First take: Is Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV better?
If you love to customize, Sling TV has a ton of affordable options for you. But Hulu + Live TV keeps things simple and has everything most cord-cutters need.
Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV pros and cons
Sling TV
👍 Tons of sports channels
👍 Cheap packages
👎 Add-on costs that add up fast
Hulu + Live TV
👍 Straightforward packages
👍 Huge on-demand library
👎 Limited channel list
Deals and promotions
Sling TV deals
Sling TV makes a big deal about how you can start streaming at $15. But this deal is for 40% off your first month only. Not bad, but we’d like the advertisements to be clearer about the deal length.
You can forgo the one-month discount and prepay for two months to get a shiny Roku Express worth $29.99.
And if you’re in it to win it, prepay for three months and get a cord-cutter startup kit worth $175.
These offers can’t be combined, so choose carefully.
Hulu + Live TV deals
As for Hulu, it offers a seven-day free trial for new users, which is great if you’re not yet ready to hand over cash to stream.
How are Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV different?
Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV
| Sling TV | Hulu + Live TV | |
| Price | $25–$40/mo. | $44.99–$50.99/mo. |
| Live channels | 30–50+ | 60+ |
| Max. cloud DVR | 50 hrs. (not included) | 200 hrs. |
| Compatible devices | 16 | 15 |
| Max. multiple streams | 4 | Unlimited at home + 3 on the go |
| Trial | 40% off first month | First week free |
Data as of 11/18/19. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Sling TV’s packages might put dollar signs in your eyes, but Hulu Live’s come with more channels and a 50-hour cloud DVR—Sling TV’s cloud DVR is $5 more per month.
And for all the extra features you can add on to your Sling TV subscription, more streams isn’t one of them. You have to jump through some hoops to even use the max four. Hulu Live comes with just two streams, but you can upgrade to a genuinely family-friendly number.
Prices and plans: How much are Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV?
Sling TV pricing and plans
| Packages | Price | Channel count |
| Sling Orange | $25/mo. | 30+ |
| Sling Blue | $25/mo. | 45+ |
| Sling Orange & Blue | $40/mo. | 50+ |
Data as of 11/18/19. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Sling TV’s $25 per month price is tempting, but it splits its packages in funky ways. That may keep you from getting what you want without emptying your wallet, especially when you start to consider the 200+ add-on channels.
The add-on packs have between five and 15 channels each. You can grab genres like sports, comedy, kids, and lifestyle for about $5 to $10 per month a pop.
Hulu + Live TV pricing and plans
| Packages | Price | Channel count |
| Hulu + Live TV | $44.99/mo. | 60+ |
| Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV | $50.99/mo. | 60+ |
Data as of 11/18/19. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Both of Hulu Live’s live TV packages have the same channels. But fork over the extra $6 per month, and you get to watch all the on-demand shows and movies commercial-free.
Cord-cutting savings
Channels: What’s on Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV?
Missing channels
| Sling TV | Hulu + Live TV |
| HBO® | BET |
| CINEMAX® | MTV |
| Nickelodeon | Nickelodeon |
| See full channel lineup | See full channel lineup |
Sling TV misses out on two of the most popular premium channels. But if you go with Sling TV, you can still pick up HBO at HBO NOW or stream shows from both HBO and CINEMAX through Amazon Prime Video.
And while Sling TV has most Viacom channels, it doesn’t carry Nickelodeon. That’s still better than Hulu Live, which doesn’t have anything from Viacom, including BET and MTV.
But if you want another streaming service to expand your TV experience, you can pick all those channels up at fuboTV or Philo.
Sports channels
Sports on Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV
| Sports channel | Sling TV | Hulu + Live TV |
| ACC Network Extra | ✓ | ✗ |
| beIN Sports | ✓ | ✗ |
| BTN | ✗ | ✓ |
| CBS Sports Network | ✗ | ✓ |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPN2 | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPN3 | ✓ | ✗ |
| ESPN Bases Loaded | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPN College Extra | ✗ | ✓ |
| ESPN Goal Line | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPNEWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPNU | ✓ | ✓ |
| FOX Soccer Plus | ✗ | ✗ |
| FOX Sports 1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| FOX Sports 2 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Golf Channel | ✓ | ✓ |
| MLB Network | ✓ | ✗ |
| MLB Network Strike Zone | ✓ | ✗ |
| NBA TV | ✓ | ✗ |
| NBCSN | ✓ | ✓ |
| NFL Network | ✓ | ✗ |
| NFL RedZone | ✓ | ✗ |
| NHL Network | ✓ | ✗ |
| Olympic Channel | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outside TV | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pac-12 Networks | ✓ | ✗ |
| SEC Network | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stadium | ✓ | ✗ |
| Stadium Plus 1 | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tennis Channel | ✓ | ✓ |
Data as of 11/18/19. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
With 26 available sports channels, Sling TV takes home the title here. Team Sling Orange & Blue up with the Sports Extra add-on to get them all.
Hulu Live has only 15 sports channels, and it’s missing the big league networks. But Hulu Live is also much better at providing local channels, so there’s a higher chance you can pick up local games without an antenna.
Local channels
Sling TV can’t help you out much with local channels. To even get FOX and NBC, you need the Sling Blue package and you have to live in one of the right areas. ABC and CBS aren’t even options.
This is part of the reason Sling TV’s cord-cutter deal is so appealing—it comes with a broadcast antenna to catch your local channels.
Meanwhile, Hulu Live offers the full roster of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Even though you still have to live in a supported area to get them all, there’s a higher chance you’ll get them in your area.
Want more local channels?
Premium channels
Premiums on Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV
| Sling TV | Hulu + Live TV | |
| HBO | - | $14.99/mo. |
| CINEMAX | - | $9.99/mo. |
| SHOWTIME® | $10/mo. | $10.99/mo. |
| STARZ® | $9/mo | $8.99/mo. |
Data as of 11/18/19. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
We mentioned earlier that Sling TV doesn’t offer HBO or CINEMAX. It’s a pain but not the end of the world since you can get HBO on its own streaming service, HBO NOW. You can also pick up both channels on Amazon Prime Video.
And just as a fun fact, Sling TV offers SHOWTIME for less than any other livestreaming service. It’s only $0.99 cheaper than Hulu, but it is cheaper.
On the other hand, Hulu Live has all the premium channels. They’re well-priced, too, and you won’t have to skip around to other apps or websites to watch them. It’s a convenient perk if you want to keep streaming simple.
Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV: original shows and movies
Popular original shows and movies
Sling TV
- N/A
Hulu + Live TV
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- Ramy
- Minding the Gap
Sling TV doesn’t offer original content, but Hulu has tons of streaming on demand.
While Hulu’s original movies are mostly documentaries and bad horror movies, its shows are captivating. If you haven’t heard about The Handmaid’s Tale, let us know. We’d love to talk your ear off about it.
Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV: specs and features
Hulu + Live TV’s feature add-ons cost more than Sling TV’s, but they’re a cut above what you can get with most streaming services.
Cloud DVR
Sling TV cloud DVR add-on
| Sling TV | Price | Storage |
| Cloud DVR | $5/mo. | 50 hrs. |
As of 11/18/19.
While Sling TV doesn’t come with a cloud DVR, you can add one to your service for $5 per month. Its 50 hours of storage is enough to hoard four out of five Breaking Bad seasons.
| Hulu + Live TV | Price | Storage |
| Hulu + Live TV | Included | 50 hrs. |
| Enhanced Cloud DVR | $9.99/mo. | 200 hrs. |
As of 11/18/19.
In its packages, Hulu Live includes a cloud DVR as big as Sling TV’s add-on. But if you want to keep more shows on hand, the Enhanced Cloud DVR has enough storage for all eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries—and then some.
Multiple streams
Sling TV streams
| Sling TV | Simultaneous streams | Offline viewing |
| Sling Orange | 1 | N/A |
| Sling Blue | 3 | N/A |
| Sling Orange & Blue | 4 | N/A |
Fair warning: Sling TV’s stream rules are weird.
Sling Orange comes with just one stream, which is fine if you’re the only one using it. But if you share, you might find yourself booted out from watching every so often.
Sling Blue has three streams, which is excellent. You’ll be able to share with a couple of people—no problem.
But Orange & Blue’s stream count is a filthy lie.
You still get only that one Sling Orange stream for any channels included on that package and three Sling Blue streams for its channels. That means you’ll have to do-si-do around who’s watching which channels.
Want to watch ESPN while your kid watches the Disney Channel? One of you will be out of luck because both are Sling Orange exclusive. This flaw seems designed to ruin the TV harmony of families everywhere.
Hulu + Live TV streams
| Hulu + Live TV | Simultaneous streams | Offline viewing |
| Hulu + Live TV | 2 | 25 shows and movies |
| Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV | 2 | 25 shows and movies |
| Unlimited Screens | Unlimited at home, 3 on the go | 25 shows and movies |
Hulu Live’s streams are far more straightforward. You get two on live TV packages, and you can pay another $9.99 per month for unlimited streams on your home Wi-Fi and three more to take out into the world.
That’s an unbeatable streaming opportunity. Keep it classy, Hulu Live.
Compatible devices
Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: devices
| Compatible devices | Sling TV | Hulu + Live TV |
| Amazon Fire TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Amazon Fire tablet | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android mobile devices | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Apple TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Google Chromecast | ✓ | ✓ |
| iOS mobile devices | ✓ | ✓ |
| iPod Touch | ✓ | ✓ |
| LG TV Smart TVs (select models) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac computers (Safari) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nintendo Switch | ✗ | ✗ |
| PlayStation 3 | ✗ | ✗ |
| PlayStation 4 | ✗ | ✗ |
| Roku devices | ✓ | ✓ |
| Samsung Smart TVs (select models) | ✓ | ✓ |
| VIZIO SmartCast TV (select models) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wii | ✗ | ✗ |
| Wii U | ✗ | ✗ |
| Windows computers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows 10 phones | ✓ | ✗ |
| Xbox 360 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Xbox One | ✓ | ✓ |
As of 11/18/19.
These two services are closely matched for available devices. Check the chart above to see if all your devices are supported, but otherwise, this shouldn’t be a deal maker or breaker.
Best streaming devices
Video quality
Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: picture
| Sling TV | Hulu + Live TV | |
| Video resolution | 720p | 720/1080p |
Both Sling TV and Hulu Live offer standard HD resolution on livestreaming shows, though the quality will lag when your internet does.
When you’re watching on demand, Hulu Live shows will stream at full HD if your internet is fast enough.
Having issues with your stream?
Channel guide
Sling TV and Hulu Live both use traditional channel guides, but Hulu’s is slightly more intuitive.
Sling TV channel guide on a desktop computer.
You can filter the Sling TV channel guide by genre to quickly search for a show that fits your mood. And it’s easy to scroll backward and forward to see what played before and what’s coming up next.
Hulu + Live TV channel guide on a desktop computer.
Hulu’s guide is similar to Sling TV’s, but the clickable sections at the top make it fast to find kids shows and movies than Sling TV’s drop-down menu.
Commercials
Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV: commercial-free packages
We know you hate commercials. Unfortunately, neither Sling TV nor Hulu Live can save you from the ads that play during live TV.
But Sling TV lets you fast-forward through commercials on shows you record to your cloud DVR. Or if you get Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV, that little phrase in parenthesis means all your on-demand shows and movies come commercial-free. And if you upgrade to Hulu’s Enhanced Cloud DVR, you’ll be able to fast-forward through many of your recordings there too.
Final cut
In the end, Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV are a close match. But our numbers show that across all live streaming services, Hulu Live wins Best Overall.
But if you have the cash to load up on Sling TV’s add-on packs, we wouldn’t blame you for choosing it. It’s superior as a customizable experience.