The Disney+ and Hulu merger just moved out of its Beta phase. But it can be confusing to know the differences between the services and features. The Streamable will break down every subscription option and the multiple ways to save money. Whether you’re looking to entertain children, adults, sports fans, or live TV lovers, there’s a package for everyone.
Disney+ Only
Disney+ is a fantastic streaming choice for families. You’ll be able to watch Disney animated classics, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, The Simpsons, and The Muppets. There’s also Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Avatar films. You’ll see musicals like “Hamilton,” “The Greatest Showman,” and “The Sound of Music.” Disney+ also has concert films like “Elton John Live,” “BTS: Permission to Dance,” and Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour.”
Disney+ Subscription Options
There are two choices available for standalone Disney+.
Disney+ Basic | Disney+ Premium |
---|---|
$9.99 / month | $15.99 / month |
Just Disney+ | Just Disney+ |
Has ads | No ads |
Supports up to 5.1 audio | Immersive sound with up to Dolby Atmos audio |
Experience video quality in up to 4K UHD & HDR | Experience video quality in up to 4K UHD & HDR |
No downloads | Downloads on up to 10 devices |
If Disney+ Premium appeals to you, consider the annual plan for $159.99 / year. That’s like getting two months for free (saving nearly $28/year).
Disney+ Pros and Cons
- Family-friendly favorites
- Great for children and teens
- Beloved movie and TV franchises
- Original titles you won’t find anywhere else
- Lacks compelling mature titles
- New content can be slow to arrive
- No sports
- Almost no live events
- No free trial
Hulu Only
Think of Hulu as the big brother to Disney+. While you won’t find much content for children, it’s a fantastic choice for adults.
Hulu has a fantastic TV library, packed with great shows from the past several decades. Standout originals include “Only Murders in the Building” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.” You’ll get FX hits like “Fargo,” “The Bear,” “Welcome to Wrexham,” “The Americans,” and “What We Do in the Shadows.” Other great shows on Hulu include “Abbott Elementary,” “Schitt’s Creek,” “Modern Family,” “Rick and Morty,” “Family Guy,” “Lost,” “Community,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Cheers,” “Frasier,” “MASH,” and “Scandal.”
Hulu’s movie lineup may change, but it can feature hits like “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Alien,” “Predator,” “The Notebook,” “Heat,” “Pretty Woman,” “Jumanji,” and “Crazy Rich Asians.” Hulu does feature one of the best documentary libraries of any streaming service.
You can start streaming today with a 30-day FREE trial.
Hulu Subscription Options
There are two choices available for standalone Hulu.
Hulu with Ads | Hulu No Ads |
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$9.99 / month | $18.99 / month |
Just Hulu | Just Hulu |
Has ads | No ads |
No downloads | Downloads available |
You can save money with an annual plan on the ad-supported Hulu. That’s $99.99 / year, so you’d save nearly $16. Think of it like getting two free months. Unfortunately, you cannot get an annual plan for ad-free Hulu.
Hulu Pros and Cons
- Wonderful library of TV hits from yesterday and today
- Prestige shows from FX
- Generous 30-day free trial
- Small library of excellent originals
- Outstanding documentary section
- Not many family-friendly titles
- No live events
- No sports
- No 4K option
- New exclusives very slow to arrive
What About ‘Hulu Has Live Sports’?
You may have seen the popular commercials about Hulu having live sports. That is true, but only if you subscribe to a Hulu Live TV plan. We’ll outline that option later in this article.
ESPN+ Only
If you love sports, ESPN+ is a fantastic option. You can watch a ridiculous amount of games. It’s especially great for NHL hockey, where you’ll get 75 weekly national games and 1000+ out-of-market games.
With ESPN+, you can watch UFC, NHL, MLB, PGA TOUR LIVE, LaLiga, Top Rank Boxing, and more — plus a variety of college sports, including football, basketball, and baseball from 20+ conferences.
ESPN+ Subscription Options
If you only want ESPN+, there is just one subscription tier. The service costs $10.99 / month. You can save with the annual plan for $109.99 / year. That annual plan saves you nearly $22/year.
Notably, you cannot subscribe to an ad-free version of ESPN+. You will have to sit through commercials.
ESPN+ Pros and Cons
- Best viewing option for NHL hockey
- Thousands of live events from college and pros
- Excellent ‘30 for 30’ films and documentaries
- Must watch commercials
- No 4K option
- Will still need other services for full coverage of your favorite leagues
- No free trial
Duo: Disney+ and Hulu
If you want a more complete streaming experience, you can subscribe to the Disney Duo plan: Disney+ and Hulu together. Doing so will save money and you can access most (but not all) Hulu content within the Disney+ interface. The reverse is not true, however — you won’t find the Disney+ library within Hulu.
You can choose the package with ads or without.
Duo Basic | Duo Premium |
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$10.99 / month | $19.99 / month |
Disney+ and Hulu | Disney+ and Hulu |
Has ads | No ads |
No downloads | Downloads Available |
Duo Price Savings
If you bought standalone Hulu and Disney+, the cost would be $15.98/month. But the duo is only $10.99, so you’d save an amazing 37% every month.
If you prefer the ad-free Duo, the standalone cost would normally be $31.98/month. But with that 37% discount, the combo saves you nearly $12/month.
Trio: Disney+, Hulu, & ESPN+
For an even better value, you can sign up for the Trio plan. This gives you three amazing services at an even bigger discount. Sign up today to get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
Trio Basic | Trio Premium |
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$16.99 / month | $26.99 / month |
Disney+ and Hulu and ESPN+ | Disney+ and Hulu and ESPN+ |
Has ads | No ads on Disney+ and Hulu |
No downloads | Downloads available |
Trio Price Savings
The standalone price for all three ad-supported plans would normally be $27/month, but the Trio Basic plan offers a 44% discount, so you pay just $16.99 / month.
Remember that you can’t eliminate commercials from ESPN+, but if you added that to the ad-free Disney+ and Hulu, the cost would normally be $43. Thanks to the Trio Premium discount of 41%, the cost for the three services would be only $26.99 / month.
Best Value: Hulu Live TV, Disney+, Hulu & ESPN+
One subscription can offer you all the best of live TV and streaming. It’s called Hulu Live TV and it might be the best value in entertainment today. A subscription starts at $82.99 / month and it automatically gives you the Trio Basic, meaning you will get Disney+, Hulu on demand, and ESPN+ without paying anything extra.
Hulu Live TV will replace your current TV provider, since it includes 33 of the top 35 cable channels. It also includes all your local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Telemundo, and The CW.
For sports, you can watch Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Philadelphia+, and SportsNet NY. It’s easy to add NFL RedZone if that matters to you.
Hulu Live TV includes an unlimited DVR, so you can record as much TV as you want.
There are several other live TV streaming providers, including DIRECTV STREAM, Sling TV, Fubo, YouTube TV, and Philo. But none of them include anything close to the Disney Trio. That makes Hulu Live TV a superior option, especially since the Hulu live option is cheaper than most of those services. One subscription may be all you need for 24/7 entertainment. While Hulu offers nearly every channel you may want, you can consult our Service Matchmaker to be sure it has your favorite channels.
Hulu Live TV Subscription Options
Hulu + Live TV (with ads) | Bundle with Ad-Free Disney+ | Bundle with Ad-Free Disney+ and Hulu |
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$82.99 / month | $81.99 / month | $95.99 / month |
33 of the top 35 cable channels | 33 of the top 35 cable channels | 33 of the top 35 cable channels |
Unlimited DVR | Unlimited DVR | Unlimited DVR |
Free Disney+ and Hulu and ESPN+ | Free Disney+ and Hulu and ESPN+ | Free Disney+ and Hulu and ESPN+ |
Ads on all services | No ads on Disney+ | No ads on Disney+ or Hulu on-demand |
No downloads | Disney+ downloads available | Disney+ and Hulu downloads available |
Hulu Live TV Price Savings
If you bought Hulu Live TV and Hulu on demand, ESPN+, and Disney+, the cost would normally be $103/month. But since you get those on-demand services for free, you save $26/month.
Conclusion
If you want to entertain children, Disney+ is one of the best streaming options around. For adults, Hulu has more great TV than nearly every other streamer. ESPN+ is becoming a must-have service for sports fans.
You can decide whether you want one or all three. The savings increase as you add more services to the package. For ultimate savings, Hulu Live TV offers all of these services and an amazing lineup of local, entertainment, news, and sports channels.
Disney makes it easy to choose the package that’s right for you. Best of all, there is no contract, so you can cancel anytime if your needs change.
Free 3-Day Trial
hulu.com
Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 70 channels for $82.99/month. Hulu + Live TV base plan includes local channels, 33 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs). Subscribers get free access to Disney+ and ESPN+ at no extra charge.
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The service provides an unlimited DVR with the ability to skip through commercials. You also have the option to upgrade for premium channels, unlimited screens, and commercial-free access to Hulu’s on-demand library.
Free 3-Day Trial
$82.99+ / month
hulu.com
Get $23 OFF each month for the first 3 months of Hulu Live TV! (Deal ends Nov. 19)