Software · head to head
Hulu vs Roku
The short version
- Only Roku has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Hulu the App Store listing states Hulu offers three plans, Hulu with Ads, Hulu No Ads, and Hulu plus Live TV, and caps simultaneous streaming at two screens at once while allowing up to six profiles per account, without stating any plan price in the visible description.; Roku roku takes a 20 percent cut of all revenue channel publishers receive through Roku Pay (purchases, subscriptions, ads), paying out the remaining 80 percent no later than 60 days after the end of the month the payment was received, with non-US partners restricted to PayPal or wire transfer (ACH/direct deposit is US-only) and bank fees applying to wire and ACH payouts (archived developer documentation, 2 May 2021)
- They diverge on capability: Hulu covers On-demand streaming, Roku covers Streaming aggregation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hulu and Roku actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Hulu
- On-demand streaming
- Live TV
- Cloud DVR
- Downloads
- Current episodes
- Smart TVs
- Gaming consoles
- Mobile devices
Only in Roku
- Streaming aggregation
- Free content
- Voice search
- Private listening
- All major streaming apps
- Smart home
- PIN protection
- Roku-devices support
Both cover
- Parental controls
- Ios support
- Android support
- Smart-tv support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Hulu
- TV streaming
- Live TVnot Roku
- Next-day episodesnot Roku
- Sportsnot Roku
Roku
- TV streaming
- Content discoverynot Hulu
- Free entertainmentnot Hulu
Both are used for tv streaming, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Hulu
- The App Store listing states Hulu offers three plans, Hulu with Ads, Hulu No Ads, and Hulu plus Live TV, and caps simultaneous streaming at two screens at once while allowing up to six profiles per account, without stating any plan price in the visible description.
- The App Store listing states premium network add-ons such as MAX, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, and STARZ are each available only for an additional monthly fee on top of a Hulu plan.
Roku
- Roku takes a 20 percent cut of all revenue channel publishers receive through Roku Pay (purchases, subscriptions, ads), paying out the remaining 80 percent no later than 60 days after the end of the month the payment was received, with non-US partners restricted to PayPal or wire transfer (ACH/direct deposit is US-only) and bank fees applying to wire and ACH payouts (archived developer documentation, 2 May 2021)
Pricing, plan by plan
Hulu
$7.99/month- Hulu (With Ads)$7.99/month
- Full library
- Ad-supported
- Hulu (No Ads)$17.99/month
- Full library
- Ad-free
- Downloads
- Hulu + Live TV$76.99/month
- Live TV
- On-demand
- Cloud DVR
Roku
Free- FreeFree
- The Roku Channel
- Free content
- Ad-supported
Which should you pick?
Choose Hulu if
- You need on-demand streaming.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles.
- You also want live tv.
Choose Roku if
- You need streaming aggregation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Roku-devices, Smart-tv, Ios, Android.
- You also want free content.
Questions people ask
- Is Hulu or Roku better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hulu starts at $7.99/month and Roku at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hulu or Roku?
- Roku has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7.99/month for Hulu and Free for Roku.
- Does Hulu or Roku run on more platforms?
- Hulu runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles. Roku runs on Roku-devices, Smart-tv, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Roku for free?
- Yes. Roku has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hulu starts at $7.99/month.
- What is Hulu best used for?
- Hulu is most often used for tv streaming, live tv, next-day episodes, sports. Of those, live tv and next-day episodes are not what Roku is typically brought in for.
- What can Hulu do that Roku cannot?
- Hulu covers On-demand streaming, Live TV, Cloud DVR, Downloads. Roku covers Streaming aggregation, Free content, Voice search, Private listening. Both handle Parental controls, Ios support, Android support, Smart-tv support.
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