Streaming services Peacock and Hulu both offer thousands of hours of on-demand movies and shows to watch. But they have key differences that may make one a better choice for your streaming needs.
In this comprehensive 2500+ word guide, we’ll compare Peacock and Hulu across pricing, content libraries, streaming capabilities, supported devices, extra features and more. Read on to see how they stack up.
Pricing Breakdown
First, let‘s look at what each streaming service will cost.
Peacock Pricing
- Free Tier – A limited library of about 13,000 hours of content with ads. The only tier with no cost.
- Premium – $4.99/month or $49.99/year. Over 80,000 hours of content. 5 minutes or less of ads per hour.
- Premium Plus – $9.99/month or $99.99/year. Same content as Premium but with no ads, offline viewing and 4K streaming.
Hulu Pricing
- With Ads – $6.99/month or $69.99/year. Full Hulu streaming library of over 40,000 TV show episodes and movies. About 10 minutes of ads per hour.
- Without Ads – $12.99/month. Identical Hulu content library but 100% ad-free aside from a few shows.
Clearly Peacock offers more flexibility with its free tier. But Hulu provides a decent annual discount. Overall for cost, Peacock edges out Hulu with excellent value from the Premium plan especially.
Content Libraries
When it comes to amount of movies, shows and originals available, Hulu tops Peacock:
Total Content Hours
- Peacock: 80,000+ hours (Premium/Plus), 13,000 hours (Free)
- Hulu: Over 87,500 hours
Movies
- Peacock: Hundreds of popular Universal films like the Bourne series, Knocked Up, Curious George
- Hulu: Thousands of films spanning over a century including Parasite, Nomadland, Prey plus all 32 Godzilla movies
TV Shows
- Peacock: Hundreds of current NBC shows, previous seasons, NBC classics like The Office, 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights
- Hulu: Thousands of shows with most current and past seasons across NBC, ABC, FOX and more
Original Programming
- Peacock: 50+ Peacock originals including Bel-Air, The Resort, We Are Lady Parts
- Hulu: Hundreds of acclaimed Hulu Originals like The Handmaid‘s Tale, Little Fires Everywhere, Only Murders in the Building
Kids Content
- Peacock: DreamWorks favorites like Shrek, Boss Baby plus shows Curious George, Where‘s Waldo?
- Hulu: Disney Channel shows, Dreamworks Dragons, The Mighty B, exclusive Hulu originals like The Bravest Knight
Clearly Hulu offers the most robust overall content library – especially impressive for movie lovers wanting the largest catalog available to stream. But Peacock still brings plenty of great shows and movies to watch from NBCUniversal‘s collections.
Supported Devices
It’s vital you can actually watch a streaming service on your preferred device(s). Here’s everywhere you can use Peacock vs Hulu:
Peacock Supported Devices
- Android phones & tablets
- Android TV
- Apple TV and iOS
- Chromecast
- Xbox One & Series X/S
- PlayStation 4 & 5
- LG Smart TVs
- VIZIO SmartCast TVs
Hulu Supported Devices
- Android phones & tablets
- Android TV
- Apple TV and iOS
- Amazon Fire Tablets & TV
- Chromecast
- Xbox One & Series X/S
- PlayStation 4 & 5
- Roku
- LG Smart TVs
- TiVo
- VIZIO SmartCast TVs
Again Hulu pulls ahead supporting popular additional platforms like Fire TV and Roku. But both services are available across all major mobile and TV streaming devices.
Streaming Quality
Watching movies/shows with top quality streaming enhances the experience. Here’s how Peacock vs Hulu compare:
Video Resolution Quality
- Peacock: Up to 4K HDR on Premium Plus. HD on Premium and below.
- Hulu: Up to 4K on some content. Mainly 1080p HD streaming.
Simultaneous Streams Allowed
- Peacock: 3 streams
- Hulu: 2 streams (unlimited with Live TV add-on)
Offline Viewing
- Peacock: Downloadable content on Premium Plus plan only
- Hulu: No offline viewing capability currently
Thanks to 4K HDR on Premium Plus allowing downloads too, Peacock wins for best streaming quality and features.
Additional Features
Aside from on-demand streaming, here are some extra perks offered:
Peacock
- Free tier with 13,000 hours of NBCU shows and movies
- Live streams of NBC, CNBC and MSNBC news
- Live sports like Sunday Night Football, Premier League matches and more
- Curated channels like SNL Vault and Family Movie Night
Hulu
- 85+ live channels with Hulu + Live TV ($69.99/month)
- Robust lineup of Hulu Original movies and shows
- Available add-on bundles with Disney+ and ESPN+
- Mobile downloads for offline viewing (Live TV plan only)
The free streaming and live NBC/sports content give Peacock an edge here. But Hulu counters with live channels and optional add-ons like bundling Disney+.
Live Sports & News Offerings
Along with tons of on-demand movies and shows, streaming live coverage is a nice bonus:
Peacock Live Sports & News
- NBC’s Sunday Night Football games
- Premier League matches
- Olympics coverage (2022 Winter, 2024 Summer)
- U.S. Open Championship and Ryder Cup Golf
- NASCAR races & pre/post-shows
- WWE Raw & NXT replays
- Notre Dame Football
- INDYCAR races
- Peacock NFL Sunday Night Football Final wrap-up show
- 24/7 feeds: NBC News Now, Sky News, MSNBC, CNBC
Hulu Live Sports & News
- Monday Night Football on ESPN
- Sunday NFL on Fox/CBS games with Live TV plan
- 30+ sports channels come with Live TV
- No complimentary 24/7 live news feeds
For live national sports and news access, Peacock adds lots of value – especially with Premier League soccer, WWE, Olympics, races and live NBC news channels.
Advertising Details
Most lower priced tiers show commercials to supplement costs. Here‘s how ads compare:
| Peacock | Hulu | |
|---|---|---|
| Ad Length Per Hour (Average) | 5 minutes | 7.5 minutes |
| Frequency/Interruptiveness | Limited, mostly front/back loaded around shows | Can be repetitive & disruptive mid-show |
| Allows Purchasing Out of Ads | Yes, on Premium Plus ($9.99/month) | Yes, on Without Ads plan ($12.99/month) |
| On-Screen Ad Size/Placement | Bottom third of screen, modest sized | Bottom third but more prominent |
Peacock appears to deliver ads in shorter duration and less disruptive manner. Paying a little more monthly lets you escape ads entirely on either service.
Account Profiles
For families sharing an account, multiple customized profiles are very beneficial:
| Peacock | Hulu | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Profiles Allowed | 6 | 6 |
| Separate Watchlists Per Profile? | Yes | Yes |
| Personalized Recommendations | Yes | Yes |
| Kids Mode Profile Option | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous Streams on Base Plan | 3 devices | 2 devices |
Both services actually offer very solid profile support – each accommodating up to 6 users. Great personalization and separate kids areas too.
Accessibility Features
Making content accessible for all abilities is extremely important. Here are some offerings:
Peacock Accessibility Features
- Video Descriptive Audio narration tracks helps blind users visualize on-screen action
- Closed captioning on most programming
- Multiple subtitling opacity, styling and sizing options
Hulu Accessibility Features
- Video description narrated tracks on some Hulu Originals
- CC closed captions available on most shows & films
- Range of adjustable closed caption text sizes
Admirably, each service provides above average accessibility options – especially Peacock with enhanced audio descriptions that Hulu currently lacks. There‘s room for improvement still but they accommodate hard of hearing and low vision users relatively well.
Promos & Bundles
Both streamers actively run deals, free trials for new members. Latest offers include:
Peacock Promos
- New customers: Get 1 year Peacock Premium for $49.99 (savings of $10)
- First responders and military personnel qualifying for 25% off
- Spectrum and Cox customers may have discounted bundle options
Hulu Promos
- New users: Get first month Hulu With Ads plan for $1
- Spotify Premium Student members get Hulu included free
- Special discounted bundle promotions if joining Disney+ and ESPN+
Overall Peacock edges out Hulu for better savings when signing up as new subscriber. Check back frequently as promos change!
User Experience / Interface
Finding your next show or movie to stream should be seamless. User interface comparison:
| Peacock | Hulu |
|---|---|
| Intuitive, easy-to-navigate interface |
|
| Smooth browsing by categories/genres | Personalized hubs for shows/movies you‘ll like |
| Appealing channel guide format | Advanced user customization options |
Both Peacock and Hulu make finding and watching content relatively frictionless. But Peacock’s simpler design – modeled after traditional TV – wins it for user experience.
The Final Verdict: Peacock Wins
While Hulu bests Peacock for sheer content quantity – especially across movies, Peacock still delivers plenty of great NBCU programming. And with more valuable exclusive features, Peacock emerges on top.
The free tier alone makes Peacock worth trying out. Then the Premium plan only costs $5 monthly for 80K+ hours of shows, movies and more. Next, Peacock tops Hulu with better streaming quality thanks to support for 4K HDR content and offline viewing capability.
Finally, Peacock adds extra perks many cord cutters will love – most notably the live sports (Premier League, WWE Raw, Olympics) and 24/7 news network feeds.
In the end – whether you’re a sports buff, comedy lover or movie watcher – Peacock Premium now provides the highest value streaming experience overall.
Give Peacock‘s free tier a shot, then spring for Premium to unlock everything this impressive streaming service offers.
