As of the beginning of 2018, Netflix reached 55 million subscribers, while Hulu recently surpassed 20 million subscribers.  Although Netflix is the most popular option, which is the better choice to cater to you and your TV/movie needs?

Hulu Experience

Hulu, founded in 2007, has given us endless TV shows to binge watch, from Keeping up With the Kardashians to Jersey Shore along with their own original content.  

It has a plethora of shows available.  With the purchase cost of $7.99 per month, you are able to get access to shows and movies, but you do have advertisements throughout the shows.  However, Hulu does offer three different streaming services: Hulu Limited Commercials ($7.99), Hulu No Commercials ($11.99), and Hulu with Live TV ($39.99). Overall, Hulu is a great purchase if you want to keep up with the latest shows after they air on TV.  They also offer deals to college students with Hulu Limited + Spotify starting at $1 per month.

The future of Hulu looks promising, as it just signed a deal with Disney, and soon it will stream Disney, Pixar, and Marvel movies.  They will also have a feature to download shows and movies for on the go.

Netflix Experience

Netflix, founded in 1997, offers a variety of shows and movies  and has changed the online streaming game forever.  No ads or commercials means you have a smooth watching experience.  Netflix Originals also provide new and original content each month like, Fuller House, Black Mirror, and Ozark.  It is easy to download movies and shows to watch later which is perfect for a long trip so you don’t have to use up all of your family’s data.  

It does take until the next season starts for Netflix to update TV shows, but it is perfect for a Saturday night marathon of watching your shows all the way from the beginning.  Some films and shows are quick to go, so you have to keep up with the seasonal change of content that Netflix provides.

The future of Netflix looks bright; as they keep spewing out original content, they will be releasing a “choose your own adventure mode” for episodes of Black Mirror which will create an interactive experience for the viewer.

Both Netflix and Hulu have their own pros and cons, but if you are looking for a replacement for cable, Hulu is definitely the better alternative.  The endless selection of movies and shows make it worth the extra $12 for commercial-less entertainment.