Hulu is a streaming service that features a variety of television shows and movies, including its own original productions. It continues to grow in popularity, particularly as Hulu makes new episodes of many of its shows available the day after they air on TV. Competitors like Netflix tend to wait until after the full season has aired on television.
If there’s something you can’t wait to watch, you may be ready for a Hulu subscription. Before you sign up for Hulu, take a look at the different subscription plans that are on offer.
Hulu (Ad-Supported)
Hulu’s most affordable plan is its basic ad-supported plan. This tier gives you access to Hulu’s library of television shows, movies, and Hulu originals. It’s a relatively inexpensive option, but you will have to put up with commercial breaks while streaming shows and movies.
One nice thing about Hulu is that even its basic plan allows you to stream on two different devices at a time. You can also create up to six different user profiles, so one subscription should work for your entire household.
This is the plan that most subscribers opt for. If you don’t mind commercials, it’s a pretty good deal. The basic Hulu plan currently costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 for a full year. This is the only plan that offers a discounted rate for prepaying for a year of Hulu.
You can also get a student discount on this streaming service plan. Eligible students can subscribe to Hulu for as low as $1.99/month, so be sure to verify your student status if you are in school currently.
Hulu (No Ads)
The Hulu (No Ads) plan features everything from the basic Hulu plan but without the ads. Well, mostly. There are some shows that will still feature ads before or after each episode, even on the ad-free plan. You can see a list of the impacted shows on Hulu's website.
The Hulu No Ads plan also allows you to download content for offline viewing. However, not all shows or movies are downloadable. The plan also grants you access to Hulu Watch Party. This feature allows up to eight people to join the watch party and stream a movie or show together and chat throughout the viewing party.
Ads are a staple part of the traditional television viewing experience, but those who have become accustomed to the ad-free viewing experience offered by Netflix may find them irritating. If you want to avoid commercials and have an uninterrupted experience, it may be worth ponying up some extra money for Hulu’s ad-free subscription option.
The ad-free plan costs almost double the price of the standard plan at $12.99 per month. There is no discounted annual price available for this plan.
Hulu (Ad-Supported) + Live TV
While many people are opting to cancel their cable plans and switch to streaming, the Hulu + Live TV plan offers a combination of the two. You can watch all of the on-demand Hulu content offered in the regular streaming plans, and can tune in live to over 75 national and local channels. The channel offerings include ABC, NBC, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, ESPN, and more.
The Hulu + Live TV plan costs $64.99 per month. This plan makes sense if you watch a lot of live sports, news, talk shows, or daytime television. For others, the large extra expense may not be worthwhile, since most viewers these days prefer on-demand style viewing rather than having to tune in to watch a show when it airs.
Plus, many shows end up on Hulu the morning after they air on television, so for casual viewers the short wait is probably not a huge deal.
Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV
The Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV plan lets subscribers view on-demand content from Hulu’s library without ads and tune into live television.
Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV subscribers can also record up to 50 hours of live TV to Hulu’s Cloud DVR. Not everything shown on the live channels will make its way to Hulu for on-demand viewing, so the DVR is a useful feature.
It is worth noting that the no ads portion of this plan only extends to the Hulu streaming library. Live television as well as DVR recordings will have ads.
This is the highest level of Hulu subscription plan offered, and the priciest. The plan costs $70.99 per month.
Hulu Add Ons and Bundles
Hulu also offers some add-ons if you want access to content from premium channels. You can choose the following channels as add-ons:
- HBO for $14.99/month
- SHOWTIME for $10.99/month
- Cinemax for $9.99/month
- STARZ for $8.99/month
- ESPN+ for $6.99/month
There is also an unlimited screens add-on for $9.99 a month if you want to be able to stream on more than two devices at one time. Most users won’t need this option, but if you’re sharing your account with the whole family or a bunch or roommates, it may be a valuable option.
Hulu is also majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, so naturally there are Hulu and Disney+ bundles available. The Disney Bundle includes Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+. You can customize the bundle to include any of the four Hulu subscription plan options covered above. Prices for the bundle vary based on your selections.
Should You Subscribe to Hulu?
Hulu does have a great variety of movies and shows available to stream on its platform. Its wide range of subscription plans and add-ons makes it easy to find a plan that will fit your budget and your viewing preferences.
However, the competition has been stepping up its game. Unless you really want to enjoy Hulu's original offerings, and live TV is important, you might be better served by the likes of Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. Neither of these include ads in any of their plans.