Netflix vs Hulu

Netflix vs Hulu

Netflix vs. Hulu: Cost

If we are solely considering affordability, Hulu wins. Their cheapest plan is priced at $5.99/month, whereas Netflix’s cheapest plan costs $8.99/month.

Purchasing the cheapest plans for both services does come with downsides. While Hulu’s plan is significantly cheaper, Hulu makes up for that revenue loss by showing ads. None of Netflix’s plans includes ads, but their cheapest (Basic) limits video quality to Standard Definition. Neither of Hulu’s plans has a limit on video quality.

Hulu (No-Ads) costs $11.99/month, which is slightly less expensive than Netflix’s Standard plan, which includes HD streaming, at $12.99/month. Even after paying more for the ad-free experience with Hulu, you’ll be paying less when compared to similar plans from Netflix.

Winner: Hulu

Hulu vs. Netflix: Content

In terms of sheer quantity of content, Netflix edges out Hulu. Netflix features over 6,400 movies and 1,600 TV shows—compare that to Hulu’s 2,500 movies and 1,600 shows. However, quantity only tells part of the story; quality also plays an important role.

Licensed TV Shows

To this day, Hulu remains the first-stop streaming home of many hit network shows—and you can stream them right away. While Netflix also has a large library of licensed TV shows (oftentimes overlapping with shows available on Hulu), you have to wait for the seasons to end before they show up on the service. Hulu definitely has the edge in this category.

Winner: Hulu

Licensed Movies

While Hulu was originally built around TV, Netflix was originally built mostly around movies. With Netflix you get a wider selection of some of the best movies of the past and present. Hulu’s library of licensed films has grown over the years, but still has a lot of catching up to do.

Winner: Netflix

Original Content

Netflix came roaring onto the scene with their original House of Cards show in 2013, which was the first big hit from a streaming service. Since then Netflix has dominated with original content like Orange Is the New Black, Narcos, The Witcher, Roma, and The Irishman among countless others.

Hulu’s selection of originals is a bit more modest than Netflix’s, but they do have their fair share of hit shows. The Handmaid’s Tale, for instance, is a favorite of many viewers and critics. It was the first original show from a streaming service to win the Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Drama. Still, Hulu has some catching up to do with Netflix.

Winner: Netflix

Downloads

Both Netflix and Hulu allow you to download content for offline viewing through each service’s mobile apps (not all shows and movies are available). After downloading you are typically given a window of time to watch the show or movie before the download expires. Netflix has much more content available for download than Hulu, perhaps due to Netflix allowing downloads for much longer.

Winner: Netflix

Netflix vs Hulu: Interface

Hulu and Netflix provide similar experiences on web browsers and TV apps. You can scroll through images of various shows and movies that are divided up into different categories. Each has easy to use search functions and allow you to add content to customized lists.

The mobile apps are a different story. Netflix’s mobile app is fairly similar to the web browser interface, so switching between the two is pretty seamless. Things are a bit clunkier on the Hulu app. Gone are the scrollable categories, and each show image takes up the majority of the screen. Aimless browsing for the next show or movie that catches your eye is a little harder with the Hulu app.

Winner: Netflix

Netflix vs. Hulu: Compatible Devices

Netflix and Hulu are two of the biggest players in the video streaming game, and not surprisingly are compatible with just about every streaming device and Smart TV. Check out the table below for a better idea of just how compatible Hulu and Netflix are with various streaming devices.

Winner: Tie

Netflix vs. Hulu: Final Verdict

Hulu and Netflix both have their strong points. Hulu provides immediate access to some of the most current hit shows. Netflix has produced more of its own hit show and movies. Both services have huge libraries of content to keep you entertained for a very long time.

Netflix, however, edges out Hulu in this contest. Sure, Netflix is more expensive, but their superiority with original content is just too hard to beat. On top of that, Netflix has the better overall interface and a better selection of movies.

Winner: Netflix