Hulu Vs. Hulu Plus Live TV: Do You Really Need It?

How Much Does Hulu Cost In 2026?

Hulu with ads costs $12.49 a month and Hulu with no ads costs $21.49, according to CBS News' report on the September 2026 increase. Hulu + Live TV costs $99.99 a month with ads and $109.99 with an ad-free library, per Hulu's Live TV page. New subscribers paid the new prices starting September 23, 2026, and existing subscribers see them on their next monthly bill. Track what each subscription costs you with one of the best budgeting apps.

Hulu raises prices almost every fall. The ad-supported plan went from $7.99 in 2022 to $9.99 in October 2024, $11.99 in October 2025 and $12.49 in September 2026, according to Streaming Price Tracker. Hulu + Live TV went up $10 this year alone. Readers in our comments have complained about hikes that showed up on a bank statement with no warning, so check your bill each October, the same way you'd review the rest of your monthly expenses.

What Makes The Two Packages So Different?

The difference is live TV. Regular Hulu only streams on-demand shows and movies, including next-day episodes of many network shows. Hulu + Live TV adds live channels, a DVR, Disney+ and ESPN, which is what makes it a cable replacement rather than a streaming add-on. Here's how the two compare, and our cut-the-cable student deals cover cheaper options.

1. Live channels. Hulu + Live TV includes 100+ live and local channels, including news, sports and broadcast networks, per Hulu. Regular Hulu has no live channels at all, which answers a question several readers asked in our comments. If all you want is a show the day after it airs, plain Hulu or a free antenna covers it, as our ways to save money in college point out.
2. Disney+ and ESPN. Every Hulu + Live TV plan now includes Disney+ and ESPN Select, and live subscribers get ESPN Unlimited inside the ESPN app, according to Hulu. Regular Hulu doesn't include either unless you buy a bundle. Compare that with the cheaper Disney+, Hulu bundles below before paying for Live TV, and check our student discounts list if you're in school.
3. DVR. Hulu + Live TV comes with unlimited DVR at no extra cost, and recordings are kept for up to nine months. On-demand Hulu doesn't need a DVR, since the library is always there. That DVR is one reason live TV can replace a cable box, which can add a monthly equipment fee to a cable bill, one of the costs our ways to save more money each month target.
4. Screens and devices. Hulu + Live TV allows two screens at a time for live TV. An Unlimited Screens add-on allows unlimited screens at home and three on the go. Both versions of Hulu work on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, smart TVs, game consoles, phones and computers.
5. Home network. Hulu + Live TV is tied to your home location so it can serve the right local channels, and Hulu's fine print says "location data requirements apply." Readers who split time between two homes or travel often have run into this limit in our comments. If that's you, weigh it before signing up, and see our phone plans for college students for carrier streaming perks that travel with you.
6. Ads. Paying for a No Ads plan removes ads from the on-demand library only. Live channels and on-demand episodes from live networks still play ads, and Hulu notes a few library shows play a short ad break before and after each episode. You can't buy an ad-free version of live TV, which answers another common reader question, and our student discounts roundup lists ad-free options that cost less.

There's a lot to like about Hulu + Live TV if you watch live sports and news. If you don't, you're paying $87 a month more than the Disney+, Hulu Bundle for channels you won't use, money that would earn interest in one of the best high-yield savings accounts.

Hulu With Disney Plus

The Disney+, Hulu Bundle with ads costs $12.99 a month, only 50 cents more than Hulu by itself. The ad-free version costs $21.99, also 50 cents more than Hulu Premium alone. Disney kept the ad-supported bundle price flat in September 2026 while raising standalone prices, so the bundle is the better deal for almost everyone, as our money-saving ideas for college students also note.

Disney sells three larger bundles on top of that, per Hulu's sign-up page, and each one only makes sense if it replaces a service you already pay for, as our ways to save more money each month explain:

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle: $21.99 a month with ads or $32.99 with no ads
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle: $35.99 with ads or $44.99 with no ads, for fans who want every ESPN game without cable
• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle: $21.99 with ads or $34.99 with no ads, which Hulu says saves $13.98 a month compared with paying for the three services separately

Hulu + Live TV is still the most expensive package at $99.99 a month, or $109.99 with ad-free Hulu and Disney+. If you subscribe to HBO Max on its own today, the three-service bundle is the cheapest way to keep it, and our savings tips show where to put the money you free up.

Is The Hulu App Going Away?

Not yet. Disney is folding Hulu into the Disney+ app and expects a unified app experience by the end of 2026, but it hasn't announced a shutdown date for the Hulu app. In July 2026, Disney said it has "no current plans to sunset the Hulu app," while reports on internal planning describe retiring it after users move over. Keep an eye on your account emails, the same way you'd watch any recurring bill.

Bundle subscribers can already watch Hulu content inside Disney+ and link their Hulu profiles and watch history. Live TV channels and some add-ons still run through the Hulu app for now. Hulu + Live TV is also part of a combined company with Fubo after a deal that closed on October 29, 2025, with Disney owning about 70%. Both services are still sold separately, so nothing changes for your plan today, and our budgeting strategies help you decide which subscriptions stay.

Should You Get It?

Get Hulu + Live TV only if it replaces a cable or satellite bill and you watch live sports, news or local channels most weeks. Everyone else should get the Disney+, Hulu Bundle and skip live TV. The gap is large: at $99.99 a month, Hulu + Live TV costs $1,199.88 a year, while the bundle with ads costs $155.88, a difference of $1,044 a year. Put that $87 a month toward savings and it adds up to more than $1,000 in a year, which is why dropping live TV shows up on our list of ways to save an extra $500 a month.

Cable TV still has drawbacks Hulu + Live TV avoids. You don't need an installer to come to your home, there's no rented cable box, and there's no annual contract. You can cancel anytime, and the cancellation takes effect at the end of your billing period. You'll still need a streaming device or smart TV and home internet, which most households already have.

Cable companies are also known for introductory prices that jump after the first year. Hulu does the same thing in a different way: its first-month promo price of $49.99 ends at 9:00 AM PT on October 26, 2026, then the plan bills at $99.99. All these costs add up, much like college debt does, so price the regular rate, not the promo.

Here's a quick way to decide, with our money-saving tips for anything you cut:

• Get Hulu + Live TV if you'd otherwise pay for cable and want live football, local news and ESPN in one app.
• Pick the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle at $35.99 if sports are the only live content you watch. It costs $64 a month less than Hulu + Live TV.
• Choose the Disney+, Hulu Bundle at $12.99 if you mainly binge shows and movies. Add a free over-the-air antenna for local channels.
• Students should start with the $6.49 student bundle before paying full price.

YouTube TV, Sling TV and Fubo all compete with Hulu + Live TV on price and channels, so compare lineups for your ZIP code before you sign up and log the winner in one of the best budgeting apps. 

Hulu Student Pricing

College students can get the Disney+, Hulu Student Bundle with ads for $6.49 a month, half the regular $12.99 price, according to Hulu's student page. That works out to $77.88 a year, or $78 less than the regular bundle. It's one of the best deals on our student discounts list.

You have to be 18 or older, live in the U.S., and be enrolled at an accredited U.S. college, university or degree- or certificate-granting school. SheerID verifies your enrollment with your school name and email, and you re-verify every 12 months. If you graduate or don't re-verify, the plan moves to the full $12.99 bundle price. There's no free trial, and ESPN subscribers and HBO Max-billed bundle subscribers can't use the offer. Our student discounts roundup lists other deals that use the same kind of verification.

The old $1.99-a-month Hulu student plan is no longer offered to new subscribers, since new students can only sign up for the bundle. If you're still on the old plan, check your account before switching, because you may not be able to get it back. Pair this deal with the other tips in our ways to save money in college.

Sign up with Hulu Student here >>

Closing Thoughts

Most people don't need Hulu + Live TV. If you're replacing cable and watch live sports or news, Hulu Plus Live TV is a reasonable cable alternative at $99.99 a month, and Hulu often runs sign-up specials for new subscribers. Sign Up Here. If you mostly stream shows and movies, the $12.99 Disney+, Hulu Bundle does the job for about $1,044 a year less, money our ways to save $500 a month can help you keep.

Before you sign up for Hulu, check whether you already get it through your phone carrier. Verizon offers the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ bundle with ads as a $12-a-month perk on eligible plans, and our phone plans for college students compare other carrier perks.

Hulu versus Hulu Plus? What has your experience been? Your thoughts are welcome in the comments, and our student discounts roundup is a good next stop.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Difference Between Hulu And Hulu + Live TV?

Hulu is an on-demand library of shows and movies for $12.49 a month with ads. Hulu + Live TV adds 100+ live channels, unlimited DVR, Disney+ and ESPN Select for $99.99 a month. Our student discounts list covers cheaper ways to stream.

Can You Get Hulu Without Live TV?

Yes. The Hulu plan and the Disney+, Hulu Bundle don't include live TV, and they cost $12.49 and $12.99 a month with ads. You can also switch from Hulu + Live TV back to Hulu, and the change takes effect at your next billing cycle, which helps if you're trying to save more money each month.

How Much Is Hulu + Live TV In 2026?

Hulu + Live TV costs $99.99 a month with ads, or $109.99 with ad-free Hulu and Disney+, after a $10 increase in September 2026. New subscribers can get the first month for $49.99 through October 26, 2026. That's $1,199.88 a year at the regular price, so track it in a budgeting app.

Is Hulu Shutting Down In 2026?

No. Disney is moving Hulu's content into the Disney+ app and expects a unified app by the end of 2026, but your Hulu subscription keeps working and Disney hasn't set a date to retire the Hulu app. Our budgeting strategies can help you decide which subscriptions to keep.

Is There A Hulu Student Discount?

Yes. Eligible college students pay $6.49 a month for the Disney+, Hulu Student Bundle with ads, half the regular $12.99 price. You verify through SheerID and re-verify every year, and our student discounts list has more deals like it.

Can You Cancel Hulu + Live TV Anytime?

Yes. There's no contract, and cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. Hulu doesn't refund partial months, so cancel a few days before your bill date, and see our ways to save money in college for other bills to cut.