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Media & Entertainment · head to head

Hulu vs YouTube

Hulu logo

Hulu

Media & Entertainment

Stream TV and movies live and online

From
$7.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
YouTube logo

YouTube

Entertainment

Video sharing and streaming platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only YouTube 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.; YouTube youTube Premium/Music subscriptions bill through the App Store with a stated auto-renewal clause: renewal charges are applied within 24 hours of the current period ending unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before that point, and no price figure is disclosed in the listing itself.
  • They diverge on capability: Hulu covers On-demand streaming, YouTube covers Video hosting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hulu and YouTube actually diverge.

Attributes where Hulu and YouTube differ
AttributeHuluYouTube
Starting price$7.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
CategoryMedia & EntertainmentEntertainment
Founded20072005

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 YouTube

  • Video hosting
  • Live streaming
  • Content discovery
  • Creator tools
  • Analytics
  • Google services
  • Social media
  • Creator tools

Both cover

  • Parental controls
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support
  • Smart-tv support
  • Gaming-consoles support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Hulu

  • TV streamingnot YouTube
  • Live TVnot YouTube
  • Next-day episodesnot YouTube
  • Sportsnot YouTube

YouTube

  • Video sharingnot Hulu
  • Content marketingnot Hulu
  • Educationnot Hulu
  • Entertainmentnot Hulu
  • Live streamingnot 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.

YouTube

  • YouTube Premium/Music subscriptions bill through the App Store with a stated auto-renewal clause: renewal charges are applied within 24 hours of the current period ending unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before that point, and no price figure is disclosed in the listing itself.

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

YouTube

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited video watching
    • Basic video uploads
    • Community features
  • YouTube Premium$11.99/month
    • Ad-free videos
    • Background play
    • YouTube Music included

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 YouTube if

  • You need video hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles.
  • You also want live streaming.
YouTube review

Questions people ask

Is Hulu or YouTube better?
Neither clearly leads. Hulu starts at $7.99/month and YouTube at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hulu or YouTube?
YouTube has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7.99/month for Hulu and Free for YouTube.
Does Hulu or YouTube run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use YouTube for free?
Yes. YouTube 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, tv streaming and live tv are not what YouTube is typically brought in for.
What can Hulu do that YouTube cannot?
Hulu covers On-demand streaming, Live TV, Cloud DVR, Downloads. YouTube covers Video hosting, Live streaming, Content discovery, Creator tools. Both handle Parental controls, Web support, Ios support, Android support.
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