Best TV streaming service: YouTube TV vs. SlingTV vs. Hulu vs. PlayStation Vue, and all the rest

It’s great what a little competition will do. Ever since cord cutting became a genuine trend, TV networks and pay TV providers have scrambled to bring their channel bundles to the internet.

But with more competition comes more confusion. Between Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Philo, prospective cord cutters who still want a bundle of traditional TV channels have a lot to consider before making the leap. And while these services tend to be cheaper and more flexible than cable, each comes with its own quirks and caveats.

We created this guide to make your decision easier. It compares the features of all the current TV streaming bundles, lists which devices each one supports, provides a full side-by-side channel list, and provides our bottom-line recommendations. It also shares the latest TV streaming news, and links to our in-depth reviews, where you can learn more about how each bundle works. 

Updated June 29, 2018 with a fresh take on DirecTV Now (which has undergone significant changes and now includes a cloud DVR) and a full review of Hulu with Live TV (yes, it's still in beta, but it's time).

YouTube TV still isn’t available in every single market in North America, but it’s accessible to the vast majority of U.S. residents. Between that expansion and its new availability on on the Roku and Apple TV platforms, it has become the best overall services for cord cutters. 

Despite a recent price hike in many markets, PlayStation Vue’s $45-per-month Core package remains a solid value for a combination of primetime broadcast shows from all four major networks, ESPN channels, regional sports networks, and cable news. A new $10-per-month sports pack also adds several premium sports channels including NFL Redzone, which some one-size-fits-all bundles don’t even offer.

Regardless of what the marketing folks say, Sling TV is not a la carte TV. But it does offer a less-expensive starting point than most other streaming bundles. The $20-per-month Orange plan is almost cheap enough to serve as a de facto ESPN subscription, while the $25-per-month Blue plan combines regional sports with loads of popular entertainment channels. From there, you can tack on several add-on channel packs and still possibly come out ahead of other bundles.

Sling TV’s apps have also improved over the past couple years, adding more personalized menus, a proper grid-based channel guide, and a $5-per-month DVR add-on with 50 hours of perpetual storage. With higher video quality and a few more features, it could top PlayStation Vue at any price.

Hulu with Live TV is technically still in beta testing, but Hulu has charged for the service since it launched in that state more than a year ago. And truth be told, it certainly doesn't look like a product in beta. So we've decided to replace our first-impressions story with a full and generally positive review. While it doesn't displace any of our top picks, it's definitely worthy of your consideration. 

DirecTV Now has improved considerably in recent months, and the service has finally added cloud DVR, although AT&T allows you to record only 20 hours of video which is stored for a maximum of 30 days. It’s also the only bundle that faithfully reproduces 60-frames-per-second video on every applicable broadcast. And if you're looking to score a free media streaming-device, DirecTV Now offers new subscribers their choice of an Apple TV or a Roku Stick (these are limited-time offers).. 

FuboTV is a $45-per-month sports-centric bundle that doesn’t include ESPN channels. Strange as that sounds, it does free up room for other channels, such as Fox Soccer Plus and Eleven Sports at a much lower cost than with other bundles.

Philo is the only streaming bundle that has no sports channels. As such, it only costs $16 per month, with channels from AMC, Viacom, Discovery, and A&E. Philo is a fine supplement if you can get prime-time shows and sports from an antenna.

Ready to dig deeper? Below you’ll find even more information to help make your decision.

Let’s start with local channels. In many markets—especially those outside of major cities—live feeds are not available due to ongoing rights negotiations with local broadcast affiliates. In lieu of those local feeds, most streaming bundles offer primetime on-demand programming from whatever major broadcast networks they carry. (The sole exception is YouTube TV, which has opted to stay out of markets where it can’t offer live local coverage.)

To see which local stations are available in your area, visit the websites for Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, FuboTV, and YouTube TV.

The chart below provides even more information on the features that each streaming bundle offers:

To see which specific TV Everywhere apps each service reports, check out the support pages for Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, and FuboTV (along with this Reddit page for YouTube TV).

Of course, none of those features will do you any good if your devices don’t support the streaming service in question. Here’s a rundown of which bundles work on each major streaming platform:

Finally, here’s a chart showing all the channels you can get through TV streaming bundles, and the minimum price you’ll have to pay to get each one. If you see a “+” sign, that means the price is in addition to the cost of a base package. It’s a large chart, so you might want to click on it to view in full screen: You can also download it, although you’ll need to do that each time we update it. This version was created January 31, 2017.

For deeper dives into each streaming bundle, check out the reviews below.

Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article.