Hulu Live vs. fuboTV: Which Live TV Streaming Service is Best?

Do you want to cut the cord on cable but are afraid you will lose the ability to watch your favorite shows and live sports? You’re not alone. 

Fortunately, thanks to premium live TV streaming services, you can ditch cable and save money without sacrificing the content you want. 

In this Hulu Live vs. fuboTV comparison, we discuss the two services to see which is the better fit for your needs.

Hulu Live vs. fuboTV: How Do They Compare?

There is a lot to consider when evaluating fuboTV vs. Hulu Live. Both streaming services have fared well in our testing.

Each platform has an impressive list of channels and features that rival virtually any cable package. 

Here is a brief preview of what you can expect with each service.

Both platforms are on the expensive end of the streaming space. But, unlike cable and satellite TV providers, neither service requires a contract.

This means that you can leave whenever you want and move to a different service.

Price

The monthly price is often the most important factor when choosing a cable replacement. Both services are expensive but still claim significant savings compared to a monthly cable bill.

The average cable bill is roughly $200 a month. With Hulu Live and fuboTV, you can claim approximately $130 a month in savings.

Here are the plans and pricing for fuboTV and Hulu with Live TV.

You will notice that fubo has two plans, Pro and Elite. Elite has approximately 50 channels more than the base plan. It also offers 4K content, which Pro doesn’t include.

Hulu Live offers a no-ads version for an additional $6 a month. The no commercials feature only applies to on-demand Hulu content. You will still see ads on live TV shows.

FuboTV doesn’t offer any plans like this.

Price winner: Hulu Live due to its one plan and inclusion of the Disney bundle

Free Trial

A free trial is a fantastic way to test satellite TV alternatives since you can see what the platform is like without cost or risk.

FuboTV offers a seven-day free trial. Sometimes the service will even extend that to a 14-day trial.

Unfortunately, Hulu Live no longer offers a free trial. You must pay the $69.99 plus tax upfront to use the service.

Read our guide on the best live TV streaming services to identify other choices that offer a free trial.

Free trial winner: fuboTV

Channel Lineup

Second to pricing, the available channel lineup is essential when comparing video streaming services. The fuboTV vs. Hulu Live channel comparison has some stark differences. 

Both services carry local networks in most markets and are a terrific way to watch live sports without cable.

Overall, fuboTV carries approximately 110 channels in its Pro plan. This includes 27 of the 35 most-watched networks.

Here is the channel lineup for fuboTV.

While fuboTV offers an impressive list of cable networks, what’s notably missing are the Turner networks. This will be an issue for NBA and college basketball fans.

*Related: If you’re a college basketball fan, read our review of ways to watch March Madness without cable to identify the top choices to stream the NCAA tournament.

Read our guide on the fuboTV channels to learn more and see what the Elite plan includes.

Hulu Live has an equally remarkable list of networks. It includes approximately 80 channels and 26 of the top 35 most-watched networks.

Here is the channel lineup for Hulu Live.

Hulu Live carries the Turner networks, but it doesn’t include the AMC family of channels.

Read our guide on the Hulu Live channel lineup to learn more.

Channel lineup winner: Hulu with Live TV since it carries the Turner networks

What Sports Channels Does Hulu Live and fuboTV Carry?

Getting the right mix of available channels is crucial for sports fans when they cut the cord. Luckily, neither of these alternatives to cable TV will disappoint.

Here is a comparison of what both Hulu Live and fuboTV offer for popular sports channels in their respective base packages.

Hulu is owned by Disney, so it includes all of the ESPN channels. It also includes ESPN+ as a part of the Disney bundle.

FuboTV only includes ESPN and ESPN2 in its base package.

However, it offers more niche sports channels and more regional sports networks (RSNs), including Bally Sports.

Both services will meet the needs of any major sports fan, but it’s tough to give either the nod when it comes to superiority.

Sports channel winner: fuboTV

RSNs

RSNs can be a must-have for many sports fans. Both Hulu Live and fuboTV offer access to RSNs, but not to the extent that DIRECTV STREAM does in its Choice package for $89.99 monthly.

Read our DIRECTV STREAM review to learn more about that service.

Hulu live carries the NBC Sports RSNs, which equal ten in total. Alternately, fuboTV is second to DIRECTV STREAM with 16 RSNs.

This includes the NBC Sports RSNs, SportsNet, and Bally Sports channels.

If RSNs are a must-have for you, fuboTV is the clear winner.

RSN winner: fuboTV

Do Hulu Live and fuboTV Carry Local Networks?

The ability to watch local channels without cable is essential for many cord-cutters. Both Hulu Live and fuboTV carry local affiliates in virtually every market.

This partially explains their higher cost. Local networks charge streaming services broadcast retransmission fees to carry their respective channels.

If you want to save money, you can pair an over-the-air antenna with more affordable live TV packages like Sling or Philo. Doing so could save you at least $35 monthly at time of publication.

Read our guide on how to get local TV without cable to identify other money-saving opportunities.

Local channels winner: Tie

Premium Channels and Add-Ons

Both Hulu Live and fuboTV can be customized to your viewing preferences thanks to a variety of add-on channel packages. You can also add premium networks with both platforms.

Be mindful of add-ons since you may sacrifice any savings you get from cutting the cord.

Here are the available add-on packages with Hulu Live:

• Sports add-on: $9.99 a month for six channels
• Entertainment add-on: $7.99 a month for 16 channels

Here are the available premium add-ons with Hulu Live:

• Max: $15.99 a month
• Cinemax: $9.99 a month
• SHOWTIME: $10.99 a month
• STARZ: $8.99 a month

FuboTV offers considerably more add-ons. This stems from its beginning as a sports-centric service.

Because of this, there is no better service for internal and niche sports fans.

Here are the available add-ons with fuboTV:

• Sports Plus with NFL RedZone: $10.99 a month for 26 channels
• Fubo Extra: $7.99 a month for 44 channels
• International Sports Plus: $6.99 a month for 11 channels
• Adventure Plus: $4.99 a month for five channels
• News Plus: $2.99 a month for 12 channels
• NBA League Pass: $14.99 a month
• Sports Lite: $9.99 a month for eight channels
• Latino Plus $19.99 a month for 22 channels
• RAI Italia: $8.99 a month for one channel
• TV5MONDE: $9.99 a month for one channel
• Portuguese Plus: $14.99 a month for five channels
• Entretenimiento Plus: $9.99 a month for nine channels

Here are the available premium add-ons with fuboTV:

• SHOWTIME + STARZ + EPIX: $19.99 a month
• STARZ: $8.99 a month
• AMC Premiere: $4.99 a month
• SHOWTIME: $10.99 a month
• EPIX: $5.99 a month
• Pantaya: $5.99 a month

You can’t add Max to your fuboTV subscription, but it is available as its own standalone service.

Aside from that, fuboTV offers extensive options to customize your subscription, making it the clear winner.

Premium channels and add-on winner: fuboTV

Which Service Has Better On-Demand Content?

It’s not uncommon to discover an older show that you want to binge. On-demand content makes it possible to watch the entire series of a program.

When looking at fuboTV vs. Hulu Live, you will notice the latter shines in this area.

The Hulu platform boasts nearly 50,000 episodes from over 1,600 shows. Additionally, you receive access to over 2,500 movies.

This is in addition to its considerable library of original shows such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Only Murders in the Building.

FuboTV pales in comparison. It does often offer the previous three to five episodes of a show, but this varies.

Unfortunately, with fubo, you may not be able to binge an older show like you potentially can on Hulu.

On-Demand content winner: Hulu Live

Interface

Both live TV streaming apps have intuitive menus and guides. As a result, they both offer a satisfactory user experience.

The channel guide tends to be the feature within a streaming interface that is used the most often. Comparing the two platforms, Hulu Live has the edge over fuboTV.

The Hulu Live guide displays useful content category tabs such as Recent, All, Sports, News, Movies, and Kids.

These help filter content and make finding something to watch easier. It also includes a search feature, which is excellent for when you are trying to find a specific show.

FuboTV has a busier channel guide. It has content tabs, and you can reorder your favorite networks. But, the enhanced filtering it offers holds it back.

Fortunately, it does allow you to search by specific day within the guide. This offers a way to streamline things a bit.

Interface winner: Hulu Live

Who Has the Better Cloud DVR, Hulu Live or fuboTV?

A cloud DVR is essential for many cord-cutters. Both fuboTV and Hulu Live significantly upgraded their DVR offerings recently.

FuboTV now offers a base 1,000-hour cloud DVR. It used to be just 250 hours of recording capacity.

You can fast-forward through commercials on recordings and keep recordings for as long as you wish.

Hulu Live upgraded to an unlimited DVR for all subscribers. Prior to that, you could only record 50 hours of programming and couldn’t fast-forward through commercials.

The upgrade eliminated both restrictions. Plus, you can keep recordings for nine months.

While 1,000 hours of recording capacity and the ability to keep recordings for life at fuboTV is nice, the Hulu Live upgrade makes them the clear winner.

DVR winner: Hulu Live

What are the Supported Devices?

If your device has a screen, you can likely use it to stream either fuboTV or Hulu Live.

The list of compatible devices is extensive. You can stream on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, Tivo Stream, Onn devices, and more.

It’s also possible to stream on smart TVs, computers, tablets, gaming consoles, and other streaming media players.

Supported devices winner: Tie

How Many Simultaneous Streams Do the Services Offer?

FuboTV allows users to stream live TV on ten simultaneous streams. The platform used to only allow three streams, so this is a major upgrade.

You can also stream on up to three devices away from home.

Unfortunately, Hulu Live disappoints with only two simultaneous streams. You must purchase the unlimited screens add-on for $9.99 per month to get more.

The upgrade gives you an unlimited amount and three separate devices away from home.

Simultaneous streams winner: fuboTV

Which Service Has Parental Controls?

Managing what your children can watch is important to many parents. Not every streaming service offers parental controls, including fuboTV.

While fubo allows you to create up to six user profiles, there is no option to have parental controls. 

You can create a separate profile for your children to watch their favorite channels, but there’s no way to control what they watch.

On the other hand, Hulu Live allows you to make a kid’s profile that shows only suitable content for children.

You can also create a PIN to access non-kids profiles. The service allows subscribers to create up to six user profiles.

Parental controls winner: Hulu Live

Which Service Offers 4K Capability?

While still in its infancy, there is a growing number of cord-cutters who want 4K content.

FuboTV is one of the leaders in the space, with over 130 events in 4K. But, it’s only available in the Elite plan.

Hulu Live does have 4K content, but it’s mostly their original shows that have it. The same is true of Dolby 5.1 surround sound support.

FuboTV currently only supports standard 2.0 stereo audio, which is also what you’ll primarily find at Hulu.

Furthermore, if 4K content isn’t available, it will typically air in 1080p on both services.

4K content winner: fuboTV

What are Hulu Live and fuboTV’s Internet Speed Requirements?

Having high-speed internet is essential to live stream TV. Both services are clear in their internet speed requirements to watch shows without buffering.

Here are the speed requirements for fuboTV.

Here are the speed requirements for Hulu with Live TV.

Read our guide on minimum internet speed requirements to learn more about other services.

Internet speed winner: Tie

Which is Better Hulu Live or fuboTV?

If you’re a big fan of sports, fuboTV is going to be a better choice than Hulu Live. This is especially true if you love the NFL, college, and international/niche sports.

FuboTV offers a good selection of professional and college sports networks. It also allows for extensive customization to get lots of sports.

The one drawback is they don’t currently have Turner networks. This will pose a problem for NBA and college basketball fans.  

Read our review of fuboTV to learn more.

Hulu Live is worth considering if you need those Turner networks. Plus, it includes an unlimited DVR, parental controls, and the Disney bundle.

Both platforms performed well in our testing. But, if you want as close to a cable experience as possible, Hulu Live will serve you better.

Read our review of Hulu Live to learn more.

Other Cable Alternatives

Hulu Live and fuboTV are not the only live TV streaming services out there. Other top streaming options to consider are listed below.

Most of the services offer a free trial. Use those before committing. 

Then, choose the platform that gives you the highest number of your must-have networks and features for the best price.

Read our analysis of the top FuboTV alternatives to learn more about each platform.

Bottom Line

If you want a true replacement to cable, Hulu Live is the narrow winner. It has dozens of popular networks, an unlimited cloud DVR, and the Disney bundle.

FuboTV is a good choice if you truly want to customize your channel packages and don’t want the Disney bundle. But, the lack of Turner networks is a significant knock against them.

Ultimately, you should determine which channels and features are most important to you. Then, you’ll be able to decide which service is the best option for you.

How much do you spend on TV each month?