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.
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 ($40 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 $60. 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.
As of April 2023, YouTube TV raised its monthly price to $72.99 per month, which puts it closer to all of the other major services not named Sling). But YouTube TV added new channels to make up for that, including the Magnolia Network. The lack of forced bundling may be a pro or con based on your vantage point, but anyone who doesn't need Disney Plus and ESPN Plus probably appreciates it. Plus, subscribers 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, NBC), as well as the recently-added ESPN (as well as ESPN2 and 3), 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 is getting regional sports networks, freeing them from being DirecTV Stream exclusives. However, American sports fans may not like Fubo because of its lack of TBS for MLB live streams and TNT for NBA Playoffs live streams.
The big downside here is that Fubo is charging between $11 to $13 for RSN's, and won't let you opt-out if you don't want them. And Fubo's $80 starting price for its entry-level Pro plan starts to put it in competition with cable rather than cable TV alternatives.
But while it is $35 more than Sling Orange, it gives you 184 channels — many more than on any other option here. So it at least offers you something for the extra money. Currently, you can also save up to $20 off your first month, so you have a few affordable options here for subscribing as well.
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 $87 per month (which went up recently) for its base Entertainment package and it includes more than over 90 channels, but compared to the above options, it's a big heaping bowl of "meh." And its other plans try and lure you into an annual contract — the last thing you want to get.
That said, we feel for the folks who want to follow their favorite local sports teams, as DirecTV Stream has become the only place that many cord-cutters can find their games on select regional sports networks. The only problem? Those channels are locked in the $95 per month tier. That said, if you want regional sports networks and the likes of TBS, TNT and truTV for national US playoff games, DirecTV Stream is probably best for you. And to match services like Fubo, DirecTV Stream is adding live scores to help you follow other games. Check out our guide on where to live stream NFL, NBA, MLB and more for more details.
However, as of September 1, ESPN, Disney, and ABC stations went dark for DirecTV customers. This happened as the result of a contract dispute with parent network Walt Disney Co. This occurred right in the middle of the U.S. Open for the second year in a row as DirecTV criticizes Disney's "anti-consumer approach" when it comes to bundling its services. It's unclear when or if the networks will return.
With that in mind, it's hard to recommend DirecTV Stream wholeheartedly when it just can't match what the competitors are offering in terms of sports packages without ESPN – and with its major Disney-shaped hole for the time being.
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 $40 per month, you've got an easy buying decision. Sling TV — either its Orange or Blue packages — is the only option, and it costs a relatively low $40 per month. It may not offer as many channels, but everything else starts at least at $70, 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.
