Is Hulu Worth It? 5 Reasons to Sign Up

Hulu is a streaming service owned by Disney. This article explains whether you should subscribe to Hulu or if you're better off sticking with another one of the many streaming services out there.

What is Hulu?

Hulu is a streaming service owned by Disney that's been around since 2007. It has a broad content library that includes originals, TV shows, movies, sports, live television, and a bunch of premium add-ons, like Max and Paramount+, among others.

You can choose between a cheaper, ad-supported plan, a more expensive, ad-free plan, or a premium Live TV plan that can come with or without ads, depending on preference. Hulu also frequently is bundled together with Disney+ and ESPN+. The most expensive option also includes live TV.

Who Should Subscribe to Hulu?

Simply put, if you're looking for more content to watch, Hulu can be a great option, especially if you're interested in any of the following:

• Large library of mainstream shows and popular movies
• Keeping up with shows currently airing
• Solid selection of animated shows and movies
• Streaming live shows, movies, news, and sports
• Add-ons that include Paramount+, Max, Starz, and more
• Exclusive original content, like A Handmaid's Tale
  

Who Shouldn't Subscribe to Hulu?

While Hulu may be a good fit for some, that won't apply to everyone, especially if you're:

• Looking for as much original content as Netflix offers
• Aren't interested in extras like sports and news
• Only binge shows and don't watch anything airing
• Prefer discrete subscriptions rather than add-ons
• Don't care about watching live content

Of course, whether you should sign up for a particular streaming service oftentimes comes down to if there's something you personally want to watch on a service. Like with all other options, that's going to depend on what you're interested in.

Why You Should Subscribe to Hulu

Naturally, if you want more stuff to watch and aren't satisfied with your current subscriptions, Hulu might be worth your time. However, there's a lot more to why you should sign up for Hulu than just not getting as much out of your Netflix subscription as you'd like.

You Want Worthwhile Original Content

Often, a streaming service is made or broken by its original content, by what actual content a streaming service is responsible for creating. Though Hulu may not have as robust a library as Netflix when it comes to original content, it definitely has options.

Whether it's the 2024 smash hit Shogun; the first big show Hulu developed, A Handmaid's Tale; quirky gems like Only Murders in the Building: the later seasons of a fan-favorite like Letterkenny; the fruits of a partnership with a director like Taika Waititi, Reservation Dogs; instant-classic coming-of-age comedies like Pen15; or a bunch of others, Hulu has lots of originals.

If you're looking for some watchable original content, Hulu at least has enough to make subscribing for a while worth it, assuming you're just looking for popular, well-reviewed content.

You Want to Watch Shows Currently Airing

Streaming services tend to release shows by seasons, or if a pre-existing show gets added to a service's library, a bunch of seasons might appear all at once.

It's rare to be able to watch the latest episodes of a show that's currently airing on a streaming service, but Hulu offers that. If you're looking to catch up on the latest episode of your favorite show from mainstream networks like ABC or FOX, Hulu has that on offer.

If you're tired of waiting for a season to wrap up and then, perhaps years later, show up on Netflix, Hulu can be a great way to stay current with your favorite shows.

You Want Multiple Subscriptions in One Place

In today's world, it's normal to have more than a few active subscriptions to different streaming services, and that can be a pain. Having to check if the show you want to watch is available on Netflix or if you have to switch over to Amazon Prime is annoying.

Hulu, though, has add-ons. Add-ons are basically subscriptions within subscriptions where you can add, for example, Max, Starz, or Paramount+ to your Hulu subscription and watch that content directly on Hulu, similar to what you can do on Amazon Prime.

Yes, this isn't exactly stopping you from needing to pay for multiple subscriptions, but it certainly can make your experience a little smoother when all your content is in one place.

You Want To Watch Anime Occasionally

Animated content is usually an afterthought when it comes to major streaming services, so if you're a big anime fan, you're probably already subscribed to something like Crunchyroll. However, if you're a casual fan that likes to watch occasionally, Hulu has you covered.

Hulu has popular shows like Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball, and many more on its roster. Interestingly, some anime (or certain seasons of some anime) pop up on Hulu but not on dedicated anime streaming services, like the first season of Food Wars or both seasons of One Punch Man.

If you're looking for a reliable way to watch anime without needing to subscribe to yet another streaming service, Hulu does a surprisingly good job of scratching that itch.

You Want to Watch Live TV

A streaming service like Netflix makes deals with studios to add content to its library: It's a very different setup from watching TV live on cable back in the 2000s. However, you can watch live TV on Hulu, thanks to its Live TV subscription tier.

If you're interested in watching sports, TV shows as they're airing, daytime soap operas, news, weather forecasts, or awards shows, you can do that on Hulu. Think of it like an old school cable TV package but online and as a part of a more familiar streaming service.

Hulu is one of the few services that offers live TV, alongside YouTube TV, Sling, and DirecTV, so if you're looking for live TV content on top of a traditional streaming library, Hulu's a great option.

Why You Shouldn't Subscribe to Hulu

The biggest reason not to subscribe to Hulu is if you don't care about the extras Hulu offers over other streaming services, like its Live TV package, add-ons to include other streaming service content directly on Hulu, currently airing TV shows, or its anime library.

If you're just a traditional streaming service customer looking for something to binge on a Sunday afternoon, you may well be better served by another streaming service.

While if you have a very particular niche you're very interested in, like a particular sport, Disney content, or anime, other streaming services are built to service these genres.

Lastly, if you aren't interested in the original content Hulu has to offer, a service like Netflix may have some you're more interested in on top of a big library of its own.