Over the last few years, countless people have been looking to cut the cord and move from cable TV to streaming services.
If you’re one of them, you may have noticed the overwhelming number of streaming service options now available to you!
Two popular options are YouTube TV and Fubo TV.
Fubo started as “Netflix for soccer”; a way to watch live sports with ease, all in one place.
However, it’s now expanded to cover everything from news and lifestyle to entertainment and movies.
YouTube TV, though owned by the same company, is completely different to ordinary YouTube or YouTube Premium. It’s a TV streaming service with a wide variety of shows, channels, and films.
In this article, we’ll break down the best and worst parts of both of these TV streaming services. Specifically, we’ll talk about:
- A detailed breakdown of their features
- A more compact pros and cons list
- Which one we think is best and why.
Let’s get straight into it!
Comparing Fubo TV vs. YouTube TV in Detail
Channel Selection
Both options easily keep up with the competition when it comes to available channels.
Fubo TV offers 169+ channels on its standard plan, including a host of local networks.
If you upgrade to a higher plan, you can reach 246+ or even 290+ channels in total! If you want to make sure they carry the channels you care most about, you can see a full list here.
YouTube has much fewer channels in their basic plan with only 85+. However, if you’re willing to pay for addons, you can increase this number greatly.
Though more costly, their use of add-ons rather than packages means you have a greater level of customizability in your channels. You can see their full channel list here.
It should be noted that when it comes to sports, Fubo is by far the best choice.
Sports is their bread and butter, being the origin of their platform. They have pretty much everything you could think of, including the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, golf, tennis, boxing, and college sports.
They also have sports-focused add-ons, allowing you to expand these options even further if you want.
YouTube has most of the standard sports channels, but nowhere near the depth and variety of Fubo. However, they do have CNN and TNT, which Fubo notably lacks.
Streaming Quality
By default, both platforms stream in 720p at 60fps, which is the standard for TV streaming services.
YouTube has a 4K+ plan, costing an extra $9.99 on top of your monthly fee. With this, you’ll be able to stream select programs in 4K and unlock unlimited concurrent streams and offline watching.
However, the selection of things you can actually watch in 4K is quite low at the time of writing. The plan may be worth it for the other features, but not for 4K alone.
Fubo has no 4K-specific plan but does have 4K sports streaming on select NBC, Fox, and FS1 events.
Concurrent Streams
Fubo allows for ten concurrent streams on almost all of their plans. This means ten people can watch at the same time on different devices.
However, it should be noted that they must all be on the same home network — meaning you can’t share your account with people outside your household.
Fubo lets you make up to six accounts, each with its own recommendations and personalized settings.
YouTube allows for six accounts, too, but only three can stream at once. This can feel very restrictive in a big family.
Though YouTube’s ToS states that you can’t share your account with people outside your household, unlike Fubo, there aren’t any actual systems stopping you.
For now, it’s still possible to watch YouTube TV from several locations at once (though you’ll be breaking their rules by doing so).
Cloud DVR
YouTube TV offers an impressive unlimited amount of DVR recording space stored on the cloud. This is for no extra cost and applies to all plans.
In comparison, Fubo offers 1000 hours of DVR space to all plans (except their Latino TV plan).
However, YouTube deletes DVR recordings automatically after 9 months, while Fubo lets you store them forever. If you want to hoard your recordings for a long time, you’ll be better off going with Fubo.
Pricing and Packages
Fubo has four plans while YouTube only has two since most of their customization comes from addons.
Fubo
| Plan Name | Pro | Elite | Ultimate | Latino |
| Monthly Price | $74.99 | $84.99 | $99.99 | $32.99 |
| Channels | 169 | 246 | 290 | 58 |
| DVR Storage | 1000 Hours | 1000 Hours | 1000 Hours | 250 Hours |
| Concurrent Streams | 10 | 10 | 10 | 2 |
| 4K Included | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Extras | None | News Plus and Fubo Extra Channels | SHOWTIME and Sports Plus NFL RedZone Included | None |
YouTube TV
| Plan Name | Base Plan | Spanish Plan |
| Monthly Price | $72.99 ($64.99 for the first 3 months) | $34.99 |
| Channels | 100+ | 30+ |
| DVR Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Concurrent Streams | 3 | 3 |
| 4K Included | No | No |
Both services allow you to cancel anytime, without any penalties or fees.
They also both offer a huge number of add-ons — too many to list here! These include new channels, features like 4K, and other extras to customize your experience to your liking. Each one costs an extra few dollars on top of your normal, monthly fee.
Fubo has an especially extensive library of sports-focused add-ons, allowing you to watch practically any sport you can think of. For instance, their International Sports Plus addon gives you access to all the essential international sports streaming channels, including all the biggest tournaments.
User Interface & Experience
Both services have an easy-to-use, slick interface that mirrors what you’re likely used to on other TV streaming sites. This makes transitioning pretty easy.
Notably, Fubo offers much more customization of your layout than YouTube. It lets you “favorite” specific channels, bookmarking them so that they appear at the top of your guide for easy access. This is really useful if you have a few channels you watch frequently.
Fubo also lets you automatically record specific sports teams or certain TV shows whenever they’re on.
However, YouTube wins when it comes to compatible devices. Both work on all the main TVs and mobile devices, but Fubo doesn’t work on certain gaming consoles.
Additional Features
A minor feature missing from Fubo but present on YouTube TV is the ability to use voice remotes or Google Assistant to search for channels. With YouTube, you’re able to search using your Google Nest Mini, and then stream directly to your compatible smart TV.
When it comes to free trials, Fubo is definitely ahead.
YouTube offers a five-day trial of their most basic plan, with somewhat limited access to channels and features like 4K. If you want to try out any of their add-ons, you’ll have to purchase them first.
In comparison, Fubo’s seven-day free trial gives you access to their highest plan as well as all add-ons. This is highly unusual for TV streaming services and a really nice feature for those who aren’t sure about subscribing just yet.
Pros and Cons Breakdown
| Fubo | YouTube | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| Excellent range of sports options | No CNN or TNT | More optional add ons available | Less channels available on the basic plan |
| Greater number of channels available with basic plan | Only 1000 hours of DVR recordings, rather than unlimited | Has more of the top networks | Less customizable interface |
| Sports-focused add ons for extra customizability | No offline viewing capabilities | Infinite DVR recording space | DVR recordings deleted after 9 months |
| Highly customizable interface | Slightly more expensive base plan | Offline viewing capabilities with the 4k+ addon | Only 3 concurrent streams |
| DVR recordings have no time limit, can be stored forever | Not compatible with certain devices, mostly games consoles | 4k viewing available with select titles | Only a 5 day free trial with limited access |
| 4k sports streaming with all plans | Slightly cheaper base plan | ||
| 10 concurrent streams | Compatible with more devices overall | ||
| 7-day free trial with access to all features | |||
| Can auto-record specific sports teams | |||
Conclusion: Why Fubo TV is Better
In the end, we think Fubo is the better choice in most cases.
If you’re worried about money, YouTube TV is cheaper than Fubo by about $2. However, Fubo’s base plan offers more channels than YouTube’s, where you’ll have to buy add-ons before you can reach a similar channel variety.
Fubo is better for big families with its 10 concurrent streams. If you’re a sports fan, then it’s absolutely a no-brainer with the ridiculous amount of sports content available on Fubo TV.
Overall, it’s just a more varied and complete TV streaming service aa even if it lacks a couple of channels compared to YouTube TV. Plus, with its extensive free trial, it’s easy to see for yourself if Fubo TV will be a good fit for your family.
We hope this breakdown has helped in your decision-making! Now, get that cable cut and start enjoying the future of TV streaming.