I know it can be frustrating when a streaming service offers multiple plans and pricing tiers that all sound vaguely similar. I‘m here to clear up the differences between standard Hulu and Hulu + Live TV for you so you can determine which one fits your needs.
Here’s a quick overview before we dive into the details:
| Hulu | Hulu + Live TV | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $7.99/month | $69.99/month |
| Content Offering | On-demand shows & movies | Live TV channels plus on-demand shows & movies |
| Streaming Library Size | Thousands of titles | Over 50,000 titles |
| Best For | On-demand binging | Replacing cable TV |
Let‘s explore what makes them unique…
Hulu: An unbeatable on-demand streaming library
Hulu is one of the pioneers of streaming on-demand video content over the internet. Here are the key traits that define the core Hulu experience since it first launched back in 2007:
-
Massive content library – Hulu allows you to stream thousands of popular TV shows, movies, Hulu originals, documentaries, and more entirely on-demand. This means you can immediately watch whatever you want, whenever you want! No restrictive cable TV schedules.
-
Included with many cable subscriptions – An interesting secret is that many U.S. cable TV and internet packages actually come with a free Hulu subscription. So you may already have access without knowing!
-
Lets you catch up on recently aired TV – While today its library goes much deeper, Hulu first gained fame as a place where cable subscribers could stream episodes of broadcast shows from ABC, NBC, Fox and others very soon after they finished airing live on TV. This holds true today – you can often view recently-aired episodes on Hulu in as little as 24 hours!
-
Two pricing tiers – Hulu keeps it simple when it comes to plans. You can choose either an ad-supported tier for $7.99/month that displays unobtrusive ads before and during shows, or downgrade to an ad-free plan at $14.99/month. Unfortunately there‘s no annual pricing though.
Now let’s walk through some of the great content Hulu enables you to access on-demand:
An incredible range of shows
You can stream full series runs of all types of TV shows on Hulu. A few examples across genres include:
- Past seasons of broadcast shows like This Is Us, 9-1-1, Bob‘s Burgers, Black-ish
- Bingeable network series like How I Met Your Mother, Friday Night Lights
- Trending cable shows such as Atlanta, Better Call Saul, It‘s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- Premium network hits including Game of Thrones, Killing Eve, Euphoria
Plus with many currently-airing shows, new episodes from the current season are added to Hulu shortly after they finish their live broadcast so you can always catch up on the latest happenings with your favorite characters!
Hundreds of movies spanning every genre
While Hulu may not showcase brand new theatrical movie releases like some other streaming competitors, its back-catalog of films covers just about every genre imaginable:
- Recent box office hits – Catch movies like A Quiet Place Part II, Mission Impossible: Fallout, Sing 2
- All-time classics – Stream legendary films such as Pulp Fiction, Rocky, Blade Runner, Reservoir Dogs
- Fun kids and family options – Entertain the whole household with Shrek, Kung Fu Panda
- Award-winning flicks – Enjoy critically acclaimed pictures like I, Tonya, If Beale Street Could Talk
And great news – you can watch as many movies as your heart desires at no extra cost!
Addictive Hulu Originals you won‘t find elsewhere
In addition to shows and movies produced by other studios, Hulu invests big bucks into creating addictive original programming exclusively available on its platform:
- The Handmaid‘s Tale – This award-winning drama has earned accolades as one of Hulu‘s flagship Originals
- Only Murders in the Building – Steve Martin‘s hilarious mystery-crime-comedy was one of Hulu‘s most talked-about releases last year
- The Dropout – The scandalous drama miniseries chronicles the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her infamous Theranos startup
Hulu Originals span creative dramas, cutting-edge comedies, timely documentaries, celebrity talk shows, and more. And great news – you get access to all these shows included free as part of your normal Hulu subscription!
I don’t know about you, but the sheer amount of bingeable content across Hulu gets me excited. And they continually add new shows and movies over time too.
Now, let’s move onto breaking down everything Hulu + Live TV has to offer…
Hulu + Live TV: Like cable TV, but better
Here are the key aspects that define the Hulu + Live TV experience:
-
Tons of live channels – You can flip between and watch over 75 popular live channels including news, sports, entertainment alongside local broadcast stations. It feels very similar to having traditional cable or satellite!
-
Cloud DVR included – Record any show airing live on the service to watch on-demand later. Hulu provides 50 hours of DVR recordings per month with no storage space limits. And your recordings are stored for up to 9 months!
-
On-demand content still included – You still get full access to stream Hulu‘s entire standard catalog of TV shows, movies and Hulu originals that you can watch whenever you want.
-
Disney+ and ESPN+ bundled – Every Hulu + Live TV subscription also includes free access to Disney+ and ESPN+ too. That‘s thousands of movies & shows in addition to live sports.
-
Multiple pricing levels – Hulu + Live TV starts at $69.99/month if you don‘t mind ads on the on-demand library content. An ad-free package bumps up to $82.99/month. Either way, the live TV streams contain no ads.
Now let‘s dig into the channels and content you can surf with this amazing live TV upgrade!
Endless channel flipping thanks to 75+ networks
Hulu + Live TV grants you access to over 75 popular cable and broadcast channels – which is similar to what you’d receive from a traditional cable TV package.
You can enjoy endless channel surfing across:
- Broadcast networks – Local ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX stations available in your area
- Top cable stations – ESPN, CNN, HGTV, TLC, Food Network, TBS, FX
- Premium channels – HBO, Showtime, STARZ (as paid add-ons)
- Plus tons more – MTV, USA, Bravo, Comedy Central, VH1, and additional sports, news and lifestyle sources
So you can keep pace with basically all the same shows, news coverage, and events as friends and family who still use regular cable.
The cool perk Hulu + Live TV offers over old-school cable is…
All your favorite shows available on-demand too!
In addition to live feeds of all those great channels, an upgraded Hulu + Live TV subscription retains everything from the core Hulu on-demand library we discussed earlier.
That on-demand catalog again gives you:
- Past seasons of shows – Stream full runs of things like This Is Us, Bob‘s Burgers
- British TV hits like The Great British Bakeoff and Peaky Blinders
- Addictive Hulu Originals such as Just Like That, The Handmaid‘s Tale
- Hot new movies as soon as they leave cinemas – Everything Everywhere All At Once, Ambulance
- And thousands more shows & films – Seriously, it’s almost endless!
So you can DVR any show airing live to view later based on your schedule. Plus binge through that entire back-catalog whenever you want. It provides the ultimate best of both worlds!
And lastly…
Disney+ and ESPN+ freebies unlock more streaming
Every Hulu + Live TV subscription comes with free access to both the Disney+ and ESPN+ streaming services too.
That means you also gain unlimited on-demand access to:
- Marvel movies – Stream every film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from Iron Man to Black Panther to the epic Avengers: Endgame saga.
- Big Disney animated classics – Watch anything from Snow White to Frozen. Relive the songs!
- The vast ESPN library – Stream in-depth analysis shows, 30+ live sports channels, documentaries like The Last Dance
Between this and the other perks we covered, Hulu + Live TV subscribers can enjoy an almost overwhelming supply of movies, shows, sports and news programming spanning both live and on-demand formats.
Now that you understand the core elements of Hulu and Hulu + Live TV individually, let‘s directly stack them head-to-head to call out key similarities and differences.
Comparing Hulu vs. Hulu + Live TV
Hopefully by now you‘ve got a clear sense of how Hulu and Hulu + Live TV operate as standalone services. Let‘s run through some key comparative questions to finalize your streaming decision between the two:
Is the library size different?
- Hulu = Thousands of on-demand titles
- Hulu + Live TV = Over 50,000 on-demand titles PLUS 75+ live channels
The live TV channels push Hulu + Live TV‘s content volume into overdrive. Access length to many shows is also extended since you can choose to either stream episodes on-demand or watch live broadcasts.
How do their pricing and fees compare?
- Hulu pricing = $7.99/month (ads) or $14.99/month (no ads)
- Hulu + Live TV pricing = $69.99/month (ads) or $82.99/month (no ads)
There‘s clearly a massive jump in monthly cost for the live TV upgrade. Before paying 8-10x more, decide if you‘ll actually watch enough of those live channels to justify the bigger expenditure.
What constraints or restrictions apply to streaming?
- Hulu allows 2 simultaneous streams; Hulu + Live TV permits 2 live streams but unlimited on-demand streams. Both only offer streaming within the U.S.
This is a nice advantage of Hulu + Live TV if you have a multi-person household. More folks can stream shows on-demand while 2 people watch live TV simultaneously.
How do their add-ons compare?
- Hulu lets you add subscriptions to premium channels like HBO Max, Showtime, etc
- Hulu + Live TV offers those too PLUS Spanish language packs, additional sports (NBA League Pass, MLB.tv) and more niche cable channel bundles
If you want a customized experience with sports, Spanish language or extra news coverage, Hulu + Live TV provides more optional add-ons. But these raise your costs further.
Which device platforms do they support?
Luckily both support numerous streaming devices and platforms:
- Web browsers, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox, PlayStation, certain smart TVs and more all provide app access for either Hulu or Hulu + Live TV. Both also let you stream across 3 internet-connected devices at the same time.
The user experience feels virtually identical across Hulu vs. Hulu + Live TV. Navigation stays consistent outside small tweaks for accessing DVR recordings, browsing live content, and setting reminders for shows airing in the future via the live TV grid guide.
Which free trial lengths do they offer?
- Hulu offers new subscribers a 30-day free trial period
- Hulu + Live TV gives an even longer 7-day free preview
So you can take both for an extensive test drive before paying. Just be sure to cancel before getting billed if you decide it’s not for you!
Which Service Should You Pick?
Now comes decision time! Let’s recap key reasons you may want to choose either Hulu or Hulu + Live TV:
Choose regular Hulu if you want:
- Massive on-demand catalog to stream anytime
- Inexpensive subscription starting at just $7.99/month
- Fewer channels compared to cable (but way more shows and movies!)
Choose Hulu + Live TV if you want:
- 75+ live channels so you don‘t miss out on live sports, news, events
- DVR recordings for shows airing on those live channels
- Disney+ & ESPN+ access bundled in free
- A cable replacement with huge on-demand depth too
Personally, I‘d select Hulu + Live TV for the expansive blending of both on-demand shows and those 75+ live channels – all accessible from nearly any device I own with consistent app experiences. Plus bundling in Disney+ and ESPN+ feels like an incredible perk!
But lifestyle needs and budgets vary widely. Hopefully mapping out Hulu’s on-demand purity vs. the live channel overload of Hulu + Live TV makes separating their differences crystal clear. You really can’t go wrong either way!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
