YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV is a contentious debate. Both cord-cutting offerings make the list of our best cable TV alternatives. Both offer all the four major broadcast networks, unlimited DVR space and multiple simultaneous streams.
Neither one is our pick for the best live TV streaming service. That honor goes to Sling TV, due to a combination of customizability and affordability. But if you're unwilling to make the sacrifices Sling TV requires, these two services are probably your top options.
While these two services are similar in most ways, each service has a unique selling point. YouTube TV is the best sports streaming service thanks to features including key plays, multiview and integration with NFL Sunday Ticket.
But Hulu + Live TV offers three streaming services bundled with its live TV service — Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus (all with ads) — making it an excellent value.
The quality of that value dropped when Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu all got price increases. That change made Hulu + Live TV now $82.99 a month and potentially erased Hulu's biggest advantage over YouTube TV.
But YouTube TV is getting its own January 2025 price hike. That means starting in the new year, these two are back on a level playing field.
To determine the true winner, we decided to do what we do best: put these services in a head-to-head competition. We did hands-on testing with the Apple TV 4K (2022) and the Fire TV Stick 4K) and pulled in the most recent available information from both cord-cutting offerings.
YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: Specs
Here's a breakdown on how these two live TV streaming services look on paper.
YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: Channels
For the most part, the YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV channel assortments are similar.
YouTube boasts more channels (claiming over 100), while Hulu declares it has more than 95 "top channels". And while the two share a lot of networks in common, each is missing something.
Given that each provider offers dozens of channels, it'd be easier to just tell you what isn't included. YouTube TV is notably missing A&E, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, HLN, Lifetime, MLB Network, The History Channel and Vice. And for news buffs, it also notably lacks ABC News and ABC News live, as well as Bloomberg, CBS News and CNN International.
In more minor omissions, you'll miss out on Adult Swim, Fyi, Great American Family, Hallmark Mystery, Lifetime Movies, Localish and Oxygen, You'll also miss out on the music channels Vevo '80s, Vevo '90s, Vevo Country, Vevo Features, Vevo Hip-hop and Vevo Pop.
Hulu, meanwhile, is notably missing Univision, AMC, BBC America, BBC News, Ion, IFC, MTV Classic and MTV 2, NBA TV, NBC Sports and Sundance TV. It's also missing All Reality We TV, AMC Thrillers, BET Her, Bounce, Court TV, Gala Vision, DC News Now, Local Now, News Max, Nick at Nite, Nicktoons, Oxygen True Crime, Portlandia IFC, Recipe TV, Scripps News, Stories by AMC, Tastemade Food and More, TBD., Teen Nick, The Walking Dead Universe, TUDN, TYT, We TV, WNBA Ion and World at War.
In the end, we give the edge to Hulu thanks to a little feature that YouTube TV lacks. Hulu offers East and West Coast feeds of certain channels, so folks out west can watch along with their friends out east. This is available for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, TBS, TNT, Animal Planet and Discovery.
Winner: Hulu + Live TV, but only because of their East and West Coast feeds.
YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: Price
Objectively, this one is easy. Hulu + Live TV is $82.99 per month. Starting in January 2025, YouTube TV will also be $82.99. YouTube TV does often have promotions, which are much rare for Hulu + Live TV, but in a typical month, you'll spend the same amount.
When you account for the value added by including Hulu with ads and Disney Plus with ads ($16.99 a month normally as the Disney Duo Basic), there's definitely an argument that Hulu is better value. But in terms of pure price, it's a draw.
Winner: Tie
YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: Value
While the overall channel total and entry-level price lean toward YouTube TV, those who want more than just live TV (and love some of the best streaming services) get more with Hulu + Live TV.
Of course, that begins with the shows and movies on Hulu (normally starting at $9.99 a month*). Hulu + Live TV also includes Disney Plus (normally starting at $9.99 a month) and ESPN Plus (normally starting at $11.99 a month). Those three add-ons, known as the Disney Bundle Trio Basic are a $16.99 monthly value. You may not want all of those services, but we bet at least one appeals to most.
That said, YouTube TV does give you one more simultaneous stream, with three streams at once, to Hulu + Live TV's two. It also gives you a significant discount on NFL Sunday Ticket for football fans who want to watch every game.
Winner: Hulu + Live TV for the bundlers
YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: Picture quality
YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV stream live TV at varying rates, but mostly in the 720p to 1080p range, matching what most cable channels offer. YouTube TV makes it easy to see the picture quality rates available in an on-screen menu, but Hulu does not offer such information.
More frustratingly, neither YouTube TV nor Hulu + Live TV includes 4K live streams with their entry-level, $73 or less, plans. Yes, some of Hulu's on-demand content is in 4K. Yes, YouTube TV offers some 4K feeds ... for another $9.99 per month. Only Fubo includes 4K streams by default.
On a personal testing note. we've noticed on mobile devices that Hulu + Live TV feeds can sometimes look lower-res than YouTube TV feeds.
Winner: Nobody. We all deserve better.
YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: Sports
Both YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV let you 'follow' your favorite teams and record all games available, but neither is strong about regional sports networks. Sadly, for channels such as YES, NESN and the Bally Sports channels, you'll want a FuboTV or DirecTV Stream.
YouTube TV hits home runs with its sports options, though. You get NFL Network and NBA TV, and you can get NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone at discounted prices. You can also get other sports add-ons like NBA League Pass, but those aren't exclusive to YouTube TV.
Unfortunately, Hulu only offers NFL Network — no NBA TV. Neither service carries MLB Network.
But just as importantly, YouTube TV is a better viewing experience for sports fans. You get more data-driven content, with scores and stats in its menus. Hulu has nothing like that. And when it comes to catching up on all the big moments, YouTube TV's Key Plays is a truly killer feature. Multiview is also something that Hulu cannot match, and it allows you to watch up to four games at once for select sports.
YouTube TV's $10.99 Sports Plus add-on package includes 14 channels, including NFL RedZone, beIN Sports, Billiard TV, Fox Soccer Plus, Fight Network, FanDuel TV, and Stadium. Hulu's $9.99 Sports Add-on is a buck cheaper but only has 6 channels: NFL RedZone, MAVTV for motorsports, FanDuel TV, FanDuel Racing, Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel.
Winner: YouTube TV, which practically pitches a shut-out on this one.
YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: DVR
We hate to hand out ties (we're not Men's Wearhouse), but YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV both have the same cloud-based DVR specs. Each gives you an unlimited amount of recordings which expire after nine months.
This is the best option you can get in live TV streaming services, which DirecTV Stream matches. Sling TV limits you to 50 hours by default, and FuboTV's intro-level Pro package includes 1,000 hours of recordings.
Winner: Tie
YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: User experience
I've hit a weird bug with Hulu + Live TV recently: sometimes while watching live TV on a laptop, it won't let me rewind through an ad break. I'm waiting to see this happen more consistently to believe it's a flaw and not a glitch.
All of the above, though, isn't entirely important if you don't actually like using the service. Both of these services are good, but while I loved using YouTube TV, I did not have that experience using Hulu + Live TV. Both apps, though, automatically load a channel, something I wish they would not (it's often a show I'm not intending to watch), as Sling doesn't do that (and I'm used to Sling).
YouTube TV's a little better in this regard, because it begins with a home screen of recommendations, while Hulu's Live tab makes you click the down button on your remote to open its TV guide. In practice, both are similarly stable, though I did see Hulu + Live TV buffer once (YouTube TV did not).
Also, Hulu + Live TV is buried inside the Hulu app, under the Live tab. Sometimes, this isn't a problem, but other times it feels like I'm forced to click through a bunch of Hulu content to get to the live TV I want,
You may get used to that, but it gets confusing at times. For example, when I scroll through the home screen trying to find a recently-watched episode of WWE Monday Night Raw that I haven't finished, clicking on its tile in Continue Watching loads Hulu's ad-supported, on-demand version, which is shorter than the full recording — and has commercials you cannot fast-forward through. I've never encountered such an issue on YouTube TV.
Also, fast-forwarding and rewinding are simply more seamless on YouTube TV.
Winner: YouTube TV, which had a head-start with the YouTube app perfecting the streaming experience
YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: Verdict
As you've seen throughout this YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV face-off, these are similar services. Your decision may be made by the channel selection alone.
Which is better: Hulu + Live TV or YouTube TV?
YouTube TV is the best if you care about sports and Hulu + Live TV is the best for those who love streaming shows and movies. With the most recent price hikes, any significant advantage in price one had over the other is gone. So it really comes down to what you prefer to watch.
For our money, we give a narrow win to YouTube TV due to the combination of a better viewing experience and superior sports features. But we don't blame you if you prefer the value of Hulu + Live TV and its streaming services.
