Pluto TV brings 425 live channels that feel like cable and cover news, sports, and entertainment.
Tubi offers 40,000+ titles, including blockbusters, indies, and originals with shorter ad breaks.
Viewers often use both: Pluto for casual channel surfing and Tubi for flexible on-demand choices.
Streaming services have become a replacement for cable in many households, with free platforms gaining strong popularity. Pluto TV and Tubi are two leading services in this space. Both provide free access to entertainment, but their approach differs, as Pluto TV delivers a live, channel-based experience while Tubi emphasizes on-demand movies and television shows.
Pluto TV feels like regular cable television. It has about 425 channels that run shows and movies on a fixed schedule. These channels cover news, sports, true crime, anime, and old favorites from daytime television. The on-demand section is smaller, but it does include shows like NCIS and 60 Minutes.
Tubi is more about choice. It has a huge on-demand collection of around 40,000 to 50,000 titles. There are blockbusters, indie films, kids’ shows, and Tubi’s original content. It also offers live channels in some places, but the main appeal is the freedom to pick from its large library at any time.
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Pluto TV is available in over 30 countries, including regions in North America, Europe, and Latin America. Tubi has expanded, too, but it is mostly limited to the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and a few Latin American countries.
Tubi looks and feels similar to Netflix. The layout is clean, genres are easy to scroll through, and it offers suggestions based on viewing history. Shows and movies can also be resumed across different devices.
Pluto TV uses a traditional guide, similar to cable. It works well for browsing channels and checking what is currently airing, but moving through the guide can feel slower compared to Tubi’s layout.
Both services run ads, but the experience is different. Tubi usually shows shorter ads, adding up to only a few minutes per movie or show. Some users have reported only five minutes of ads in a film that lasted over 80 minutes. Pluto TV places ads at regular breaks, similar to cable, and these can add up to 20 minutes or more for the same length of content.
Tubi has started making its films and documentaries, especially in genres like horror and true crime. It also has deals with large studios such as Lionsgate, Paramount, and DreamWorks.
Pluto TV does not produce original content but streams programs through its connection with Paramount and other networks.
Pluto TV is better for people who like flipping through channels and watching whatever is on at the moment. It works well for background viewing, news, or nostalgia.
Tubi is better for viewers who want variety and control. Its library is larger, the interface is easier to use, and ad breaks are shorter.
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Pluto TV and Tubi offer different experiences. Pluto TV recreates the traditional feel of live television with scheduled channels, while Tubi provides flexibility through its large on-demand library. Because both are free, many viewers switch between them based on their mood or preference at the moment.