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YouTube TV and Sling TV are two of the most popular live-streaming platforms, and one of them may be the best way for you to cut cable. Whether you need a lot of channels or are more of a price-conscious viewer, we'll help you decide which is the best option for your situation.
Best for Price: Sling TV
You can't really beat the price of Sling TV if you want major networks. Philo costs less, but there's no chance for local networks, and you'll be missing most major channels. Sling TV offers a lot of must-have networks like ESPN and Bravo. The pricing starts at $40 per month or $45 if you have access to local channels. ABC, NBC, and Fox are available in some markets.
If you want to combine Sling Orange and Sling Blue, the company's $40 plans, you can do so for just $55. This will give you 46 channels. In addition to its low price point, Sling TV usually has a first month discount going on. You can typically get at least half off.
By comparison, YouTube TV is $72.99 per month. While you get more than 100 channels, which is far more than Sling TV has, it also doubles your entertainment budget. YouTube TV doesn't offer as many new customer discounts, but you can get a lower price on NFL Sunday Ticket if you're a YouTube TV customer.
Best for Flexibility: Sling TV
Since Sling TV starts off at such a low price point, it doesn't hurt so much to add extras—and there are a lot of extras. This includes sports extra, entertainment extra, news extra, and kids extra. Prices for these add-ons start at just $6. If you added the lifestyle extra and news extra to your plan, you'd have 20 more channels for just $12.
Between offering three different plans and dozens of add-ons, Sling TV makes it easier to alter your plan as needed, as often as once a month.
YouTube TV also has some extras, but they tend to cost more. NFL RedZone with Sports Plus costs $10.99 and the entertainment bundle is nearly $30. Overall, there are fewer ways to customize a plan. That being said, YouTube TV lets you use a browser to rearrange the channels in your guide.
You can also remove channels that you never watch. This could improve the user experience by making sure your favorites are right at the top when you go to the Live screen and your grid isn't cluttered by a bunch of networks you don't need.
Best for Sports Fans: YouTube TV
YouTube TV is better for sports fans because it has more channels and a whole lot of them are related to everything from hockey to college football. In the platform's base plan, you're going to get ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, ACCN, SEC Network, NHL Network, NFL Network, and other channels for pro and college games.
Sling TV makes it harder to access collegiate sports networks because they're all in the sports add-on. Some channels, like FS2, aren't on Sling TV at all. If you want to watch live network games on the weekend, you'll be out of luck if you're not in an area with local channels. You won't be able to tune in to Sunday Night Football on NBC, for instance.
Another reason YouTube TV wins out in this category is that YouTube and YouTube TV are the only places to get the NFL Sunday Ticket. If you already have a YouTube TV plan, you get a significant discount. The price of Sunday Ticket was reduced by $100 for YouTube TV subscribers for the 2024-2025 NFL season.
Best for Local Channels: YouTube TV
If you're a big fan of primetime dramas, comedies, and live events, YouTube TV is usually the better choice. It has all local networks in your base plan. You'll get ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and The CW.
On the other hand, many Sling TV customers don't have the option to get any local networks at all. Where they are available, the only local channels offered are NBC, ABC, and Fox. You can't get CBS. If you get local networks, your monthly bill will also increase by $5.
One side note: Sling TV offers a free OTA antenna to customers. If you choose to take advantage of this offer, you may be able to take advantage of local channels when the signal is strong enough.
Best Overall: YouTube TV
Overall, YouTube TV is the better option if you can afford it. It offers an experience that is more similar to traditional cable. If you're looking for a true cable replacement, YouTube TV has a channel list that will feel more familiar. You don't have to add on extras to rebuild the cable guide that you came to know and love.
YouTube TV also has unlimited cloud DVR, and you'll have to pay Sling TV $5 per month just to upgrade from 50 hours of cloud DVR storage space (the default offering) to 200 hours.
YouTube TV also lets you upgrade to unlimited streams, so it's ideal for larger households. With this type of plan, you can let each family member watch whatever they want at the same time. There are three additional streams allowed away from your home network. Sling TV offers a maximum of four simultaneous streams with the Sling Orange & Blue plan. On the plus side, the location of your streams doesn't matter with Sling.
Finally, YouTube TV has a broader on-demand library. While neither platform creates original content, like Hulu + Live TV, you can find a lot more series and movies on YouTube TV.
YouTube TV offers a 20-minute free trial and Sling TV doesn't have one at all. You'll have to jump in feet first, but there's no serious commitment. Neither Sling TV nor YouTube TV require you to sign a lengthy contract. Both services operate on a month-to-month basis. If you try one and it's not for you, you can simply cancel and try the other platform.