Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Hulu vs YouTube

Hulu 4.6★ · Free + IAP 40
Winner YouTube
YouTube 4.7★ · Free to download 65

YouTube is generally more reliable and offers a wider range of content, making it the better choice despite recent crashing issues, while Hulu struggles with persistent bugs and excessive ads.

Full reviews: Hulu · YouTube

YouTube offers a vast content library and is generally well-regarded, though recent updates have introduced significant crashing issues for some users. Hulu, while having good content, is plagued by numerous bugs, excessive ads, and poor user interface design.

Head to head

Content & Features edge: YouTubeR2R11R17R22
Hulu Hulu users appreciate the variety of shows and movies, including specific cartoons and anime, and the Disney+ bundle integration R2R11R17. However, some users complain about missing episodes, shows expiring, and a poor selection of older programming R22. Downloads are a frequent issue, with media deleting immediately after closing the app .
YouTube YouTube is praised for its vast and diverse content, including educational videos, music, and user-generated content . Users suggest features like a repost button and improved playlist management . However, some dislike the push for 'Shorts' content, feeling it mimics TikTok, and the removal of the dislike button .
Ease of Use & Interface edge: YouTubeR2R8R12R18
Hulu Hulu's user interface is frequently criticized as messy, not user-friendly, and in need of updates R2R12R18. Issues include shows not starting from the beginning for rewatches, incorrect 'Up Next' suggestions, and difficulties with navigation R8R12.
YouTube YouTube's interface generally receives positive feedback for its content organization, but recent changes like the lack of separation between videos in the subscription feed are disliked . Some users find the homepage doesn't load thumbnails, and the push for Shorts is disruptive .
Reliability & Performance tieR1R3R9R13
Hulu Hulu suffers from significant reliability issues, including frequent app crashes, freezing, and error messages R3R9. Many users report needing to delete and reinstall the app to fix these problems . Age verification issues are a recurring problem, locking users out of their accounts R1R13R30.
YouTube YouTube has recently experienced widespread crashing issues, with many users reporting the app crashes immediately upon opening and requires frequent reinstallation R64R67R70. Other bugs include ads freezing videos, upload failures, and analytics discrepancies .
Price & Value tieR4R6R10R15
Hulu Hulu users frequently complain about the excessive number and length of ads, even on paid ad-supported plans, with some reporting ads every 1-5 minutes and lasting up to 2 minutes R4R6R10R15. Many feel the ad experience is poor value for the price, especially for bundles R6.
YouTube YouTube users also express frustration with the frequency and length of ads, noting they appear every 5 minutes or get stuck . Some suggest allowing users to fast-forward ads . YouTube Premium prices are considered too high by some users .
Support & Account Management edge: YouTubeR1R7R13R30
Hulu Hulu users report difficulties canceling subscriptions through the app and issues with billing despite being locked out of the service R1R7R44. The age restriction issue, which locks out adult users, indicates a significant support and account management problem R1R13R30.
YouTube YouTube users mention issues with account updates via the app, sometimes requiring them to go online . There are also concerns about content moderation and the app's 'controlling' nature .
Pick Hulu if

You prioritize specific TV shows and movies available on Hulu and are willing to tolerate frequent ads and app bugs R2R11. You might also benefit from the Disney+ bundle integration R2.

Pick YouTube if

You seek a vast and diverse content library, including user-generated content, and are generally satisfied with the core video-watching experience, even if you encounter occasional crashing issues .

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of recent negative reviews, primarily focused on app stability and ads. For Hulu, the age restriction bug and download issues are prominent. For YouTube, widespread crashing and the dislike button removal are major complaints. The free-vs-paid asymmetry is relevant for both, as many complaints about ads likely come from free-tier or ad-supported paid users.

Frequently asked

Why is Hulu getting so many 1-star reviews recently?
Hulu is receiving many recent 1-star reviews due to widespread issues like an age restriction bug locking out adult users, frequent app crashes, freezing, and an excessive number of long ads even for paying subscribers R1R3R4R13.
Why does YouTube keep crashing?
Many YouTube users report the app crashing immediately upon opening, often requiring them to delete and reinstall it multiple times a day or week to temporarily resolve the issue R64R67R70R73.
Which app has fewer ads?
Both Hulu and YouTube receive significant complaints about excessive ads, with users on Hulu's ad-supported plans reporting ads every 1-5 minutes lasting up to 2 minutes, and YouTube users also finding ads too frequent and long R4R6R10R44.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Hulu 4/5 · US I love the shows and movies on Hulu!: Hulu is almost perfect. I like the shows on Hulu like Dragon Striker and The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball (I’m a huge cartoon fan). But it would be nice if they updated the Hulu interface. I also like how Disney+ has Hulu account linking so you can continue watching Hulu shows on Disney+ (with a bundle subscription.)! But sadly, the app is shutting down,
  2. [R11] Hulu 4/5 · US Jujitsu Kaisen: Please put out the 3rd season
  3. [R17] Hulu 4/5 · US Please update one piece: To the Hulu Content and Support Team, I recently transitioned from Netflix to Hulu specifically to watch One Piece, as Hulu is much further ahead on the episode releases. I am thoroughly enjoying the streaming experience, but I wanted to provide some feedback regarding the organization of the arcs. Currently, several distinct storylines, such as the "Zou" arc and the "Marin
  4. [R22] Hulu 1/5 · US Bring back Married with Children!: Can you please bring back the TV show Married with Children? It’s my favorite show and I love watching it. Why do all the good shows expire on this app?!
  5. [R8] Hulu 5/5 · US Up next showing a different show: I was watching modern family and after an episode it took me to a different show and I looked up how to take that off and I did it and it wouldn’t get off of it
  6. [R12] Hulu 3/5 · US Honest review: A lot of decent shows and movies with good rewatch value but the UI is messy and has been for years untouched, scenes will randomly skip on shows, you have to manually restart any show or movie you wanna rewatch not the biggest issues just very inconvenient through out the years
  7. [R18] Hulu 3/5 · US Think about your actions.: Whoever is in charge of your UI needs to be hit in the face with a brick.
  8. [R1] Hulu 1/5 · US Update He’ll on iPad: I’d give 0 stars if I could… This app has never been good, but the most recent update seems to have severed the secure link between Hulu and iOS vital to verifying age. Now none of the 5 family members ranging from 25 to 64 can access Hulu on iPad, for the past week and Hulu is still billing for full monthly fees while not acknowledging this situation that is apparently being
  9. [R3] Hulu 3/5 · US Too many bugs for the price: It's a nice concept and so many options are better. I hate that while you are watching a show or a sports game Hulu decides you watched enough and just shuts off on you. Or in the middle of watching a show I get an error message and can't continue watching. Get it together Hulu!
  10. [R9] Hulu 3/5 · US Bro: At first it worked then the next day I log in it says something went wrong then wouldn’t let me log back in to my account
  11. [R13] Hulu 1/5 · US Hulu has to be the most useless app: First you were deleting downloads, now you’re age restricting the app. I don’t have now nor have I EVER had restrictions on my iPad. Al ll of a sudden,I can’t use Hulu. It's freaking ridiculous. It’s not a big deal for me to stop this $21 a month payment. There are plenty of other sites.
  12. [R4] Hulu 1/5 · US YOUR ADS: YOU GIVE WAY TOO MANY ADS. i can’t even enjoy my show without getting put on a ad.i got ads so frequently when i was just getting off a ad,i got right back on one.i timed how often i get ads i get one every 1 minute or 1 minute and twenty seconds.yall are just money hungry.and the ads are like two minutes long.
  13. [R6] Hulu 3/5 · US I Love Hulu BUT: I Love Hulu don’t get me wrong. I’ve been subscribed for years but I started noticing today 7/6/26 that there has been a crazy increase of ads now. I get you can purchase a ad free one but I think for the amount I pay every month for the bundle, Hulu is doing a little too much with the Ads, it’s like I watch a few minutes of one of my shows and then boom another ad. So sad cause I
  14. [R10] Hulu 1/5 · US SO MANY ADS: STOP MAKING ME WATCH 10 MINS OF ADS FOR A 20 MIN EPISODE
  15. [R15] Hulu 3/5 · US Too many ads: The amount of ads is insane 10 ads for 1 episode of a show it makes me want to go to a different streaming platform
  16. [R7] Hulu 1/5 · US so slow so many ads can’t cancel subscription on app: slow
  17. [R30] Hulu 1/5 · US Age Restricted??: We have subscribed to Hulu+ for several years. Today when I tried to watch something on my iPad, I was told that my account was age restricted, and I needed to ask my parents to verify my age by updating it in the Apple account. I verified in the Apple account that it shows my correct date of birth, which puts me at 56. My parents are both dead, so I’m not sure how they can help
  18. [R64] YouTube 1/5 · US Application keeps crashing: Noticed about 2 days ago the app started crashing again and again. Only fix I have found is uninstalling and re-installing the application.
  19. [R67] YouTube 2/5 · US Keeps crashing: Why does it keep crashing every time I open it? I have to uninstall the app and keep reinstalling it. I’ve had to do it at least 20 times in the past three days.
  20. [R70] YouTube 1/5 · US YouTube crashes: YouTube crashes immediately upon opening. Deleting and reinstalling the app only resolves the issue temporarily for a few hours before the crashing recurs. Environment: OS: iOS 18.7, App Version: YouTube 21.26.4
  21. [R73] YouTube 1/5 · US App doesn’t work: For over a week, every day i have to redownload the app because for some reason, it won’t even let me open the app. It just crashes immediately.
  22. [R44] Hulu 1/5 · US Too many ads: You guys don’t need to run as many ads as you guys do in order to keep the service running. Be better. 3 minutes of ads when you go from episode to episode is crazy these days. Right after writing this review, I got bombarded with more 1:45 ads. Won’t be buying this service anytime soon. Update: Got charged for another month after never being notified of service or anything. I did

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store