Hulu vs. Netflix Review

At first glance, Hulu has the cheapest starter plan. But it's only worth it if you don't mind ad interruptions during your binge-watching.

It's nice to have that cheap $8 option for a streaming service if you're on a budget, though. And you can share an account with your spouse or roommate.

An awesome bonus to Hulu: you can get the ultimate entertainment bundle with Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+. Get all three services for $15–$25 per month and save $2–$10 than if you were to get each service separately. 

Netflix has a plan with ads that is $1 cheaper than Hulu, but only one person can stream at once compared to Hulu's two.

Hulu's no-ad plan is a couple of dollars more than Netflix's Standard plan with the same number of streams. And Hulu's no-ads plan is a couple of dollars cheaper than Netflix's highest-tiered no-ads plan. But Netflix's Premium plan might be worth the two extra dollars for the two extra streams.

If you're sharing an account with your spouse and kids, no one wants to go through the headache of waiting for someone to finish using Netflix so you can watch Love is Blind or Avatar the Last Airbender.

If you choose Netflix's Standard or Premium plan, you'll watch all of your content in HD (high definition). We know we like to watch John Mulaney's comedy specials in HD so it feels like we're sitting in the audience.

Recently get booted from your parents' Netflix account? You're not alone. Netflix has begun cracking down on password sharing, limiting simultaneous streams to one primary location.

Following password crack-downs, Netflix has implemented $7.99/month extra member slots for its Standard and Premium accounts. Extra members will be able to manage their own account and password, while payments will be sent to the person who invited them to join their Netflix account. You can add one extra member to Netflix Standard and up to two extra members with Netflix Premium.

There are specific advantages to both Hulu and Netflix. Hulu has recently-aired, on-demand content, while Netflix has more Original content and more content overall.

With Hulu, you'll find Friday night’s episode of Blue Bloods on Saturday morning, making Hulu the best cable replacement if you’re looking for an on-demand streaming service.

But Hulu only has over 2,500 titles in its library, while Netflix has over 5,000 titles.

So you just have to decide if you want newer content with Hulu or more content with Netflix. (Or just get both!)

One thing we love about Hulu is that it's a great choice for people who want to livestream music concerts, like Lollapalooza 2023.

Some TV shows and movies you’ll get to enjoy with Hulu include the following:

Next-day content can you find on Hulu are the following:

A few TV shows and movies you can watch with the fam on Netflix include the following:

Check out our Hulu review and Netflix review for more content you'll get with these on-demand services.

Netflix has more high-quality, Original content than Hulu does. Why? Because Netflix creates unique content more often than Hulu with famous directors, producers, and actors. 

But Hulu is right behind Netflix, so you'll win with either service.

Popular and noteworthy Originals on Hulu include the following:

• How I Met Your Father (with Hillary Duff and Josh Peck)
• Only Murders In the Building (with Selena Gomez and Steve Martin)
• The 1619 Project
• The Dropout (with Amanda Seyfried and Kate McKinnon)
• Dopesick (with Michael Keaton)
• The Croods: Family Tree
• Life & Beth (with Amy Schumer and Michael Sera)
• Letterkenney
• The Patient (with Steve Carell)

Critically acclaimed, binge-worthy Originals on Netflix include the following:

• Wednesday (with Jenna Ortage and Catherine Zeta-Jones)
• Luckiest Girl Alive (with Mila Kunis)
• Ozark (with Jason Bateman)
• From Scratch (with Zoe Saldaña)
• The Great British Baking Show
• Me Time (with Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg)
• Manifest
• The Crown
• Don't Look Up (with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence)
• Stanger Things

Both Hulu and Netflix have an easy-to-use interface, and honestly, they look somewhat identical.

You can expect to see a featured TV series or movie at the top of your screen before scrolling down to your horizontal rows of My List, Movies for You, and Bingeable TV.

If you get the Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu bundle, you'll get suggestions for live sporting events similar to the photo below. 

Hulu’s interface has some the same homepage tabs as Netflix: TV Shows, Movies, and My Stuff/ My List. But what sets Hulu apart is the Hubs tab.

This is where you can find movies and TV shows categorized by TV channels, like FX, Cartoon Network, and ABC. So if you’re a huge fan of ABC shows, Hulu makes it easy for you.

We like Netflix's "New & Popular" tab so we can find everything new Netflix has added (especially if you've already binged everything in Netflix's library).

Overall, you can’t go wrong with either interface. Hulu and Netflix have some of the smoothest, most aesthetically pleasing interfaces in the on-demand streaming service industry.

Good news! Hulu and Netflix are compatible with almost every device.

You and your nephew, spouse, or kiddo can stream Hulu on these streaming devices:

Stream Netflix all day long on these streaming devices:

We should also mention that Hulu suggests you have at least a 3 Mbps internet connection to stream in SD and 16 Mbps for streaming in 4K.

As for Netflix, you should have at least a 5 Mbps internet connection for HD-quality streaming and 25 Mbps for 4K streaming. If you have two simultaneous streams, you will need 50 Mbps for 4K quality.

(Not sure what internet speed you have? Test it out with our tool.)

If Netflix or Hulu is your first-ever streaming service, we suggest taking a look at our beginner's guide on how to stream TV.

If you need reliable internet for your marathon-watching Sundays, check out our favorite internet providers for streaming.

If you're looking for a streaming service that will give you lots of entertainment hours, Netflix will be your pick. Netflix is also perfect for families since you can stream on up to four devices compared to Hulu's two.

But Hulu can also be great for families if you decide to do the Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+ bundle. Guaranteed, everyone in the family will be happy.

• Pricing: Both services are similarly priced. Hulu’s Basic plan at $7.99/mo. is perfect for money-savers, but some would pay $10 more to eliminate the ads. Netflix's Standard with ads plan is $6.99/mo. The Standard plan is $15.49/mo. for HD viewing and no ads, but you’ll want the Premium plan at $22.99/mo. if you plan on sharing with up to two others outside of your own home and four simultaneous streams. And don't forget that you can add extra members to your Standard or Premium plan for $7.99/month per person.
• Content: Hulu has recently aired content from TV networks, which is nice if you don’t have cable television and still want to be up to date with Top Chef. Netflix has over 5,000 titles compared to Hulu’s 2,500, so it will be harder for you to run out of TV shows and movies to watch on Netflix.
• Original content: Both services are great in this department, but Netflix might have a leg up. Netflix makes loads of Originals that feature great actors, directors, and producers. But we can’t say Hulu is far behind.
• User interface: Hulu and Netflix both have a featured TV show or movie when you open up the app, and as you scroll, you’ll find horizontal rows of suggested shows and movies, along with genres. Both streaming services also have tabs at the top of your screen to easily jump to the movies, TV shows, and your saved watching list. Either way, both interfaces are smooth and easy to use.

Check out our full reviews on Hulu and Netflix if you're still on the fence. If you're curious about other streaming services, you might want to take a look at our top on-demand streaming services.