If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a live TV streaming service, Philo could be the right choice for you. The platform, which started in 2017, offers a long list of entertainment channels and impressive features like unlimited DVR storage — all for an affordable monthly price.
While it may not suit sports fanatics or those wanting to stay on top of local news, Philo does cater to a wide range of TV tastes with it’s variety of channels. Piqued your interest? Then read on for a rundown of Philo’s packages, pricing options, and available channels. Check out our Cord Cutters News Philo review for more details.
Philo packages and pricing
Thanks to Philo’s single package option, you don’t have to spend time poring over a list of plans. The service’s package costs just $20/mo. with no hidden fees. You can’t add on any extras, so $20/mo. is the only cost you’ll ever pay. Here’s what else Philo’s package entails:
| Philo | |
| Monthly price | $25 |
| Free trial length | 7 days |
| Number of channels | 70+ |
| Cloud DVR storage | Unlimited |
| # of simultaneous streams | 3 |
| Live sports available | No |
Philo’s full channels list in 2024
Philo currently has 70+ networks on its channel list. And they all fall into the entertainment or lifestyle category, save for a couple of news networks. Big-name shows like Killing Eve and The Walking Dead can be found on BBC America and AMC, while kid-friendly fun comes in the form of Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. To top it all off, there are documentaries from the likes of Discovery and History and reality TV from Food Network and TLC.
Here’s the full list of networks to browse:
- A&E
- AccuWeather Network
- AMC
- American Heroes Channel
- Animal Planet
- aspireTV
- AXS TV
- BBC America
- BBC World News
- BET
- BET Her
- Catchy Comedy
- Cheddar News
- Chicken Soup for the Soul
- CLEO TV
- CMT
- Comedy Central
- Comedy Dynamics
- Cooking Channel
- Cowboy Way
- Crackle
- Crime + Investigation
- Deck the Hallmark
- Destination America
- Discovery Channel
- Discovery Family
- Discovery Life
- Drag Race Universe
- FailArmy
- Fandor*
- FETV
- FMC*
- Food Network
- FYI
- Game Show Network
- get
- Great American Family
- Great American Living
- Gusto TV
- Hallmark Channel
- Hallmark Drama
- Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
- HDNet Movies*
- Heroes & Icons
- HGTV
- History
- IFC
- INFAST
- INSP
- INTROUBLE
- Investigation Discovery
- INWONDER
- Kin
- Law&Crime
- Lifetime
- LMN
- Logo
- Magnolia Network
- MeTV
- MGM+ Hits*
- MGM+ Marquee*
- MGM+*
- Motor Trend
- MTV
- MTV Classic
- MTV Live
- MTV2
- Nick Jr.
- Nickelodeon
- Nicktoons
- Oprah Winfrey Network
- Outside
- Paramount Network
- People Are Awesome
- PlayersTV
- pocket.watch
- Pop TV
- REELZ*
- RetroCrush
- REVOLT
- Revry
- Ryan and Friends
- Science Channel
- Screambox TV
- Smithsonian Channel
- Start TV
- STARZ Encore*
- STARZ Kids & Family*
- STARZ*
- Story Television
- Sundance TV
- Tastemade
- TeenNick
- The Bob Ross Channel
- The Pet Collective
- TLC
- Travel Channel
- TV Land
- TV One
- UPtv
- USA TODAY
- Vevo ’80s
- Vevo ’90s
- Vevo Country
- Vevo Hip-Hop
- Vevo Pop
- VH1
- Vice
- WE tv
*Networks are available as add-ons, stay up to date with the latest channels as they are subject to change
Philo compared to other services
Philo’s price may be small, but its features are mighty. Here’s how it compares with four other popular live TV streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu, Sling TV, and YouTube TV.
Price and content
A greater number of channels and more content tend to spell a higher price. YouTube TV will set you back $49.99/mo. compared to Philo’s $20/mo. For that price, however, you do get access to over 70 channels. All four local channels — ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC — are included, whereas Philo’s channel line-up includes zero local names. Both YouTube TV and Philo boast an on-demand library of over 50,000 titles, so you’ll never struggle to find something to watch.
If you’re looking for even more on-demand content, try Sling TV. Its catalog of 70,000+ on-demand titles includes entire show seasons as well as individual episodes and movies of all genres. Sling TV’s monthly pricing is the closest to Philo’s. It starts at $30/mo. The two cheapest plans offer different channels. The Orange plan provides access to 30+ channels, including the likes of CNN and ESPN, while the Blue package has 50+ channels, including FOX and NBC. You can combine the two for $45/mo.
Hulu’s live TV plan is another option for those who want to combine live viewing with top-rated on-demand content. Hulu’s on-demand catalog is a lot smaller than other services. Right now, it has just over 3,000 titles. But its award-winning original content is a big advantage. The live network line-up has 65+ channels, including national and local sports and news. Hulu is, however, one of the more expensive options compared to Philo. It costs $54.99/mo.
Sports fanatics may want to look elsewhere. Specifically, to fuboTV. For $54.99/mo. (the same price as Hulu), you’ll be able to watch more than 85 networks and over 30,000 live games each year. Every major sports channel is included in the line-up, minus ESPN. If you want even more sporting coverage, try fubo Ultra ($79.99/mo.) Other packages are available, but you’ll get over 30,000 on-demand titles with each.
DVR storage
Unlimited DVR storage is Philo’s biggest feature. With it, you can record as many shows and movies as you like. Plus, you’ll get 30 days to watch them. Philo does have competition in this area. YouTube TV also offers limitless DVR storage as standard, and it lets you keep recordings for 9 months. Another option is Sling TV. It doesn’t offer a huge amount of DVR storage — you’ll get 10 hours for free and can upgrade to 50 hours for an extra $5/mo. But its biggest draw is the fact you can keep recordings forever.
Hulu’s live TV package, however, comes with 50 hours of recording space as standard. You can increase this to 200 hours for an additional $9.99/mo. Recorded content will be kept in your library for as long as your subscription remains active. Finally, there’s fuboTV. Its DVR storage is pretty limited at just 30 hours. But you can up the limit to 500 hours for $9.99/mo. on top of your monthly subscription fee.
Multiple users
It’s likely that more than one person will use your streaming service account. Simultaneous streams allow multiple people to view content at the same time, while user profiles allow for a personalized feed and viewing history.
Each of the aforementioned live TV services comes with different streaming limits. Philo lets up to 3 devices stream content at the same time. So does YouTube TV. But fuboTV, Hulu, and Sling TV have a couple of options. fuboTV gives 2 simultaneous streams for free and allows an extra one for another $5.99/mo. Hulu also allows 2 simultaneous streams as standard and charges an extra $9.99/mo. for an unlimited amount. Sling TV, on the other hand, has 3 different limits. Orange subscribers only get 1 stream, Blue users get 3 streams, and people paying for the combined package get 4 simultaneous streams.
If you want to pick up where you left off, it’s best to create your own profile. Philo allows up to 10 user profiles per account, suiting one or even two families. fuboTV, Hulu, and YouTube TV all support up to 6 profiles. Unfortunately, Sling TV doesn’t let subscribers create individual profiles.
Premium add-ons channels
There’s no option to choose any tempting extras with Philo. But both Hulu + Live TV and Fubo offer an extensive list of optional add-ons. Choose between premium networks like HBO and Showtime or sports-focused extras like NBA League Pass. Each comes with an additional monthly cost.
Sling TV also lets you personalize your plan. Additional sports networks can be yours for an extra $10/mo., while more comedy, news, and kids’ entertainment cost a further $5/mo. Similarly, YouTube TV has more than 10 premium extras. Networks include AMC Premiere, Showtime, and STARZ. Cinemax and HBO are set to be added soon. As always, you’ll be charged an extra monthly fee for each add-on.
The final cut
Philo may not offer everything you need, but it does give you most of the same entertainment as cable TV for a much lower price. And, with unlimited storage capabilities, you’ll never have to worry about maxing out your DVR. Try it for free for a week.
There are several ways to boost your viewing choices. If you’re looking for the local coverage that Philo is lacking, why not invest in an antenna? It’s a free way to access a bunch of local networks. (Available channels vary according to the area.) You can also bundle two or more streaming services together. Granted, this will cost more, but it can still work out cheaper than your cable contract. Plus, you have the freedom to cancel at any time.
Sling TV has the sports and local networks you can’t get with Philo, while Hulu has the top-notch on-demand content you won’t find anywhere else. Hulu’s live TV plan has a week-long free trial, or you can try the on-demand only package free for an entire month. Sling TV doesn’t typically offer trials Alternatively, you can enjoy $10 off your first month.
Choose the combination that works for you and get ready to cut the cord.