Hulu: how to sign up, apps, devices, movies, shows, plans, and Hulu + Live TV explained
Hulu is easily one of the best streaming services on the planet. It boasts a massive selection of movies and TV shows, including exciting originals, big blockbusters and all-time classics. While it may not grab the headlines like Netflix or have the big movie franchises like Disney Plus, it’s absolutely worth signing up.
In this guide we’ve included everything you need to know about Hulu. We’ll look at prices, free trials, the availability of 4K options and more. We’ll also explain how Hulu is set to join forces with Disney Plus in 2024 in a new unified “one-app experience”. Of course, we’ll also give you a rundown of all of the best Hulu movies and Hulu TV shows to expect, too.
Hulu explained: what is Hulu and Hulu with Live TV?
As our Hulu review explains, signing up to the streaming platform gets you access to more than 1,600 TV shows and over 2,500 films. That’s a lot of content for your eyeballs to feast on.
There are also a bunch of different bundles and add-ons you can bolt on to your Hulu subscription. Premium channels, such as Max, Showtime and ESPN can be included for an extra monthly fee, while unlimited screens, Entertainment Network and Español Network add-ons are also an option. You can cancel or switch up these perks when you want to.
Hulu was confirmed to be joining Disney Plus sometime in 2024. This was made official back in May 2024, when Hulu became part of Disney Plus. You can now get both streaming services as a bundle, starting at $9.99 a month for the standard subscription with ads. You can pay $19.99 a month for a premium plan with zero commercials.
Hulu and Disney Plus will continue to be available as separate services in the US, but this new 2-in-1 option will surely make the new-look platform an even more viable contender to streaming behemoths like Netflix, Max, and Prime Video. It will also bring the updated platform more in line with the UK and Australia, where Disney Plus subscribers can view a broader range of movies and TV shows via the Disney Plus Star service.
So what’s the best bundle to purchase right now? Hulu newbies may also want to cast a glance over the Hulu with Live TV subscription, which offers more than 75 TV channels for a reasonable price – it’s a viable alternative to cable that comes with Disney Plus and ESPN Plus for good measure. You’ll also have access to Cloud DVR (Digital Video Recorder), which allows you to to record unlimited hours of live television. You can also now sign-up for a Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max mega bundle. That’s one super comprehensive mix of streaming services and you have two subscription options to choose from. $16.99 per month with ads and $29.99 per month without ads. That’s roughly a 38% on the cost of buying each of those services separately.
Our Disney Plus bundle guide provides plenty more details if we’ve just piqued your interest. Already know which plan you want to go for? Sign up to Hulu now!
How much does Hulu cost?
Hulu’s Basic Plan (i.e. the ad-supported one) costs $7.99 a month / $79.99 a year. However, students can grab a Basic Plan for as little as $1.99 per month (check out the Hulu Student plan to see if you’re eligible).
If you want a Hulu plan without ads you’ll have to stump up $17.99 a month, but it will cost just $2.00 a month more to add Disney Plus (with ads) to your package – an attractive option if you want to watch both platforms. Hulu’s price tiers break down as follows:
| Plan | Monthly price | Annual price | Ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu (with ads) | $7.99 | $79.99 | Yes |
| Hulu (no ads) | $17.99 | N/A | No |
| Disney Plus add-on | $2.00 | N/A | Yes |
There are also various bundle offerings, with Duo options adding Disney Plus to your Hulu package, and Trio options throwing ESPN Plus into the mix as well. The bundle options look like this:
| Bundle | Includes | Monthly price | Annual price | Ads on Hulu? | Ads on Disney Plus? | Ads on ESPN Plus? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duo Basic | Hulu, Disney Plus | $9.99 | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Duo Premium | Hulu, Disney Plus | $19.99 | N/A | No | No | Yes |
| Trio Basic | Hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus | $14.99 | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trio Premium | Hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus | $24.99 | N/A | No | No | Yes |
Hulu + Live TV plans are also available as an alternative to cable, and give you access to live television channels as well as both Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
Another option allows you to grab a Hulu with Live TV-only subscription for $75.99 a month. However, considering you’ll forgo the Hulu library – as well as Disney Plus and ESPN Plus content – with the Live TV-only package, you might as well pay an extra dollar to get Hulu + Live TV, and gain access to all of the available streaming content. Hulu + Live TV plans are priced as follows:
| Live TV plan | Includes | Monthly price | Annual price | Ads on Hulu? | Ads on Disney Plus? | Ads on ESPN Plus? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu (with ads) + Live TV | Live TV, Hulu (including streaming library), Disney Plus, ESPN Plus | $76.99 | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hulu (with ads) + Live TV (no ads on Disney Plus) | Live TV, Hulu (including streaming library), Disney Plus, ESPN Plus | $81.99 | N/A | Yes | No | Yes |
| Hulu (no ads) + Live TV | Live TV, Hulu (including streaming library), Disney Plus, ESPN Plus | $89.99 | N/A | No | No | Yes |
| Live TV only | Live TV | $75.99 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
But before you sign-up, you should know that Hulu is getting more expensive. Hulu (as well as Disney Plus and ESPN Plus) is going to be increasing in price again from October 17. So far, we know that Hulu with ads will move from $7.99 to $9.99 a month, and Hulu without ads will increase from $17.99 to $18.99 a month.
Check out our Hulu plans and prices guide for a full breakdown of subscription options and add-ons.
Hulu free trial: is there one?
There is – and it’s a great deal, too! You can try Hulu’s standard package or its no ads equivalent for free for a whole month (read our Hulu free trial guide for more), which gives you 30 days to explore the platform’s eclectic line-up.
Signing up to this offer allows you to watch Hulu’s best TV shows and movies, work out if its library is worth the investment, and sign up for a subscription if you’re happy with what’s on offer. The opportunity to try before you buy has rarely been so enticing.
How to sign up to Hulu
So you want to sign up to Hulu – great news! Here’s how to do it:
- Head to the Hulu website
- Click on the ‘Start Your Free Trial’ button
- Select a plan to subscribe to
- Enter your email address, password and other details
- Click ‘Continue’ and enter your billing information
- Submit your information to sign up
Hulu shows and movies: what’s available?
An entry-level Hulu membership grants you access to numerous hit shows and the chance to catch new episodes the day after broadcast. There’s also a plethora of kid-friendly options, not to mention Hulu Originals, plus TV series and films (old and new), from various major studios.
So read on and you’ll see we weren’t exaggerating when we said you’ll never be short of things to watch on Hulu…
As we mentioned earlier, Hulu also carries TV series from other networks, including A&E, AMC, VH1, MTV, TNT, Disney Channel, National Geographic, and Discovery. That means you’re only a click away from Sons of Anarchy (FX), Modern Family (ABC), Broad City (Comedy Central), and animated classics like Bob’s Burgers, King of the Hill, and Family Guy (Fox).
Hulu app: what devices can you watch on?
The Hulu app and its many features are supported by lots of devices. If you own one or more of the below, accessing Hulu will be a breeze:
- Amazon Fire tablets
- Amazon Fire TV (Fire OS 5.0 or later)
- Amazon Fire Stick
- Android phones and tablets
- Android TV devices (select models)
- Apple iPhones and iPads
- Apple TV (4th generation or later)
- Chromecast
- Contour 2 and Contour Stream Player*
- Echo Show (8, 10, and 15)
- LG WebOS smart TVs (select devices)
- Nintendo Switch (R1 and Lite)
- PlayStation*
- Roku (select models)
- Samsung smart TVs (select models)
- Various internet web browsers
- Vizio SmartCast TVs
- Xbox
- Xfinity Flex Streaming TV Box*
- Xfinity X1 TV Boxes*
Click here for a more detailed list of Hulu-compatible devices and models.
* While Contour devices, PlayStation 3, and Xfinity devices have the latest Hulu app, they don’t support live TV programming.
Is Hulu available in 4K and HDR?
Yes. Some of Hulu’s greatest shows are available with a sharper image, deeper color, and 8 million pixels (px) support. However, this feature isn’t supported across the board. Hulu is home to over 4,000 titles, but only a tiny fraction of that number come with 4K support.
Almost every Hulu Original is available to stream in the higher definition format, though, so fans of The Handmaid’s Tale need not worry. Other titles you can watch in 4K Ultra HD include Marvel-inspired supernatural thriller Helstrom, while some FX titles, such as Devs and Mrs America, are also available in 4K. Any content available in this format will display a 4K badge on their landing pages.
Lastly, you can watch 4K UHD content on the following: Apple TV (5th generation and above), Chromecast Ultra, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, LG TVs (2017 UHD models and above), Roku, Samsung TVs (2019 UHD models or later), Vizio SmartCast TVs, and Xbox One (S and X models). HDR isn’t supported right now, so all 4K UHD content will be streamed in Standard Dynamic Range (SDR).
How does Hulu compare to its rivals?
Netflix, Hulu’s main rival, boasts over 5,000 films and TV series, and produces hundreds of TV shows and movies a year, including Stranger Things.
The cost of a Hulu subscription is slightly more expensive than the Netflix equivalent. At $6.99 a month, Netflix’s Standard (with ads) tier works out at $1 less than Hulu’s $7.99 ads plan, and if you want to go ad-free, Hulu’s $17.99 per month is pricier than Netflix’s Standard (no ads) $15.49 plan.
Now that Netflix has improved the offering on its Standard packages to make 1080p HD streaming and the option to watch on two devices simultaneously the default option, the two platforms’ offerings are remarkably similar – especially as both streamers’ ad-free options give you the option to download content to view offline.
The main point of difference comes when you factor in adding extra viewers to your package. If you want the option to watch Hulu on unlimited screens, it will cost you an extra $9.99 per month. Netflix, meanwhile, will charge $7.99 per month for each additional member (outside your household) you add to your account.
Netflix also offers a premium option for $22.99. This allows you to stream on four devices simultaneously, while offering Ultra HD streams, Netflix spatial audio, downloads on six supported devices, and the option to add up to two additional members from outside your household.
Prime Video works out slightly cheaper than Hulu for ad-free viewing, with a full Amazon Prime membership costing $14.99 per month (or $139 annually) and the Prime Video-only option coming in at $8.99. With around 18,000 titles, Prime Video’s content library is massive, though the overall quality is open to debate. The service includes plenty of high-profile Amazon Originals such as The Boys, The Rings of Power, and Invincible, as well as high-caliber movies old and new.
Prime membership also delivers other bonuses like free order delivery, Prime Reading, and ad-free music streaming, which justifies its comparatively expensive price point. On the downside, you’re limited to three streams per account and – when it comes to replicating the cable experience – Hulu + Live TV is a much more cost-effective option compared to adding individual Amazon Channels.
HBO Max, which had been one of Hulu’s biggest rivals in the US streaming market for several years, was replaced by the new Max service in May 2023. Max’s ad-supported tier (Max Ad-Lite) costs $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year), making it slightly more expensive than the $7.99 per month (or $79.99 per year) you’ll pay for the Hulu equivalent.
Things get more complicated when you enter ad-free territory, however. Max’s ad-free option (Max Ad-Free) costs $15.99 per month ($149.99 per year) – in other words, cheaper than the $17.99 per month you pay to go ad-free on Hulu, especially if you opt to pay annually (not an option on Hulu’s ad-free package). But if you want more than two concurrent streams and 4K UHD resolution on Max, you’ll have to stump up even more for the $19.99-a-month Max Ultimate Ad Free plan. (You also have the option to add Max as a bolt-on to your Hulu service for $15.99 a month.)
On paper, then, there’s not much to choose between Max and Hulu in terms of price, though it’s worth noting that the new Warner Bros Discovery-backed streamer arguably has the superior content library on its side. As well as ground-breaking HBO dramas like The Last of Us, The Wire, and Game of Thrones, subscribers get a wide range of titles from Warner Bros., their subsidiaries, and third-party companies. That means easy access to all Studio Ghibli animations, DC Comics movies, The Lord of the Rings films, and a selection of classic movies curated by TCM.
Of course, the balance of power shifted slightly after the combined Hulu-Disney Plus offer, and the triumvirate streaming package comprising Hulu, Disney Plus, and Max, launched earlier this year. Our guides to the best Max shows and best Max movies are a good way to work out if a subscription to Max, or the aforementioned super streaming Max-based bundle, is worth the investment.
For more Hulu-based coverage, read our guides on the best Hulu movies, best Hulu shows, new Hulu movies, and best Hulu documentaries.
