Video-on-demand services are attracting more users every day. The concept that allows you to pick from thousands of titles instead of a limited choice of what's available on TV channels is tempting. Additionally, on-demand streaming services are cable-free, ensuring you can watch them easily from various devices.
Many services are available, but we are focusing on Starz and Hulu in this article. Both companies have a long tradition, and here's what they offer!
Quick overview: Starz vs Hulu
Starz has been around since 1994, although it started as a pay television network. They kept that part of the service with their TV channel lineup but expanded to a VOD streaming service. As a result, you get a mixture of unique titles and carefully curated third-party content on this platform.
Hulu started its journey in 2007 as a subscription streaming service. Walt Disney and NBCUniversal are behind the company. For the first several years, the platform only had third-party content. In 2011, Hulu began creating original programming 2011.
Before we head into details in each area, here is a quick comparison of what you can expect from Starz and Hulu!
| Starz | Hulu | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $9.99/month | Hulu: $7.99/month |
| Hulu (No Ads): $17.99/month | ||
| Hulu + Live TV: $76.99/month | ||
| Free Trial Length | 7 days | 30 days (not live TV) |
| Popular Content | Epic Movie | |
| Steel Magnolias | ||
| Tales from the Hood | ||
| Venom | Tenet | |
| Death on the Nile | ||
| Nightmare Alley | ||
| How I Met Your Father | ||
| Original Content | Run the World | |
| Hightown | ||
| The White Queen | Saint X | |
| Deep Water | ||
| The Dropout | ||
| Home Theater Features | Up to 4K | |
| Dolby Atmos | Up to 4K | |
| HDR | ||
| Dolby Vision | ||
| Offline Viewing | Only selected titles on mobile | Yes |
| Device Support | Web, iPhone, iPad, Fire TV, Kindle Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Xbox, L.G., Smart TVs, | Web, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, L.G., Smart TVs, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Roku, Xbox |
| Simultaneous Streams | 4 | 2 |
Pricing
If you enjoy simplicity, you'll appreciate Starz plans and pricing. It offers a single package to access the entire content library without limitations and watch it on up to four devices. Things are simple with Starz, so you'll find this a valuable deal if you like what they offer.
Starz
Try 7 days free
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
$8.99/month
Hulu also offers excellent value for the money, especially considering its huge content library. But pricing is a bit more complicated. The most affordable package comes with advertisements that can be annoying at times, and the price increases to remove commercials. Since Disney owns the company, you can also go with ESPN+ and Disney+ services bundles. Again, the cost varies depending on your chosen package.
Hulu (with ads)
Get 3 HULU, DISNEY Plus, ESPN
- Stream on two screens
- Big movies
- Hit TV shows
- On demand content
$9.99/month
Hulu (no ads)
Get 3 HULU, DISNEY Plus, ESPN
- Stream on two screens
- Big movies
- Hit TV shows
- On demand content
- No ads
$18.99/month
Hulu Live TV only
- 90+ live channels
- Stream on two screens
$81.99/month
Hulu Live TV (with ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$82.99/month
Hulu Live TV (some ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$87.99/month
Hulu Live TV (no ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$95.99/month
It's worth noting Hulu also has its Live TV package. Learn more about Hulu with Live TV pricing in our guide.
Free trial
Hulu strongly believes you'll love its services, and it's ready to offer a 30-day free trial. It's among the most generous deals in the market since you have an entire month to test the platform. There aren't any limitations when it comes to the features you can use in the free trial.
As for Starz, it gives you a week to test its on-demand content platform. It's a standard deal in this industry, and seven days should be enough to see if the service meets your expectations.
Content library
Hulu is among the on-demand platforms offering the most impressive content selection in the market. You can access thousands of hours of content in different genres. That includes original production, blockbuster movies, reality and other TV shows, etc.
Starz also has a decent content selection, but it's nowhere close to the number of titles offered by the competitor. Nevertheless, the network keeps original production at a superb quality, and you'll find some true gems in that category.
What to watch on Starz
Starz is a mixture of an on-demand and TV service. It has a lineup of 17 channels, including MoviePlex, Starz Comedy, and others. As for the content library, there are over 1,400 titles in different categories. The genres seem well-covered. Whether you are a fan of comedies or horrors, you'll find content right up your alley on this platform.
As for the original production, Starz has dozens of titles available. Here are some you should check out on the platform:
- Blindspotting
- Shining Vale
- Confronting a Serial Killer
- The Girlfriend Experience
- Power Universe
- Hightown
What to watch on Hulu
Hulu doesn't list its library size officially, and the available content depends on the location. However, the estimation is there are over 2,500 movies and 1,600 shows on Hulu. That leads us to at least 50,000 hours of content, making this platform an attractive choice.
Here are some Hulu originals you shouldn't miss:
- The Girl from Plainville
- The Dropout
- Deep Water
- The Hardy Boys
- Marvel's M.O.D.O.K.
While we are there, let's mention that Hulu also has some premiums. The interesting thing is that Starz Originals are among the available in this category. That means you can pay extra and become a Hulu user that has access to original content created by Starz.
Home Theater Features
Starz edges its competitor in this category, but it's a close call. The platform offers 4K resolutions for its original titles. Some third-party content is 1080p, but the video quality is impressive overall. In addition, Dolby Atmos' support contributes to the overall atmosphere. The only downside is that you can't adjust the resolution manually, but the software chooses based on the connection speed.
As for Hulu, its default audio option is 2.0 stereo quality, but some titles offer 5.1 surround sound. The video also adjusts automatically, and resolutions will depend on the title. Some content is even available in 4K UHD, primarily the original Hulu production. The downside, however, is that the highest resolution is only available on selected devices. The same rule applies to HDR videos since you can only enjoy them on some devices.
Offline Viewing
Starz is our choice in this category since it doesn't offer any download limitations for offline viewing. You can download most of the platform's content. The trick is you need the iOS or Android app or a Kindle Fire tablet.
As for Hulu, you'll need the No-Ads plan to have the option to watch content offline. That increases the monthly price, and another thing to consider is you can have up to 25 downloads on up to five devices. The platform counts all downloads combined, and there is a download expiration date set to 30 days.
Device support
Hulu is the winner here as you won't find many devices with as impressive device support. So if you want to enjoy content on smart TVs, it will be up to the task. Watching on the go on mobile devices is possible with Android and iOS, and streaming media players like Roku are also part of the package.
Starz is very close with only small differences, such as no official support for Chromecast. However, the service will work flawlessly on internet browsers, mobile devices, smart TVs, etc. If you'd like to learn more, our Starz device support guide covers this topic extensively.
Simultaneous streaming
Starz is precisely two times better in this category. It supports four simultaneous streams without any content limitation. That means you can all watch the identical title but on different devices. Four is quite a generous number, making this platform an excellent choice.
Hulu is quite basic since it supports up to two devices. Apart from the default one, you can use one more device to watch content. It's not much compared to other services, but it should cover you in most scenarios.
Which is better: Starz vs Hulu?
It's hard to decide on one platform when you have two fantastic options, but we'll pick Hulu. They offer more than 50,000 hours of content. That includes original production, premium blockbusters, and some titles created by the direct competitor. You can pick between different pricing plans to suit any preference.
Starz is an excellent choice if you need more simultaneous streaming options and enjoy a mix of TV channels and VOD services. But, ultimately, the selection depends on your preference, and you can't go wrong with either platform.
Aneeca Younas • Author
Aneeca Younas is a graduated journalist with years of experience writing in different niches based in Oakland, CA. She is a huge movie fan that also enjoys watching sports. That's why she spends hours daily using various streaming services. Over the years, Aneeca profiled herself as an expert in cable-free and VOD platforms.
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.
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