Hulu vs Netflix

Daniel Ho, Assistant Editor

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Hulu and Netflix are two of the most used streaming platforms right now. They both offer a variety of movies, television shows, and recently have begun to put out much more original content.

While both Hulu and Netflix are similar in that they both are streaming companies, they offer different types of shows. Hulu offers more recent movies and TV shows because Hulu is owned by TV networks. They update their TV series the day after the original broadcast. Netflix offers movies and TV shows also, but they aren’t as recent as Hulu. Most of Netflix’s movies and TV series have already released, or already finished airing. However, the size of their  video selection differs. Hulu has a very small selection of TV and movie titles, while Netflix offers a much larger selection.

Netflix has shifted its focus to original content. They have produced many new original movies such as Birdbox, and also original TV shows, such as 13 Reasons Why, House of Cards, and Orange is the New Black. Both of these categories have received praise from viewers and critics alike and have even received major awards from the Golden Globes, Emmys, and many others.

Hulu’s original content, while not as recognized as Netflix’s, is still good.  Their prize jewel, The Handmaid’s Tale, boasts two Golden Globes, for Best Television Series – Drama, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama. It also has a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating and an 8.6/10 from IMDb.com.

The price between Hulu and Netflix is another big difference between them. Hulu has 4 options to choose from: six dollars a month, $12 a month, $45 a month, or $51 a month. $6 has ads on the shows, $12 has no ads, $45 includes Hulu’s live TV, which allows users to watch live TV shows, sports, and news. However, this still includes ads. $51 gets you Hulu with live TV with no ads.

Netflix has 3 options to choose from: Basic, Standard, and Premium. The basic plan is $8.99, and only one device can watch at a time. The standard is $12.99, and two devices can stream at the same time. The premium is $15.99, and 4 devices can stream at the same time. All plans include the first month free, and unlimited movies and TV shows.

Overall, Netflix is the better option than Hulu. The pricing is much more reasonable, and there are no ads that you have to pay extra to remove.  Even though you give up the live news, TV shows, and movies, the money you save makes up for that.