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YouTube TV vs Apple TV+: Which Is Better For You?[2024]

YouTube TV vs Apple TV+: Which Is Better For You?[2024]

Are you wondering how YouTube TV and Apple TV+ are similar and how they compare? If so, read this YouTube TV vs Apple TV+ comparison article where we've mentioned their great selection of content, channels, compatible delivers, and more!

Video Streaming services have grown popular over the past decade. Newcomers like YouTube TV and Apple TV+ have also secured their place in the top streaming services list.

YouTube TV differs from YouTube and offers an experience similar to cable TV. And ever since its launch, it has proven to be one of the best live TV streaming services with an impressive channel selection.

Whereas, Apple TV+ covers different genres and offers a wide range of Originals. It also provides an extensive list of channels that you can access through the Apple TV app. Keep on reading to know more about Apple TV+ vs YouTube TV!

YouTube TV vs Apple TV+: Which Is Better?

YouTube TV: YouTube TV is a subscription streaming service that lets you watch on-demand, cloud-based DVR, and live TV from major broadcast and popular cable networks.

You can enjoy local and national live sports, breaking news, and must-see shows the moment they air. And it includes unlimited cloud DVR storage space, so you can record your favorites, and stream them wherever you go.

You also get 6 accounts per household, so share with your family members or roommates. Yet, it only allows up to three simultaneous streams.

youtube tv vs apple tv+

Apple TV+: Apple TV+ is a subscription service offer by Apple, streaming service that offers an enormous selection of original production film and television services.

You can access this service from Apple’s website and through the Apple TV app that has eventually become available for many Apple devices and some other major competing streaming devices, which are mentioned below.

Apple TV+ along with a-la-carte has announced an aggregated service called Apple TV channels, which is designed to simplify subscriptions by making them purchasable and accessible in one video content hub. You can find the channels list below that you can access through Apple TV.

Apple TV+ vs YouTube TV: What Do They Offer?

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is all about original content under the Apple originals program. These comprise movies, shows, comedies, talk shows, and documentaries.

Its content is broken down into manageable sections:

apple tv+ vs youtube tv

Originals: The Originals section of the Apple TV app is the place where you can find the Apple TV+ service and all the movies and shows offered in it. 

It also shows you the latest releases, as well as lets you watch comedy series, family fun, drama series, non-fiction series, and other featured films. At present, there are over 60 original shows and movies on Apple TV Plus.

Some of the popular Apple TV+ original shows are Mythic Quest, Home Before Dark, The Morning Show, Ted Lasso, Foundation, Ghostwriter, Helpsters, Central Park, Dickinson, Tehran, Oprah’s Book Club, Servant, See, For All Mankind, and Amazing Stories.

In most cases, it let you preview the first episode for completely free. And thus, making it a great way to see find out if you are interested in watching more even before starting your seven-day free trial.

Kids: Its kids’ area has child-friendly content on the services you are accessible. Nonetheless, it is not anywhere near when compared with the other dedicated streaming apps.

Library: In the library section, you can find all TV shows and movies that you’ve already rented or purchased on iTunes.

So, browse your content by TV shows or movies, genres, or recently purchased. Whenever you are ready to watch something, simply tap on it and tap on the Play Button.

Apple TV Channels

Apple TV Channels is a feature in Apple TV that lets you subscribe to streaming services directly from the TV app.

Therefore, it is easy and convenient to subscribe through your Apple account. But, keep in mind that your existing subscriptions outside the app cannot be transferred over.

So, despite not being a part of the Apple TV+ program, Apple TV channels can be a great way to have a better experience with the Apple TV app. Thus, making it into something more like traditional cable TV.

Here is the list of channels that are currently available on Apple TV;

PriceChannels
For $1.99Moonbug Kids 
For $2.99CuriosityStream Out TV
For $3.99Comedy Central Now Eros Now Select Lifetime Movie Club
For $4.99A&E Crime Central ALLBLK (Formerly UMC) Apple TV+ Arrow Video Channel BBC Select History Vault Smithsonian Channel Plus Up Faith & Family  
For $5.99Acorn TV BFIPlayer Classics Hallmark Movies Now – IFC Films Unlimited MTV Hits Pantaya Shudder Topic
For $6.99Britbox Epix Sundance Now
For $7.99NickHits Noggin The Great Courses Signature Collection
For $8.99AMC+ Starz
For $9.99Bet+ Paramount+ Cinemax
For $10.99Mubi Showtime

YouTube TV

YouTube TV’s base plan comprises over 85 live TV channels, which depend on your location, all you need to do is to enter your Zip code and find out what channels you can access.

YouTube TV’s popular channels are USA, FX, Bravo, and FX. As for news channels, it provides networks like CNBC, MSNBC, BBC World News, and Fox News.

Its other channels are Animal Planet, ABC, Bravo, USA, AMC, CBS, Comedy Central, Disney, Discovery, Disney XD, MLB Network, Investigation Discovery, National Geographic, Oxygen, TBS, and more.

Additionally, you can also choose from a variety of channel add-ons to view more entertainment options. What makes it more exciting is that numerous add-ons offer a free trial. Check out the table below on YouTube TV channels and packages

YouTube TV Channels

As keeping track of every channel and package can be really difficult, we’ve made it easier for you to view your options.

PackagePriceChannels
4K Plus$10 a month4K playback of selected channels Offline viewing No limits on simultaneous streams at home
Sports Plus$11 a monthBilliards TV, Fox Soccer Plus, GOL TV, MavTV, NFL RedZone, Outside TV+, Players TV, Poker Go+, Sports Grid, Stadium, Stadium Overflow 1, Stadium Overflow 2, Stadium Overview 3, Stadium College Sports Atlantic, Stadium College Sports Central, Stadium College Sports Pacific, TVG, TVG2, VSiN, BeIN Sports, BeIN Sports Xtra
Entertainment Plus$30 a monthHBO, HBO 2, HBO Comedy, HBO Family, HBO Latino, HBO Signature, HBO Zone, Showtime (East), Showtime (West), Showtime 2, SHOxBET, Showtime Extreme, Showtime Family Zone, Showtime Next, Showtime Showcase, Showtime Women, Starz Comedy, Starz Cinema, Starz In Black, Starz Kids & Family, Starz Encore Action, Starz Encore Black, Starz Encore Classic, Starz Encore Espanol, Starz Encore Family, Starz Encore Suspense, Starz Encore Westerns
HBO Max$15 a monthHBO, HBO 2, HBO Comedy, HBO Family, HBO Latino, HBO Signature, HBO Zone,
Showtime$11 a monthShowtime (East), Showtime (West), Showtime 2, SHOxBET, Showtime Extreme, Showtime Family Zone, Showtime Next, Showtime Showcase, Showtime Women,
Starz$9 a monthStarz Comedy, Starz Cinema, Starz In Black, Starz Kids & Family, Starz Encore Action, Starz Encore Black, Starz Encore Classic, Starz Encore Espanol, Starz Encore Family, Starz Encore Suspense, Starz Encore Westerns
Epix$6 a monthEpix, Epix 2, Epix Hits, Epix Drive-in

Other premium add-ons are also available, which are as follows:

Premium Add-onPrice
NBA League Pass$40 a month
MLB TV$27 a month
Cinemax$10 a month
Sundance Now$7 a month
AMC Plus$7 a month
Pantaya$6 a month
Hallmark Movies Now$6 a month
UP Faith & Family$6 a month
Shudder$6 a month
WE TV$6 a month
Acron TV$6 a month
IFC Films Unlimited$6 a month
ALLBLK$5 a month
Docurama$5 a month
CONtv$5 a month
Dove$5 a month
Comedy Dynamics$5 a month
Screambox$5 a month
Fandor$4 a month
CuriosityStream$3 a month
Law & Crime$2 a month

Apple TV+ vs YouTube TV: How They Stack Up!

Here is everything about Apple TV+ vs YouTube TV;

Pricing

YouTube TV:

  • It costs $64.99 per month.
  • Offers over 85+ channels of live sports, entertainment, news, and many more.
  • Unlimited cloud DVR storage space.
  • 3 streams and 6 accounts per household.
  • No cable box, contracts, or hidden fees.
  • No equipment rentals or install appointments are required.
  • Add on sports and premium networks for an additional monthly charge, including SHOWTIME, FOX Soccer Plus, STARZ, and more.

While YouTube TV is fully-featured, initially, it used to be one of the most expensive services, but now another popular streaming service – Hulu + Live TV, also charges the same.

Even if other TV services like Sling TV or Philo are available at lesser prices, their channel line-ups are limited and offer less content.

Apple TV+: Its price really depends on the type of offer you choose:

Apple TV+ Free–When you buy a new Apple device, you’ll get a one-year free subscription to Apple TV+, for which you’ve to redeem the offer within 90 days.

Here are the steps below on how you can redeem your free year of Apple TV+

  1. Turn on your new Apple device and sign in using your Apple ID.
  2. Open the Apple TV app and ensure your device is using the latest version of the software.
  3. Once you launch the app, the offer should be presented. If you see nothing, then you can go to the Apple TV+ tab where you can see the offer.

Apple TV+ Monthly/Yearly: Apple TV+ is $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. It is completely ad-free and offers a vast library of exclusive original content which is available to stream in 4K resolution.

Apple One – It is the ultimate collection of Apple services for one low monthly price. It also offers a one-month free trial. Below is the list of services through Apple One:

INDIVIDUALFAMILYPREMIER
It costs $14.95 a monthIt costs $19.95 a monthIt costs $24.95 a month
MusicMusicMusic
TV+TV+TV+
ArcadeArcadeArcade
iCloud (50 GB)iCloud (200 GB)iCloud (2 TB)
  News+
  Fitness+

Compatible Devices

YouTube TV: You can watch YouTube TV on any supported device. You can download YouTube TV on your smartphone (both iOS and Android), Amazon Fire TV devices, Roku players and TVs, Apple TV and Apple TV 4K, Vizio SmartCast TVs, Samsung & LG smart TVs, HiSense TVs, Xbox One, and more.

You can also stream YouTube TV to your smart TV by using Google Chromecast, Android TV, Google Smart Displays, or AirPlay for Apple TV. Or watch directly on the web at tv.youtube.com/ 

Apple TV+: You can access Apple TV+ through the Apple TV app on any Apple device. Although it is not as accessible as other streaming platforms, you might have several devices in your house that can access Apple TV.

For instance, you can use Apple TV Plus on any iPad, iPhone, iPod, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TVs, Vizio Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, Mac, PC, Android TV, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S.

Interface

YouTube TV: As you might expect, YouTube TV’s interface is quite similar to the regular YouTube app or site. Based on your watching habits and the content that is present in your DVR, it takes you to the home screen where it offers Top Picks.

Access its search tool for finding content to watch for a certain channel or genre from the top right corner. And through the settings panel, it let you manage subscription details, subscriptions to add-on channels, and billing information.

The Home section is where you can view the content that you want to watch. Beyond the Home Screen, you primarily get two top-level tabs –Library and Live.

Through the library section, you can access everything you’ve recorded, scheduled recordings, and all other recordings, which you can sort by recentness, content type, alphabetically, and popularity.

From the Live section, scroll down the list of available channels to view what is currently playing. If you want to watch something, you can simply click on the live preview.

Apple TV+: Apple TV+ essentially functions as a subset of the Apple TV app. There is also some combination of movies and TV shows that are on the app.

For instance, when you scroll down on the Watch Now tab, you’ll see that a lot of Apple TV Plus shows are repeated in different places and categories.

Apple TV+’s web interface is not that appealing when compared to the Apple TV app. Because it is missing some features that are usually present in any streaming service.

Besides, you can only browse and watch Apple TV+ content and none of the services that you’ve subscribed through the Apple TV app will appear.  

However, there is a slight difference between browsers, TVs, and mobiles interface. That means you can bookmark the page on the browser and go directly to the Apple TV+ content.

Also, it is essential to note that Apple TV+ lacks options to advance to the next episode and a button to skip the intro.

Video Quality

YouTube TV: YouTube TV has debuted numerous 4K streams for NBC, ESPN, and other channels. Though it costs $19.99 per month extra, don’t worry, it’ll be discounting the first year of payments and offer its services at just $9.99 a month.

Apple TV+: You can access the 4K video that supports a resolution of 3840 x 2160, which offers sharper and more detailed imagery.

Apple has spent a lot of money on its original shows and films and therefore, picture quality and sound quality are incredible. This can be particularly noticeable when watching in 4K HDR.

Ads

YouTube TV: Since YouTube TV is a substitute for traditional cable service, you’ll still get to see the same ads.

Apple TV+: As Apple TV Plus is a subscription streaming service to watch the company's original series and movies exclusively, it doesn't have ads.

User Experience

YouTube TV: With YouTube TV, you can stream live channels in 1080p/60fps as well as get support for Dolby 5.1 sound on selected devices.

And with YouTube TV’s 4K Plus add-on, you can watch major sports events and live content from ESPN, FOX, and NBC.

However, the streaming resolution will depend on the source. For instance, as the football game is broadcasted by Fox Sports, it is limited to 720p/60fps.

Well, because YouTube TV is a substitute for traditional cable service, you’ll still get to see the same ads. However, one of the major advantages of YouTube is that its DVR functionality lets you fast-forward ads in your recordings. 

Apple TV+: Apple TV+ is very basic, clear, and easy to navigate. You can even download shows or episodes to view them offline.

All you need to do is just tap on the standard cloud-plus-down-arrow icon that you can see next to an episode listing. Although downloading something is usually quick, it might take several minutes if you are trying to download a larger file.

And its website also looks elegant, but there are no ways to sort or search for your favorite shows. This is quite annoying because the number of Apple TV+ titles are growing regularly.

You can also set up parental control restrictions, but these are not profile-based. That means, whatever settings you choose, they are applied to everyone using that account on the web.

Moreover, there are no options for advancing to the next episode and a skip intro button. In other words, you need to head back to the home page and select a new episode from there.

Final Words: Apple TV+ vs YouTube TV!

So, that is everything about YouTube TV vs Apple TV+ comparison article. Apple TV+ is all about original content under the Apple originals program.

These comprise movies, shows, comedies, talk shows, and documentaries as well as offer various channels through the Apple TV app.

Whereas, YouTube TV lets you watch on-demand, cloud-based DVR, and live TV from over 85 channels.

Thus, these services can be a perfect option if you want to cut the cord and get rid of traditional cable services.

When compared to Apple TV channels, YouTube TV channels are more. Hopefully, the above article has helped you to know everything about YouTube TV and Apple TV+!

FAQs

Is Apple TV+ similar to YouTube TV?

Yes. YouTube TV and Apple TV+ are the best choices for those who want to cut cords and get rid of traditional cable services.

What is Apple TV+ good for?

Apple TV+ is a streaming service where users get to watch Apple’s original TV shows, movies, documentaries, thrillers, and kids shows.

What channels are included with YouTube TV?

You can access over 85 channels, including ABC, FOX, NBC, HGTV, TNT, ESPN, CBS, and more. You can even access local and regional programming with YouTube TV.

How much does Apple TV+ cost?

Apple TV Plus costs $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year.

What is free on Apple TV Plus?

You can watch the first episode of several shows for entirely free. Later, if you want to watch the remaining episodes, you might have to subscribe to the service.

Is Apple TV better than YouTube TV?

It depends on what you are looking for in a streaming service. Apple TV and YouTube TV both have their advantages and disadvantages.
The Apple TV has a more intuitive user interface, a larger library of movies and TV shows available for purchase or rental, and integration with other Apple devices. YouTube TV, on the other hand, has a larger channel lineup, a cloud-based DVR with unlimited storage, and a more affordable monthly price.

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