Best DirecTV Stream Alternatives: Top 6 Options

If the recent changes and price increases for DirecTV Stream are too much for you, there are cheaper options on the market. You may want to explore one of the following DirecTV Stream alternatives: FuboTV, Philo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, or Vidgo. On the fence about these services? Check out our free channel guides for Sling TV, Philo, Hulu + Live TV, and other services. View available channels, live TV schedules, and more, all without having to sign up for a service. Let's get started!

FuboTV: Best DirecTV Stream Alternative for Sports

Source: FuboTV

At the standard level, fuboTV is a great alternative to DirecTV Stream based on price, especially given it offers more channels for the price of admission. And for sports fans, fuboTV is comparatively better than what DirecTV Stream's service offers, so long as you're not absolutely tied to getting Fox Sports RSNs.

FuboTV Pricing and Packages

FuboTV comes in at $64.99 per month after a 7-day free trial with 100+ channels in the base Starter package.

FuboTV Channels

Channels offered include popular sports networks like Fox Sports, ESPN, NBA TV, NFL Network, and Big Ten Network. News channels like MSNBC and Fox News are also available, as are cable channels like FX, USA, and HGTV. Learn more about fuboTV's channel packages here.

FuboTV Supported Devices

You can use fuboTV on a large number of devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV. You'll also be able to stream on iOS and Android mobile devices. The full list of fuboTV's supported devices includes:

• TV streaming media players: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and TV Stick, Chromecast, and Roku
• Smart TVs: Android TV, Hisense, LG, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio
• Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS
• Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers
• Gaming Devices: Xbox

To learn more about fuboTV's supported devices, check here.

FuboTV Simultaneous Streams

FuboTV is an excellent option for simultaneous streams, though it can't compare to the 20 streams you get from DirecTV Stream. Instead, you'll find 2 streams per account with the Latino Plus subscription, 3 per account with the Starter package, and 10 per account with the Elite and Pro subscription levels. You can learn more about fuboTV's simultaneous streaming policy here.

FuboTV DVR

If you want cloud DVR storage, fuboTV offers far more than you'll get through DirecTV Stream. The default storage amount is 250 hours, available through both the Latino Plus and Starter packages. The Pro and Elite packages each offer 1,000 hours of cloud storage.  You can learn more about fuboTV's cloud DVR here.

FuboTV On-Demand Library

DirecTV Stream and fuboTV have somewhat similar on-demand libraries. Although fuboTV doesn't advertise the size of its library, you'll get content on-demand content in two ways. First, there's a 72-hour rewind feature that allows you to watch most content from the service within three days of airing. Secondly, most of the 90-100+ channels available through the service offer some content longer term, for weeks or months at a time, which ultimately creates a large library of on-demand content. Learn more about fuboTV's on-demand library here.

Philo: Best DirecTV Stream Alternative for Entertainment

Source: Philo

Philo takes a vastly different approach than almost every service out there, including DirecTV Stream. Through Philo, you'll get a large channel package for a low cost, with a singular focus on entertainment and lifestyle TV channels with no dedicated sports channels or local broadcast networks.

Philo Pricing and Packages

Philo currently costs just $25 per month with 60+ channels after a 7-day free trial.

Philo Channels

Philo's no sports, no locals focus means that it can offer 60+ channels for an incredibly low price. You'll get a complete list of Viacom channels, including AMC, A&E, Discovery, and Science Channel, as well as many other popular networks, like Paramount Network, BBC America, and BBC World News. The service now also has Epix, Starz, and other movie channels as add-ons. For more information on Philo channels, check here.

Philo Supported Devices

You can watch Philo on a small but growing number of devices. The service can be streamed on popular TV devices, like Roku and Amazon Fire TV, as well as iOS and Android mobile devices. The full list of supported devices includes:

• TV streaming media players: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Roku
• Smart TVs**:** Android TV
• Mobile devices and tablets: Android, iOS
• Game consoles: None
• Desktop browsers**:** Most Mac and PC browsers

Check here for more information on Philo's supported devices.

Philo Simultaneous Streams

Philo is equivalent to DirecTV Stream on account sharing and simultaneous streams. You can stream on up to 3 devices at once, without having to pay extra for the privilege. To learn more about Philo's simultaneous streams, click here.

Philo DVR

Enjoy an unlimited cloud DVR with a 1-year expiration date on stored videos. Older Philo account holders will need to contact customer service to upgrade from its previous 30-day limit. Check here to learn more about Philo's DVR.

Philo On-Demand Library

Philo's on-demand library is smaller than what you'll get with DirecTV Stream, but it's still high-quality. You'll get 20,000 hours worth of content through Philo's on-demand library, as well as a 72-hour rewind feature that makes sure there's always fresh content ready to view.

Hulu + Live TV: A Hybrid Service that Beats DirecTV Stream

Source: Hulu

Hulu + Live TV is a wholly unique hybrid on-demand and live TV streaming service. Now fully owned by Disney, Hulu + Live TV beats DirecTV Stream in almost every category we examined.

Hulu + Live TV Pricing and Packages

One of the best aspects of Hulu + Live TV is its simplicity. For $69.99 per month, you get access to all standard Hulu features, as well as access to 75+ live channels. And now, Hulu + Live TV is even more plus, as it also comes with Dkisney+ and ESPN+ for the price.

Don't want Live TV? Hulu standard is still available for $6.99 per month. And if you don't want all of the other addons, Live TV comes solo for $68.99 per month (though the $1 difference to get Disney+ and ESPN+ is hard to ignore).

Hulu + Live TV Channels

Hulu + Live TV has a similar channel package to what you'll find with DirecTV Stream's Entertainment package. Popular networks like ESPN and local broadcast networks are all standard additions, as are a wide selection of entertainment, lifestyle, and news channels. Unlike DirecTV Stream, however, Hulu + Live TV does not make HBO or Showtime part of the package, so your channel count includes more standard cable TV networks instead of movie channels. To learn more about Hulu's live TV channels, check here.

Hulu + Live TV Supported Devices

Hulu's Live TV service has a large library of supported apps that you won't find on DirecTV Stream. That includes standards like Apple TV, Roku, iOS and Android devices, but also includes Xbox and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles. The full list of supported devices includes:

• TV streaming media players: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and TV Stick, Chromecast, and Roku
• Smart TVs: LG TV, Samsung TV, Android TV, and Roku TV
• Mobile devices and tablets: Android, iOS
• Game consoles: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and 5
• Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers
• Desktop operating systems: Windows 10 (dedicated app)

To learn more about Hulu's supported devices, click here.

Hulu + Live TV Simultaneous Streams

Unfortunately, DirecTV Stream mostly has Hulu + Live TV beat on the simultaneous streaming angle. Both services offer just 2 streams per account, and both require a paid add-on to get more. But Hulu + Live TV charges far more to get extra streams, even though it offers unlimited simultaneous streaming with the add-on. To learn more about Hulu's Live TV streaming policy, check here.

Hulu + Live TV DVR

Take advantage of the 50-hour cloud DVR included through Hulu + Live TV, which is far more than what DirecTV Stream offers by default. As well, your DVR recordings don't have an expiration date but do start to delete once you start running out of space. You can increase your storage limit to 200 hours with an add-on.  You can learn more about Hulu Live TV's DVR here.

Hulu + Live TV On-Demand Library

Hulu's hybrid approach means you'll get the entire on-demand library from the standalone streaming service, as well as content from the live TV branch of the service. As a result, Hulu + Live TV offers over 85,000+ tv shows and episodes, which is vastly superior to DirecTV Stream or any other service on our list. You can learn more about Hulu's on-demand library here.

Sling TV: A Unique DirecTV Stream Alternative for Live TV

Source: Sling TV

Sling TV makes choosing a streaming package a bit more complicated than necessary, but it's also one of the oldest services of its kind. With 2 key streaming packages and over a dozen add-on channel options, you may find Sling TV provides a unique and low-cost alternative to DirecTV Stream.

Sling TV Pricing and Packages

You can overspend with Sling TV if you're not careful, but it's hard to not see the price benefits versus DirecTV Stream. The two cheapest packages through Sling TV cost $40, are now half-off during the first month, and offer from 30-45+ channels. You can combine both for $55 as well.

Alongside that, you can pick some add-on channel packages for as little as $5 per month that can significantly increase your number of available channels.

Sling TV Channels

Sling TV's channel packages are a bit more confusing than what's available through DirecTV Stream. Sling Blue offers FOX-branded networks as the anchor option, while Sling Orange offers ESPN and Disney as the anchor channels. But you'll find the two packages are not entirely unique, and some channels exist in both packages. You can learn more about Sling TV's channels here.

Sling TV Supported Devices

Sling TV offers a wide selection of supported devices that bests even DirecTV Stream's large supported app library. The full list of supported devices includes:

• TV streaming media players: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, AirTV
• Smart TVs: LG TV, Samsung TV, Android TV, Roku TV, Mi TV
• Mobile devices and tablets: Android, iOS, Facebook Portal
• Game consoles: Xbox One, Oculus
• Desktop browsers: Chrome on Mac and Windows recommended

You can learn more about Sling TV's streaming policy here.

Sling TV Simultaneous Streams

Sling TV's simultaneous streaming policy is both better and worse than what you'll get with DirecTV Stream. If you opt for Sling Orange, you'll only get 1 stream per account, which is worse. But if you go for Sling Blue, you'll get 3 streams, which is better. Unfortunately, you can't boost your simultaneous streams through any add-on options. With Sling Orange + Blue, your simultaneous streams can vary between 1 or 3, depending on package exclusivity. To learn more about Sling TV's simultaneous streaming policy, check here.

Sling TV DVR

This service includes a 50-hour cloud DVR with all subscriptions (including the Orange+Blue combo pack). To learn more about Sling TV's DVR, check here.

Sling TV On-Demand Library

DirecTV Stream's on-demand library does beat what Sling TV has to offer. Sling TV has 10,000 hours of available content, making it only a quarter the size of what DirecTV Stream provides. Sling TV also has a smaller number of TV Everywhere apps that it works with, so it may not be the best DirecTV Stream alternative if you need or want a larger on-demand library. You can learn more about Sling TV's on-demand library here.

YouTube TV: The Best All-Around DirecTV Stream Alternative

Source: YouTube TV

YouTube TV is a good place to land for anyone who's abandoning DirecTV Stream. The prices are similar on the low end, but YouTube TV offers far more in the way of features and streaming quality.

YouTube TV Pricing and Packages

YouTube TV's pricing is far simpler than DirecTV Stream. You'll get one streaming package for $64.99 per month, with the choice to tack on a few add-on channels if you want. By default, you'll get 85+ channels for the price. You can learn more about YouTube TV's pricing here.

YouTube TV Channels

YouTube TV is sports-heavy, with a large number of networks for NBA, NFL, and MLB fans. You'll also get a large selection of local broadcast networks in many locations. YouTube TV also offers key entertainment TV networks, like HGTV and AMC, although it does lack some that you may want due to its focus on sports. To learn more about YouTube TV's channels, check here.

YouTube TV Supported Devices

YouTube TV is still far more limited than DirecTV Stream when it comes to streaming device support. You'll get access to apps for many devices, including Roku, Apple TV, iOS and Apple, but at this time of writing, there's still no app for Amazon Fire TV. The full list of supported devices includes:

• TV streaming media players: Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku
• Smart TVs: Android TV, Samsung TV, LG TV, Vizio, Hisense, Sharp
• Mobile devices and tablets: Android, iOS
• Game consoles: Xbox One (all versions), PlayStation 4 and 5
• Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers

You can learn more about YouTube TV's supported devices here.

YouTube TV Simultaneous Streams

YouTube TV easily beats DirecTV Stream on steaming. Whereas DirecTV Stream charges extra for 3 streams per account, YouTube TV offers 3 simultaneous streams at no additional cost. You can learn more about YouTube TV's streaming policy here.

YouTube TV DVR

For those who need DVR storage, YouTube TV is perhaps the best DirecTV Stream alternative on the market. You'll get unlimited DVR storage with a 9-month expiration date on videos. You can also create 6 user profiles, all of which get their own storage. To learn more about YouTube TV's DVR storage, check here.

YouTube TV On-Demand Library

There's no exact count on YouTube TV's on-demand library. It may be similarly-sized or smaller than DirecTV Stream's library. However, a key benefit to YouTube TV is that many on-demand videos have no ads, and some others that do have ads allow you to skip right past them. Overall, the on-demand library is huge thanks to the number of channels available through the service. You can learn more about YouTube TV's on-demand library here.

Vidgo: A Fair Mixture of Sports and Entertainment

Source: Vidgo

Vidgo is likely the least well-known option on our list. It made its full debut on the market in 2019, and expanded its services in 2021. The service has struggled to figure out exactly what it wants to be, but at present, its modus operandi appears to be "sports+entertainment through a single package". Notably, this service provides a mixture of English- and Spanish-language channels through its single package offer.

Vidgo Pricing and Packages

An update to its product package means you can choose between one of three options with Vidgo:

• English Plus: $55/month for 95+ channels
• English Premium: $79.95/month for 112+ channels
• Spanish Mas: $30/month for 30+ channels

The service is available with a 7-day free trial.

Learn more here.

Vidgo Channels

This company's 95+ channel streaming package includes many channels you'd find on the more expensive DirecTV Stream introductory packages. ESPN, Fox News, Fox Sports, Disney Channel, and many more are available through the service. The biggest thing you'll miss here is local broadcast networks, which Vidgo currently does not offer in its package. Learn more here.

Vidgo Supported Devices

The Vidgo live TV streaming service works through a handful of popular streaming devices, including the Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV. Also stream Vidgo's content on dedicated Android and iOS (iPhone) apps.

Vidgo Simultaneous Streams

Enjoy Vidgo on up to 3 devices at once.

Vidgo DVR

There is currently no DVR available through Vidgo.

Vidgo On-Demand Library

Vidgo's on-demand library is fairly sizable, especially thanks to the 85+ channels it has to offer. Stream thousands of hours of video through the service. Newly-released TV show episodes and movies are available on-demand soon after they air on live TV. You'll also find a wealth of previously-aired TV show seasons, sporting events, and more.

Sam Cook • Author

Sam Cook is a full-time content strategist by day, a part-time freelance content writer since 2015. In another life, he was a high school English teacher for nearly a decade. Based in sunny New Orleans, he writes long-form educational content on technology, including Insurtech, Fintech, HRtech, and content streaming.

Davan Hamilton • Editor

Davan Hamilton is an editor and writer based in Jacksonville, FL. Holding a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, her writing spans a wide range, from essays on film criticism and analysis to surreal poetry. Now, she works for Flixed as an editor, continuing to ignore the list of passion projects she’s accumulated. When she’s not glued to her computer, you can find her building endless amounts of Lego sets, binge-reading manga, or playing with (fighting) her cat.