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Hulu’s streaming service offers several plans, price points and add-on options aimed to fit a range of budgets.
Hulu subscription cost
For consumers wanting only Hulu’s streaming library and not Live TV, Hulu offers plans with or without ads.
The plan with ads costs $11.99 per month; or, if you sign up for annual billing, it's $119.99 for the year (an annual savings of about $23 over monthly billing). Eligible students can get the ad-supported plan for $1.99 a month.
The Hulu plan without ads costs $18.99 a month.
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Hulu Live TV cost
The Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV bundle costs $99.99 per month and includes ad-free access to Hulu’s streaming library and Disney+ as well as ad-supported access to ESPN Select. This plan also includes Hulu Live TV.
The Hulu (With Ads) + Live TV bundle is $89.99 per month. It gets you the same services — Hulu, Live TV, Disney+ and ESPN Select — all with ads. For an extra $5 a month ($94.99 total), you can upgrade to ad-free Disney+.
You also have the option to go with the Live TV Only plan for $88.99 per month, which provides access to live content but not to the Hulu streaming library, Disney+ or ESPN Select.
From least to most expensive, here’s how Hulu’s Live TV options break down:
- Live TV Only: $88.99 per month.
- Hulu (with ads), Live TV, Disney+ (with ads) and ESPN Select (with ads): $89.99 per month.
- Hulu (with ads), Live TV, Disney+ (no ads) and ESPN Select (with ads): $94.99 per month.
- Hulu (no ads), Live TV, Disney+ (no ads) and ESPN Select (with ads): $99.99 per month.
Hulu add-ons
Hulu also offers several add-on options. If you have an eligible Hulu plan, you can add the following subscriptions:
- ESPN Select for an additional $12.99 per month.
- HBO Max (with ads) for an additional $10.99 per month.
- HBO Max (without ads) for an additional $18.49 per month.
- Cinemax for an additional $9.99 per month.
- Paramount+ with Showtime for an additional $13.99 per month.
- Starz for an additional $10.99 per month.
» MORE: Compare streaming service pricing
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Hulu’s current subscriber agreement states: “Unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier, you may not share your subscription outside of your household.” Household refers to the devices you use at your primary residence.
Is Hulu worth it?
It depends on your budget and your favorite shows.
No matter which Hulu option you go with, you can cancel services, switch plans, or add subscriptions at any time, although charges may apply until the end of your current billing cycle. You may also be able to pause your service.
To determine which Hulu plan fits your budget, try reviewing the 50/30/20 budget framework, in which 50% of your take-home income is allocated to needs, 30% to wants, and 20% to savings and debt paydown beyond the minimums. A subscription service like Hulu would reside in the wants category.
Going with an ad-supported plan will save some money, but if you’re already maxed out on wants and are hoping for ad-free viewing, consider cutting back elsewhere in the category, such as on travel or eating out.
Another option to make a more expensive plan work in your budget is to investigate rewards categories on credit cards you may have in your wallet. Some cards offer perks for streaming services, with as much as 6% cash back.
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