Some people say Netflix has a better selection of movies and TV shows, but other people say Hulu has a better selection. So which one is actually better than the other? As more streaming services are being created, such as Disney+, HBO, and Amazon Prime Video, it is getting harder and harder to choose which one to subscribe to. More specifically, Netflix and Hulu are the two services that go neck and neck all the time. Based on price, movie and TV show selection, and sound/picture quality, we will be going into detail about which service is better in terms of those three components. Deciding which streaming service to use can be hard. It depends on different things such as what you want to watch or what your budget is. Most people would want both services to watch everything there is available, but in reality, most people can only afford one streaming service, and most of the time it is between the most famous ones, Netflix and Hulu. We’re here to help you choose which streaming service fits your liking and budget. 

First off, Netflix and Hulu have a range of different prices for different subscriptions. The different subscriptions all come with different features, so it just depends on what features you want and what you are willing to pay for. For Netflix, you could pay $9 a month for the “Basic” subscription that only allows you to stream to one device. Or, you could pay $13 for the “Standard” subscription that upgrades the stream to HD and allows you to stream from two devices. Lastly, you could pay $16 for the best subscription that gets you 4K Ultra HD resolution and allows streaming from four devices. On the other hand, Hulu’s “Basic” Subscription costs $6 a month but comes with ads that run like commercials and are very repetitive. To get Hulu without ads it would only cost $12 a month. So, which service do you think is better in terms of price range?

Now let’s look at movie and TV show selection and see which one has a better variety, or maybe they’re the same. Probably the most important thing about picking a service is knowing what movies and TV shows they have to offer. Netflix spends about $13 billion on content and they have complete seasons of popular TV shows like Friends, Grey’s Anatomy, and All American. But, the downside about Netflix TV shows is they appear on Netflix about three months after the shows air on television. But, on Hulu, those shows appear the day after they air on television. There is also a lot of Disney content on Hulu, but ever since Disney made Disney+, their own streaming service, Disney has been removing its content from Hulu and adding it to their own service. In total Netflix has 3,803 movies while Hulu only has 1,437 movies. And, in total Netflix has 1,966 TV shows while Hulu has 1,931, a close race in terms of shows available.

Lastly, let’s look at the sound and picture quality of Netflix and Hulu. If you are a person who likes to feel like they are in a movie theatre while watching TV, this one’s for you. Netflix provides HD streaming at $13 and 4K Ultra HD quality at $16. They also provide Dolby Atmos soundtracks for some of its content and surround sound. In distinction, Hulu only streams in HD, nothing higher than that, and they only stream with stereo sound so if you want that theatre feeling in your home, Hulu wouldn’t be the best choice for that. 

Overall, Netflix might be considered better because it offers better sound and picture quality. They also have more movies and TV shows than Hulu. They also don’t have ads even with the basic subscription that is only $9. But in terms of price, Hulu is cheaper even without ads. Hulu also provides TV shows faster than Netflix does. Netflix and Hulu are the most popular streaming services for a reason because they both provide great content and services that give you more than enough to watch. If you want to watch everything and never run out of stuff to watch then subscribe to both services. But, if subscribing to both is not in your budget, you have a big decision to make! 

Citations

Gates, Chris. “Netflix vs. Hulu.” Digital Trends, Digital Trends, 19 Mar. 2020, www.digitaltrends.com/movies/netflix-vs-hulu/.

Clark, Travis. “We Compared Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and HBO to Find the Best Service for Every Kind of Viewer.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 6 Sept. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/netflix-vs-hulu-vs-amazon-vs-hbo-which-is-better-2019-9#amazon-prime-video-has-the-largest-movie-selection-by-far-2