Philo vs. Sling TV - Which Should You Choose?

In the battle of live TV streaming services, is Philo or Sling TV the better bargain? Each is a great choice for cost-conscious 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 jump into the head-to-head comparison!

Winner on Price: Philo

Philo is $28 / month, but Sling TV starts at $40 / month. If you just need one month of TV, however, Sling usually has great deals for new subscribers.

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 85 channels while Sling TV can give you as many as 143.

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 should be your choice if you need 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 can change your channel lineup from month-to-month if you wish.

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.

Sling also offers dozens of international packages, making this a perfect choice for families that speak Spanish, Cantonese, French, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Urdu, or other languages.

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.

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.

If you need local channels, The Streamable recommends an antenna and HDHomeRun box so you can still access local news, weather, and sports. If you only need CBS, consider adding Paramount+ with Showtime ($12.99 / month) to access your live local CBS affiliate. You can get live local NBC with Peacock’s Premium Plus Plan ($13.99 / month).

Winner on Sports Channels: Sling TV

Philo doesn’t offer any sports channels. That allows them to keep costs low, but it may be a dealbreaker for some folks.

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 in some markets 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 ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, beIN Sports, Big Ten Network, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Fox Sports 2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone, NBA TV, NFL RedZone, NHL Network, SEC 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.

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.

Simultaneous Devices

Philo allows 3 different streams to be played at the same time.

If you subscribe to Sling Orange, you can enjoy Sling TV on one screen at a time. Sling Blue allows three simultaneous streams. If you subscribe to Sling Orange + Sling Blue, you can enjoy up to four streams at once.

Free Channels

You have the option to use Sling to watch free TV channels without a subscription. It’s called Sling Freestream, and users can watch more than 500 channels like FOX Weather, ABC News Live, Drag Race Universe, Game Show Central, Screambox TV, Dove Channel, Documentary+, and the Pluto TV version of Nick Jr. If you pay for Sling TV, you can access Freestream within the same interface.

Verdict

For entertainment lovers on a budget, Philo is a great option because of its top-tier channels. While it doesn’t have any local or sports channels, Philo is a great cheap option for live entertainment-only TV.

Sling’s versatility and wider channel lineup may appeal to users who want flexibility and the option for sports channels. While it doesn’t have every channel available, Sling is a great choice for someone who wants to cut the cord while still having access to most popular options.