Since people now prefer the convenience of online streaming, many platforms such as YouTube and studios like Disney and Paramount have introduced their own streaming services. Each streaming platform focuses on unique interests, providing specialized content and numerous perks at a fraction of cable TV’s subscription.
Both DIRECTV Stream and YouTube TV are popular live TV streaming services known for their special features and add-ons. While YouTube TV is less expensive, DIRECTV Stream offers more channels. This DIRECTV Stream vs YouTube TV comparison highlights their similarities and differences so you can choose a suitable alternative for your traditional TV plan.
DIRECTV Stream
Formerly known as AT&T TV, DIRECTV Stream is a comprehensive streaming service with a channel lineup that is on par with major cable and satellite TV providers. Unfortunately, its prices are also on par with traditional TV services as it is one of the most expensive streaming options.
This contract-free service is app-based, so you don’t need to rent any equipment. Instead, you can use your own device to watch your favorite content. Just make sure that it is compatible with DIRECTV Stream. Although this live TV streaming service is expensive, it is a fantastic choice for sports fans and delivers a convenient viewing experience.
Pros
- Multiple plans
- Free trials for premium channels
- More than 185 channels, including all the local networks
- Unlimited Cloud DVR storage
- Over 90,000 On-Demand popular movies and shows
- Includes Regional Sports Networks at no extra cost
Cons
- Pricier than other streaming services
- Slow loading time
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is an online live-streaming service owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company. Though it is well known for its user-generated and ad-supported content, YouTube has dabbled with other forms of entertainment throughout the years.
YouTube TV allows you to view live channels often included in traditional cable and satellite TV packages, making it an excellent replacement for these services. There are no commitments, additional costs, or equipment needed for the service.
Pros
- Excellent cloud DVR
- Impressive interface
- Outstanding add-ons
- Affordable starting price
Cons
- Limited Regional sports networks
- Limited Plans
DIRECTV Stream or YouTube TV – Which One is Better?
| DIRECTV Stream vs YouTube TV | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | YouTube TV | DIRECTV |
| No. of Plans | 2 | 4 |
| Starting Price | $34.99 – $72.99/mo. | $79.99 – $164.99/mo. |
| Live TV Channels | 100+ | 185+ |
| On-Demand Titles | 2,000+ | 90,000+ |
| Free Trial | 7 days | 5 days |
| Premium Channels | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud DVR Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Simultaneous Streams | 3 per account | Unlimited |
| User Profiles | 6 user profiles | No |
DIRECTV Stream vs YouTube TV – which one is better? These two streaming services are well-known for their live channels, but their features and price points vary. There are some significant differences between them when you consider their pricing, channel list, DVR, and other features like concurrent streaming, user profiles, and more.
Regional sports channels are only available on one streaming service, but how much does that cost, and is it worth the investment? This DIRECTV Stream vs YouTube TV compares these features of two excellent cable TV alternatives to help you decide which one is better.
Pricing & Plans
The choice between DIRECTV Stream and YouTube ultimately depends on how much you are willing to pay for your favorite channels. While YouTube TV only offers two options, DIRECTV Stream gives you four choices at different price points. Let’s review them in detail.
DIRECTV Stream
The DIRECTV Stream channel lineup is offered across four DIRECTV plans – Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate, and Premier. All four streaming plans include local channels, thousands of On-Demand titles, and excellent perks.
The cheapest of the bunch, the DIRECTV Stream Entertainment plan, starting at $79.99 per month, is $5 more expensive than YouTube TV. But you can save up to $30 on this plan in three months by pairing it with DIRECTV’s Sports Pack. The other DIRECTV packages offer more channels and include all your favorite regional sports networks.
Here is a brief overview of all the DIRECTV Stream packages.
| DirecTV Stream Plans | Promotional Price | Live TV Channels |
|---|---|---|
| ENTERTAINMENT + Sports Pack | $84.98/mo. + tax for 3 mos. | 90+ |
| CHOICE™ + Sports Pack | $98.99/mo. + tax for 1 mo. | 125+ |
| ULTIMATE + Sports Pack | $109.99/mo. + tax for 1 mo. | 160+ |
| PREMIER + Sports Pack | $169.98/mo. + tax for 3 mo. | 185+ |
**Entertainment subscribers must add the DIRECTV Sports Pack to get the promo discount.
***Sports Pack is included for 1 month on Choice and Ultimate packages for free, after which a monthly fee of $14.99 will apply.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV, in contrast, only offers one base plan for $72.99 per month that excludes all premium channels. However, for now, YouTube is offering a special deal to new customers where they can enjoy the first three months for $57.99 a month, $15 less than the usual price. Additionally, users can add several add-ons to access more features. For example, the 4K Plus package allows you to watch your favorite content in higher quality, view DVR recordings offline, and unlock unlimited simultaneous streams for an additional $10 per month for the first year.
YouTube TV also offers something for Spanish fans. Its Spanish plan, currently available at $34.99, offers more than 30 channels featuring telenovelas, live sports, and more. Here are all the essential details.
| YouTube TV Plans | Price | Live TV Channels |
|---|---|---|
| Base Plan | $57.99/mo. for 3 mos.* | 100+ |
| Spanish Plan | $34.99/mo. | 30+ |
Compatible Devices
So how do DIRECTV Stream & YouTube TV services compare in terms of device compatibility? You only need a device that works with both services to see their content because neither requires any additional equipment. Therefore, you can easily access your preferred entertainment on the road on a laptop, tablet, or phone using the YouTube TV or DIRECTV Stream app.
YouTube TV, however, has a slight advantage over DIRECTV Stream as users can access it through more devices such as PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X. So, if you are a gamer, you can easily access this service. You can see how DIRECTV Stream and YouTube TV compare in terms of device compatibility in the table below.
| Devices | DIRECTV Stream | YouTube TV |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Fire Cube, Stick, TV | ✔ | ✔ |
| Android phones, tablets | ✔ | ✔ |
| Android TV | ✔ | ✔ |
| Apple TV (4th gen.) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Apple TV 4K | ✔ | ✔ |
| Chromecast, Chromecast with Google TV | ✔ | ✔ |
| Echo Show | ╳ | ✔ |
| iPhone, iPad | ✔ | ✔ |
| LG TVs (select models) | ╳ | ✔ |
| Nintendo Switch | ╳ | ╳ |
| NVIDIA SHIELD Pro TV | ╳ | ✔ |
| PC, Mac web browsers | ✔ | ✔ |
| PlayStation 3, 4, 5 | ╳ | ✔ |
| Roku Ultra, Express, Premiere, Stick, TV | ✔ | ✔ |
| Samsung TVs (select models) | ✔ | ✔ |
| TiVo Stream | ╳ | ✔ |
| Wii | ╳ | ╳ |
| Xbox One | ╳ | ✔ |
Streaming Quality
Like all the streaming services, DIRECTV Stream and YouTube TV also stream at 720p. And while DIRECTV Stream’s On-Demand content is available in 1080p and Blu-ray quality, YouTube TV does not support HDR and 4K quality with the base plan. However, it offers the 4K Plus add-on with an additional monthly price, but we do not recommend it as there is not much 4K content on this platform.
On-Demand Options
YouTube TV might have a more affordable service, but its On-Demand library pales in comparison to DIRECTV Stream. Depending on your subscription, the DIRECTV Stream’s On-Demand library offers anywhere between 60,000 and 90,000 titles, offering a wide range of well-liked TV episodes and films. The content, however, varies greatly depending on the channels included in your subscription.
On the other hand, YouTube TV has a much smaller On-Demand library with approximately 2000+ titles. But with the ever-growing network, you’ll never have problems finding your favorite shows and movies.
Live TV
DIRECTV Stream and YouTube TV deliver a different number of live TV channels. While DIRECTV Stream divides its channel lineup into four plans, YouTube offers live TV through two packages. The channel lineup of each streaming service is as follows.
| DIRECTV Stream | YouTube TV | ||||
| ENTERTAINMENT | CHOICE | ULTIMATE | PREMIER | Base Plan | Spanish Plan |
| 90+ | 125+ | 160+ | 185+ | 100+ | 30+ |
TV Channels – DIRECTV Stream vs YouTube TV
DIRECTV Stream has a much more extensive live TV channel lineup than YouTube TV. However, it is also more expensive. Its Entertainment package is not only pricier than YouTube TV’s Base plan but also offers fewer channels. To be precise, with this package, you’ll get 10 channels less than YouTube TV’s Base plan. But if you are a fan of regional sports, then this service is an excellent choice, especially its Choice package. Here is a comparison of the popular channels.
| Live TV Channels | DIRECTV Stream | YouTube TV | |||
| ENTERTAINMENT | CHOICE | ULTIMATE | PREMIER | ||
| ABC | ╳ | ╳ | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ |
| A&E | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| ACC Network | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| AccuWeather | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| AMC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| American Heroes Channel | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Animal Planet | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Aspire | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| AXS TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| BabyFirst HD | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| BBC America | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BBC News | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BET | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BET Her | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Big Ten Network | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bloomberg TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Boomerang | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Bravo | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cartoon Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CBS Sports Network | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Charge! | ╳ | ╳ | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ |
| Cheddar News | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CMT | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CNBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CNBC World | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| CNN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CNN en Español | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| CNNi | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Comedy Central | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Comedy.tv | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cooking Channel | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| C-SPAN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| C-SPAN2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Daystar | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Destination America | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Discovery | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Discovery Family | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Discovery Life | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Disney Channel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Disney Junior | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Disney XD | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| E! | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPN2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPNEWS | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPNU | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Food Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fox Business Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fox News | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Food Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FOX Business Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FS1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FS2 | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FOX Weather | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Freeform | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fuse | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| FX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FXM | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FXX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| fyi, | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Galavisión | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Game Show Network | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| GET | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Golf Channel | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Great American Family | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Hallmark Channel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | ✔ | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ |
| HGTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| HLN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Home Shopping Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| IFC | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Investigation Discovery (ID) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Jewelry TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Justice Central | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Lifetime | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| LMN | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| LOGO HD | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Magnolia Network | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MLB Network | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| MotorTrend | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MSNBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MTV2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MTV Classic | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| National Geographic Channel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nat Geo WILD | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| NBA TV | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| NHL Network | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Newsmax | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| NewsNation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nickelodeon | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nick Jr. | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nicktoons | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Olympic Channel | ╳ | ╳ | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ |
| Ovation | ✔ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| OWN | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Oxygen True Crime | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Paramount Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| PBS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pop | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| QVC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| QVC2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| QVC3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| REELZ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Revolt | ✔ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| RFD-TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Science | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| SEC Network | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Shop LC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| Smithsonian Channel | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| SundanceTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Syfy | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tastemade | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TBS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TCM | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TeenNick | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tennis Channel HD | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| TLC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TNT | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Travel Channel | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TruTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TUDN | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| TV Land | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TV One | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| UniMás | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Universal Kids | ╳ | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Univision | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| USA Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| VH1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| VICE | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ╳ |
| WE tv | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Weather Channel | ╳ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Premium Channels
Take your steaming experience to another level with premium channels. YouTube TV and DIRECTV Stream offer these channels as add-ons, but DIRECTV Stream has a special offer for new customers on its first three plans, allowing them to enjoy these networks for three months without spending a single extra cent. Moreover, if you have the DIRECTV Stream Premier package, you don’t have to pay for them separately.
| Premium Channels | DIRECTV Stream | YouTube TV | |
| ENTERTAINMENT, CHOICE & ULTIMATE | PREMIER | ||
| Max | $0 for 3 mos., then $15.99/mo. | Included | $14.99/mo. |
| CINEMAX® | $0 for 3 mos., then $10.99/mo. | Included | $9.99/mo. |
| Paramount+ with SHOWTIME | $0 for 3 mos., then $11.99/mo. | Included | $11.99/mo. |
| STARZ® | $0 for 3 mos., then $10.99/mo. | Included | $8.99/mo. |
| MGM+ | $0 for 3 mos., then $5.99/mo. | $0 for 3 mos., then $5.99/mo. | $5.99/mo. |
Sports Channels
We all know about the sports craze in the country. Both DIRECTV Stream and YouTube TV provide an impressive sports channel lineup. But DIRECTV Stream is a better option if you require regional sports networks, especially its CHOICE or above packages. With DIRECTV Stream, you get the following RSNs:
| DIRECTV Stream Regional Sports Channels | |
|---|---|
| Altitude Sports | Longhorn Network |
| Bally Sports Cincinnati | Marquee Sports Network |
| Bally Sports Detroit | MASN |
| Bally Sports Florida | Monumental Sports Network |
| Bally Sports Great Lakes | MSG |
| Bally Sports Midwest | MSG Sportsnet |
| Bally Sports North | NBC Sports Bay Area |
| Bally Sports Ohio | NBC Sports Boston |
| Bally Sports Oklahoma | NBC Sports California |
| Bally Sports San Diego | NBC Sports Chicago |
| Bally Sports SoCal | NESN |
| Bally Sports South | ROOT SPORTS Network |
| Bally Sports Southeast | SNY |
| Bally Sports Southwest | Space City Home Network |
| Bally Sports Sun | Spectrum SportsNet |
| Bally Sports West | SportsNet Pittsburgh |
| Bally Sports Wisconsin | YES Network |
DIRECTV Stream and YouTube TV also offer sports add-ons to help you keep up with your local or international favorites. Where DIRECTV’s Sports Pack costs $14.99 per month, you can add YouTube TV’s Sports Plus add-on for an extra monthly fee of $10.99. With YouTube TV’s sports add-on, you’ll get the following channels.
| YouTube TV Sports Plus Channels | |
|---|---|
| beIN SPORTS / beIN SPORTS XTRA | SportsGrid |
| Billiard TV | Stadium |
| FOX Soccer Plus | Tennis Channel |
| MAVTV Motorsports Network | FanDuel TV |
| NFL RedZone | VSiN |
| Outside | Fight Network |
| Players TV | Impact Wrestling |
| PokerGO+ | |
Final Verdict – DIRECTV Stream vs YouTube TV
Cutting the cord might be an excellent solution to your financial problems, and you don’t have to miss your favorite daily dose of entertainment thanks to the live streaming services. YouTube TV and DIRECTV Stream are two of the most popular contract-free streaming choices, but they differ significantly based on a few factors.
If you want an affordable option, YouTube TV might appeal to you, but DIRECTV Stream offers a channel lineup that rivals traditional TV packages. This DIRECTV Stream vs YouTube TV comparison has highlighted all the key differences so you can reach a final decision.
