YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: Which cable TV alternative wins?

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YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV is a contentious debate. Both cord-cutting offerings make the list of our best cable TV alternatives and both have some clear reasons for picking one over the other.

They're not the live TV streaming services — that honor goes to Sling TV — if you're unwilling to make the sacrifices Sling TV requires, these are probably your top options. Both offer all of the major broadcast networks, unlimited DVR space and multiple simultaneous streams. But each excels at one thing the other doesnt'

For YouTube TV, that thing is providing a premier sports-watching experience. Features like catching up through key plays, watching up to four games at once with multiview and integration with NFL Sunday Ticket make it the best way to cut the cord and watch sports for an affordable price. Users even get a significant discount on Sunday Ticket. While Hulu + Live TV offers a fair amount of sports and even integrates your ESPN Plus games into its user interface, it can't match YouTube TV, which just won our 2024 Tom's Guide award for best sports streaming service.

But Hulu + Live TV gives you something that YouTube TV doesn't — streaming services — specifically, premium streaming services bundled into your live TV plan for free. When you sign up for Hulu + Live TV you also get Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus (all with ads) included in your subscription. No extra charge. So you Star Wars and Marvel fans out there might opt for Hulu + Live TV for that reason alone.

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

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.

For those popular networks, Hulu + Live TV beats YouTube by offering History and Lifetime, which YouTube TV doesn't have. Both services are missing Me TV (a classic TV network) and INSP (a westerns network).

That said, other discrepancies are found when closely examining the lists. YouTube is also missing A&E and the ACC ESPN sports network (which Hulu has).

Meanwhile, Hulu's most glaring omissions are Univision and the AMC network (aka no Better Call Saul or The Walking Dead), and it's also missing Ion, BBC America, BBC World News and Sundance.

One little feature we love about Hulu, though, is that it 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

This one is easy. YouTube TV costs $72.99 per month, though you can often find promotions that give you an initial discount. Meanwhile, Hulu + Live TV is $76.99 per month and promotions are much rarer.

That said, Hulu does offer a great value for its higher price, which we'll get to below.

Winner: YouTube TV, by $4

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 (starting at $7.99 per month on its own) with ad-supported content. Hulu + Live TV also includes Disney Plus (also $7.99 to start) and ESPN Plus ($10.99 per month). Those three add-ons, commonly referred to as The Disney Bundle are currently a $14.99 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 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. But, if all things are equal — and if you don't really care about Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus — YouTube TV beats out Hulu.

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 looking for bang for their buck. With the two cable alternatives prices at nearly the same dollar amount, this decision is more of a toss-up than ever.

But for our money, we give the win to YouTube TV. Barely.