YouTube TV vs Hulu + Live TV vs Fubo vs Sling: Price and Plans Compared

Four services sell live TV without a cable box, and their prices run from $19.99 to $109.99 a month depending on what you count. As of October 10, 2026, YouTube TV’s main plan is $82.99 for 100+ channels; Hulu + Live TV is $99.99 with Disney+ and ESPN Select folded in, or $98.99 for live TV alone; Fubo Core is $88.99 for 206 channels in Los Angeles, before a regional sports fee of up to $16.99; and Sling runs six plans from $19.99 to a listed $60.99. The list price is only the start. YouTube TV promises no local channel or DVR fees, Fubo adds a sports fee in many markets, Sling’s local-channel plans cost $9 to $10 more in some ZIP codes, and only two of the four offer a free trial. This guide sets the four side by side from their own pages: full-bundle prices, the cheapest route to ESPN, trials, DVR, screens, fees and a first-year total for a new subscriber. Each service has its own guide: YouTube TV, Hulu and Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and Sling TV.

The quick answer

YouTube TV: main plan “$82.99/mo,” “100+ channels,” “21-day free trial,” new users $59.99 for two months, “Save $46 total on your first 2 months,” offer ends November 16, 2026. Smaller plans from $54.99 standard
Hulu + Live TV: “Monthly: $99.99” with Hulu (With Ads), Disney+ (With Ads) and ESPN Select; “Monthly: $109.99” with Hulu and Disney+ ad-free; “Live TV Only” at “Monthly: $98.99,” which “does not include the Hulu streaming library or access to Disney+”
Fubo: Core “$88.99/mo after trial” with “206 channels” in Los Angeles, “$63.99 for the first month”; Ultra $98.99 with “4K included”; Fubo Sports $64.99; a 5-day trial; plus a regional sports fee “up to $16.99/month” where it applies
Sling: Essentials $19.99, Orange $45.99, Blue from $45.99, Orange & Blue “Starting at $60.99,” no free trial, 50 hours of DVR free
Fees: YouTube TV says “Say goodbye to hidden costs like box rental fees, DVR fees, local channel fees, installation fees, broadcast fees, and cancellation fees”; Fubo’s fee and Sling’s local-market pricing are the exceptions
Cheapest ESPN: Sling Essentials at $19.99, one stream

Key facts at a glance

	YouTube TV	Hulu + Live TV	Fubo Core	Sling Orange & Blue
Monthly	$82.99	$99.99 (with Disney+, ESPN Select), $98.99 Live TV Only	$88.99	$60.99 listed, $69.99 in Los Angeles
Channels	100+	Not stated on the cost page	206 (Los Angeles)	50
Cheapest plan	$54.99 standard (Entertainment; Sports $54.99 in the footnote)	$29.99 Live TV Español with Disney+	$19.99 Latino; $64.99 Fubo Sports	$19.99 Essentials
Free trial	21 days	Not stated on the cost page	5 days	None
New-user discount	$59.99 x 2 months on the main plan, ends Nov 16, 2026	None listed	$25 off the first month	None listed
DVR	Unlimited	Not stated on the cost page	Unlimited, recordings expire after 9 months	50 hours free; unlimited $5
Screens or accounts	6 accounts per household	Not stated on the cost page	Up to 10 at home	4 streams (1 Orange, 3 Blue)
Extra fees	None, per YouTube TV	None stated	Regional sports fee up to $16.99	$9 to $10 more for local-channel plans in some ZIPs
Streaming extras	None	Hulu, Disney+, ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited access	ESPN Unlimited included	None
First year, new user (our math)	$949.88	$1,199.88	$1,042.88 before any fee	$731.88 listed, $839.88 in Los Angeles

Prices from each company’s pages, read October 10, 2026, US, before tax. Fubo and Sling figures are as shown for ZIP code 90046. First-year totals apply each promotion once and the standard price for the remaining months.

The full bundles: $60.99 to $99.99

YouTube TV’s plans page sells “Our main plan. The most comprehensive plan with the widest variety of programming. Includes local channels.” at $82.99 for “100+ channels,” and every plan carries “unlimited cloud DVR storage space and the flexibility to share 6 individual accounts with your household.”

Hulu’s cost page prices “Hulu + Live TV, Disney+, and ESPN Select” at “Monthly: $99.99” with all three services ad-supported, and “Hulu Premium + Live TV, Disney+ Premium, and ESPN Select” at “Monthly: $109.99.” The stripped version, “Live TV Only,” is “Monthly: $98.99,” one dollar less, and Hulu is explicit that it “does not include the Hulu streaming library or access to Disney+.” All of the English plans add that “Hulu + Live TV plans also include access to the full ESPN Unlimited experience within the ESPN app.”

Fubo’s plans page lists Core at “$88.99/mo after trial” with “206 channels,” “ABC, CBS, FOX,” “NBC available in select markets,” “ESPN Unlimited included,” “Unlimited Cloud DVR” and “Watch on up to 10 screens at once,” and Ultra at $98.99 with “275 channels” and “4K included.” Both come with a discounted first month.

Sling’s Orange & Blue page is the full Sling bundle: “Starting at $60.99, get our top sports, news and entertainment channels including ESPN, NFL Network, USA, TNT, Bravo, FOX News, CNN, and more,” with “Access to 50 live channels.” The Los Angeles card showed $69.99.

By our math, per channel at the Los Angeles counts, Fubo Core costs about 43 cents, YouTube TV 83 cents and Sling Orange & Blue $1.40, with Hulu’s count not stated on its cost page. Sling is the cheapest bundle and the most expensive per channel.

The cheapest way in: $19.99 to $54.99

If you want one network rather than a hundred, the four part company. Sling Essentials is “$19.99/mo” with “ESPN & more for an unbeatable price,” 10+ channels on one stream and no local channels. YouTube TV’s smallest standard prices are in its footnote: “Sports Plan ($54.99/mo)” and “Entertainment ($54.99/mo),” though its FAQ puts the Sports Plan at “$64.99/mo.” and the promotional banner starts the range at “starting at $49.99/mo*.” Fubo’s cheapest English plan is Fubo Sports at $64.99, and its cheapest plan of all is Latino at “$19.99/mo after trial” with “59 channels.” Hulu’s cheapest live plan is “Hulu + Live TV Español, Disney+” at “Monthly: $29.99.”

Trials and first-month deals

YouTube TV gives the longest trial, “21-day free trial,” and the biggest promotion: the main plan at “$59.99/mo*” for two months, “Save $46 total on your first 2 months,” with “Offer ends November 16, 2026.” Fubo’s welcome page lists a trial of “5 days,” then “$63.99 for the first month, then $88.99 per month” on Core. Sling has neither: “Although there’s no free trial for Sling, anyone can watch limited channels on Freestream at no charge.” Hulu’s cost page does not mention a Live TV trial or promotion.

By our math, a new subscriber’s first year on the main plan is $949.88 at YouTube TV (two months at $59.99, ten at $82.99), $1,042.88 at Fubo Core before any regional sports fee (one month at $63.99, eleven at $88.99), $1,199.88 at Hulu + Live TV with Disney+ and ESPN Select, and $731.88 at Sling Orange & Blue at the listed price or $839.88 at the Los Angeles card price.

DVR and screens

YouTube TV: “unlimited cloud DVR storage space” and “6 individual accounts.” Fubo: “Yes, all of our plans come with unlimited Cloud DVR space at no extra charge,” but “Recordings expire after 9 months,” and “Most of our plans allow you to watch on up to 10 devices at once on your home internet connection, plus three on the go.” Sling: “50 hours of free DVR storage,” extendable “by adding Unlimited DVR for just $5/mo,” with streams fixed by plan, one for Orange channels and three for Blue, “up to four streams at the same time” on both. Hulu’s cost page does not state DVR or stream limits for Live TV.

Fees that are not in the headline price

This is where the four differ most. YouTube TV makes a flat promise: “Say goodbye to hidden costs like box rental fees, DVR fees, local channel fees, installation fees, broadcast fees, and cancellation fees.” Fubo adds a charge in regional sports markets: per its fee article, “The Regional Sports Fee is based on your area, and will be up to $16.99/month,” which by our math can take Core to $105.98. Sling’s plans that carry local FOX, ABC and NBC showed $9 to $10 above Sling’s “starting at” prices in the Los Angeles market, as covered in our Sling guide. Hulu’s cost page lists no fee beyond the plan price. All four add tax.

What comes bundled

Hulu + Live TV is the only one of the four that bundles other streaming services into the price: the Hulu library, Disney+ and ESPN Select, plus ESPN Unlimited access through the ESPN app. Fubo bundles ESPN Unlimited into Core, Ultra and Fubo Sports. YouTube TV and Sling sell live TV alone, with Sling pointing to paid add-ons for HBO Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and STARZ. For someone who already pays for Disney+ and Hulu, Hulu’s $99.99 replaces two bills; for someone who does not want them, Live TV Only saves just $1.

Where the pages differ or need a second look

YouTube TV’s Sports Plan has two prices. $54.99 in the footnote, $64.99 in the FAQ on the same page.

Fubo’s and Sling’s prices are ZIP-aware. Fubo’s channel counts and plan names change by market, and Sling’s local-channel plans cost more in some ZIPs.

Hulu’s $1 gap. Live TV Only at $98.99 is one dollar below the plan that adds Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Select.

Fubo’s fee is outside the plan price. Up to $16.99 a month, shown at sign-up, not on the plan card.

Promotions are dated. YouTube TV’s new-user pricing ends November 16, 2026; Fubo’s is first month only.

Trials differ in kind. 21 days at YouTube TV, 5 at Fubo, none at Sling, none stated by Hulu’s cost page.

Before you choose

This is a list of things to check, not a recommendation:

Enter your ZIP at Fubo and Sling first. It changes the price, the channel count and whether a fee applies
Count the fee. Fubo’s regional sports fee can add up to $16.99 a month; YouTube TV says it charges none
Only want ESPN? Sling Essentials is $19.99 on one stream
Already paying for Disney+ or Hulu? Hulu + Live TV folds them in for $99.99
Want the longest trial? YouTube TV’s 21 days, then $59.99 for two months for new users until November 16, 2026
Many screens at once? Fubo allows 10 at home; YouTube TV gives 6 accounts; Sling’s combos give 4 streams

Quick answers to what people search

Which live TV streaming service is cheapest? Sling, from $19.99 for Essentials and a listed $60.99 for Orange & Blue, with no trial. Among the big bundles, YouTube TV at $82.99 is below Fubo Core at $88.99 and Hulu + Live TV at $99.99.

Is YouTube TV cheaper than Hulu + Live TV? Yes, $82.99 against $99.99, but Hulu’s price includes Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Select; its Live TV Only plan is $98.99.

Is Fubo cheaper than YouTube TV? No. Fubo Core is $88.99 against $82.99, and Fubo can add a regional sports fee of up to $16.99 a month.

Which has a free trial? YouTube TV, 21 days, and Fubo, 5 days. Sling has none, and Hulu’s cost page does not mention one for Live TV.

Which has the best DVR? YouTube TV and Fubo both list unlimited DVR; Fubo’s recordings expire after 9 months. Sling includes 50 hours and sells unlimited for $5.

Which includes ESPN Unlimited? Fubo’s English plans and Hulu + Live TV; Sling and YouTube TV do not list it, though YouTube TV’s Sports Plan page says subscribers get it later this fall, per our YouTube TV guide.

Do these services charge local channel fees? YouTube TV says no. Fubo charges a regional sports fee in some markets. Sling’s local-channel plans cost more in some ZIPs.

How much is a year of live TV? By our math for a new subscriber: $731.88 at Sling Orange & Blue, $949.88 at YouTube TV, $1,042.88 at Fubo Core before fees, $1,199.88 at Hulu + Live TV.

Bottom line

As of October 10, 2026, YouTube TV at $82.99 is the cheapest of the three big bundles and the only one promising no local channel or DVR fees; Hulu + Live TV at $99.99 costs the most but folds in Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN; Fubo Core at $88.99 has the most channels and the one surcharge, a regional sports fee of up to $16.99; and Sling, from $19.99 to a listed $60.99, is the cheapest way in and the most expensive per channel. YouTube TV’s 21-day trial and two-month discount end November 16, 2026, and Fubo’s and Sling’s prices depend on your ZIP code.

Prices, channel counts, trial terms and quotations from YouTube TV’s plans page, Hulu’s cost page, Fubo’s plans page and fee article, and Sling’s home and Orange & Blue pages, read October 10, 2026, US versions, with Fubo and Sling cards as shown for ZIP code 90046. Per-channel and first-year figures are our own arithmetic. Each company’s pages are the authority and may change. This is general information, not financial advice.