Hulu is a premium streaming service focused on licensed TV shows, movies, and original content with a subscription model, while YouTube is a free ad-supported video platform with user-generated and professional content. Hulu requires payment for ad-free viewing, whereas YouTube relies entirely on advertisements and premium memberships for monetization.
Hulu vs YouTube — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Hulu if you want a curated library of professional TV shows, movies, and prestige originals with the option to add live television. Choose YouTube if you prefer free access to diverse, user-generated content, music videos, educational material, and don't mind advertisements—or if you value global accessibility and content creator independence.
Subscription streaming service offering licensed TV shows, movies, and original series.
Free video-sharing platform with user-generated and professional content across diverse categories.
Structured comparison data for Hulu vs YouTube with 188 attributes.
Recommended Bundle Price (All Services, No Ads)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard Tier)
Algorithm Accessibility for New Creators
Minimum Subscriber Requirement for Monetization
Hulu vs YouTube — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Hulu vs YouTube.
Is Hulu or YouTube better for watching TV shows?
Hulu is significantly better for traditional TV shows, with 10,000+ licensed episodes from major networks like ABC, NBC, and Fox, including same-day releases for many shows. YouTube has minimal TV show content and focuses primarily on user-generated videos, though it hosts some professional content creators' shows. If you want structured TV series, Hulu is the clear winner.
Can I watch YouTube and Hulu completely free?
YouTube is completely free with ads; you watch unlimited content without paying anything. Hulu's free tier doesn't exist—the cheapest option is $7.99/month with ads. However, YouTube Premium ($13.99/month) removes ads, making it slightly cheaper than Hulu's ad-free tier ($14.99/month).
Hulu has more original series (450+ vs YouTube's 200+) with higher production budgets and award-winning quality (The Bear, Only Murders in the Building). YouTube excels at creator-driven content and niche originals but doesn't compete with Hulu's premium scripted series library.
What's available outside the United States?
YouTube is available in 190+ countries globally with full functionality. Hulu is primarily US-focused with limited availability in select international markets. If you're outside the US, YouTube is the only realistic choice between these two.
Both services offer offline downloads: Hulu allows downloads on all tiers (with limitations on ad-free), and YouTube Premium ($13.99/month) includes offline viewing. Free YouTube users cannot download content. Hulu's offline feature is more widely available across its library.