Streaming services for live TV are becoming important to replace regular cable. In this post, we will explore YouTube TV vs Sling. Of these two popular platforms, which one is more suitable for your viewing habits and needs? Let’s look at their main features and differences in pricing, channels, DVR storage, etc.
Understanding YouTube TV and Sling – Pros & Cons
YouTube TV is a flexible, powerful live TV streaming service. If you want an alternative to cable TV, it is the service to pick. It aims to provide the functionality of traditional cable TV with more viewing options.
Pros:
- Intuitive interface with the intelligent search bar.
- Supports multiple platforms (TVs and mobile devices).
- Excellent channel and add-ons.
- Robust and unlimited cloud DVR feature.
Cons:
- Its upgrade doesn’t include much 4K content.
- Limited picture quality.
Like YouTube TV, Sling is one of the most flexible and cost-effective streaming TV services on the market. It is an option to consider if you wish to avoid the shackles of traditional cable TV while not incurring high costs.
Pros:
- The basic package is less expensive and cost-effective.
- Supports multiple devices and cloud DVR storage.
- User-friendly and easy-to-understand platform.
- Perfect for small or large businesses
Cons:
- Cloud DVR storage is smaller.
- Additional paid subscriptions are required for some channels and content.
- Limited customization.
Key Differences of YouTube TV vs Sling
Plans and Pricing
Compared to before, YouTube TV’s base plan price rose to $72.99 per month. If you are a new user, it is &49.99/month for your first 2 months. Then, you can use 6 accounts to share the same subscription and have 3 simultaneous streams.

Related: YouTube TV Family Sharing – Everything You Need to Know
YouTube TV is also an excellent live TV streaming service that offers a special Spanish-language plan. Just costs $34.99 per month, and you can access 30+ Spanish channels without annual contracts.
On the other hand, Sling offers three main customized plans including Orange ($40/month), Blue ($45/month), and Orange & Blue ($60/month). In addition, Sling TV also has customized extra plans to personalize your streaming TV services such as Total TV Deal, 4 Extras Deal, DVR Plus, News Extra, etc.

Channels Lineup
YouTube TV offers 100+ live channels in the base plan, giving you a wide range of options for your streaming needs. You will find most leading news networks, excellent sports channels, and entertainment channel lineups on it. These include ABC, ABC News, BBC World News, ACCN, NBC, AMC, CNBC, CMT, Fox Soul, Golf, HSN, HLN, TLC, TYT, and more.
Sling is more customizable than other plans with three options to choose from. For example, Sling TV has two main plans (Sling Orange and Sling Blue) and an Orange + Blue combined plan. Among them, Sling Orange provides 8 exclusive channels while Sling Blue has 19 exclusive News and Entertainment channels.
If you subscribe to the Orange + Blue service, you can enjoy all 46 Sling channels of Orange and Blue. Additionally, you will have 24 shared channels on every plan, including CNN, TNT, TBS, Lifetime, BET, History Channel, MSNBC, Fuse, Food Network, Comet, etc.
Cloud DVR Storage
YouTube TV offers unlimited cloud DVR storage. It means you can record anything as much as you desire. This is extremely attractive for people who like to record movies, shows, and something else. However, it is noted that your recordings may expire after 9 months.
Related: How to Record on YouTube TV [Shows, News, Movies, etc.]
In contrast, you can get 50 hours of DVR storage for free after subscribing to Sling. Aside from this, you can extend it to 200 hours of storage by upgrading to DVR Plus. However, this subscription needs an additional $5 per month.
Add-ons and Extras
You can use all of the features on YouTube TV with one subscription. If you need additional services, you can choose a 4K Plus add-on. It lets you add extra options and customize your viewing experience.
If you want the same channels on Sling TV that you get on YouTube TV, you may have to pay some extra fees. To cater to this segment of users, Sling offers some add-ons and extras. So, you can control which channels you want and decide how much you end up paying.
- Sports Extra: SEC, NHL, NBA networks, ACC Network, MLB Network, and more.
- News Extra: Newsmax TV, NewsNation, Euronews, BBC World News and more.
- Entertainment Extra: Laff, FETV, CMT, TV Land, Revolt, and more.
- Kids Extra: Disney Junior, NickToons, Boomerang, Disney XD, BabyTV, and more.
- Lifestyle Extra: Cooking Channel, VH1, Lifetime Movie Network, FYI, and more.
Supported Devices
YouTube TV is available for computers, game consoles, mobile devices (iPhone, Android, and tablets), smart TVs, and streaming devices. You can stream across devices and access TVs wherever you like.
Sling is compatible with most popular devices. Whether you want to use it on your new device or current one, it can offer advanced streaming services. The Sling TV app is supported on TVs, Players, and mobile devices. Also, it is easiest to access via web browsers. However, Sling TV may not support game consoles other than the Xbox Series X|S.
YouTube TV vs Sling – Quick Compared Chart
By describing the main features of YouTube TV vs Sling above, you can find some key differences between them in terms of content, price, DVR features, and more. To compare them clearly, we list a table below.
YouTube TV | Sling | |
Channels Lineup | 100+ channels | 35-46 channels (24 shared channels per plan) |
Pricing | $72.99/month | Starting at $40/month with optional add-ons on demand |
Cloud DVR | Unlimited free storage | 50 hours of free storage and expandable for a fee |
Compatibility | Available for Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, most smart TVs, tablets, mobile phones, and game consoles | TVs, Players, mobile phones, computers, tablets, and Xbox Series X|S |
Free Trial | Yes | No |
Related: Hulu vs YouTube TV, Which One Is Better for You?
Unblock YouTube TV & Sling with a VPN
If you live outside the US, you probably can’t access YouTube TV or Sling because of geo-restrictions. In this case, you may need a YouTube TV VPN to bypass these frustrating limitations. For a fast choice without worrying, you can use LightningX VPN.
LightningX VPN can change your IP address to an American location such as Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and more. Thus, you can unblock these restricted services.
It is fast and offers unlimited speed without any latency. You can enjoy the fast-streaming speed when watching YouTube TV shows.
LightningX VPN supports multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, mobile devices, and even smart TVs. Try to download it and take a free trial.

Conclusion
This article mainly talks about YouTube TV vs Sling. After some comparisons, you have a better understanding of them. The question of which one you choose depends more on your personal preferences and needs. No matter what you decide, you can enjoy the convenience and fun of these Live TV streaming services.