Media & Entertainment · head to head
Discovery+ vs ESPN+
Discovery+
Media & Entertainment
Unscripted content at your fingertips
- From
- $4.99/month
- Rated
- -
ESPN+
Media & Entertainment
Stream live sports, original shows, and exclusive content
- From
- $10.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Discovery+ standard plan starts at 5.99 USD per month but includes ads; an ad-free tier costs 9.99 USD per month; ESPN+ the App Store listing states the ESPN app offers two paid tiers, ESPN Select which includes ESPN+ only, and ESPN Unlimited which includes all ESPN networks and services including ESPN+, without stating the price of either in the visible description.
- They diverge on capability: Discovery+ covers Streaming, ESPN+ covers Live sports.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Discovery+ and ESPN+ actually diverge.
| Attribute | Discovery+ | ESPN+ |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $4.99/month | $10.99/month |
| Founded | 2020 | 2018 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Media & Entertainment).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Discovery+
- Streaming
- Unscripted content
- Reality TV
- Originals
- Downloads
Only in ESPN+
- Live sports
- Original shows
- Exclusive content
- Replays
- Analysis
Both cover
- Smart TVs
- Streaming devices
- Account security
- Parental controls
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
- Smart-tv support
- Roku support
- Fire-tv support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Discovery+
- Unscripted streamingnot ESPN+
- Reality TV watchingnot ESPN+
ESPN+
- Sports streamingnot Discovery+
- Live event watchingnot Discovery+
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Discovery+
- Standard plan starts at 5.99 USD per month but includes ads; an ad-free tier costs 9.99 USD per month
ESPN+
- The App Store listing states the ESPN app offers two paid tiers, ESPN Select which includes ESPN+ only, and ESPN Unlimited which includes all ESPN networks and services including ESPN+, without stating the price of either in the visible description.
Pricing, plan by plan
Discovery+
$4.99/month- Standard$4.99/month
- HD
- Ad-supported
- Premium$8.99/month
- 4K
- Ad-free
ESPN+
$10.99/month- ESPN+$10.99/month
- Live sports
- Exclusive content
- Original shows
- Bundle$13.99/month
- ESPN+
- Disney+
- Hulu
Which should you pick?
Choose Discovery+ if
- You need streaming.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
- You also want unscripted content.
Choose ESPN+ if
- You need live sports.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
- You also want original shows.
Questions people ask
- Is Discovery+ or ESPN+ better?
- Neither clearly leads. Discovery+ starts at $4.99/month and ESPN+ at $10.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Discovery+ or ESPN+?
- Discovery+ starts at $4.99/month and ESPN+ at $10.99/month.
- Does Discovery+ or ESPN+ run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Discovery+ best used for?
- Discovery+ is most often used for unscripted streaming, reality tv watching. Of those, unscripted streaming and reality tv watching are not what ESPN+ is typically brought in for.
- What can Discovery+ do that ESPN+ cannot?
- Discovery+ covers Streaming, Unscripted content, Reality TV, Originals. ESPN+ covers Live sports, Original shows, Exclusive content, Replays. Both handle Smart TVs, Streaming devices, Account security, Parental controls.