Which subscription is most worth it?

As the social network that first popularized online home videos, YouTube is often the first name that pops up in any discussion on online videos. But the platform hasn’t stayed stuck in the era of funny cat videos on a computer, evolving with the TV industry’s switch from cable to internet streaming. The trouble is, YouTube has more than one paid subscription: YouTube TV and YouTube Premium. But what’s the difference between the two? How do the two subscriptions shake-up in a YouTube TV vs. YouTube Premium comparison?

While both YouTube TV and YouTube Premium are paid subscriptions for accessing video content, the two options differ wildly on the sort of content and benefits they offer. One offers a more traditional YouTube experience without the ads, while the other offers full-length movies and shows. If you’re on the fence about which of YouTube’s subscriptions to pick up, here’s how YouTube’s two options vary.

What is YouTube TV?

YouTube TV, unlike YouTube Premium, streams shows from major networks

YouTube TV is a streaming service that delivers live shows, sports, and news from more than 100 different networks, from ABC to EPSN. The service streams live TV through the internet rather than through a cable or satellite dish. While YouTube TV has earned its fan base as a platform for Live TV, the subscription also includes unlimited “DVR” space, so if you can’t catch it live, you can still stream your shows later on. Like other streaming services, YouTube TV can be enjoyed on a smart TV or a traditional TV with an add-on streaming device, as well as smartphones, tablets, computers, or even a game console.

What is YouTube Premium?

YouTube Premium is the YouTube you know and love, but without the ad breaks

YouTube Premium is a service that takes the usual YouTube and eliminates ad breaks. It also adds other perks to the traditional YouTube, including the ability to download for offline viewing and multi-tasking with picture-in-picture. Along with making YouTube videos ad-free, the service also includes YouTube Music, which is available without ads and offline to Premium subscribers. The service allows viewers to watch anything from their favorite creators to how-to videos to workout videos without ad interruptions.

YouTube TV vs. YouTube Premium: Channel lineup

YouTube TV has more than 100 channels, while YouTube Premium is YouTube videos without the ads

Because one platform streams live TV and the other streams traditional YouTube content without the ads, YouTube TV and YouTube Premiums’ available channels and content differ wildly. YouTube TV streams live TV from more than 100 different channels. Among this list, the most popular options include ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, EPSN, AMC, CNN, Comedy Central, Food Network, Fox News Channel, FS1, Univision, MSNBC, NFL Network, Nickelodeon, and TNT. The channel lineup can vary based on where you live, so check YouTube TV’s full list of channels specific to your area.

Like cable TV, with YouTube TV, you can add to the base package, for example paying extra for the NFL Sunday Ticket, or for movie channels like Starz.

Conversely, YouTube Premium does not include traditional TV channels. YouTube Premium takes what is already available on YouTube and eliminates ad breaks, plus adding other perks like downloads. So while you can’t watch your favorite cable TV shows from YouTube Premium, you can watch YouTube ad-free, or download your favorite videos to watch later. YouTube Premium also offers ad-free music from the YouTube Music app.

YouTube TV vs. YouTube Premium: Pricing

How much is YouTube TV a month?

As the platform that streams live TV, YouTube TV is more expensive than YouTube Premium. To get the 100+ channels included with the base plan, YouTube TV costs $72.99 a month. Limited-time discounts often drop the price for new subscribers for the first few months.

While more than 100 channels are included with the base plan for YouTube TV, others are add-ons that increase the cost. NFL Sunday ticket requires four payments of about $168 during football season, then drops to the regular price during the NFL’s off-season. Other add-ons can get subscribers access to movie channels like Stars and HBO Max. Another add-on that increases the cost is a 4K plan, which streams at a higher resolution for another $10 a month.

How much is YouTube Premium a month?

In comparison, YouTube Premium sits at about $14 a month for a single user, $23 for a family plan, or $8 for students. That’s a significant price difference, but YouTube Premium doesn’t offer content that you can’t already find on YouTube, it just eliminates the ads from that content. The added bonus of ad-free music, however, can sway some music fans to subscribe to get tunes with fewer interruptions.

Both platforms offer a free trial. For YouTube TV, you can look around at the platform’s offerings for 20 minutes to decide if it’s for you. YouTube Premium offers a two-month free trial.

YouTube TV vs YouTube Premium: Which plan should you choose?

The choice is simple if you’re looking to cut cable

Unsplash / Pocket-lint

While YouTube offers two subscription options, Premium and TV offer access to very different content, making the choice an easy one. Choose YouTube TV if you want access to live shows from more than 100 different channels. YouTube TV is the option for those looking to cut cable, or to add live TV to their current list of streaming options.

YouTube Premium is the option for YouTube fans who hate ads. A Premium subscription doesn’t unlock new shows like YouTube TV does, but it eliminates the mid-video ad breaks, along with offering ad-free music streaming. For those regularly watching YouTube videos, the time saved waiting for ads to finish playing may be worth the Premium subscription.

YouTube’s biggest fans who are looking for both ad-free videos and access to live TV may even consider subscribing to both. Subscribers to both will still see ads while watching live TV on YouTube TV, but the YouTube videos that pop up there will play without ad breaks.