YouTube TV vs Hulu Live TV | Which One is Better for You?

In the United States, when you talk of live TV streaming, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV are among the most mentioned and subscribed-to platforms. However, some people seem stuck in deciding which platform is best for them, Hulu Live TV or YouTube TV; hence the comparison, YouTube TV vs Hulu Live TV remains one of the most searched queries in the US.

Before anyone can conclude that one of these live TV streaming service providers is better than the other, there are a lot of factors to be considered. These factors can include the pricing, number of channels, and extensive services provided on each of these platforms. Let’s briefly introduce these services and then compare them to identify the best.

Section 1. What’s Hulu Live TV

Basically, Hulu is a streaming service provider that offers on-demand videos and Live TV streaming. The service is only available in select regions, particularly in the United States. However, some people do use VPN apps to bypass the Geo-restriction to access and stream on the platform from outside the officially supported regions.

Live TV streaming on Hulu is available in specific plans; Hulu + Live TV and Hulu + Live TV (no ads). There are roughly 70+ channels available on Hulu Plus Live TV package(s), and this comprises news channels, sports channels, and many other genres.

One of the main reasons people stick with Hulu Live TV is because they’re literally getting two services for the fee of one (compared with other alternatives). Yes, with Hulu Plus Live TV, you get to enjoy everything a typical video streaming platform offers, along with a bunch of live TV channels to never miss your favorite shows anymore.

Section 2. What’s YouTube TV

YouTube TV is remarkable for offering what you’d call the best-in-class cloud-based DVR and provides more live TV channels than Hulu. The service is also available in the US and some other select regions. However, some people still use VPN to access the platform from outside the supported regions.

At some time, YouTube TV was the most expensive live TV streaming platform. But currently, as at the time of putting up this article, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV goes for the same subscription prices, $65.00. There are various types of channels available on YouTube TV, including sports channels, broadcast channels, news channels, and more.

With the brief information discussed above, let's go over to the detailed comparison of these two live TV streaming contenders in the US, YouTube TV vs Hulu Live.

Section 3. YouTube TV Vs Hulu Live TV

Below are the many aspects that clearly identify the similarities and differences between Hulu Plus Live TV and YouTube TV.

3.1 YouTube TV vs Hulu Live TV on Pricing

Let’s start with the pricing. The basic pricing for Hulu Live TV is $64.99, and also, the starting price for YouTube TV is $64.99. That is to say, it’d cost you the same amount to subscribe to YouTube TV or Hulu TV; however, there are limitations to what is available on the plans.

For example, the Hulu Live TV at $64.99 offers just 50 hours of cloud DVR storage, while YouTube TV at $64.99 offers unlimited cloud DVR storage. That's pretty impressive; so you're getting a lot of space to record live shows and have them saved on the cloud without additional payment.

Also, the Hulu Plus Live TV subscription at $64.99 isn't ad-free; this implies that you will see ads while streaming live shows on Hulu. The no commercials version of Hulu Plus Live TV costs more at $70.99. On the other, YouTube TV at $64.99 does not show ads if you're also a YouTube Premium subscriber. That said, if you're not a YouTube Premium member, you will see ads while streaming YouTube TV.

Summarily, in terms of pricing, YouTube TV advances with its support for unlimited hours of DVR cloud storage, which basically costs an additional $7.99 to get 200 hours of DVR storage with Hulu + Live TV. It is safe to say that YouTube TV champions in price.

3.2 YouTube TV vs Hulu Live TV on Number of Channels

This is where most people pay attention. According to as advertised, YouTube TV offers 85+ channels for its basic price of $65, while Hulu Plus Live TV offers 65+ channels for its basic price of $65.

Both services offer popular channels such as MTV, BET, CNN, HGTV, and a bunch of others. Sadly, you can't get the Hallmark Channel of either of these platforms. Below is a list of the channels offered by both services.

YouTube TV vs Hulu Live Channels

In terms of channels, let’s start with YouTube TV, and then Hulu Live TV.

50. YouTube TV:

ABC, CBS, FOX Network, NBC, ABC News, ACCN, AMC, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, BBC, BBC World News, BET, BTN, Bravo, CBS Sports, CNBC, CNN, Cartoon Network, Cheddar, Cheddar News, CMT, Comedy Central, Comet TV, Court TV, Cozi TV, Dabl, Discovery, Disney, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, FOX Business, FOX News Channel, FS, FX, Food Network, Freeform, Golf Channel, HGTV, HLN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, LAFC, MLB Game of the week, MLB Network, MSNBC, Motortrend, MTV, MyNetworkTV, NBA TV, NBC News Now, NBC Sports, NECN, NatGeo Wild, National Geographic, NEWSNATION, NFL Network, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Olympics Channel, Paramount Network, PBS, TLC, TNT, TYT, Tastemade, Teen Nick, Telemundo, The CW, Travel Channel, TruTV, TV Land, USA, Universal Kids, VH1, WE TV, YouTube Originals, and a lot more.

50. Hulu Live TV:

A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, ACCN ESPN, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, Bloomberg Television, Boomerang, Bravo, BTN, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBSN, Cheddar, CNBC, CNN, CNN International, Cozi TV, CSN Sports Network, CW, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, Food Network, FOX Business, FS, Freeform, FX, GolfWorld, HGTV, History, HLN, ID, Lifetime, MSNBC, MotorTrend, NASA, National Geographic, NAT GEO WILD, NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel, Oxygen, QVC, ESPN SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, SYFY, TBS, TCM, Telemundo, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, Universal Kids, USA, and more.

Now, these are the top channels offered by these live TV streaming services. More channels can be further added by installing the add-on extension for the channels.

3.3 YouTube TV vs Hulu Live on Add-Ons

In addition to the many channels offered by these live TV services, if you need to get other services or channels from another streaming service, you can achieve that by installing an add-on. For example, to get HBO streams on Hulu, you have to install the Hulu HBO Max add-on.

50. Hulu Live TV Add-Ons:

HBO Max, CINEMAX, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Unlimited Screens, Enhanced Cloud DVR, Entertainment, and Espanol Add-on.

The Espanol add-on adds support for Spanish TV channels, while the unlimited screens add-on lets you stream on all your devices.

50. YouTube TV Add-Ons:

Acorn, ALLBLK, AMC+, Cinemax, CuriosityStream, EPIX, Hallmark Movies Now, HBO, HBO Max, IFC Films Unlimited, MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, Showtime, Shudder, STARZ, Sundance Now, WE tv +, YouTube TV Entertainment Plus, YouTube TV Sports Plus, NFL RedZone, Fox Soccer Plus, MAVTV - Motorsports Network, Stadium, Fox College Sports, TVG, and GOLTV.

Mere looking at the add-ons list, it is obvious that YouTube TV supports more add-ons than Hulu Live. However, these add-ons are not actually free; you will need to pay for them separately - your regular subscription charge does not cover these add-ons.

For example, the Hulu HBO add-on will cost you an additional $14.99 charge on your selected Hulu subscription plan.

3.4 YouTube TV vs Hulu Live TV on Device Compatibility

This refers to the various devices where you can get YouTube TV or Hulu Live TV, which includes smartphones, streaming devices, and even game consoles.

3.4.1 Devices That Support YouTube TV

50. Smartphones: all Android and iOS smartphones that can run the YouTube app can also allow you to stream the Live TV offering from the service.
50. Computers: Apparently, you can stream from your computer (desktop, laptop, MacBook).
50. Hardware Streaming Devices: YouTube TV is available on streaming devices such as Roku players, Google Chromecast, and Apple Fire TV.
50. Smart TVs: You can get YouTube TV on the following smart TVs: Android TV, all Vizio SmartCast TVs, Samsung & LG smart TVs (2016 models and newer), HiSense TVs (MTK5658, MTK5659, and MSD6586), and Apple TV (4th gen.).
50. Google smart displays
50. Game Consoles: PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, and Xbox One.

3.4.2 Devices That Support Hulu Live TV

50. Smartphones: All Android and iOS smartphones that can run the Hulu app can also allow you to stream the Live TV offering from the service.
50. Computers: Apparently, you can stream from your computer (desktop, laptop, MacBook).
50. Hardware Streaming Devices: Hulu Live TV is available on streaming devices such as Roku players, Google Chromecast, and Apple Fire TV.
50. Smart TVs: You can get Hulu Live TV on Android TVs, Samsung & LG smart TVs (2016 models and newer), select Vizio TV models, and Apple TV (4th gen.).
50. Game Consoles: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.

Again, it seems YouTube TV is supported on more devices than Hulu Live TV. However, that’s not enough reason to draw our conclusion.

3.5 On-Demand Content and Originals

Practically, all Live TV streaming service providers also offer on-demand videos and content. Interestingly, it's a tie here as both Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV supports on-demand content. So, you can request on-demand shows and movies from any of these platforms.

3.6 General Features

Talking about the features offered by Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV; actually, both services feature an intuitive interface that is easy to use and navigate. You’re getting 1080p quality at 60FPS on either of these platforms. Coming down to the audio side, Hulu + Live TV supports 2.0 stereo audio; however, it offers 5.1 audio for select on-demand videos. It is possible to stream on just two (2) devices at a go on a single Hulu subscription. More so, basically, you are limited to just 50 hours of DVR storage, if you need more, you’d be paying for that - and you won’t still get unlimited storage.

On the other hand, YouTube TV offers 2.0 stereo sound and supports streaming on up to three (3) devices at a go on a single Hulu subscription. YouTube TV offers unlimited DVR cloud storage with no additional fee to the standard $64.99 charge. Furthermore, YouTube TV’s DVR feature supports rewind, fast forward, and pause/play.

Section 4. How To Download Movies YouTube Movie and Hulu

It is possible to save YouTube movies or download Hulu videos offline; all you need is a premium video downloading. StreamFab Downloader is a professional tool that helps you download movies and TV shows at 1080p quality and 5.1 audio. The software features an intuitive interface and supports over 1,000 websites. But to download Hulu shows and any videos, you will need the Hulu Downloader from the Downloader suite which contains more than 10 separately sold streaming downloader series. And for downloading movies from the YouTube Movie, you shall select the YouTube Movie Downloader, instead.

                             i  Download for Win    i  Download for Mac 

50. Step 1: Download and install the software, afterward, launch the software and click on “VIP Services” on the left pane.
50. Step 2: Select Hulu or YouTube from the options and sign in to your account.
50. Step 3: Search for the movie you want to download and play it, then click the Download Now button on the popup window.

Summary:

Choosing between Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV point down to personal preference and the particular channels you love to watch. If you want the Hallmark Channels, none of these services offer that, you need Sling TV or Pluto TV to stream the channel. Besides, in case you need to download the streaming videos from Hulu to watch them offline as many times as you like, you will be in need of a Hulu downloader software mentioned in this article.