Which offers the best value for money? • TechCrunch

As streaming services continue to raise prices, cord cutters have had a harder time managing their growing subscription bills. Hulu was the last to announce a price increase, along with Disney+.

Netflix has always charged more than its competitors – January 2022 was the last time it raised its prices. However, now that Netflix has launched a cheaper ad-supported tier, more consumers may want to switch to the platform.

Price increases aside, there’s a lot to like about both Hulu and Netflix. However, some subscribers may have to make the difficult choice to drop one over the other. Here are our thoughts on Netflix versus Hulu and why we think each streaming service is the best value.

Netflix’s original content library is more robust

Netflix has been in the streaming business for 15 years, so of course it has a substantial content library, with its original titles being the main driver of subscriber growth.

From hits like “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “Stranger Things,” “Bridgerton” and “Ozark” to big-budget films starring various A-listers like Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans in “The Gray Man,” the entertainment options are almost unending. Netflix also has distribution rights to the majority of movie studios as well as TV shows like NBC’s “Good Girls,” Showtime’s “Shameless” and more.

Hulu’s original content is not to be overlooked, with top titles such as ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, ‘Only Murders in the Building’, ‘The Dropout’, ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’, ‘Tell Me Lies’ and more. ‘others. Although the streamer has bingeable originals, the library isn’t as deep as Netflix’s.

Netflix’s streaming model is another major reason subscribers love the service. For most titles, the streaming service uploads an entire season of shows instead of airing one episode a week like Hulu.

In 2022, Netflix won 26 Emmy Awards after being nominated for 105. “Squid Game” made history as the very first non-English series to win the Outstanding Drama category. By comparison, Hulu only won 10 Emmys after being nominated 58 times – which was a new nominating record for the streamer.

Another way Netflix sets itself apart from Hulu is its selection of interactive series like ‘Bandersnatch’, ‘Cat Burglar’, ‘Trivia Quest’ and the latest Q&A series, ‘Triviaverse’.

Netflix is ​​also expanding into movie franchises, something Hulu has yet to fully accomplish. Netflix has confirmed “The Gray Man” sequel and spin-off show as well as a “Stranger Things” spin-off series. The streaming giant has also acquired the rights to “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” and “Knives Out 3” for $450 million.

Additionally, the company will make reality TV history with its upcoming “Squid Game: The Challenge” competition series, which will feature 456 contestants – the largest reality TV cast ever.

While we’re on the subject of reality TV, we’d like to add that Netflix missed the bar in the category. For example, the unscripted series “Is It Cake?” earned a low audience score of 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. While dating show “Love is Blind” was a hit for the service, its show “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On” earned an 11% viewership score for Rotten Tomatoes.

So even though Netflix streams addictive true crimes, dramas, documentaries, and comedy specials, the streamer has come under scrutiny for its reality TV offering.

Hulu is better for reality TV fans

Hulu has arguably one of the best reality TV offerings, next to Discovery+. “The Kardashians” and “The improvement Show” have worked well for the streamer, and the biggest draw is the large selection of traditional TV shows, which Netflix lacks.

Hulu’s extensive TV catalog is due to ties with ABC, FX, Fox, Food Network, Freeform, TLC, and many other content partnerships. The streaming service took a serious hit when it lost its licensing deals for next-day episodes of NBC and Bravo shows; Peacock now holds exclusive rights to next day access to these. Hulu was forced to remove episodes at the request of shows such as “Saturday Night Live” and “The Voice.” However, he still has rights to older tracks such as “Law & Order SVU”, “Friday Night Lights”, and “30 Rock”, among others.

Moreover, if you opt for Hulu Live TV, you can get a list of over 75 live channels like Bravo, Comedy Central, E!, Freeform, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, MTV, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Discovery, History, National Geographic, ESPN, CNN, Fox News, ABC News and more.

Netflix’s ad-supported plan is Hulu’s newest competitor

Since Netflix launched its ad-supported low-cost plan earlier this month, Hulu and other ad-supported streaming services have faced stiffer competition.

Netflix’s new “Basic with Ads” plan costs $6.99 per month, which is a bit cheaper than Hulu’s $7.99/month ad plan. Netflix also offers a Standard plan at $15.50 per month, which is comparable to Hulu’s ad-free plan at $14.99/month.

Netflix promises around four to five minutes of ads per hour of content, and the ads are only 15 to 30 seconds long. Additionally, new Netflix movies only receive pre-roll ads, while older movies receive both mid-roll and pre-roll ads, which is comparable to Hulu.

Netflix’s cheaper plan has its drawbacks – besides sitting through ads. Not only is there lower-quality 720p video, but viewers can only stream from one device at a time, and offline viewing isn’t available.

Hulu’s advertising plan also does not support offline viewing. However, it does have the ability to watch video up to 1080p, with some content available in 4K. To watch Netflix content in 4K, subscribers need to pay $19.99/month for the premium plan.

Additionally, Hulu’s ad plan allows subscribers to stream with two devices at once, while Netflix’s “Basic with Ads” allows only one simultaneous device.

Specifically, Netflix subscribers do not have access to approximately 5%-10% of Netflix’s content catalog due to licensing restrictions. The company said it was working to renegotiate with studios to bring more content to the ad-supported level.

Hulu also has licensing issues with one of its ABC shows — “Grey’s Anatomy” — so even on the ad-free plan, the show still has ads. Hulu Live TV’s ad-free tier also shows ads with select on-demand titles.

Hulu’s Disney bundle is great value

The Disney Bundle, which combines Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu at a discounted price, offers your whole family a wide range of entertainment, such as on-demand movies and TV shows, sports programs and original content at an advantageous price.

As of the end of 2022, the bundled package with ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu with ads is $14.99 per month, and the Disney package with Hulu without ads, Disney+ and ESPN+ is $19.99 per month .

Hulu has additional channels

Hulu’s additional premium channels are an optional icing on the cake. Subscribers have the option to add premium subscriptions: HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and STARZ for additional fees ranging from $8.99 to $14.99 per month.

If you have Hulu Live TV, you can also get add-ons for as low as $4.99/month. Add-ons include Spanish channels, entertainment and sports. Hulu Live TV subscribers can also pay an additional $9.99/month to stream on an unlimited number of supported devices at the same time.

Netflix does not offer add-ons.

And the winner is…

It’s up to you to decide. If you enjoy a large library of unique content and prefer the ability to stream every episode of your favorite show in a weekend, Netflix is ​​your winner. If you enjoy having access to a variety of traditional TV shows, especially reality TV shows, and bundling or including additional subscription services in your package, then Hulu is for you.