When it comes to both variety and price, give me the best live TV streaming services over cable any day. I cut the cord years ago and I'm certainly never going back, and I'm not the only one here at Tom's Guide to make the switch. And it might very well be high time for you to do the same thing.
Part of what makes these cable alternatives so great is ... well, they're a lot like cable. Most folks can cut the cord while holding onto important channels such as ESPN, TNT and USA. You can even watch NFL live streams or Premier League live streams provided you have the right service.
And that price doesn't require a 12-month or 24-month contract that then skyrockets once it expires. Instead, you decide each month whether you want to stick with your preferred live TV streaming service or go with a better option. So what are you waiting for? Ditch cable and cut the cord today with one of these live TV services that save you money.
The best cable TV alternatives you can buy today
Sling TV is the best cable TV alternative for a simple reason: its lower price and customizable nature feel truly in line with the idea of cutting the cord. So much so that our streaming editor Kelly Woo chose it to replace cable.
This cable TV alternative also makes our best streaming services list, in part because it's by far the cheapest service (starting at $46 per month) with either ESPN or local FOX, ABC and NBC affiliates — and it's often available at a promotional rate. The service offers two basic packages of channels (Orange and Blue), then lets viewers pick and choose smaller extras, which usually cost $5 per month.
Orange has ESPN (though it lost it once for two days) and Blue has local FOX, NBC and ABC affiliates (depending on your local market). Users in some markets get ABC for free, but others have to spend $5 more. That means Sling Orange & Blue will cost up to $66. You can see even more differences in our Sling Orange vs Blue guide. Something to keep in mind is that ultimately Orange comes with just 34 total channels, while Blue comes with 43.
From sports to comedy to kids' programming to foreign language channels, Sling TV has a little something for everyone. We just wish its cloud DVR would go unlimited like YouTube and Hulu. For more details, including lineups and pricing and more, check out our What Is Sling TV? and Sling TV promo codes pages. Even Sling's Orange+Blue package is still more affordable than most of its competitors' base packages.
Currently, you can sign up for Sling and get your first month half off, so if you've had your eye on trying it out for a while, now's your chance to see if it fits your needs.
Read our full Sling TV review
Simple, easy to use and rocking a very strong selection of channels, YouTube TV remains a top cable TV alternative. YouTube TV's biggest stand-out feature was unlimited storage DVR, but Hulu's caught up to that. And just like Hulu, it has all of the major broadcast networks, so you can get your local news and sports, as well as network sitcoms and dramas.
One of our favorite aspects of YouTube TV is that it's got the shortest lag behind cable TV. Sling and other services are a little further behind the live feeds (less than a minute, but it still counts for sports and live events). YouTube TV also has key plays which is a great feature for watching key highlights in minutes, in sports matches once they are recorded on the DVR. Since you can record as many hours as you like, that means never having to miss a match on an included channel again. You won't have to decide which one is more important to you – and for many, that fact may be worth the admission price alone.
Power users should be excited to hear that YouTube TV's multiview isn't just for sports events like March Madness, as YouTube's expanded the feature to the news and weather, as well as the bustling NFL season. It's these killer sports features that make it the cable TV alternative of choice for our senior writer Malcolm McMillan.
Unfortunately, YouTube TV keeps getting more expensive. It previously raised its price to $72.99 in April 2023, but now a January YouTube TV price hike has it up to $82.99 a month. With Hulu offering a bundle of Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus for the same price, YouTube TV now has a serious value problem. At least you still get a discount on NFL Sunday Ticket.
Read our full YouTube TV review
Hulu began as an on-demand streaming service, then expanded into offering live TV as well — for those who pay a large extra fee. For $83 per month, you get Hulu's traditional catalog of shows and movies, plus access to more than 85 live channels, from A&E to ESPN to TNT. It also includes Disney Plus and ESPN Plus (though both have ads). And Hulu's entry-level package only got better with the addition of PBS, PBS Kids and the Magnolia Network. It should also be noted that you can now bundle Hulu, Disney Plus, and Max for just $17, so if you want Hulu with the additional content that these services offer, you have that as an additional option.
Unfortunately, its most recent price hike is potentially enough of a reason to consider other options. Now, Hulu's value proposition is solely based on its bundled extras. At least Hulu's got an unlimited cloud DVR to match YouTube TV's. For more details, check out our Hulu + Live vs. YouTube TV face-off.
Hulu gets major brownie points for throwing in its library of originals and on-demand programming. Plus, the FX on Hulu partnership has added a ton of classic and modern shows, like "The Shield" and "Atlanta". Not all of these other services boast exclusives on par with the award-winning "The Bear", "Normal People" and "Little Fires Everywhere". It's important to note though that in our experience, the recording menus are convoluted and we've found it's too easy to miss recording something because you didn't click in enough menus.
Read our full Hulu with Live TV review
All of these live TV streaming services offer some sports content, but Fubo is one of the best cable TV alternatives because it has practically every single sport you could ask for. NFL fans can see every game on Fubo, with its strong list of local broadcast channels (including ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC), as well as the recently-added ESPN (as well as ESPN2 and ESPN3), and the NFL Network.
On top of that, you get international sports with 8 beIN Sports channels, the Big Ten Network, the Golf Channel and the TUDN (formerly known as UniVision Deportes Network) channels. It's a sports lover's buffet. Fubo also has regional sports networks on its Pro and Elite packages but they charge you an additional $11+ in fees for the privilege, which is why competitors often don't offer these RSNs. Additionally, Fubo lacks TBS for MLB live streams and TNT for NBA Playoffs live streams so while it offers a lot of sports it won't cover everything.
Fubo is pricey, but you get more channels for your dollar. The entry-level Fubo Essential plan gives you 213 channels for $84.99 and you can get your first month for just $60 after a seven-day free trial. Other plans offer similar first-month discounts and free trials if you decide you need more channels, regional sports or 4K streaming.
Read our full Fubo review
DirecTV Stream (previously AT&T TV, AT&T TV Now and DirecTV Now) is a service that keeps changing its name, but it never actually fixes its big problems. It's pricier than most at $70 per month for its base MySports beta package and that package only gives you sports and news programming. For a more traditional offering, you'll need to spend up for the Entertainment plan, which starts at $87 for 90+ channels.
But DirecTV Stream does have one thing going for it. It's often the only live TV streaming service that offers your local regional sports network — though as we mentioned earlier Fubo does offer RSNs in select markets. The catch here is that to get those RSNs, you're going to need to pay up for the $115-a-month Choice plan, which gives you 125+ channels. The good news here is that unlike Fubo, DirecTV gives you RSNs with no additional fee, but practically the fees are baked into the higher monthly price.
With all that in mind, it's hard to recommend DirecTV Stream wholeheartedly. But if you really need your local sports fix, it is an option.
Read our full DirecTV Stream review
How to choose the best cable TV alternative for you
You can filter through the best cable TV alternatives in a couple of ways. The easiest, of course, is by price. If you want to spend less than $50 per month, you've got an easy buying decision. Sling TV — either its Orange or Blue packages — is the only option, and it starts at a relatively low $46 per month. It may not offer as many channels, but everything else starts at least at $83, which can be frustrating when you also want streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus that cost $8 to $20+ per month.
But if you need all of your available local broadcast channels — ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC — your choices move away from Sling TV to all of its competitors. YouTube TV was formerly the most affordable to give you all four locals, but now it costs about as much as Hulu + Live TV. But Hulu gives you those buzzworthy originals like "The Bear", "Normal People", and "Little Fires Everywhere".
How we test cable TV alternatives
To determine the best streaming services for you to cut the cord with, we evaluate them by using the services across a wide range of devices, from streaming boxes and smart TVs to mobile apps. This is a great way to see which services stream smoothly and which should be ignored. We're testing services with true live TV, not just the linear "live" TV on apps such as Pluto TV.
As we use these streaming services, we also rate what their interfaces look like. The best streaming services offer clean menus and make it easy to discover new things to watch. Next, we compare the channel lineups, which can vary widely as you go from one service to the other. Some streaming services also offer multiple packages, so we take that into account before arriving at our rating.
Last but not least, we consider price and value. The best streaming services can either augment cable or help you cut the cord completely. So we weigh the features that you’re getting for the money versus the competition.
