The Best YouTube TV Alternatives In 2021

YouTube TV is among the most popular live TV streaming services in the United States, with over 3 million subscribers at last count. But that doesn’t mean that at some point you won’t decide to test the waters elsewhere. The good news about these streaming services is that it’s as easy to pause or cancel them as it is to sign up for them in the first place.

The question, then, is what to try next. There is a lot of overlap between the services, but not all services have the same channels or options as YouTube TV. Or maybe you’re looking to spend less and cut back accordingly. YouTube TV costs $ 65 a month, and some of its closest competitors hit that price, too. Others are less expensive.

That is not to say that it will be able to replace YouTube TV for the same price. It’s hard to beat the unlimited DVR, six profiles per account, and the ease of account management that comes with everything that’s tied to the Google ecosystem. You may have to pay more for the same channels. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a look at it.

So what are the best YouTube TV alternatives for your needs and your budget? Let’s break them.

Hulu with Live TV

The good: Comparable channel lineup, Hulu on-demand library access. Part of the Disney package.
The less good: There is no 4K option for live content.
The plans: Currently $ 65 a month if you don’t mind ads in on-demand content before jumping to $ 70 on December 21 (if you want to ditch the ads, it’s $ 71 a month now and $ 76 after December 21).

Hulu With Live TV is actually the most popular live TV streaming service in the United States, with more than 4 million paid subscribers as of November 2021. It has a comparable number of channels to YouTube TV, basically hovering around 100 or so. , with a number of add-ons available as well.

Hulu With Live TV also has a couple of advantages over any other competitor. First is Hulu’s on-demand catalog. You will have access to thousands of shows and movies as part of your subscription. (Yes, you can technically get Hulu With Live TV without access to the on-demand library, but the savings are minimal.)

The big advantage of Hulu With Live TV is that it is under the Disney umbrella. And that means it’s always in the same conversation as the Disney package. On its own, the Disney package gives you Disney +, ESPN +, and Hulu’s basic on-demand service for just $ 14 a month. By bringing Hulu With Live TV into the fold, the price rises to $ 73 a month, or just a few dollars more than Hulu With Live TV alone. Basically you get a third free streaming service at that point.

However, we have to talk about prices. On December 21, 2021, Hulu With Live TV will go from $ 65 a month, like YouTube TV, to $ 70 a month if you don’t mind advertising on on-demand content, or $ 76 a month if you want to get rid of advertising. That extra $ 5 (or $ 11) a month will be hard for a lot of people to swallow. But it’s also likely to draw more customers to the Disney package, which is almost certainly part of the reason the price hike is happening in the first place.

FuboTV

The good: Comparable channel lineup, occasional games in 4K resolution. Multiple optional add-ons not available elsewhere. Flourishing integration with sports betting.
The lasts: FuboTV is the smallest of the big players in this space, and it’s an uphill battle. It lacks the amount of 4K content like YouTube TV.
The plans: The Starter plan costs $ 65 a month for 110 channels; it’s $ 80 for Fubo Elite with 153 channels.

FuboTV is probably the biggest streaming service you’ve never heard of. It has a quarter of the number of subscribers as Hulu With Live TV. But it also has a comparable list of channels, including its local streaming affiliates. And their “Starter” plan fetches a family price of $ 65 a month. That includes 110 channels, 250 hours of cloud-based recording, and the ability to watch on three devices at once. Fubo’s largest plan comes in at $ 80 a month for 154 channels, 1,000 hours of cloud-based recording, and the ability to watch on as many devices as you want.

FuboTV is also one of the only services that offers you any kind of live content in 4K resolution. We are talking about sports produced by Fox, which is decidedly less than what you will find on YouTube TV. But it is also included with the subscription fee and has no additional cost.

And if you like international sports, you will find more options on FuboTV than anywhere else.

Sling tv

The good: Still, as close to on-demand television as possible.
The less good: It is very easy to spend more than you thought with all the “Extras”.
The plans: $ 35 each for the Sling Orange or Blue plan, $ 50 / mo if you want both. (Current offers are at $ 10 each or $ 20 together for the first month.)

Sling TV is the third most popular live streaming service in the United States, with 2.5 million subscribers as of November 2021. It is still the closest you can get to choosing your own channels. That’s not to say that Sling is à la carte, it definitely isn’t. But your scheme allows you to choose between the Orange or Blue track, or both. Together, they will continue to pay less than any of the previous services. But you also get fewer channels.

You will reinforce your basic package with Sling “Extras”. Those are additional cohorts of channels, with additional fees of about $ 5 a month. That’s great because you can pick and choose what matters to you. But it’s also structured so that you have to subscribe to a bunch of extras if you want a full channel lineup, and that makes it easy to end up spending more than the initial $ 35 or $ 50 a month you thought you were shelling out. And that’s before you get into premium movie channels or international options. Just keep an eye on your bill.

Otherwise, Sling is still a great option, and like the other services, it’s available on pretty much any modern device.

DirecTV broadcast

The good: Many channels. All the channels. AT&T customers can get great deals. Regional sports options.
The less good: The price per channel is not very good. There are no 4K live options.
The plans: Things start at $ 70 for just 65 channels and get more expensive from there.

If you haven’t been able to keep up with all the names DirecTV Stream has gone through in recent years, you are not alone. (And we get paid to do this). Now that it has parted ways with AT&T proper (but remains under the AT&T umbrella), it is now known as DirecTV Stream. You should also know that there has been a customer bleed in the last two years, and we don’t really have a clear idea of ​​how many are left, probably less than Fubo TV, though.

However, AT&T customers should take a good look at DirecTV Stream as there are some great offers, especially if you can bundle it with an AT&T Internet plan. However, that is not available everywhere, and then we have to start talking about hardware fees, and none of that is as simple as a standard streaming service that lets you come and go as you please.

Philo

The good: You cannot beat the price.
The less good: Fewer channels than any other service and it doesn’t have your local broadcast channels.
The plan: $ 25 a month for more than 60 channels.

Philo has long been the low-cost service of choice and, as of November 2020, it had more than 800,000 subscribers. While it’s not $ 20 a month anymore, the extra $ 5 isn’t that hard to swallow.

The only catch here is that it just doesn’t have all the channels that the other services have. It also doesn’t have its local broadcast channels. However, that can be solved with a relatively inexpensive wireless antenna setup. And if the rest of the channel lineup has what you need, you can save some real money here.

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