Media & Entertainment · head to head
Stitcher vs Hulu
Hulu
Media & Entertainment
Stream TV and movies live and online
- From
- $7.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Stitcher has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Stitcher service discontinued August 29, 2023; 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.
- They diverge on capability: Stitcher covers Podcast streaming, Hulu covers On-demand streaming.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Stitcher and Hulu actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Media & Entertainment), founded (2007).
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 Stitcher
- Podcast streaming
- Original content
- Ad-free
- Offline listening
- Recommendations
- Smart speakers
- Car systems
- Content controls
Only in Hulu
- On-demand streaming
- Live TV
- Cloud DVR
- Downloads
- Current episodes
- Smart TVs
- Gaming consoles
- Mobile devices
Both cover
- Account security
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Stitcher
- Podcast listeningnot Hulu
- Audio entertainmentnot Hulu
Hulu
- TV streamingnot Stitcher
- Live TVnot Stitcher
- Next-day episodesnot Stitcher
- Sportsnot Stitcher
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Stitcher
- Service discontinued August 29, 2023
- No longer available for download or 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.
Pricing, plan by plan
Stitcher
Free- FreeFree
- Free podcasts
- Ad-supported
- Stitcher Premium$4.99/month
- Ad-free
- Exclusives
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
Which should you pick?
Choose Stitcher if
- You need podcast streaming.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers.
- You also want original content.
Choose Hulu if
- You need on-demand streaming.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles.
- You also want live tv.
Questions people ask
- Is Stitcher or Hulu better?
- Neither clearly leads. Stitcher starts at Free and Hulu at $7.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Stitcher or Hulu?
- Stitcher has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Stitcher and $7.99/month for Hulu.
- Does Stitcher or Hulu run on more platforms?
- Stitcher runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers. Hulu runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles.
- Can I use Stitcher for free?
- Yes. Stitcher has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hulu starts at $7.99/month.
- What is Stitcher best used for?
- Stitcher is most often used for podcast listening, audio entertainment. Of those, podcast listening and audio entertainment are not what Hulu is typically brought in for.
- What can Stitcher do that Hulu cannot?
- Stitcher covers Podcast streaming, Original content, Ad-free, Offline listening. Hulu covers On-demand streaming, Live TV, Cloud DVR, Downloads. Both handle Account security, Web support, Ios support, Android support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Stitcher: Is Stitcher still available?
No. Stitcher shut down on August 29, 2023. SiriusXM, which acquired Stitcher in 2020, discontinued the app to consolidate podcasts into its flagship SiriusXM subscription. Users can listen to podcasts via the SiriusXM app instead.
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