Hulu Plus Review 2021: Is It Worth the Extra Money?
GOBankingRates Score
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Channels
4.7
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Cost
4.7
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Simultaneous Streams
4.5
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Cloud DVR
4.6
Pros
- One-month free trial
- Thousands of movies and TV shows
- Can bundle with other popular streaming services
- Full seasons of current-season TV show episodes
Cons
- Premium channels available as add-ons
- Must pay extra for no ads
- Must pay extra for technology feature add-ons
- No equipment to rent; no installation fees
One of the most popular streaming services around, Hulu Plus doesn’t just let you watch current and older TV shows and movies, but the live TV upgrade also adds local channels, local news and live sports.
Hulu Plus gives you a combination of on-demand, network, premium, original and live viewing options. Hulu Plus may make it easier to cut the cable cord, but is it worth your dollars?
What Is Hulu Plus?
Hulu Plus is the premium version of Hulu, a subscription video-on-demand service that was originally launched in 2010. Today, Hulu’s one of the most popular TV streaming services, and Hulu Plus is one of the best choices for live TV streaming for the cost.
Hulu basic offers many attractive viewing choices for cable cutters on its own, but Hulu Plus goes the extra mile for viewers who like to keep up with the latest episodes of their favorite TV shows.
While you’ll have to watch ads, here’s what else you get with basic Hulu service:
- A free 30-day trial
- A streaming library with thousands of full seasons of TV series, current episodes, Hulu Originals and new movies
- Next-day new episodes
- Watch on any smart device
- Up to six user profiles to save personal favorites
- Watch on two different screens simultaneously
Hulu Plus gives you the same great features as basic Hulu with these additions:
- Live TV with more than 75 channels
- Live on-screen guide to navigate channels
- 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage to record live shows and watch later
How Much Extra Does Hulu Plus Cost?
Hulu has three tiers of streaming service 一 Hulu Basic, Hulu Basic No Ads and Hulu Plus Live TV. You can try each service for free during a trial period. Hulu Basic and Hulu Basic No Ads both have a 30-day free trial. Hulu Plus Live TV’s free trial period is only for seven days.
After the free trial:
- Hulu Basic is $5.99 per month.
- Hulu Basic No Ads is $11.99 per month.
- Hulu Plus Live TV is $64.99 per month.
Hulu charges applicable sales tax per month, per service according to your state or jurisdiction.
How Can You Watch Hulu Plus?
Hulu Plus subscribers can stream content from just about anywhere on any supported device. Below is a list of all currently supported devices where you can live stream your favorite shows and movies.
| Hulu Plus Live TV Supported Devices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Android Phones and Tablets | Android TV | Apple TV |
| Chromecast | Echo Show | Fire Tablets |
| Fire TV and Fire TV Stick | iPhones and iPads | LG TV |
| Nintendo Switch | Mac and PC Browsers/Apps | PlayStation |
| Roku | Samsung | VIZIO SmartCast TVs |
| Xbox | Xfinity Flex Streaming TV Box | Xfinity X1 TV Boxes |
Some devices like Android TV, LG TV and Roku support Hulu Plus only on certain models. If your device is not listed, you can let Hulu know in the Hulu Community online.
Is Hulu Plus Worth the Extra Money?
At around $65 per month, Hulu Plus is one of the best deals you’ll get in a streaming service. Hulu Plus has a few competitors that offer similar features at different prices. Here are some of the most popular live TV streaming apps and features to compare with Hulu Plus.
| Feature to Compare | Hulu Plus Live TV | AT&T TV | FuboTV | YouTube TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of channels | 75 | 60 | 65 | 78 |
| Simultaneous streams per account | 2 ($10 extra per month for unlimited streams) | 20 | 2 ($6 extra per month for 3 streams) | 3 |
| Add more channels upgrade | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cloud DVR | 50 hours (200 hours with commercial skip for $10 extra per month) | 20 hours (unlimited hours for $10 extra per month) | 30GB (500GB for $10 extra per month) | Keep recordings for 9 months |
| Network channels (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cost per month | $65 | $70 | $60 | $65 |
If channel variety is important to you, think carefully about choosing Hulu Plus. The service recently added popular channels like Comedy Central and MTV, but it still lacks other widely watched channels such as AMC and BBC.
Good To Know
Most people consider Hulu Plus a more affordable way to watch live TV compared to a cable subscription. Whether it’s for you or not will depend on how much TV you watch and how much you want to spend on it.
Our in-house research team and on-site financial experts work together to create content that’s accurate, impartial, and up to date. We fact-check every single statistic, quote and fact using trusted primary resources to make sure the information we provide is correct. You can learn more about GOBankingRates’ processes and standards in our editorial policy.
