DirecTV Stream vs Fubo: which is better?

cord-cutting • September 1, 2023 • Staff

There are a lot of live TV streaming options out there, each with its own set of specialties, but perhaps no two are as similar as DirecTV Stream and Fubo. With very close price ranges and channel coverages, it can be tricky to determine which service performs better than the other. 

It helps to see where exactly they differ. For example, while both DirecTV Stream and Fubo pride themselves on their impressive line-up of sports channels, only one of them covers the NFL Network. In this article, we take a closer look at details like this and more to see which service is the right choice for you.

Why get DirecTV Stream?

DirecTV Stream is a Live TV streaming platform with a twist: you can download the app on any of your existing devices, or for a $120, you can get a box with a custom remote control for the service. But without the box, DirecTV Stream functions like a Netflix or Hulu, allowing you to stream Live TV from anywhere by downloading the app. Within your home, you can stream on up to 20 devices (!), and from outside your home you can stream on up to three devices.

Go to DirecTV Stream

Why get Fubo?

Get Fubo TV if you're currently paying more than its monthly price for your cable and if you like watching live TV channels. However, if you don't watch a lot of live TV there are much cheaper options out there for on-demand movies.

Go to Fubo

Popularity: DirecTV Stream is more popular than Fubo

DirecTV Stream has 788,000 subscribers whereas Fubo has 545,000 subscribers. This means that DirecTV Stream has 243,000 more subscribers than Fubo.

Price: DirecTV Stream is cheaper than Fubo

DirecTV Stream's costs $70 whereas Fubo costs $75. Getting Fubo instead of DirecTV Stream will set you back $5 more every month.

Devices: DirecTV Stream is more widely available than Fubo

DirecTV Stream is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Roku TV or Samsung TV.

Whereas Fubo is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS or Roku. That's 1 less devices than DirecTV Stream.

Channel count: Fubo has 30 channels more than DirecTV Stream

Fubo's lineup includes 103 channels whereas DirecTV Stream has only 73 channels. Getting a subscription to Fubo will give you access to 30 more channels than DirecTV Stream. That's quite a bit of channels.

Trial: DirecTV Stream offers a trial

DirecTV Stream has a trial. The trial duration is 5 days.

Find out more on DirecTV Stream

Trial: Fubo offers a trial

Fubo has a trial. The trial duration is 7 days.

Find out more on Fubo

DirecTV Stream's specialty

The specialties of DirecTV Stream are: Lifestyle, News, Soccer, Sports.

Fubo's specialty

The specialties of Fubo are: Action, Anime, Baseball, Old TV shows, Science fiction, Soccer, Spanish-language content, Sports, True Crime.

Channels on DirecTV Stream and not Fubo

The channels that DirecTV Stream has and which are not available on Fubo:

Channels on Fubo and not DirecTV Stream

The channels that Fubo has which are not available on DirecTV Stream:

Channels on both Fubo and DirecTV Stream

The channels that are available on both Fubo and DirecTV Stream are:

If you choose to subscribe to a streaming service we recommend as a result of our research, analysis, and curation, our work is sometimes (but not always) supported by an affiliate commission from the streaming service when you make a purchase.

Fubo

FuboTV is the only sports-centered live TV streamer around, but it carries crowd-pleasing channels for sports fans and beyond. The Starter Plan starts at $75 a month, carrying a whopping 116 channels and 250 hours of DVR storage. If you never want to miss a game — or anything else, for that matter — FuboTV has you covered.

Go to Fubo

Price: $74.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, ACC Network, AccuWeather, Animal Planet, Bein Sports, Bein Sports 4, Bein sports 5, Bein Sports 6, Bein Sports 7, Bein Sports 8, Big Ten Network, Bravo, CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBSN, Cheddar, CMT, CNBC, Comedy Central, Comet, Cozi TV, CW, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Estrella TV, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Freeform, fubo Sports Network, FX, FXX, FYI, Galavision, GetTV, Golf Channel, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HGTV, History, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Local Now, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, National Geographic, NBC, NBCLX, NBCSN, Newsmax, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Olympic Channel, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, Pop, RSNs, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, SYFY, Tastemade, Telemundo, The Weather Channel, TLC, Travel Channel, TUDN, TUDNxtra1, TUDNxtra10, TUDNxtra11, TUDNxtra2, TUDNxtra3, TUDNxtra4, TUDNxtra5, TUDNxtra6, TUDNxtra7, TUDNxtra8, TUDNxtra9, TV Land, TVG, Unimas, Universal Kids, Universo, Univision, USA, VH1, Vice, WE tv, WGN America

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The streaming services on this page were chosen by our editors. If you choose to subscribe to a streaming service we recommend as a result of our research, analysis, and curation, our work is sometimes (but not always) supported by an affiliate commission from the streaming service when you make a purchase.