There’s simply no better way to finish an exhausting day than by settling down on your couch and putting on a really good comfort show with some snacks to go alongside. And with blockbuster shows like HBO’s Interview with the Vampire and Winning Time or SHOWTIME’S Yellowjackets or Couples Therapy, cable TV has never been better. But you may ask yourself if paying for a separate cable subscription is worth it?
Is cable TV still relevant when platforms such as Netflix and Max have been releasing incredible shows and movies? Is there a solution that saves you on the bucks and effort, while allowing you to enjoy your preferred TV shows with one subscription and without any hassles?
The answer to both those questions is: Yes.
Cable-cutting has never been easier with Hulu and Paramount+. You can watch all of your favorite shows live, plus you have access to a huge library of on-demand entertainment that you can stream whenever you want. But which of the two platforms is better for you? In this article, we compare Hulu vs. Paramount Plus to determine which platform will be the better option for you.
Paramount Plus vs. Hulu
While they both might be on-demand streaming platforms, Hulu and Paramount+ are quite different from one another. They offer different library collections, prices, channels, etc. You can compare their individual features to determine the ideal platform for your needs:
Plans and Pricing
When it comes to investing in a streaming platform, the first thing you want to know is which is the more affordable option. Are you receiving the value for the bucks you spend on your subscription? Let’s examine the subscription plans for each platform to find out.
Paramount+ Pricing Plan
| Subscription Plans | Price Per Month | Advertisements |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Plan | $4.99 | Yes |
| Premium Plan | $9.99 | No |
Hulu Pricing Plan
| Subscription Plans | Price Per Month | Advertisements |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Hulu | $7.99 | Yes |
| Hulu | $14.99 | No |
| Hulu+Live TV | $69.99 | Yes |
| Hulu+Live TV | $82.99 | No |
When it comes to Hulu vs Paramount+ for pricing, Paramount+ wins as the most affordable one. However, while Hulu might seem a costlier option, it still makes up for its prices by providing exclusive content, extended free trials, and additional services.
Free Trials
Signing up for a free trial lets a user determine whether the platform they are interested in paying a subscription price for is worth it or not. Like many streaming platforms, Paramount+ offers a 7-day free trial, while Hulu provides new users with up to 30 days of free streaming access, letting them determine whether they wish to continue with its service with more ease. Not only does an extended free trial period build trust in the users, but also allows them to carefully try out each feature of a platform and check its streaming quality, which helps them make an informed decision. The two platforms also offer student discounts and deals, which make their plans more approachable to purchase.
Channels
No one wants a limited channel list when they’re paying for a subscription plan for a streaming service. The quality and quantity of channels offered by platforms are major deal-makers or breakers. Here is the list of channels offered by Hulu and Paramount+:
Paramount+ Channels
Going on a more unique trajectory, Paramount+ does not provide typical cable channels but offers a unique blend of channels that are exclusive to Paramount+. Each station selects programs based on its genre. Some of the famous channels offered on Paramount+ are:
- 24/7 Laughs: A comedy channel streaming hit comedy shows.
- Survivor: A reality survival channel offering popular survivor shows all day.
- Adult Animation: An adult-themed animated channel streaming shows such as Celebrity Deathmatch.
- Crime Justice: A crime-themed channel offering popular TV shows in the genre such as CSI.
- Star Trek: For Star Trek aficionados, this channel shows new shows such as Star Trek Discovery to classics like the original Star Trek.
The channel list on Paramount is much larger than just these few channels mentioned.
Hulu Channels
Hulu is famous for offering a wide range of channels, from sports to news to reality entertainment. These channels include:
- ESPN
- Discovery Channel
- ABC
- Fox
- Cartoon Network
- Food Network
- Bravo
- CBS
- Disney Channel
- HLN
- CNN International
- HGTV
- History
- Lifetime
- CNBC
- CBS Sports Network
- National Geographic
- A&E
- Syfy
- Disney Junior
- Animal Planet
- MSNBC
- Big Ten Network
- Starz
Geographical Accessibility
Whether subscribers can easily stream based on their location or not matters vastly when choosing a platform. A lot of potential users are disappointed once they find an amazing streaming platform but it doesn’t offer its services to them locally. When it comes to geographical accessibility for Hulu and Paramount+, here are the locations they offer:
Paramount+ Locations
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Canada
- Australia
- Italy
- Latin America
- Nordics
- Middle East
Hulu Locations
United States
While Hulu only provides its streaming services to the US, they’re trying to expand their services by offering their titles to different regions via Disney+ and some other platforms.
Library
Both Hulu and Paramount+ have blockbuster content comprising original TV shows and movies. Here is their library collection for each platform:
Paramount+ Titles
Paramount+ has a broad library collection, including channels such as BET, CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, and others. The platform also offers over 30,000 films and TV shows to its subscribers to choose from. Some of the most well-known are:
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
- Infinite
- Star Trek: Picard
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Yellowstone
- Evil
- The Twilight Zone
- Why Women Kill
- Scream VI
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
Hulu Titles
Leading over Paramount+, Hulu claims to offer over 70,000 films, TV shows, and episodes. The most famous ones being:
- Family Guy
- George & Tammy
- Bob’s Burgers
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- The Great
- 2020
- Black Adam
- Fury
- Wu-Tang: An American Sag
- Dead For A Dollar
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
User Experience
An easy, user-friendly navigation sells a streaming platform to its audience. Here is the user experience examined for both Hulu and Paramount+:
Paramount+
Paramount+’s user interface includes all the standard functions and features that you would expect from a streaming service. The interface displays a small summary of the currently viewing title in the upper left corner. Subscribers get to choose the video quality from low, medium, high, or auto, instead of a manual resolution selection.
All Paramount+ subscribers can stream on up to three devices at the same time. If they purchase the Premium Plan, they can view some titles in 4K resolution. However, to watch something at this quality, they must use a supported streaming device, such as Fire TV, Android TV, or Apple TV.
Hulu
Hulu also offers the same standard user interface as any other streaming platform. An added perk is that premium subscribers can download selected TV episodes and movies, as well as original titles, for offline viewing. They can also record up to 50 hours of content and access it for the duration of their subscription.
To boost the limit up to 200 hours, subscribers can pay an additional $9.99 per month and skip the ads during downloading. Although Hulu does not offer every episode in HD, the majority of its shows are not available in high quality anywhere else either. Hulu’s basic subscription plan offers two simultaneous streams. However, subscribers can pay to increase their supported devices and simultaneous streaming options.
Supported Devices
To provide a more accessible user experience, Hulu and Paramount+ are available on all devices. Some of them include:
- Apple TV
- Android and iOS devices
- Amazon Fire Sticks and Cubes
- Chromecast
- LG Smart TVs
- Samsung Smart TVs
So, which one do you think is the best streaming service for you?
Deciding on a platform might be difficult because they both provide a vast range of episodes and movies you might not access otherwise. However, before selecting a streaming platform, it’s important that you carefully analyze the content it provides, the user experience, the subscription plan, and the geographical accessibility to make an informed choice.
If reading about their features still didn’t help you make a decision, you can also sign up for a free trial and test out both platforms. We hope this article helped you understand the features of Hulu and Paramount+. For any questions, queries, or feedback, please a comment below.
