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Comcast vs. YouTube TV: Which is the Better Deal?

Jess Barnes

With the YouTube TV price hike this week, we’ve seen some comments from those that are wondering if going back to Comcast is the right move. In this post, we’re breaking down the channels, costs, and features of each to compare and find out which is the better deal.

For the sake of a fair comparison, we’ll be looking at the Xfinity Starter package which is the most similar to YouTube TV in both price and channel selection.

Pricing

With talk of the price hike at YouTube TV starting this conversation, we’ll start there with our comparison.

YouTube TV raised its price to $49.99/month this week. Before starting your monthly subscription, you can try it out with a 5-day free trial. Now that YouTube TV has 82 channels, that brings it to about 61 cents per channel.

Comcast is currently offering their Xfinity Starter package for $69.95/month for the first 12 months. (Plus new customer setup fee of up to $90 along taxes, and fees that can add up to over $50 a month) Comcast says the Xfinity Starter package has 140+ channels but in reality, it is just 87 TV channels when you remove SD and HD doubles and the set of radio channels. WIth the Xfinity Starter package you’ll be paying about 69 cents per channel during your intro period of 12 months.

It’s also important to remember that a major issue with cable is the hidden fees and taxes that can make your bill skyrocket. These are the extra fees and taxes that you’ll see on a Comcast bill:

Here is one example of Xfinity’s fees and taxes sent to us by a reader:

Total:$74.49, in addition to the $69.95/month you’ll be paying for your plan. This means your total cost for Digital Starter TV from Comcast is now $144.44 just for TV. You can see a full break down of Comcast’s hidden fees HERE.)

Channels

Here’s what you’ll get with your YouTube TV subscription:

Here’s what you’ll get with an Xfinity Starter package:

Features

Both YouTube TV and Comcast have apps that make it convenient to watch TV at home or on the go. Both also offer a combo of live TV and on-demand content so you can watch what you want, when you want.

With YouTube TV, you’ll also get unlimited Cloud DVR and the ability to record simultaneous shows. If you want a DVR feature with Comcast, you’ll need to sign up for an Internet and TV bundle deal which will bump your monthly costs up to $79.99/month for 24 months.

Finally, there’s the flexibility that comes with streaming rather than choosing cable. With YouTube TV, you can cancel your subscription at any time and pick it back up when you’re ready. With Comcast, you will once again need to pay for a new customer setup fee.

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