Alternatives to Hulu: Stream TV shows & movies
By App Store Tracker Editorial · Updated — App Store ratings fetched to
The short version
Hulu mixes on-demand TV episodes, movies, and live channels in one app. If you want the same broad library plus a way to track what to watch across services, Yidio is the standout: it searches Hulu, Netflix, Prime, and 100+ platforms in one guide. The list also covers network apps like NBC, niche services like Hayu for reality TV, and aggregators that help you find where shows actually stream.
The app you searched for
Hulu, LLC
Watch films & download series
People hunt for Hulu alternatives when their must-watch shows live on other services, when they want a cheaper plan, or when they want one place to track everything they stream. The picks below share Hulu's core job: helping you find and watch TV and movies on your iPhone. Some are full streaming services, others are guides that point you to where a title is available across platforms. We ranked them by embedding similarity to Hulu's description, then weighed live App Store ratings and review volume so the more trusted, widely used apps rise to the top. Ratings move week to week, so use the order as a guide and pick the one that matches what you actually watch.
CBS Interactive · Free · IAP · Updated Nov 2, 2026
NBCUniversal Media, LLC · Free · Updated Oct 26, 2026
On TV Tonight Pty Limited · Free · Updated Sep 17, 2025
Ernestine Khn · Free · IAP · Updated Feb 12, 2025
US App Store ratings, prices from Apple. Chart rank is the top free chart position over the last 30 days; downloads and revenue are third-party monthly estimates. See the latest US top free Entertainment chart.
Why it's similar
Paramount+ matches Hulu: Stream TV shows & movies on core function and category fit. Embedding similarity score: 85%.
How it differs
Distinguishes on monetization (free download with in-app purchases) and editorial focus. Rated 4.6 stars across 941.4K reviews.
Why it's similar
The NBC App streams TV shows and movies on demand plus live channels, the same blend Hulu offers, and it is free. Both let you save favorites, continue watching across devices, and stream classic and current series in one place. NBC ties Hulu's 4.57 rating.
How it differs
NBC limits you to NBCUniversal networks like Bravo and Telemundo, where Hulu pulls from many studios. Reviewers repeatedly flag playback bugs, low live-TV volume, and heavy pre-roll ads that interrupt streams, complaints far less common against Hulu's player.
Why it's similar
Watch OWN streams on-demand episodes from OWN and 14+ networks like TLC, HGTV, and ID, the same catch-up-anywhere model Hulu offers, and it is free. Both let you favorite shows and continue watching across devices. Its 4.81 rating is the highest in this list.
How it differs
Watch OWN requires a pay-TV subscription to unlock content and sticks to its network family, where Hulu sells direct plans and spans many studios plus live TV. It is a network catch-up app rather than a full Hulu-style service.
Why it's similar
TV & Streaming Guide America helps you find what to watch across live TV and services like Hulu, Netflix, and Disney+, matching Hulu's discovery role. Both surface what is on now and what is coming up so you spend less time searching.
How it differs
This is a listings guide, not a player, it tells you where a show airs or streams rather than playing it. It is a paid app focused on schedules, where Hulu both recommends and streams. Its 4.71 rating is strong for a guide.
Why it's similar
Hozify markets itself to film lovers with tailored recommendations and a catalog of movies and TV shows, echoing Hulu's discovery-and-watch experience. Both lean on personalized suggestions to surface hidden gems and current hits.
How it differs
Hozify is a smaller, newer entry with vague sourcing and in-app purchases, lacking Hulu's licensed studio deals, live TV, and Originals. Its 4.28 rating sits below Hulu's, and its catalog claims are far less established than Hulu's known library.
Why it's similar
Yidio works alongside the same streaming world Hulu lives in, letting you search Hulu, Netflix, Prime, and 100+ services to find where any show or movie streams. Both center on discovery and a personal watchlist, and both surface daily recommendations based on what you like.
How it differs
Yidio does not host video itself, it is a guide that sends you to the right app, where Hulu actually plays the content. It also adds price comparison to find the cheapest way to watch, something Hulu has no reason to offer. Its 4.28 rating trails Hulu's 4.57.
Why it's similar
FreeCast compiles your streaming subscriptions into one platform and offers a large on-demand library plus live news and sports, overlapping Hulu's all-in-one ambition. Both aim to be your single hub for what to watch, with search and curated recommendations.
How it differs
FreeCast leans on bundling and aggregating other services like Hulu, Netflix, and Max rather than owning the content. Its 3.02 rating is the lowest here, well under Hulu's 4.57, signaling a rougher experience than Hulu's polished app.
Disney International Electronic Content, LLC
Why it's similar
Disney+ is a direct streaming service like Hulu, with movies and series you stream at home or download for offline viewing, and it even includes Hulu content in its bundle. Both are subscription homes for blockbusters, series, documentaries, and originals.
How it differs
Disney+ centers on Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, a tighter family-and-franchise focus than Hulu's broad mix of current network TV and live channels. This listing shows only 9 ratings, so it is not a reliable signal next to Hulu's millions.
Universal Pictures Subscription Television Limited
Why it's similar
Hayu streams TV the way Hulu does, with on-demand episodes you download and watch on any device, and a free trial to start. Both are subscription services built around binge-watching full seasons and same-day access to current shows.
How it differs
Hayu is reality-TV only, 9,000+ episodes of Below Deck and similar shows, where Hulu spans every genre plus live TV and Originals. It is ad-free by design, and it currently carries no App Store ratings, so it is far less proven than Hulu here.
Why it's similar
Moviebox HD: Watch TV & short matches Hulu: Stream TV shows & movies on core function and category fit. Embedding similarity score: 86%.
How it differs
Distinguishes on editorial focus.
See how Hulu: Stream TV shows & movies and these apps ranked on past days with the free App Store rank history tool.
Every app in our database carries a dense vector embedding derived from its title, subtitle, full description, and category metadata. To find apps similar to Hulu: Stream TV shows & movies, we compute cosine distance against every other app and keep the closest 30. The similarity score shown on each pick is 1 - distance/2 clamped to [0,1] — 100% means the embedding spaces are identical, 0% means orthogonal.
Apps from Hulu: Stream TV shows & movies's own developer are left out. The 10 most similar of the rest are ordered by App Store rating times the logarithm of their rating count, so a 4.8-star app with 100,000 ratings ranks above a 4.5-star app with 200 ratings.
The similar-app list was computed on May 25, 2026. Ratings are the latest US App Store fetch for each app, taken between November 4, 2026 and November 10, 2026. Prices and update dates come from Apple when the page is built.
No paid placements. No affiliate links. No sponsored picks. Read our full methodology.
More popular iPhone apps with their own lists of similar apps from other developers, ordered by App Store rating.
