If you’re considering cutting the cord in 2022, you may be wondering about the merits of YouTube TV and fuboTV as cable alternatives.
Each is considered to be one of the top live TV streaming services on the market, and their base packages are priced similarly.
But is one better than the other?
YouTube TV has one pricing tier for its base package, but fuboTV has channel package options from which to choose. FuboTV recently eliminated its cheapest package (the “Starter” package), meaning you’ll be choosing between three more expensive options.
In this article, I’ll compare the key features of these two streaming TV services to help you decide which is better suited for your household.
Table of Contents:
Quick Facts: YouTube TV vs. fuboTV
| FuboTV – Elite | FuboTV – Pro | YouTube TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $84.99 | $74.99 | $72.99 |
| Free Trial | 7 Days | 7 Days | 14 Days |
| Local Channels Included | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous Streams | 10 | 10 | 3 |
| User Profiles Allowed | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Cloud DVR Hours | 1000 | 1000 | Unlimited |
| Number of Channels | 176 | 103 | 126 |
In this article, I’ll look at key factors including price, channel selection, supported devices and availability of concurrent streams and cloud DVR to help you make a choice between these two live TV streaming services.
Price
| FuboTV – Elite | FuboTV – Pro | YouTube TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $84.99 | $74.99 | $72.99 |
Neither YouTube TV nor fuboTV has made many friends with their steady price increases over the last few years.
Though they haven’t moved in lockstep to get here, where we stand now is a pricing reality: You will have to pay at least $65 per month if you are going to use one of these services.
For perspective on how quickly this happened: YouTube TV cost just $35 per month when it launched in 2017.
As for fuboTV, pricing strategies have changed frequently as it tries to find its niche in the live streaming TV marketplace.
fuboTV has experimented with quarterly billing (to lock customers into multiple months of service) and recently removed its cheapest option (the Starter package) from the menu altogether in a forced upgrade that amounted to a $5 per month price hike for many customers.
You can cancel either service at any time without penalty. And there are no junk fees like you’ve probably found with your cable company, though some customers may be subject to local sales tax for these services.
YouTube TV and fuboTV both offer add-on packages and premium channels for additional monthly fees. I’ll talk a little more about those later in the article.
If saving the most money possible is your goal with cutting the cord, it may be worth considering some of the other live TV streaming services on the market. Philo is just $25 per month, and Sling TV has a couple of different packages that start at $35 per month.
Settling this debate on price alone is a pretty tall — if not impossible — order. You’re going to have to dig a little deeper into the services each provides to see which will give your household the best bang for the buck.
Channel Lineup: YouTube TV vs. fuboTV
One of the more stressful parts of cutting the cord from your cable company is ensuring that you’ll still be able to get most of the content you want with a live TV streaming service.
That usually starts with a list of “can’t miss” channels for each person.
The good news is that both YouTube TV and fuboTV offer a wide variety of some of the best “cable” channels out there. You’re going to get ESPN, USA Network, Comedy Central and many other mainstream options from each service.
Both streaming services offer access to some local channels from ABC, NBC, CBS and/or FOX. You’ll want to check your ZIP code on each of their websites to get exact answers on which local channels and regional sports networks each offers you.
Below is a comparison of the YouTube TV and fuboTV channel packages. If you want to compare those channel lineups to other streaming TV services, see our side-by-side chart or use our live TV streaming channel tool.
| FuboTV – Elite ($84.99) | FuboTV – Pro ($74.99) | YouTube TV ($72.99) |
|---|---|---|
| 911 Network | ||
| ABC | ABC | ABC |
| ABC Localish | ABC Localish | ABC Localish |
| ABC News Live | ABC News Live | ABC News Live |
| ACC Network | ACC Network | ACC Network |
| AccuWeather | AccuWeather | |
| Adult Swim | ||
| AfricaNews | ||
| AMC | AMC | |
| American Heroes Channel | ||
| Animal Planet | Animal Planet | Animal Planet |
| At Home with Family Handyman | ||
| BBC America | BBC America | |
| BBC World News | BBC World News | |
| beIN Sports | beIN Sports | |
| beIn Sports ñ | beIn Sports ñ | |
| BET | BET | BET |
| BET Her | BET Her | |
| BET Jams | ||
| BET Soul | ||
| Big Ten Network | Big Ten Network | Big Ten Network |
| Bloomberg Quicktake | ||
| Bloomberg TV | ||
| Bloomberg TV+ | ||
| Bounce TV | Bounce TV | |
| Bravo | Bravo | Bravo |
| Cartoon Network | ||
| CBS | CBS | CBS |
| CBS Sports Network | CBS Sports Network | CBS Sports Network |
| CBSN | CBSN | |
| Cheddar | Cheddar | Cheddar |
| Circle | ||
| CLEO TV | ||
| CMT | CMT | CMT |
| CNBC | CNBC | CNBC |
| CNBC World | CNBC World | |
| CNN | ||
| Comedy Central | Comedy Central | Comedy Central |
| Comedy Dynamics | ||
| Comedy.TV | ||
| Comet TV | Comet TV | Comet TV |
| Cooking Channel | ||
| Court TV | Court TV | Court TV |
| Cozi TV | ||
| CuriosityStream | ||
| Dabl | ||
| Destination America | ||
| Discovery Channel | Discovery Channel | Discovery Channel |
| Discovery Family | ||
| Discovery Life | ||
| Disney Channel | Disney Channel | Disney Channel |
| Disney Junior | Disney Junior | Disney Junior |
| Disney XD | Disney XD | Disney XD |
| Docurama | ||
| Dove Channel | ||
| Dust | ||
| E! | E! | E! |
| EarthxTV | EarthxTV | |
| ESPN | ESPN | ESPN |
| ESPN2 | ESPN2 | ESPN2 |
| ESPNews | ESPNews | |
| ESPNU | ESPNU | |
| Estrella TV | ||
| Euronews | ||
| Food Network | Food Network | Food Network |
| FOX | FOX | FOX |
| FOX Business Network | FOX Business Network | FOX Business Network |
| Fox Live Now | Fox Live Now | Fox Live Now |
| FOX News Channel | FOX News Channel | FOX News Channel |
| Fox Soul | Fox Soul | Fox Soul |
| FOX Sports 1 | FOX Sports 1 | FOX Sports 1 |
| FOX Sports 2 | FOX Sports 2 | FOX Sports 2 |
| FOX Weather | FOX Weather | FOX Weather |
| Freeform | Freeform | Freeform |
| fubo Sports Network | fubo Sports Network | |
| Fuse | ||
| FX | FX | FX |
| FXM | FXM | |
| FXX | FXX | FXX |
| GAC Family | GAC Family | |
| GAC Living | ||
| Galavision | Galavision | Galavision |
| Game Show Network | Game Show Network | |
| GetTV | GetTV | GetTV |
| Golf Channel | Golf Channel | Golf Channel |
| Great American Country | ||
| GustoTV | ||
| Hallmark Channel | Hallmark Channel | Hallmark Channel |
| Hallmark Drama | Hallmark Drama | Hallmark Drama |
| Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | Hallmark Movies & Mysteries |
| HGTV | HGTV | HGTV |
| HLN | ||
| HSN | ||
| IFC | IFC | |
| Infast | Infast | |
| INSP | ||
| Investigation Discovery | Investigation Discovery | Investigation Discovery |
| Inwonder | ||
| Ion | Ion | |
| Ion Plus | ||
| Jewelry Television | ||
| JusticeCentral.TV | JusticeCentral.TV | |
| LAFC | ||
| Law & Crime | Law & Crime | Law & Crime |
| Local Now | Local Now | Local Now |
| LOGO | ||
| Magnolia Network | Magnolia Network | |
| Marquee Sports Network | ||
| MLB Game of the Week | ||
| MLB Network | ||
| MotorTrend | MotorTrend | MotorTrend |
| MSG | ||
| MSG2 | ||
| MSGSN | ||
| MSNBC | MSNBC | MSNBC |
| MTV | MTV | MTV |
| MTV Classic | MTV Classic | |
| MTV Live | ||
| MTV2 | MTV2 | |
| MTVU | ||
| MyNetworkTV | ||
| Nat Geo Wild | Nat Geo Wild | |
| National Geographic | National Geographic | National Geographic |
| NBA TV | NBA TV | |
| NBC | NBC | NBC |
| NBC News Now | NBC News Now | NBC News Now |
| NBC Universo | NBC Universo | |
| NBCLX | NBCLX | NBCLX |
| NBCSN | ||
| NECN | ||
| Newsmax | Newsmax | |
| NewsNation | NewsNation | NewsNation |
| NewsNet | ||
| NFL Network | NFL Network | NFL Network |
| NHL Network | ||
| Nick Jr. | Nick Jr. | Nick Jr. |
| Nickelodeon | Nickelodeon | Nickelodeon |
| NickMusic | ||
| Nicktoons | Nicktoons | |
| Nosey | ||
| Orlando City | ||
| Outside TV | ||
| OWN – Oprah Winfrey Network | OWN – Oprah Winfrey Network | OWN – Oprah Winfrey Network |
| Oxygen | Oxygen | |
| Oxygen True Crime | Oxygen True Crime | Oxygen True Crime |
| Pac-12 Network | Pac-12 Network | |
| Paramount Network | Paramount Network | Paramount Network |
| PBS | ||
| PBS Kids | ||
| People Are Awesome | ||
| People TV | ||
| Poker Go | ||
| POP | POP | POP |
| QVC | QVC | QVC |
| Real Nosey | ||
| Realmadrid.tv | Realmadrid.tv | |
| Recipe.TV | ||
| RetroCrush | ||
| Revolt | ||
| Revry | ||
| Revry News | ||
| Science Channel | ||
| Scripps News | Scripps News | |
| SEC Network | SEC Network | SEC Network |
| Smithsonian Channel | Smithsonian Channel | Smithsonian Channel |
| SNY | SNY | |
| Sony Movie Channel | ||
| SportsGrid | ||
| Stadium | ||
| Start TV | ||
| SundanceTV | SundanceTV | |
| Syfy | Syfy | |
| Tastemade | Tastemade | Tastemade |
| Tastemade Home | ||
| Tastemade Travel | Tastemade Travel | |
| TBS | ||
| TCM | ||
| TeenNick | TeenNick | |
| Telehit | ||
| Telemundo | Telemundo | Telemundo |
| Tennis Channel | ||
| The Big Dish | ||
| The Bob Ross Channel | The Bob Ross Channel | |
| The CW | The CW | The CW |
| The Design Network | ||
| The Elvis Presley Channel | ||
| The Pet Collective | The Pet Collective | |
| The Weather Channel | The Weather Channel | The Weather Channel |
| Ticker News | ||
| TLC | TLC | TLC |
| TNT | ||
| Toon Giggles | ||
| Toon Giggles Junior | Toon Giggles Junior | |
| Travel Channel | Travel Channel | Travel Channel |
| truTV | ||
| TUDN | TUDN | |
| TUDNxtra | TUDNxtra | |
| TV Land | TV Land | TV Land |
| TVG | ||
| TYT Network | TYT Network | |
| UniMás | UniMás | UniMás |
| Universal Kids | Universal Kids | Universal Kids |
| Univision | Univision | Univision |
| USA Network | USA Network | USA Network |
| VH1 | VH1 | VH1 |
| WE tv | WE tv | |
| Weather Spy | ||
| Womensports Network | ||
| YouTube Originals | ||
| Zona Futbol TUDN |
Channel Add-On Packages and Premium Subscriptions
If you’re looking for more from these two services, you may find what you need on their list of add-on packages or premium subscription services that are, of course, available for an additional cost.
Both YouTube TV and fuboTV have Spanish language subscription options as well. YouTube TV’s Spanish Plan is $35 per month and features more than two dozen channels. FuboTV’s Latino package is $33 per month and has more than 40 channels.
YouTube TV offers a sports add-on package for $10.99 that includes NFL RedZone.
| Sports Plus Add-on ($10.99) |
|---|
| Fight Network |
| FOX College Sports |
| FOX Soccer Plus |
| Impact Wrestling |
| MAVTV |
| NFL Redzone |
| Stadium |
| TVG |
FuboTV, on the other hand, has five add-on packages that range from $2.99 per month to $10.99 per month.
| Adventure Plus ($4.99) | Fubo Extra ($7.99) | International Sports Plus ($6.99) | News Plus ($2.99) | Sports Plus with NFL RedZone ($10.99) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AfricaNews | ||||
| American Heroes Channel | ||||
| BBC World News | BBC World News | |||
| BET Her | ||||
| BET Jams | ||||
| BET Soul | ||||
| Bloomberg TV | ||||
| Cheddar | ||||
| CNBC World | CNBC World | |||
| Cooking Channel | ||||
| Destination America | ||||
| Discovery Family | ||||
| Discovery Life | ||||
| DIY Network | ||||
| ESPN Deportes | ||||
| ESPNews | ESPNews | |||
| ESPNU | ESPNU | |||
| Euronews | ||||
| Fight Network | ||||
| FOX Deportes | ||||
| FOX Soccer Plus | ||||
| Fuse | ||||
| FXM | ||||
| GAC Living | ||||
| Game Show Network | ||||
| Game+ | ||||
| Ginx Esports TV | ||||
| GOL TV | ||||
| GOL TV Spanish | ||||
| Great American Country | ||||
| INSP | ||||
| JusticeCentral.TV | ||||
| Law & Crime | Law & Crime | |||
| LOGO | ||||
| MAVTV | ||||
| MLB Network | MLB Network | |||
| MLB Network Strikezone | ||||
| MTV Classic | ||||
| MTV Live | ||||
| MTV2 | ||||
| MTVU | ||||
| Nat Geo Wild | ||||
| NBA TV | NBA TV | |||
| NewsNet | ||||
| Newsy | ||||
| Next Level Sports | ||||
| NFL Redzone | ||||
| NHL Network | NHL Network | |||
| NickMusic | ||||
| Nicktoons | ||||
| Outdoor Channel | ||||
| Pac-12 Arizona | ||||
| Pac-12 Bay Area | ||||
| Pac-12 Los Angeles | ||||
| Pac-12 Mountain | ||||
| Pac-12 Network | Pac-12 Network | |||
| Pac-12 Oregon | ||||
| Pac-12 Washington | ||||
| People TV | ||||
| Revolt | ||||
| Science Channel | ||||
| Sony Movie Channel | ||||
| Sportsman Channel | ||||
| Stadium | Stadium | |||
| Stadium 1 | Stadium 1 | |||
| Stadium 2 | Stadium 2 | |||
| Stadium 3 | Stadium 3 | |||
| TeenNick | ||||
| Tennis Channel | Tennis Channel | |||
| TVG2 | ||||
| TyC Sports | ||||
| VSiN | ||||
| World Fishing Network | ||||
| Zona Futbol TUDN | Zona Futbol TUDN | Zona Futbol TUDN |
Cloud DVR: YouTube TV vs. fuboTV
| FuboTV – Elite | FuboTV – Pro | YouTube TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud DVR Hours | 1000 | 1000 | Unlimited |
Next to pricing and channel selection, cloud DVR functionality is probably next on the list of importance for streamers.
Being able to record what you want and watch it when you want to is a huge perk.
YouTube TV has been one of the best streaming services in the Cloud DVR category for quite some time thanks to its free unlimited storage.
FuboTV does not offer unlimited storage, but it recently bumped its storage allotment to 1,000 hours of content (up from 250). Many streamers may find that this is more than enough to store all the shows they plan to watch.
You can also fast forward through commercials on your recordings with both services, which is a real time saver.
FuboTV allows you to keep recordings for as long as you wish, while YouTube TV limits that to nine months. You may find that you have to manually delete fuboTV recordings to save storage space. That’s of no concern on YouTube TV, where you can just let the recordings roll off automatically after nine months.
Supported Devices for TV
If you’re new to the cord-cutting game, you may be wondering how you’ll be able to survive without your trusty cable box. Truth be told, getting rid of those monthly fees for each TV that you want to connect with the cable company is where both services can really save you some cash.
Instead of paying the cable company for a box, you’ll have to provide your own means to connect these live streaming TV services to your television.
On some smart TVs, that’s as simple as downloading the YouTube TV or fuboTV app to your television.
If your television doesn’t support that method, you’ll need to purchase a streaming device to plug into one of your television’s HDMI ports. These devices can be purchased for a modest one-time investment and will support streaming from multiple apps for years to come.
Both YouTube TV and fuboTV are compatible with most of the major streaming devices on the market.
YouTube TV Supported Devices
YouTube TV’s list of supported devices for TV includes:
- Apple TV (4th generation) and Apple TV 4K
- Amazon Fire TV products
- Chromecast with Google TV devices
- Android TV (Note: TVs running a mobile version of Android may not be supported)
- Vizio SmartCast TVs
- Samsung & LG smart TVs (2016 models and newer)
- HiSense TVs
- Xbox: Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One X, Xbox One S, and Xbox One
- PS5 and PS4
- TiVo Stream 4K
- Roku
FuboTV Supported Devices
Here’s a list of compatible devices according to fuboTV’s website:
- Android smartphones and tablets
- Apple smartphones and tablets (iPhone, iPad, etc.)
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android TV
- Android Smart TVs
- Apple TV
- Chromecast with Google TV
- Roku
- Samsung Smart TVs
- Xbox gaming devices
Multiple Streams
| FuboTV – Elite | FuboTV – Pro | YouTube TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous Streams | 10 | 10 | 3 |
| User Profiles Allowed | 6 | 6 | 6 |
For households that want to use a live TV streaming service on multiple devices at once, fuboTV has an advantage over YouTube TV.
You can stream on 10 screens at a time with fuboTV but only three with YouTube TV.
Pros and Cons: YouTube TV vs. fuboTV
Now that I’ve walked you through all the specifics of each of these services on the key issues that may affect you as a cord cutter, let’s summarize what we like and dislike about them.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great overall channel lineup filled with sports and news | Monthly price now at $65 after being as low as $35 |
| Unlimited cloud DVR storage included | Many regional sports networks unavailable |
| Up to 6 user accounts and 3 simultaneous streams |
| Pros | Cons |
| One of the most robust collections of sports channels available on the live TV streaming market | Turner networks (CNN, TBS, TNT) are not available. |
| Good mix of live news and entertainment networks | Some local channels and regional sports networks may not be available. |
| User profiles and multiple streams are among the best in the category. | Pricing at the higher end of the live TV streaming market |
Bottom Line: Which is Better?
At $65 per month for the base package, YouTube TV has a slight price advantage over fuboTV in 2022.
Both services are among the more expensive options for cord-cutters looking to switch to a live TV streaming service. But when you weigh some of the factors that are most important to streamers (price, channels, cloud DVR, supported devices, etc.), you’ll find that both of them generally grade out pretty well when compared to their peers.
That makes both of them viable cable alternatives.
But in my opinion, the base package from YouTube TV offers just a bit more than the base package from fuboTV. So with all things considered, I’d give a slight advantage to YouTube TV.
If the price of these services is an issue, you may be better off checking out Sling TV. And if sports and local channels don’t matter to you at all, Philo may be your most cost-effective cable alternative.
Is YouTube TV better than fuboTV? Share your opinion in our Clark.com Community!
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