Are you on the lookout for a new live TV streaming service? How about Philo or Sling TV? They are two of the least expensive options for cord-cutters, but there are important differences. If you’d like to compare services for specific channels that are important to you, use The Streamable’s Service Matchmaker. Now let’s compare your options.
Winner on Price: Philo
Philo is $25 / month, whereas Sling TV starts at $40 / month.
Winner on Overall Channels: Sling TV
Sling TV offers 27 of the top 35 cable channels which surpasses Philo’s 18.
Philo offers a total of 74 channels while Sling TV has 49.
Sling TV provides these channels that Philo lacks: Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNN, Disney Channel, E!, ESPN, Fox News, Freeform, FX, MSNBC, Syfy, TBS, TNT, truTV, and USA Network.
However, Philo is a great choice if you love to watch Hallmark Channel, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, VH1, and WE tv.
One important thing to note is that Sling TV offers three base packages. Sling Orange offers 32 channels, Sling Blue offers 43 channels, or you could combine those packages for 49 channels. You’ll need to pay close attention to your choice.
Channel Upgrades
In line with its a la carte efforts, Sling TV gives users a staggering menu of channel upgrades starting at $6/month. The channels available will vary, depending on whether your base is Sling Orange, Sling Blue, or the Sling Orange+Blue combo.
For example, Sling TV offers mini packages with titles like Comedy Extra, News Extra, Heartland Extra, Sports Extra, Kids Extra, Lifestyle Extra, and Hollywood Extra. You could choose them individually or get every bundle for $21-$27 / month. See what each bundle offers here.
Since Sling TV’s channel options are split into so many different packages, The Streamable’s Service Matchmaker is your best tool to identify what package works best for you.
| Sling TV | Philo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Orange” | “Blue” | “Combo” | “Philo” | ||
| Get 50% Off | Get 50% Off | Get 50% Off | Free Trial | ||
| $40 | $40 | $55 | $25 | ||
| A&E | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| AMC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| BET | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Bravo | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| Cartoon Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| CNN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| Comedy Central | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Discovery | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Disney Channel | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | |
| Disney Junior | + $6 | - | + $6 | - | |
| E! | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| ESPN | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | |
| Food Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fox News | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| Freeform | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | |
| FX | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| FXX | - | + $6 | + $6 | - | |
| Hallmark Channel | + $6 | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| HGTV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| History | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Investigation Discovery | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Lifetime | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| MSNBC | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| MTV | + $6 | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Nickelodeon | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| Paramount Network | + $6 | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Syfy | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| TBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| TLC | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TNT | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| Travel Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| truTV | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| USA Network | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| VH1 | + $6 | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| WE tv | + $6 | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
Winner on Local Channels: Sling TV
Sling TV does not offer CBS, Telemundo or The CW. But you can get ABC, Fox, and NBC in select markets.
Philo does not allow access to local channels.
An antenna can be useful for free access to any of those networks.
Winner on Sports Channels: Sling TV
Sling TV does allow access to key sports channels like ESPN, FS1, TBS, and TNT. Importantly, Sling TV does not allow you to watch ABC or CBS, so you’d need an antenna to see those sports. Sling TV users do get access to Fox and NBC with Sling Blue or the Orange+Blue combo.
Sling TV allows users to bolster their sports coverage with the Sports Extra package ($11-$15/month) with channels like beIN Sports, ESPNEWS, Fox Sports 2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone, NBA TV, NFL RedZone, NHL Network, SEC Network+, and Tennis Channel. The channels you receive in this add-on depend on whether you subscribe to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, or the combo.
Philo doesn’t offer any sports channels.
Winner on Included Features: Philo
DVR
Philo has unlimited DVR storage, which lets you keep shows for 12 months. While it’s still recording, you can watch from the beginning but you won’t be able to fast forward through commercials.
Philo also offers a 72-hour rewind feature — it allows you to watch shows that you didn’t record, for up to three days after they aired. This feature adds a lot of additional shows that aren’t normally available on demand.
Sling TV also includes 50 hours of recording space with each subscription, but it will automatically delete the oldest watched shows, so it can continue to record the latest shows scheduled to be recorded.
For $5/month, you can add a Sling TV cloud DVR with 200 hours of recording space.
Sling TV has the most full-featured DVR of any of the streaming services. You can record individual episodes, all episodes of a series, or only new episodes of a series. You can also protect recordings to keep them indefinitely. If you cancel your service, Sling will keep your recording for up to 30 days in case you decide to return to the service.
Verdict
For entertainment lovers on a budget, Philo is the best option due to its range of major channels. While it doesn’t have any local or sports channels, Philo is a great cheap option for live entertainment-only TV.
If you want a flexible live TV option that provides more channels and the option for sports, Sling TV is the way to go.