Hulu is a subscription-based streaming service focused on TV shows and movies with ad-supported and ad-free tiers starting at $7.99/month, while YouTube is a free ad-supported video platform with 800+ million hours of user-generated and professional content accessible without payment. Hulu requires a paid subscription for ad-free viewing, whereas YouTube's free tier includes ads but offers Premium ($13.99/month) for ad removal.
Hulu vs YouTube — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Subscription video-on-demand streaming service with licensed TV shows, films, and original programming.
Free video-sharing platform with 800+ million hours of user-generated, professional, and premium content.
Primary Business Model. Original Content Library. Monthly Ad-Free Cost. Content Type Focus. Simultaneous Streams. Live TV Option. Mobile Offline Viewing
Choose Hulu if you want curated, professional TV shows and movies with live TV options and prefer a traditional streaming experience with clear content hierarchies. Choose YouTube if you value free access to diverse content, enjoy user-generated videos, music, and shorts, and don't mind ads or prefer YouTube Premium's features like offline viewing and background playback.
Recommended Bundle Price (All Services, No Ads)
Hulu: $44.99 (with ESPN Unlimited) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 8 participants (Watch Party) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Available with bundles | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Limited (select events only) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Top 3 among streamers | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Disney+, ESPN+, FX content | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Tell Me Lies (7.2 rating) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: ESPN+ with premium sports | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Via ESPN+ partnership | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Standard mobile app | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Included (Hulu Watch Party) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Easier to browse and find content | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: $19.99/month (included) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Next-day episodes of current shows | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Standalone app ending, merging into Disney+ | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Yes (ABC, NBC, Fox, FX) | YouTube: No
Hulu: Same-day/next-day (typically 8-24 hours) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: $119.99 (with ads, includes Disney+ & ESPN+) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 4K HDR, Dolby Atmos | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Yes (add-on: $14.99/mo) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 2 (ad-free plan) | YouTube: Unlimited
Hulu: Yes ($14.99/month with Disney+/ESPN+) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 30 days (varies by plan) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Next-day (24 hours) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Yes (all tiers) | YouTube: Not available
Hulu: Available ($76.99/month add-on) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 500+ (Live TV tier) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 25+ diverse originals | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: ABC, Fox, NBC shows included | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: $14.99 (with Disney+, ESPN+) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Same-day or next-day | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: Limited (requires add-ons) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 65+ (Hulu+Live TV $76.99/mo) | YouTube: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard Tier)
Hulu: $7.99/month (with ads) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: ~15% of library in 4K | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 90+ channels (Live TV add-on) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: $14.99 | YouTube: $13.99 (YouTube Premium)
Hulu: ~24 hours (next day) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 0 games (requires ESPN+ add-on) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 1080p Full HD (Premium) | YouTube: 8K (7680×4320)
Hulu: Full (most networks) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: $14.99 (Disney+/ESPN+ bundle) | YouTube: N/A
Hulu: 5,000+ hours | YouTube: 800+ million hours
Hulu: 51.6 (Q4 2024) | YouTube: 2,500+ (monthly active users)
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: AI-powered Recommendations
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: Stable parent (Alphabet)
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: 4,000 hours (last 12 months)
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: 30-180 days (evergreen potential)
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: 10 minutes - unlimited
Algorithm Accessibility for New Creators
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: Yes—shows overlay recommendations
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: 1,000 subscribers + 4,000 watch hours
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: Basic comments & community features
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: Strict (bans misinformation, hate speech, controversial politics)
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: 31 countries (as of March 2026)
Minimum Subscriber Requirement for Monetization
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: 93% (recommendation engine)
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: No (external links only)
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: 4.8% (educational content)
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: $31.5B (YouTube advertising revenue)
Monetization Eligibility (Followers Required)
Hulu: N/A | YouTube: Strict with demonetization enforcement
Estimated Creator Annual Earnings (1M subscribers)
Hulu vs YouTube — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Hulu vs YouTube. Contains 228 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Hulu vs YouTube — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Hulu vs YouTube.
Can I watch current TV shows on Hulu without paying?
Yes, Hulu's $7.99/month plan with ads includes next-day access to current TV episodes from ABC, NBC, Fox, and other networks. However, you must subscribe to access this content. The ad-free experience requires the $15.99/month plan. YouTube does not offer official next-day TV episodes unless creators upload them.
YouTube is completely free to use with ads. Hulu's lowest tier costs $7.99/month. YouTube Premium ($13.99/month) removes ads and adds features like offline downloads and background playback, matching Hulu's ad-free experience in price.
Can I share my account with family members?
Hulu's ad-free plan allows 2 simultaneous streams, limiting household sharing. Hulu + Live TV ($76.99/month) also supports 2 simultaneous streams. YouTube Premium ($13.99/month) offers unlimited simultaneous streams across devices, making it more family-friendly for sharing without restrictions.
Hulu has 2,000+ curated, licensed films from major studios including Disney, Marvel, and Pixar content (Disney owns both platforms). YouTube has millions of movies available but they're user-uploaded, professionally uploaded, or available for purchase/rental—not a cohesive licensed library. For exclusive theatrical releases, Hulu is superior.
Hulu supports offline downloads on all subscription tiers, including the $7.99/month plan. YouTube only offers offline downloads through YouTube Premium ($13.99/month). Hulu's advantage here is significant for travelers and those with limited internet connectivity across all price points.
Primary Business Model: Hulu has Subscription-based (freemium Premium tier), while YouTube has Free with ads (Premium paid option).
Original Content Library: Hulu has 3,000+ licensed TV shows and 2,000+ films, while YouTube has 40,000+ YouTube Originals and Premium exclusives.
Monthly Ad-Free Cost: Hulu has $7.99 (with ads) to $15.99 (ad-free), while YouTube has $13.99 (YouTube Premium).
Content Type Focus: Hulu has Professional TV episodes, movies, documentaries, while YouTube has User-generated videos, tutorials, music, shorts, professional content.
Simultaneous Streams: Hulu has 2 simultaneous streams (ad-free plan), while YouTube has Unlimited simultaneous streams (Premium).
Live TV Option: Hulu has Hulu + Live TV bundle available ($76.99/month), while YouTube has No live TV offering.
Mobile Offline Viewing: Hulu has Supported on all tiers, while YouTube has YouTube Premium only ($13.99/month).