The Best Alternative to Cable in 2022 (Reviews & Guide)

Highlights — Launched in 2017, YouTube TV is a live streaming TV service that offers sports, news, and entertainment channels. YouTube is considered the best alternative to cable and satellite TV for many reasons. 

First, it has a familiar interface as we all have used YouTube at least a couple of times. Secondly, it offers various channels — entertainment, sports, and news. Lastly, it comes with unlimited DVR storage that keeps your recordings for nine months.  

Let’s not forget that YouTube TV offers original shows and movies and broadcasts local news channels — ABC, CBS, PBS, and others. Moreover, Youtube TV is a great choice for Gen Z since 89% of these neo-digital natives use YouTube at least once a week. 

 In a nutshell, if you want the good cable TV alternatives that offer live TV, on-demand movies, unlimited DVR recording, original content, popular TV shows, local news channels, and YouTube videos — YouTube TV is worth considering.

Subscription plans — YouTube TV has only one subscription plan that costs $64.99 per month. It includes over 85 channels, from sports channels (ESPN, NBA TV, CBS Sports Network) to news (MSNBC, CNBC, BBC World News), lifestyle (Food Network, Nat Geo, Pop), and kids channels (Disney, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon). 

Then again, if you’re a fan of History Channel, you’re in for a rude awakening. Keep a watchful eye, though, since it just added Hallmark channels.

YouTube TV could be your best replacement for cable TV for yet one more reason — you can pause or cancel the subscription at any time. So, if you need a breather after the heartbreaking Season 5 finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you can pause your subscription for up to six months and reactivate it without losing any of the recorded material. 

On the flip side, if you cancel the subscription, your recordings will expire after 21 days.

Add-ons — YouTube TV offers dozens of add-ons, including the following:

• HBO, HBO Max ($15)
• Showtime ($11)
• Starz ($9)
• EPIX ($6)
• Hallmark Movies Now ($6)
• AMC Premiere ($5)

Highlights — Hulu, a cable alternative, was founded 13 years ago as a video-on-demand service, while the company launched its Hulu + Live TV service in 2017. Now, if there is one thing we all associated with this service in 2017, it was Hulu’s original, Emmy awarded TV series, The Handmaid’s Tale, based on the fantastic novel by Margaret Atwood.

As an online streaming service that’s all about original TV shows, Hulu + Live TV comes with two subscription plans that include more than 65 channels (ABC, TLC, Cartoon Network, and many others). Hulu’s program list is not limited to entertainment only as there are also sports channels, like ESPN, CBS, FS1, and FOX. 

As you know, the best cable TV replacement doesn’t require cable boxes, and the same goes for Hulu. Furthermore, you can cancel your subscription at any time.

Subscription plans — Hulu offers four subscription plans:

• Hulu — $6.99 per month
• Hulu (No Ads) — $12.99 per month
• Hulu + Live TV — $69.99 per month
• Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV with Disney+ and ESPN+ — $75.99 per month

While with Hulu you won’t be able to watch AMC, BBC America, MLB Network, and NBA TV, if you sign up for the Hulu Plus Live TV package, you’ll get to watch Disney+ and ESPN+, which cost $14.00 on their own.

Now, hardly any cable replacement services will save you from skipping the ads. The only way to get rid of them is to subscribe to the no ads plan or to pay an additional $9.99 for an upgrade that will also increase your DVR storage from 50 to 200 hours.

Add-ons — Hulu offers various add-ons:

• HBO Max ($14.99)
• Showtime ($10.99)
• Cinemax ($9.99)
• Unlimited screens ($9.99)
• Starz ($8.99)
• Español add-on with Spanish-language live streams ($4.99)

Highlights — Philo, a cable TV alternative, was named after a television pioneer, Philo Farnsworth. Compared to other streaming services, Philo is one of the less expensive platforms that offers 60+ channels, with an emphasis on entertainment programs (cooking shows, cartoons, reality shows). In short, there are no sports and local news channels (except for the Motor Trend channel). 

Not only is Philo one of the cheaper alternatives to cable TV, but it also has one exceptional feature — unlimited DVR. In other words, you’ll be able to save any program you want with no limitation. Be that as it may, all the programs you saved on the DVR will be deleted after 30 days, so make sure to keep track. 

What’s more, there are no contracts whatsoever. To sign in, you just need to enter your email address or phone number. Finally, you’ll be able to cancel your subscription any time you want.

Subscription plans — Is Philo the most affordable replacement for cable TV? It looks that way. Philo comes with only one subscription plan that costs $25.00 per month (a $5 increase in recent years). With the subscription, you’ll get 60+ channels, mostly entertainment (Animal Planet, Cooking Channel, Crime and Investigation). Similar to most cheap cable alternatives, though, Philo doesn’t offer sports and local news channels.

Add-ons — In the same fashion as other TV streaming platforms, Philo offers multiple add-ons. For example, if you’re a fan of movies, you can add Starz to your subscription for $9 or Epix channels for $6 to rewatch Hollywood’s Golden Era classics. 

There is one downside, however. According to the reviews, you can at times get a “Recording Disabled” error when trying to DVR a show. That is because the platform doesn’t have the right to record that program or show where you live.

Highlights — Sling TV is a streaming service launched in 2015, and at first, its intention was not to be one of the alternatives to cable and satellite TV but to be a complement to online subscription-based services. 

As is often the case, people behind Sling changed their minds in 2017 and joined the race for the number one spot in the online TV streaming industry.

Folks among us remember how dull the installation of cable TV was and how it included receivers, cords, and other equipment. Luckily for us, Sling TV is like cable, but without a hard-line connection. 

To put it differently, all you need is good internet speed (at least 25 Mbps) and a long wish list since you’ll be able to watch up to 40 cool channels on your smart TV, phone, or computer.

Subscription plans — When it comes to subscription plans, you can pick from the following:

• Sling Orange — $35 per month
• Sling Blue — $35 per month
• Sling Orange + Blue —$50 per month

Here’s an overview of each plan.

• Sling Orange. This package will allow you to watch 31 channels (ESPN, Cartoon Network, HGTV, and many others). Sling positions the package as the most suitable for large family gatherings and sports events.
• Sling Blue. This package for those keen on news and entertainment comes at the same price as the Orange plan. However, you get to watch more channels — 42 (SYFY, History Channel, USA Network, and many others). In other words, you’ll get the same channels from the Orange plan and a few more.
• Sling Orange + Blue. This customized plan includes 47 channels and you can stream them on up to three devices.

They definitely improved their cable DVR storage. From only 10 hours for free, now you have 50 hours without additional charging with Sling’s cable alternative service. Also, there is a possibility that you upgrade the DVR cloud to 200 hours. It will only cost an additional $5. 

Add-ons — Sling offers add-on packages that cost between $5–$15 per month. You can add any channel you like (HBO, Showtime, Cinemax) for an additional price.

Some of the add-ons include:

• Showtime ($10)
• Kids add-ons ($6)
• News ($6)
• Lifestyle ($6)
• Hollywood ($6)

Sling is one of the good alternatives to cable TV that offers the best customization at a low price. Furthermore, if you want, you can switch between the two plans. You won’t be charged for that.

Highlights — Watching an important game before the rise of the internet meant running all over the city, hitting countless sports bars, and begging baristas to allow you to watch a match while spending dollar after dollar on snacks and beverages. 

Yet, it all changed with the arrival of the best alternatives to cable TV that gave us online streaming services like FuboTV. This young streaming service was launched in 2015. What started as a soccer streaming platform became one of the best all-sports streaming services.

Not only does FuboTV offer various sports programs, but it also provides most on-demand and some live programs in 4K. Interestingly, FuboTV launched its live streaming in 4K not that long ago — during the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup. 

Furthermore, FuboTV was recognized as an awesome cable alternative for sports, thanks to its streaming of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Lucky subscribers were able to watch all matches in 4K. Thanks to FuboTV, they could witness the thrilling US vs. Netherlands finale where Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle brought the 4th World Cup title to the US. 

Subscription plans — Fubo TV has three subscription plans:

• Latino — $32.99 per month
• Pro — $92.96 per month 
• Elite — $103.94 per month

All in all, Fubo might be the best alternative to cable internet, especially when it comes to sports channels, but compared to other streaming services, it doesn’t come cheap. 

• Fubo Latino. This plan comes at a price of $32.99 per month. You’ll get 42 channels, 2 simultaneous streams, and 250 hours of space. 
• Fubo Pro. You’ll get 121 channels, unlimited streams, and 1000 hours of DVR for $92.96 per month. 
• Fubo Elite. Fubo’s best offer is its Elite plan that costs $103.94 per month. It comes with 176 channels, 1000 hours of DVR, unlimited streams, Fubo extra package with 43 entertainment channels, and 12 extra news channels. 

Another key point we need to mention when talking about the channels is the RSN (regional sports networks) accessibility. Long story short, the access to specific channels will depend on your location. On the bright side, you can watch national sports regardless of your location.

Add-ons — Add-on packages include:

• Showtime + Starz + Epix for $19.99
• Sports Plus with NFL RedZone for $10.99  
• RAI Italia for $8.99
• International Sports Plus for $6.99
• Adventure Plus (Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel) for $4.99

Highlights — We decided to add DIRECTV (ex AT&T TV NOW) to our best cable alternatives list because of its diversity of subscription plans. Not only will you be able to choose one of the four plans, but you’ll also get the chance to subscribe to the Spanish and international packages. 

Put 500 hours of DVR into the bargain, and you’ll get yourself a pretty good deal. 

Subscription plans — DIRECTV might be the best replacement for cable, but it’s not the cheapest. Here is a list of its subscription plans:

• • Entertainment — $69.99 per month, 65+ channels 
  • Choice — $89.99 per month, 90+ channels 
  • Ultimate — $104.99 per month, 130+ channels 

• Premier — $149.99 per month, 140+ channels

At Capital Counselor, most of us are millennials who love tech and spend much money on the newest gaming consoles, and that’s why it took us by surprise that DIRECTV is not compatible with our beloved boxes. 

Add-ons — As mentioned in many alternative to cable reviews, DIRECTV allows you to get the following premium channels:

• HBO Max ($15 per month)
• Showtime ($11 per month)
• Cinemax ($11 per month)
• Starz ($11 per month)
• EPIX ($6 per month) 
• Movies Extra Pack ($5 per month)

Highlights — What is the best alternative to cable that has family-friendly programs? Meet Frndly TV! This service offers 15 channels that include live and on-demand content — from news and sports to movies and TV shows. The devices that support Frndly TV’s app include Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Apple TV. 

As mentioned above, this inexpensive service comes with family-friendly programs — another win for fans of Hallmark — that include the following channels:

• BabyFirst TV
• Game Show Network
• INSP
• Vice
• Outdoor Channel
• PixL
• Sportsman Channel
• The Weather Channel

Subscription plans — A great alternative to cable, this internet-based service comes with three subscription plans:

• Basic — $6.99 per month (limited to one simultaneous stream, SD quality videos, 20+ channels)
• Classic — $8.99 per month (two simultaneous streams, unlimited DVR recordings that are stored for three months, HD quality videos)

Premium — $10.99 per month (four simultaneous streams, unlimited DVR recordings that are kept for nine months, HD quality videos)

Highlights — In a nutshell, the giants of the industry, T-Mobile, decided to create an alternative to cable TV — TVision. This is a relatively new service (launched in November 2020) that  became available to everyone in 2021.

If you’re a T-Mobile user that wants to learn how to watch TV without cable or satellite, you should try this new streaming service while it’s hot.

TVision currently offers 30–50 channels, including local ABC and NBC channels, sports channels like ESPN, and entertainment channels like AMC, TLC, Discovery, and Hallmark. On top of that, you can record 100 hours on your DVR that will be kept for nine months.

Subscription plans — When it comes to the subscription plans, you can choose from the following:

• Vibe — $10 per month, 30+ channels
• Live TV — $40 per month, 30+ channels
• Live TV+ — $50 per month, 40+ channels
• Live Zone — $60 per month, 50+ channels

We simply couldn’t steer clear of adding TVision to our list as it might become one of the cable replacements not only for T-mobile users but also for all other customers who want to cut the cord.  

Add-ons — You can add premium channels like EPIX ($5.99), Starz ($8.99), and Showtime ($10.99).