As streaming services continue to increase their prices, it has become more difficult for cord-cutters to manage the costs of their subscription bills. Recently, both Hulu and Disney+ announced price increases, while Netflix raised its prices earlier this year. However, Netflix has now introduced a cheaper, ad-supported tier, which may attract more users.
Both Hulu and Netflix offer a range of high-quality content, but Netflix’s original content library is larger and more diverse. It has a 15-year history in the streaming industry and has produced popular shows such as “Stranger Things,” “Bridgerton,” and “Ozark,” as well as big-budget films featuring A-list actors. In addition to its own productions, Netflix also holds distribution rights to content from various movie studios and TV networks, such as “Good Girls” from NBC and “Shameless” from Showtime.
While Hulu also has a number of original series, including “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Only Murders in the Building,” its library is not as extensive as Netflix’s.
One of the features that subscribers appreciate about Netflix is its binge-streaming model, in which an entire season of a show is made available at once, rather than releasing one episode per week like Hulu. In 2022, Netflix received 26 Emmy awards after being nominated 105 times, with its show “Squid Game” becoming the first non-English series to win the Outstanding Drama category. In comparison, Hulu won 10 Emmys out of 58 nominations.
Netflix also offers a range of interactive series, such as “Bandersnatch,” “Cat Burglar,” “Trivia Quest,” and “Triviaverse,” which set it apart from Hulu. In addition, Netflix is expanding into cinematic franchises, while Hulu has not yet achieved this. Netflix has announced plans for a sequel and spin-off shows for “The Gray Man” and “Stranger Things,” and has acquired the rights to “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” and “Knives Out 3” for a reported $450 million.
Additionally, Netflix will make reality TV history with its upcoming competition series “Squid Game: The Challenge,” which will feature the largest-ever reality TV cast of 456 contestants. However, Netflix has received criticism for its reality TV offerings, such as the unscripted series “Is It Cake?” which received a low audience score of 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. While “Love is Blind” was a success for the streaming service, its show “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On” had an audience score of only 11% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Hulu may be the better choice for reality TV fans, as it offers a strong selection of reality shows, including “The Kardashians” and “The D’Amelio Show.” Hulu also has a large library of traditional TV shows, thanks to partnerships with networks such as ABC, FX, Fox, and Food Network, among others. However, Hulu did lose its licensing agreements for next-day episodes of shows from NBC and Bravo, and as a result, had to remove on-demand episodes of shows such as “Saturday Night Live” and “The Voice.” Despite this, Hulu still has rights to older titles such as “Law & Order SVU,” “Friday Night Lights,” and “30 Rock.
Hulu also offers the option of Hulu Live TV, which includes access to over 75 live channels such as Bravo, Comedy Central, E!, Freeform, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, MTV, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Discovery, History, National Geographic, ESPN, CNN, Fox News, ABC News, and more.
With the recent launch of Netflix’s low-cost, ad-supported plan, known as “Basic with Ads,” Hulu and other ad-supported streaming services are facing increased competition. The “Basic with Ads” plan costs $6.99 per month, slightly cheaper than Hulu’s ad-supported plan at $7.99 per month. Netflix also offers a Standard plan for $15.50 per month, similar to Hulu’s ad-free plan at $14.99 per month.
Netflix’s ads are limited to approximately four to five minutes per hour of content and are only 15 to 30 seconds long. Additionally, new Netflix movies only have pre-roll ads, while older movies have both mid-roll and pre-roll ads, similar to Hulu’s ad placements.
However, Netflix’s cheaper plan does have some drawbacks. In addition to the presence of ads, it also offers lower-quality 720p video and allows only one device to stream at a time, with no offline viewing available. Hulu’s ad-supported plan does not allow for offline viewing either but does offer the option to watch videos in up to 1080p, with select content available in 4K. To stream Netflix content in 4K, subscribers must pay the premium price of $19.99 per month.
Hulu’s ad-supported plan also allows for two devices to stream at the same time, while Netflix’s “Basic with Ads” plan allows only one. Netflix’s ad-supported plan also limits access to approximately 5-10% of its content due to licensing restrictions, although the company is working on renegotiating with studios to bring more content to this tier. Hulu also has licensing issues with its show “Grey’s Anatomy,” so even on the ad-free plan, it still includes ads. Hulu Live TV’s ad-free tier also includes ads on some on-demand titles.
One advantage of Hulu is its Disney bundle, which combines Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu at a discounted rate, offering a wide range of entertainment options such as movies, TV shows, sports programming, and original content at a reasonable price. As of late 2022, the bundled plan with ESPN+, Disney+, and ad-supported Hulu is $14.99 per month, while the ad-free version, including Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu, is $19.99 per month.
Hulu also offers the option to add on premium subscription channels such as HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and STARZ for additional fees ranging from $8.99 to $14.99 per month. Hulu Live TV subscribers can also add on channels such as Español, Entertainment, and Sports for as low as $4.99 per month, or pay an additional $9.99 per month to stream on an unlimited number of supported devices simultaneously. Netflix does not offer add-on channels.
Ultimately, the choice between Netflix and Hulu depends on the features and content that are most important to you. If you prioritize a large, diverse content library and the option to binge-watch your favorite shows, Netflix may be the better choice. On the other hand, if you value access to a wide range of traditional TV shows, especially reality TV, and the ability to bundle or add on additional subscription services, Hulu may be the better option.”
