99/mo. 

Premium add-ons 

Both services have premium add-on options that include popular premium networks like Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ and Cinemax, but YouTube TV has 25+ additional add-on options. Pricing for these premiums ranges from $9.99 – $15.99/mo. 

Hulu has three live TV add-on packages, including Entertainment (Cooking Channel, Discovery, Crime + Investigation), Sports (NFL RedZone, Outdoor channel) and Español (CNN, Discovery). 

YouTube TV has live TV add-on packs, including Sports Plus (Fox Soccer Plus, NFL Redzone) and over 20+ standalone networks you can choose from. YouTube TV also offers NFL Sunday Ticket as an add-on starting at $349/season. 

Price winner: Hulu + Live TV

YouTube TV vs. Hulu Live channel comparison 

YouTube TV includes 100+ channels and Hulu + Live includes 85+ in its base package. 

Major channels

YouTube TV and Hulu both include major channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, Disney, ESPN, Fox, NFL, TBS and USA. 

Hulu is missing AMC, BBC, IFC, Sundance and NBA. YouTube TV is missing History, Lifetime and Vice. 

Sports

Neither service has great regional sports networks, but YouTube TV offers NFL, NBA and NFL Sunday Ticket. It also offers its Sports Plus add-on with 14 channels, including NFL RedZone and Fox Soccer Plus. 

Hulu falls behind YouTube TV in the sports category but still includes a sports add-on package that offers NFL RedZone. 

Premium channels 

YouTube TV and Hulu offer the major premium networks as add-on options: Max, Cinemax, SHOWTIME and STARZ, but YouTube TV also offers MGM+ and 25+ other add-on options. 

While both services offer similar channel lineups, YouTube TV beats Hulu in the sports category and offers more channels altogether than Hulu + Live TV. 

On-demand content

On-demand content is where Hulu + Live TV truly shines. It has a massive catalog of shows, movies and popular original content. While YouTube TV has on-demand content from participating networks, it falls behind Hulu + Live TV in this category. 

Channels winner: YouTube TV

YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: User experience 

User interface

YouTube TV’s interface is organized into three tabs: Library, Home and Live. The Home tab is where you can resume watching shows, see suggestions and view different content categories like Family, Top Shows, Sports, etc. 

The Live tab takes you to the live TV channels. It is similar to a cable TV experience with its traditional layout. The Library tab is where your DVR content lives, as well as your ‘Most Watched’ and ‘New’ content. 

Hulu Live’s interface is similar to its streaming service, with rows of on-demand content. It’s organized into seven tabs: Home, Live, TV, Movies, Sports, My Stuff and Hubs. Hulu’s Live TV guide is clean-cut and simple, and the My Stuff tab is where your DVR content lives. 

User profiles and multiple streams 

YouTube TV offers three simultaneous streams for free with an option to buy unlimited streams. Hulu + Live TV offers two streams. Both YouTube TV and Hulu allow for six user profiles. 

DVR storage 

Both services have unlimited DVR storage that allows you to fast-forward, so we consider this a tie between YouTube TV and Hulu.  

Supported devices 

Both services are compatible with popular devices, including: 

• Smart TVs (Android, Samsung, LG, Vizio)
• Fire TV
• Roku
• Chromecast
• Apple TV
• Xbox
• PS4, PS5
• Andoid mobile devices
• iOS devices

User experience winner: YouTube TV (more streams, cleaner interface)

Which service is better? Our pick: YouTube TV

YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV are both top services and very similar when it comes to content. Still, YouTube TV’s higher channel count, three simultaneous streams and increased premium and sports content give it a slight edge over Hulu + Live TV.

However, If you’re more interested in on-demand content and want an add-free viewing option, Hulu + Live is a better choice.

Need high-speed internet for your streaming? 

Hulu recommends 3 Mbps for its streaming library, 8 Mbps for live streams and 16 Mbps for 4K content. 

YouTube TV recommends at least 3 Mbps to stream standard definition video, 13 Mbps to stream HD video and 25 Mbps for 4k Plus streamers. 

If you need more speed with your internet plan, check your address with Allconnect to show your options.