Apple TV+ vs Hulu + Live TV in 2023

Alt: Apple TV+ vs Hulu + Live TV

Apple TV+ and Hulu + Live TV are two very popular streaming services, with some big differences. The former has a small monthly fee and low amount of high quality content, while the latter offers far more content, but at a higher price.

While Apple TV+ is primarily an on-demand service, Hulu + Live TV mixes up on-demand and live programming, giving users an almost endless array of content to watch. But which service is best for you? Find out in our Apple TV+ vs Hulu + Live TV comparison.

Apple TV+ and Hulu + Live TV compared

Pricing and Plans

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option between these two services, there’s only one answer: Apple TV+ is significantly cheaper than Hulu + Live TV. There's only one pricing plan available, and it currently costs just $4.99 (or you can pay $49.99 annually and save a little extra). There are no ads on Apple TV+ and the $4.99 fee will give you full and complete access to the service’s library.

Hulu + Live TV, meanwhile, costs $69.99 per month. It’s significantly more expensive than Apple TV+, although it offers a lot more content for the price, including tens of thousands of hours of on-demand content, plus dozens of live channels. If you subscribe now, you also get access to Disney+ and ESPN+ included with the price of the package, and there are various optional add-ons like HBO Max and Showtime for additional monthly fees.

Channels Compared: Apple TV+ vs Hulu + Live TV

If you’re interested in watching live TV and want to choose between Apple TV+ and Hulu + Live TV, there’s only one option for you: Hulu + Live TV. This service has an impressive selection of live channels, with over 85 channels in total showing everything from news broadcasts to sporting events and entertainment.

Apple TV+, meanwhile, is purely an on-demand streaming service. It has a very small selection of live sporting content, including baseball and MLS soccer, but doesn’t offer any dedicated live channels or local news broadcasts. So, if you want a service that provides lots of live TV, Apple TV+ may not be the one for you.

Local Channels Compared

Hulu + Live TV offers quite a broad selection of local live channels, including your local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, The CW, and Telemundo channels. Subscribers can also view local sports networks view this service, depending on their region.

As explained above, Apple TV+ doesn’t have any live channels for subscribers, and this applies to local channels, too.

Sports Channels Compared

When it comes to sports, Hulu + Live TV still has plenty to offer. Subscribers to this service get access to the likes of ESPN and ESPN2 included with their regular monthly package, as well as the NHL Network for hockey fans, MLB Network for baseball lovers, and NBA TV. Golf Channel, CBS Sports, NFL Network, and Big Ten Network round out the sports offering for this service.

Apple TV+ doesn't have any specific sports channels and doesn't offer access to the likes of ESPN. However, the service has recently started to invest in live sports content. From 2022, Apple TV+ has been streaming live Friday Night Baseball games, and from 2023 onwards, Apple TV+ subscribers will get to watch select MLS soccer games for free, too.

Which has the better on-demand library?

While there’s not much comparison between Apple TV+ vs Hulu + Live TV in terms of live channels, the pair are much more comparable when it comes to on-demand content.

Apple TV+ is famous for its small but high quality collection of on-demand shows and movies. This platform has developed a reputation for crafting well-made, award-winning shows, such as Ted Lasso and Severance, focusing on quality over quantity. There are not thousands and thousands of hours of content on this service, but it does have a lot of good shows to watch, as well as Oscar-winning movies like CODA.

Hulu + Live TV, meanwhile, has one of the biggest on-demand libraries of any service. It provides subscribers with the full Hulu catalog, which includes some excellent shows and a good range of movies, as well as the entire Disney+ library, providing many more hours of content. Hulu’s on-demand library is more diverse and deeper than Apple TV+, and you’ll always have something new to watch, which isn’t necessarily the case of Apple’s service.

Do both services have a free trial?

At the moment, there’s only one of these services that has a free trial: Apple TV+. New subscribers to Apple’s on-demand streaming app can get the first seven days for free, which could be enough for you to binge through one of the platform’s top-rated shows, like The Morning Show or Mythic Quest.

Other features compared

Channels and content libraries make up a large part of any streaming service, but there are other factors and features to take into account, like DVR storage and simultaneous streaming. Here’s how Apple TV+ and Hulu + Live TV compare in terms of their features.

Cloud DVR

Hulu + Live TV offers unlimited DVR storage to its users at no extra cost. Thanks to this, you can save any live broadcast to watch or re-watch later on, and you won’t have to worry about hitting a storage limit. Hulu + Live TV DVR recordings last for nine whole months, too. On Apple TV+, there is no DVR feature.

Simultaneous Streams

Apple TV+ is pretty generous when it comes to simultaneous streaming, as up to six users can watch different shows and movies on various devices at the same time. This is handy if you have a large family, as the kids can watch Snoopy in Space while mom and dad stream For All Mankind, for example.

Hulu + Live TV, meanwhile, actually supports unlimited simultaneous streaming from users in the same home. In practice, most people won’t actually use more than a few different streams at once, but it’s still a handy and generous feature to have. If you want to stream simultaneously on different networks, you can only do this on three separate devices.

Supported Devices

Both Apple TV+ and Hulu + Live TV are available on a range of devices, from Smart TVs to living room devices like Apple TV, Fire TV, and Roku. They also both work on internet browsers, but Hulu + Live TV has the edge here. Apple TV+ doesn’t work on any Google or Android devices, which can make it quite difficult to access for those who aren’t already invested in Apple’s technology, like iPhones and iPads. Hulu is much more widely accessible.

Our Verdict: Hulu + Live TV is better than Apple TV+

Overall, when it comes to Apple TV+ vs Hulu + Live TV, we have to give the win to Hulu. Yes, it costs quite a lot more money, but it also gives you way more content, works on more devices, has a whole bunch of live channels, and comes with bonus features like DVR storage, too.

In comparison, Apple TV+ is a much smaller service. It lacks any kind of live content and has some device restrictions. However, it does offer some really top-notch shows and movies that deserve to be watched, and it’s available at a really tempting price for budget streamers.