Hulu + Live TV vs. YouTube TV Review 2023

Both Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV have their perks, and Hulu + Live TV has made some changes to give YouTube TV some considerable competition.

Hulu + Live TV has fewer simultaneous streams and 10 fewer channels than YouTube TV, but Hulu Live comes with the Disney+ bundle and all of Hulu's on-demand library.

YouTube TV has more than 85 channels— including major sports channels—and on-demand content for $73 per month. And both services now have an unlimited DVR storage space.

Let’s get into the details to determine who’s the winner of this live TV streaming debate, shall we? (We shall.)

Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV almost have the same pricing, but which one gives you more bang for your buck?

YouTube TV gives you 10 more channels (including NBA TV and NFL Sunday Ticket starting this spring), and Hulu Live TV has a vast on-demand library, and comes with ESPN+ and Disney+. Honestly, it’s the perfect entertainment bundle for the family.

If you want to watch Hulu’s on-demand library without any interruptions, you’re going to have to get that $76 per month plan (or else you might see two ads in a TV show and six in a movie).

YouTube TV is our second favorite live TV streaming service behind fuboTV, and one of the best valued live TV streaming services in the industry.

This streaming service makes it simple with just one plan without needing to upgrade for no ads.

YouTube TV doesn’t have any fees, and Hulu Live TV got rid of theirs.

Before, Hulu Live TV included a 50-hour DVR storage, which was one of the lowest in the industry. But now they decided to be a stronger competitor and upped their game by adding an unlimited DVR storage and the Disney+ bundle.

But there is one fee you can opt into if you'd like more than two simultaneous streams. For $10 per month, you can get unlimited simultaneous streams for the family so no one has to boot anyone out of their streaming marathon.

YouTube TV has 10 more channels than Hulu Live, but Hulu Live does have some channels YouTube TV does not.

Besides the sports (more on that later), the biggest differences between the channel lineups are:

• Hulu + Live TV has Lifetime for the based-on-a-true-story fans and the HISTORY channel for the Alone fans.
• YouTube TV has PBS Kids for the kiddos, while both services have Disney Jr. 
• Hulu + Live TV has ESPN College Extra and ACCN for the college sports fans.
• YouTube TV has PBS, Hallmark Channel, BBC America, and NBC Universo.

If you want to know the full channel lineup that each service has, check out our Hulu + Live TV Review and YouTube TV Review. You’ll also find more information on Hulu Live’s great on-demand content and originals.

The local channels Hulu Live and YouTube TV offer you will be based on the area you live in. We listed out all local channels both live TV streaming services have, but just know it could be different when you type in your ZIP code.

Check out Hulu + Live TV’s channel lineup and YouTube TV’s, so you don’t get any surprises.

Both Hulu Live and YouTube TV include the following local channels:

• ABC
• CBS
• FOX
• NBC

YouTube TV has all of the premium channels, but Hulu Live is missing MGM+.

The premium channel pricing for both services are a bit different, but if you love Billions or Godfather of Harlem, you’ll want to get YouTube TV.

Unlike Hulu's premium channels that you can add to your plan a la carte, YouTube TV offers its Entertainment Plus bundle, which includes Max, STARZ, and SHOWTIME for $29.99 a month. This bundle will save you about $5 a month compared to Hulu Live.

YouTube TV has 16 sports channels while Hulu Live has 14, which is why YouTube TV is the second best live TV streaming service for sports.

YouTube TV is the only live TV streaming service that includes NFL Network and NBA TV for only $73 per month. A great choice for live sports fans, too.

Not only that, but YouTube TV is also the only live TV streaming service currently offering NFL Sunday Ticket. You can choose to bundle NFL Sunday Ticket with NFL Redzone and your YouTube TV subscription or you can choose to pay for just NFL Sunday Ticket plus NFL RedZone. 

But if you love college sports, Hulu Live has ESPN College Extra and ACCN in its channel lineup.

YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV have the best DVR's in the industry. There are no other services that offer unlimited storage space and save your recordings for nine months.

Think of all the possibilities! You can record 20 episodes of Family Feud, all episodes of The King of Queens, 12 movies, and every NBA game of the season.

Both Hulu Live and YouTube TV have a great, easy to use interface, but we’d like to highlight the most important live TV interface feature—the guide. And in this case, Hulu Live wins.

Hulu Live’s guide has convenient tabs at the top to quickly find what you want to watch while on your lunch break. Choose Recent, Sports, News, Movies, Kids, or All if you want to channel surf.

As for YouTube TV, you don’t get those easy-click buttons to get you what you want in seconds.

YouTube TV might not have the categories to get you to the channel you’re looking for, but we do like the little video box of what is currently airing to give you a quick visual.

Hulu Live and YouTube TV are compatible with pretty much every device.

But only two can stream Hulu Live at once unless you pay an additional $9.99 per month for an unlimited number of simultaneous streams. Three can stream on YouTube TV, which is perfect when you don’t want to watch your spouse’s HGTV show or your son’s Disney Channel movie.

You can stream Hulu Live on the train with one of these streaming devices:

• iPhones and iPads
• Android smartphones and tables
• Apple TV (fourth generation and up)
• Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick
• Amazon Fire tablets
• Xbox One and Xbox 360
• Roku and Roku Stick
• Google Chromecast and Google Chromecast Ultra
• Safari and Chrome web browsers
• Samsung and LG Smart TVs
• Nintendo Switch

You, your spouse, and your son can simultaneously stream YouTube TV on these streaming devices:

• iPhone, iPad
• Android smartphone, Android tablet
• Apple TV
• Android TV
• Roku TVs, Roku smart soundbar
• Roku Ultra, Roku Streaming Stick, Roku Express, Roku Premiere
• Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Cubes
• Vizio SmartCast TVs
• Samsung & LG smart TVs
• Hisense TVs
• Chrome, Safari

YouTube TV has 10 more channels than Hulu + Live TV, and we recommend YouTube TV over its competitor if you can't live without NBA TV, PBS, the Hallmark Channel, NFL RedZone, and NFL Sunday Ticket.

But Hulu Live is number one when it comes to its on-demand library, including its excellent originals we all love to binge watch. And Hulu Live also includes the best entertainment bundle with ESPN+ and Disney.

• Pricing: YouTube TV is $73 per month and Hulu + Live TV is $70–$76, (the latter eliminates all ads while watching the on-demand content).  Both justify their pricing. YouTube TV has 100+ channels and Hulu Live will save you more money each month.
• Channels: This part might depend on the type of entertainment you like. Hulu Live has the Lifetime Channel, ESPN College Extra, and ACCN. YouTube TV has 10 more channels, including PBS, BBC America, NBA TV, and an offering of NFL Sunday Ticket.
• DVR: Both DVR's now give you unlimited space for your recordings. Recording possibilities are endless!
• User interface: Both interface are somewhat similar, but we really like how Hulu Live’s guide makes it easier for you to find the channels you want in a jiffy.

Check out our full review on Hulu Live and YouTube TV if you’re still on the fence. You’ll find more details on add-ons, channels, and user interface.