Round 1: Basic History and Background
Before we get into the really interesting stuff, let’s have a look at where both these streaming giants actually came from and to which corners of the world they have spread till April 2019.
1 Netflix vs Hulu1.0.1 Round 1: Basic History and Background1.0.2 Round 2: Number of Users1.0.3 Round 3:- Price1.0.4 Round 4:- Content1.0.5 Round 5:- Originals1.0.5.1 Conclusion
Netflix was founded in 1997 but began operations on 4th of April the following year. It was the world’s first ever online DVD lending service and soon started to find success. Not being afraid to change its ways according to the market, Netflix started an online streaming platform where people could just watch movies on it over the internet whenever they wanted to do so. As of now, Netflix has spread to over 190 countries. Hulu was started in 2007, way later than Netflix, by multiple media corporation which has made its origin story read more like the launch of a new product rather than something that actually shook the world. Winner:- While Netflix definitely has a more interesting backstory than Hulu, it’s the fact Hulu only serves two countries that make Netflix the clear winner of this round. Also Read: Free Working Hulu Premium Accounts 2019
Round 2: Number of Users
Netflix has over 150 million users worldwide, Hulu had just about 25 million users at the end of 2018. While this can be attributed to that fact that Netflix’s users are from all over the world and it got a head start over Hulu, the numbers are hard to argue with. Winner:- If you know basic math, you know which streaming service wins by a landslide in this round.
Round 3:- Price
Finally, something you might actually care about. Netflix is most probably the most expensive streaming service that is legally and officially available in your country but it can be argued that is definitely worth the price tag as it—depending on your plan—lets you use it on multiple screens at the same time and without any annoying ads whatsoever. Hulu is less costly when compared to Netflix but if you are living beyond the territory of the US and Japan, you might face some difficulty in setting up a proper, stable payment method. If you manage to that then you can opt for the relatively cheap ad-enabled plan or the costlier almost ad-free plan depending on your preference. Winner:- Tie, it literally comes down to what sort of pricing model you are comfortable with and if you are okay with dealing with a few ads to save some money.
Round 4:- Content
Now we are at the comparison that matter the most. Exactly what you can watch on which platform. Netflix has an extensive library of TV shows, Web-Series and Movies from around the world on its platform that can provide almost endless entertainment. However, not everything is available in every region which can be extremely annoying at times. Thankfully there are clever workarounds that can quickly fix this problem. Hulu also has a good collection of content which you can spend hours exploring, though it is not nearly as extensive as Netflix. However, it has programs from multiple American networks that you can watch instantly after they finish airing. Winner:- Tie, while Netflix definitely has much more content to watch, not everything is going to appeal to everyone and you might have to wait for months to watch new episodes of your favorite network shows before they get added to Netflix while with Hulu, you have the option of watching them instantly.
Round 5:- Originals
Winner:- Too Obvious. While Hulu has produced a few of the best series to come out in the last few years like The Handmaid’s Tale, when it comes to original content, Netflix is leagues ahead. There are way too many Netflix originals to reasonably list in a single article but what makes Netflix’s original content so special is that it literally made people start to take its original Web-Series just as seriously has any high-budget HBO show.
Conclusion
Now while on the surface it is perfectly understandable that this comparison might seem a bit biased towards Netflix but this result was inevitable. Hulu is still a great streaming service that is better than most other regional streaming services but unfortunately, at this point in its life, it just can’t match the global supergiant that is Netflix Winner:- Netflix, by some Margin.
