Whether you’re a new cord-cutter wanting to escape cable TV or a longtime live TV streamer thinking about jumping to another service, two of the best choices out there are Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. The latter is often The Streamable’s pick for viewers who are looking to keep their streaming spending more reasonable, while Hulu + Live TV is arguably the best deal in streaming.

Hulu + Live TV offers over 100 channels and includes the Disney Bundle of Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ at no extra cost, making for a maximalist streaming experience. Sling TV is a slimmer package with a base of 30 to 50 channels and a boatload of available add-on packages to customize the service to your liking.

The differences don’t end there, so let’s get into the details of Hulu + Live TV vs. Sling TV.

Hulu + Live TV vs. Sling TV: Which is right for you?

The Essentials

Price

Hulu + Live TV’s basic package goes for $83 per month, which includes ads on Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ content. For $96 per month, you can slash the commercials from Hulu and Disney+ but not ESPN+’s live sports programming. On live TV channels, you’ll still see ads, though — they’re inescapable, no matter how much you pay.

Sling TV gives you three color-coded choices: Sling Orange (30 channels for $46 per month), Sling Blue (40 channels for $46 per month), or Sling Orange + Blue (50 channels for $61 per month). Sling Orange focuses more on sports and kids channels, Sling Blue leans toward news and entertainment channels, and Sling Orange + Blue — you guessed it—combines them all.

Overall Channels

Hulu + Live TV’s 105-channel lineup looks complete at first glance, but look closer and you’ll notice AMC, BBC America, IFC, [Sundance TV], and WE tv are missing. AMC+ is a relatively inexpensive workaround for watching content from those channels and an excellent on-demand streamer in its own right, FYI.

Sling TV’s Orange and Blue plans are slightly different, with some channels overlapping, and Sling Orange + Blue is closer to a complete cable-like lineup. It’s still missing popular channels like FXX, Hallmark, MTV, Paramount Network, and VH1, but they’re available in Sling TV’s various add-on channel packages (more on those coming up).

Popular Channels

Local Channels

Hulu + Live TV carries local affiliate stations for ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, and The CW in most markets, so you miss this week’s detective antics on “Elsbeth” and “High Potential.”

Unfortunately, watching local channels isn’t as simple with Sling TV. The skinnier service does offer local ABC, Fox, and NBC affiliates in some areas across the country, only five markets have all three available, and Sling doesn’t offer not CBS or The CW anywhere. Sling TV does offer the option of integrating an over-the-air antenna to receive more local channels, but watching your local CBS station on Paramount+ might be easier. Also, The CW app is free and available on most streaming devices.

Where can you watch local stations on Sling TV?

Sports Channels

Pro Sports Channels

Hulu + Live TV streams most of the popular sports cable channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, [Fox Sports 2], and CBS Sports Network. You can get even more — including NFL RedZone, MLB Network Strike Zone, and FanDuel TV — with Hulu + Live TV’s Sports Add-On for an extra $10 monthly.

Sling TV’s Orange plan only streams ESPN and ESPN 2, while the Blue plan includes FS1 and NFL Network; Orange + Blue obviously delivers all of the above, but it’s still an underwhelming sports lineup. For a fuller array of sports channels, Sling TV’s Sports Extra add-on fills in the blanks with over 15 channels, including FS2, beIN Sports, MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, and more for $11 per month.

College Sports Channels

Hulu + Live TV carries an excellent lineup of college sports channels, including ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, SEC Network, and truTV.

None of Sling TV’s plans include college sports channels. To get them, you’d have to pay for the Sports Extra add-on pack, which includes ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPNU, and SEC Network. Unless you’re the most casual of sports fans, you’re really going to want Sling TV’s Sports Extra add-on.

Pro and College Sports Channels

Regional Sports Channels

Depending on your location, Hulu + Live TV features some regional sports networks (RSNs), including Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, and NBC Sports California. But, Hulu + Live TV doesn’t carry FanDuel Sports, Marquee Sports Network, or NESN.

Sling TV no longer has any RSNs in its channel lineup, but keep in mind that even with Hulu, you will only receive access to the RSNs available in your market, so you are only getting one or two extra channels in this department.

Included Features

On-Demand Library

Both Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV offer on-demand TV shows and movies from networks in their respective channel lineups, a handy feature if you forgot to record “Watch What Happens Live” after “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.” You can also rent or buy recent and older movies and TV shows through Hulu + Live and Sling TV.

Hulu + Live TV has a huge advantage here with its Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ bundle, which collectively features thousands of hours of on-demand content. In addition to its paid channels, Sling Freestream — which, true to its name, is free to even non-subscribers — carries a decent amount of on-demand TV shows and movies, as well as dozens of FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels.

Add-On Channel Packages

Hulu + Live TV gives you the option of adding Max, Cinemax, Paramount+ with Showtime, and Starz as premium channels, and also a 16-channel add-on Entertainment package that includes Boomerang, MTV Classic, and Destination America. Not only do you have on-demand access to these add-ons, but they’ll also appear in your live TV lineup grid.

Sling TV’s premium channel offerings include Paramount+ with Showtime and Starz, as well as AMC+, MGM+, discovery+, and Shudder. It’s add-on channel packs, on the other hand, can easily expand your viewing experience. Entertainment Extra (Paramount Network, MTV, TV Land, and more), Kids Extra (Boomerang, Disney XD, Nicktoons, and more), and Hollywood Extra (FXX, SundanceTV, TCM, and more), and Sports Extra are just a few of what’s available.

DVR

Hulu + Live TV comes with unlimited cloud DVR storage and will keep your recorded TV shows and movies for nine months. Sling TV only includes 50 hours standard but recently introduced unlimited storage for an extra $5 per month, replacing its previous 200-hour limit.

Simultaneous Streams and 4K

You only get two simultaneous streams with Hulu + Live TV, with the option to add its Unlimited Screens upgrade for an additional $10 per month. If you have a crowded household with divergent TV tastes, Unlimited Screens would be worth it.

Sling TV’s approach is a bit more scattershot: Sling Orange allows one stream at a time, Sling Blue allows three, and Sling Orange + Blue allows four simultaneous streams. Oddly, for a service that offers so many options in other areas, Sling TV doesn’t sell an unlimited streams upgrade.

Sling TV streams select events and shows in 4K, but Hulu + Live TV is currently 4K-free.

Device Compatibility

Which is Right for You?

For a simple changeover from cable or even another live TV streaming service, Hulu + Live TV is the no-muss, no-fuss choice. It features almost all of the live channels you’d want, as well as on-demand access to Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+. It’s also expensive, but considering everything you get and how easy it is to navigate, it might be worth it for you.

Conversely, Sling TV requires some homework to find the right package and add-on combinations to fit your needs. But if you’re into customization and digging into the details, you could create your own personalized Sling TV package that’s less expensive than Hulu + Live TV and most of the other cable-replacement streaming services.