Softwr

Media & Entertainment · head to head

Hulu vs Showtime

Hulu logo

Hulu

Media & Entertainment

Stream TV and movies live and online

From
$7.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Showtime

Media & Entertainment

Signature entertainment and sports

From
$10.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Showtime showtime is now offered only as part of Paramount+'s Premium plan, per the App Store listing (Paramount+ by CBS Mobile)
  • They diverge on capability: Hulu covers On-demand streaming, Showtime covers Streaming.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hulu and Showtime actually diverge.

Attributes where Hulu and Showtime differ
AttributeHuluShowtime
Starting price$7.99/month$10.99/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consolesWeb, Ios, Android, Smart-tv
Founded20071983

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Hulu

  • On-demand streaming
  • Live TV
  • Cloud DVR
  • Downloads
  • Current episodes
  • Gaming consoles
  • Mobile devices
  • Parental controls

Only in Showtime

  • Streaming
  • Original series
  • Movies
  • Sports
  • Live events
  • Streaming devices
  • Content filtering

Both cover

  • Smart TVs
  • Account security
  • Web support
  • 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 streamingnot Showtime
  • Live TVnot Showtime
  • Next-day episodesnot Showtime
  • Sportsnot Showtime

Showtime

  • Premium streamingnot Hulu
  • Sports watchingnot Hulu

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.

Showtime

  • Showtime is now offered only as part of Paramount+'s Premium plan, per the App Store listing (Paramount+ by CBS Mobile)
  • Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current subscription period rather than immediately, with continued access through the paid period, per the App Store listing

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

Showtime

$10.99/month
  • Showtime Standalone$10.99/month
    • Original content
    • Ad-free

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.
Hulu review

Choose Showtime if

  • You need streaming.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv.
  • You also want original series.
Showtime review

Questions people ask

Is Hulu or Showtime better?
Neither clearly leads. Hulu starts at $7.99/month and Showtime at $10.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hulu or Showtime?
Hulu starts at $7.99/month and Showtime at $10.99/month.
Does Hulu or Showtime run on more platforms?
Hulu runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles. Showtime runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv.
What is Hulu best used for?
Hulu is most often used for tv streaming, live tv, next-day episodes, sports. Of those, tv streaming and live tv are not what Showtime is typically brought in for.
What can Hulu do that Showtime cannot?
Hulu covers On-demand streaming, Live TV, Cloud DVR, Downloads. Showtime covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Sports. Both handle Smart TVs, Account security, Web support, Ios support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Hulu

More on Showtime

Keep looking

Other head to heads