Is Sky Glass better than Sky Q? How to decide which Sky TV is best for you

If you want full access to Sky TV you have two choices: you can add a Sky Q box to your TV, or you can get Sky Glass, which bundles your TV package with a brand new TV for a single monthly payment. But there's more to this than deciding whether or not you want a new TV with your Sky subscription. There are some key differences between the packages too.

The first and most important difference is that with Sky Q, you'll need to have a TV. And the second important difference is that your Sky TV service is delivered differently with each of these packages. With Sky Q your TV comes via Sky's satellite broadcasting, so you'll need to have somewhere where the engineer can install a satellite dish with a clear view of the sky. With Sky Glass your TV comes via broadband, so you'll need a reliable connection of at least 10Mbps.

TV or no TV, that is the question

If you go for Sky Glass you have a choice of three different TVs: 43 inches, 55 inches and 65 inches. 

The price you pay will depend on the specific package you choose, but Sky Q starts at £26 per month and Sky Glass from £39 per month. Larger TVs cost more: the 55-inch adds £4 to the monthly cost and the 65-inch adds £8.

Sky Glass doesn't record live TV or store programmes like the Sky Q box can, but it does have a cloud playlist feature you can use to create watch lists for streaming programmes and movies. 

Sky Q gives you access to over 300 channels but Sky Glass only offers 140. All the big hitters are here but there is less choice than with Sky Q.

Sky Q broadcasts in standard definition; HD is £6 more monthly and Ultra HD 4K is £10. Sky Glass is in HD as standard and Ultra HD 4K is an extra £5 monthly.

Both Sky Q and Sky Glass give you Netflix Basic for free, but once again if you want HD or 4K you'll pay extra. Netflix Standard (HD) is £4 more on Sky Glass and £6 on Sky Q, while Netflix Premium (4K) is £8 on Glass and £10 on Q. Subscribing to Netflix Premium will automatically upgrade your Sky channels to 4K too so you won't pay twice for 4K.

Both packages support multi-room, inevitably at extra cost. On Sky Glass it's £10 a month for the Whole Home Pack and your first Sky Stream Puck is free; that's the device that streams to a second screen. It's like a Fire TV or Apple TV box and plugs in via HDMI to deliver up to 4K HDR depending on your subscription. Additional pucks are £50, and you can have up to 3 Sky Glass TVs and 6 Sky Stream Pucks on the same account.

On Sky Q it's £15 extra per month for Multiscreen, which gives you a Sky Q Mini box. It's HD rather than ultra HD. You can have up to four Sky Q Mini boxes connected to your Sky Q box, and each additional Mini costs £50.

Sky Glass vs Sky Q: which is best?

As we explain in our "Should I Buy Sky Glass?" feature, there are definitely pros and cons to Sky Glass. It's really convenient, you don't need a satellite dish and it's a nice bit of kit. However, it's also quite a hefty bit of kit and it can get awfully expensive if you start ticking all the available options for things like 4K Ultra HD, so it's a good idea to check those prices and options carefully before you commit.

That's assuming you want a new TV, of course. If you already have one of the best TVs and you don't mind having a satellite dish, Sky Q can be more affordable, enables you to record live TV and store recorded programmes and has more channels too.