In recent years, DirecTV Stream has gained notoriety for being more expensive than most live TV streaming services, its prices often teetering on old-school cable territory. But some might argue that it’s worth it: it has unlimited DVR and screens, plus premium channels and RSNs. With that, however, comes complications and hidden fees, things that you don’t really have to worry about with leaner and cheaper plans like Sling Orange and Sling Blue.
Sling Orange already has Disney and ESPN covered for half the price of DirecTV Stream, while Sling Blue carries local channels, depending on where you are. Purchasing both still saves you so much compared to DirecTV, but then again, maybe budget isn’t an issue for you.
Below, we compare all three of these popular live TV plans and see how they match up against each other in terms of channels, yes, but also: DVR storage, free trial availability, and device compatibility. "
DirecTV Stream vs Sling Orange vs Sling Blue
Which is cheaper?
The cheapest of the three streaming service in order are: Sling Orange ($40), Sling Blue ($45), and the most expensive of the bunch, DirecTV Stream ($79.99).
DirecTV Stream vs Sling Orange vs Sling Blue channel lineups
| Channel | DirecTV Stream $79.99/month |
Sling Orange $40/month |
Sling Blue $45/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&E | - | Yes | Yes |
| ABC | Yes | - | - |
| AMC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Animal Planet | Yes | - | - |
| AXS TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Baby First TV | Yes | - | - |
| BBC America | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BET | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bloomberg | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bloomberg Television | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Boomerang | Yes | - | - |
| Bravo | Yes | - | Yes |
| C-SPAN | Yes | - | - |
| C-SPAN2 | Yes | - | - |
| Cartoon Network | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CBS | Yes | - | - |
| CBS local channels | Yes | - | - |
| Charge! | - | Yes | Yes |
| CMT | Yes | - | - |
| CNBC | Yes | - | - |
| CNN | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CNN en Espanol | Yes | - | - |
| Comedy Central | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Comet | - | Yes | Yes |
| Discovery | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Discovery Channel | - | - | Yes |
| Disney Channel | Yes | Yes | - |
| Disney Jr | Yes | - | - |
| Disney XD | Yes | - | - |
| E! | Yes | - | Yes |
| E! Entertainment | Yes | - | - |
| EPIX Drive-In | - | Yes | Yes |
| ESPN | Yes | Yes | - |
| ESPN2 | Yes | Yes | - |
| ESPN3 | Yes | Yes | - |
| Food Network | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FOX | Yes | - | - |
| Fox Business | Yes | - | - |
| Fox Business Network | Yes | - | - |
| Fox News | Yes | - | Yes |
| Fox News Channel | Yes | - | Yes |
| Fox Sports | Yes | - | Yes |
| Fox Sports 1 | Yes | - | Yes |
| Fox Sports 1 (FS1) | Yes | - | Yes |
| Freeform | Yes | Yes | - |
| Fuse | - | Yes | Yes |
| FX | Yes | - | Yes |
| FXX | Yes | - | - |
| Galavision | Yes | - | - |
| Gem Shopping Network | Yes | - | - |
| Hallmark | Yes | - | - |
| Hallmark Channel | Yes | - | - |
| Hallmark Mystery | Yes | - | - |
| HGTV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| History | - | Yes | Yes |
| HLN | Yes | - | Yes |
| Home Shopping Network | Yes | - | - |
| ID | - | Yes | Yes |
| IFC | - | Yes | Yes |
| Investigation Discovery | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Investigation Discovery (ID) | - | Yes | Yes |
| Lifetime | - | Yes | Yes |
| Local Now | - | Yes | Yes |
| MotorTrend | Yes | Yes | - |
| MSNBC | Yes | - | Yes |
| MTV | Yes | - | - |
| MTV2 | Yes | - | - |
| National Geographic | - | - | Yes |
| NBC | Yes | - | Yes |
| NBC local channels | Yes | - | - |
| NFL Network | Yes | - | Yes |
| Nick Jr. | - | Yes | Yes |
| One America News | Yes | - | - |
| Ovation | Yes | - | - |
| Paramount Network | Yes | - | - |
| PBS | Yes | - | - |
| PBS local channels | Yes | - | - |
| Pursuit | Yes | - | - |
| Pursuit Channel | Yes | - | - |
| QVC | Yes | Yes | - |
| QVC2 | Yes | - | - |
| REELZ | Yes | - | - |
| ReelzChannel | Yes | - | - |
| REVOLT | Yes | - | - |
| RFD-TV | Yes | - | - |
| RSNs | Yes | - | - |
| SundanceTV | Yes | - | - |
| SYFY | Yes | - | Yes |
| TBS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TCM | Yes | - | - |
| TeenNick | Yes | - | - |
| Telemundo | Yes | - | - |
| Telemundo local channels | Yes | - | - |
| TLC | Yes | - | Yes |
| TNT | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Travel Channel | - | Yes | Yes |
| truTV | Yes | - | Yes |
| TV Land | Yes | - | - |
| Univision | Yes | - | - |
| Univision East | Yes | - | - |
| USA | Yes | - | Yes |
| USA Network | Yes | - | - |
| VH1 | Yes | - | - |
| Vice | - | Yes | Yes |
| W | Yes | - | - |
| WE tv | Yes | - | - |
Device availability comparaison
Where each streaming service has an app:| Device | DirecTV Stream $79.99/month |
Sling Orange $40/month |
Sling Blue $45/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airplay | - | Yes | Yes |
| Airplay supported | - | Yes | Yes |
| AirTV | - | Yes | Yes |
| Amazon Fire TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Android TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chromecast | - | Yes | Yes |
| Cox | - | Yes | - |
| Fire TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LG | - | Yes | Yes |
| LG TV | - | Yes | Yes |
| Mi Box | - | Yes | - |
| Roku | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Roku TV | Yes | - | - |
| Samsung | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Samsung TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TiVo | - | Yes | - |
| Vizio | - | Yes | - |
| Windows 10 | - | Yes | - |
| Windows 11 | - | Yes | - |
| Xbox | - | Yes | Yes |
| Xbox 360 | - | - | Yes |
| Xbox One | - | Yes | - |
Trials: DirecTV Stream includes a free trial
DirecTV Stream has a free trial of 5 days.
Trial: Sling Orange does not offer a trial
Sling Orange is currently not offering a trial.
Trial: Sling Blue does not offer a trial
Sling Blue is currently not offering a trial.
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.
Why get Sling Orange?
Get Sling Orange if you watch ESPN or Disney channels, which are not available on Sling Blue.
Why get Sling Blue?
If you like channels such as Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, and TBS, Sling Blue is a cheap alternative to cable - costing only $40 a month.
Sling Blue used to be cheaper than Sling Orange, but they now cost the same - $40 per month. If you get both of them, they cost $55 for the bundle, so around $27.5 each.
Price: $45/month
Device availability: Airplay supported, AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox 360
Channel lineup: A&E, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Bravo, Cartoon Network, Charge!, CNN, Comedy Central, Comet, Discovery Channel, E!, EPIX Drive-In, Food Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fuse, FX, HGTV, History, HLN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Local Now, MSNBC, National Geographic, NFL Network, Nick Jr., SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, USA, Vice
Ready to cut the cord? Here are the 14 live TV streaming services that offer a free trial.
More lists
Lists on how to save money by cutting the cord.
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.