YouTube TV and Sling TV are two popular services for accessing live TV channels and on demand content over the internet. Both come with their own unique selling points, but their own limitations as well. Due to this, choosing between YouTube TV and Sling TV can come down to which service has the fewer limitations for an individual household.
Sling TV is one of the oldest live TV streaming services, considering it first launched all the way back in 2015. Since then, Sling TV has continued to maintain a healthy subscriber base. While the channel selection might not be as varied as some other services, it is a far more affordable option in general.
YouTube TV became available nationwide in 2019 and has continued to roll out new features and attract new subscribers over the years since. Today, YouTube TV is considered to be the most popular live TV streaming service around.
Before looking at the strengths of each live TV service, here’s how the base plans for YouTube TV and Sling TV compare.
YouTube TV vs Sling TV
Streaming Better Rating
Price (p/m)
$72.99
$40+
Channels
100+
34+
Simultaneous Streams
3
1/3
DVR Hours
Unlimited
50
TV Everywhere
Yes
Yes
Free Trial
7 Days
No Free Trial
No live TV streaming service is perfect, and the choice between any two often depends on a number of factors, including the channel selection, availability of local channels, DVR and, of course, the price. How many of these boxes are checked by YouTube TV and Sling TV can help to determine which one is the better option overall.
Why YouTube TV Is Better Than Sling TV
A major advantage that YouTube TV has over Sling TV is the channel selection. Sling TV currently offers two main plans, with Sling Orange loaded with more than 30 channels and Sling Blue offering access to more than 40. In comparison, YouTube TV provides access to more than 100 channels.
For anyone looking for access to the most channels possible with a base package, YouTube TV is going to be the better option.
DVR is another area where YouTube TV provides more value to subscribers. While YouTube TV offers an unlimited DVR, allowing subscribers to record as much content as they want, Sling TV’s base plans only come with 50 hours of cloud DVR space. Even if subscribers opt to pay more each month through the DVR Plus add-on, they’ll still only get access to 200 hours. If recordings are important, YouTube TV is the clear winner.
YouTube TV also allows each subscription to be shared with up to five other people, and each member not only gets their own profile, but also their own unlimited DVR. This is an often overlooked but extremely useful feature for families and busy households, as it guarantees each member’s library does not include recordings made by others.
One last but important reason why YouTube TV is better than Sling TV is local channels. Sling TV does have locals, but they are severely limited, and only available in select cities. In contrast, YouTube TV provides access to ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW, and PBS nationwide. While the exact local channels available to an individual will depend on their location, YouTube TV tends to be a better choice overall for streaming local channels.
$73/mo
- 100+ channels
- 3 streams
- Unlimited DVR
Deal: $65/mo for first 4 months
Why Sling TV Is Better Than YouTube TV
While Sling TV loses out to YouTube TV in a number of areas, there are some reasons why you might be better off with Sling TV. For example, even though Sling TV’s plans have fewer channels overall, it is a much cheaper service overall.
A standard YouTube TV base plan currently costs $73 per month and this compares to the $40 minimum that Sling TV charges. At almost half the cost each month, the additional channels included with a YouTube TV subscription only matter if they are channels you want. If price matters most, Sling TV wins, every time.
Another reason why Sling TV is better than YouTube TV is the choice. Since launch, YouTube TV has only ever offered one English-language base plan. YouTube TV does offer a wide selection of add-ons, including Sports Plus and 4K Plus, but these are only available on top of the base subscription.
In comparison, Sling TV offers two different base plans to chose from, Sling Orange and Sling Blue. These plans do overlap in many ways, but they also offer enough differences to make each one unique and appeal to different homes. For example, Sling Blue comes with access to NBC and Fox channels, while Sling Orange emphasizes Disney and ESPN channels.
Generally speaking, Sling Blue costs exactly the same as Sling Orange each month, although subscribers do pay an additional $5 a month in areas where ABC is also available.
Unlike Sling TV, YouTube TV subscribers have no option of choosing between base plans and lineups. Instead, they pay a premium monthly cost for a set list of channels, regardless of how many of them they actually watch.
Another advantage Sling TV has over YouTube TV is customization in general. While YouTube TV does offer the option to add premium networks and channel packs, that’s it. In contrast, Sling TV is all about customization and provides subscribers with a huge selection of ways to expand the live TV experience.
Basically, subscribers can end up with a channel lineup that’s very similar to YouTube TV, albeit at a similar monthly cost. This a la carte approach allows Sling TV customers to put together a live TV package that best suits their individual home’s needs.
$40-55/mo
- 30+ channels
- 1-3 streams
- 50-Hour DVR
Deal: First month starting at $15.
Choosing Between YouTube TV And Sling TV
The choice between YouTube TV and Sling TV will inevitably come down to needs of the individual subscriber or household. Both services do have their advantages, but those advantages affect other areas, such as the price or channel selection.
Here’s a reminder of which service is best in each department.
| Best For | |
|---|---|
| Price | Sling TV |
| Base package channels | YouTube TV |
| DVR | YouTube TV |
| Families | YouTube TV |
| Choice of plans | Sling TV |
| Customization | Sling TV |
| Locals | YouTube TV |
YouTube TV is going to be the better choice for those who want access to as many live TV channels as possible, including locals, with a base package that requires little to no customization. YouTube TV will also better suit those sharing an account with family members, with each one gaining access to a unique and individual streaming experience. YouTube TV is also the better option when it comes to the cloud DVR, thanks to the option to record as much content as the subscriber wants.
$73/mo
- 100+ channels
- 3 streams
- Unlimited DVR
Deal: $65/mo for first 4 months
Sling TV is the better option for those looking for an affordable live TV package. While it is considered the cheaper option, Sling TV comes with the added benefit of being a highly customizable live TV service. So much so that Sling TV subscribers are able to create a package that’s very similar to YouTube TV, removing YouTube TV’s channel advantage.
$40-55/mo
- 30+ channels
- 1-3 streams
- 50-Hour DVR
Deal: First month starting at $15.
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