Philo vs Tubi: What’s the difference between these streamers?
Philo vs Tubi: What’s the difference between these streamers?
There are some key things to know about Philo and Tubi when choosing between them, and we’ll explain in detail below.
There are all kinds of ways to save money on streaming, even in a marketplace where prices seem to rise every other week. Viewers can always pick up a free streaming subscription or two; Tubi is a great example of a free streamer with a huge ad-supported library and an ad load that doesn’t make a viewer want to claw their eyes out.
But Tubi has some limitations as a free streamer — for one, it doesn’t carry any live TV channels. Viewers who are looking for a way to watch cable channels like AMC and Comedy Central will still need a paid streaming service to do so, but there are ways to watch such channels without having to pay more for news and sports networks that drive the cost of many live TV streaming services past $75 per month.
Philo is an ideal way to watch some cable entertainment channels without having to pay a huge starting price. In that sense, it serves a very different purpose than Tubi, but there is some overlap between the streamers. So, what are the differences between Tubi and Philo? We’ll break it all down below.
The differences between Philo and Tubi: What you need to know
What is Philo?
Philo is a live TV streaming service that makes some key concessions in its channel lineup in exchange for a lower price. Customers can get the live channel bundle from Philo starting at $25 per month for networks like A&E. BET, Comedy Central, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Network.
What it doesn’t have is live sports channels like ESPN, FS1, or TNT, nor does it carry local broadcast channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC. These channels are expensive for a service like Philo to distribute, but without them, the streamer can offer an efficient, streamlined package of entertainment channels at a lower price than DIRECTV, YouTube TV, and others.
What is Tubi?
Tubi is a free ad-supported streaming service that specializes in on-demand content. The streamer has a large selection of titles licensed from a long list of Hollywood studios, and also creates original shows and movies. It’s got a deep catalog of cult classics and horror movies, and a large selection of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels.
What does Philo have that Tubi doesn’t?
Philo has several features that Tubi doesn’t. Every Philo plan has a list of cable channels that isn’t available on Philo, and though the list doesn’t have any sports or news networks, they are bona-fide pay-TV channels nonetheless.
Philo customers can also watch additional paid streamers with their account. Viewers who upgrade to the Bundle+ package from Philo can watch AMC+, HBO Max, and discovery+ along with the streamer’s channel package at a price of $33 per month. Premium add-ons like MGM+ and STARZ are also available.
Tubi doesn’t have any of those options. It’s free from start to finish, and that means there are no paid add-ons, premium subscriptions, or cable channels available with Tubi in any way, shape, or form.
Do Philo or Tubi have live sports?
Tubi has a very limited selection of live sporting events. Live soccer matches from competitions like the UEFA Nations League and NBA G League basketball games play on the service, and it occasionally streams marquee events airing on Fox, including from competitions like the FIFA World Cup and World Baseball Classic, and past Super Bowls.
Philo has some sports-themed FAST channels available, but it specifically omits any cable or broadcast sports channels.
Do Philo and Tubi both have ads?
Yes, Tubi and Philo both show ads. Philo has ads during live TV and on-demand content, but viewers who use the streamer’s DVR to record shows and movies from live TV channels can fast-forward through those commercials.
Tubi does not have any way to skip through ads. It always shows commercials during FAST channels and on-demand titles, and there is no way to upgrade to an ad-free experience. However, there is some consolation in knowing Tubi has one of the best ad experiences of any ad-free streaming service.
Do Philo and Tubi have anything in common?
Yes, Tubi and Philo both share a list of FAST channels from various programmers. See the list of channels you can watch on both services below:
- America’s Test Kitchen
- Anger Management
- Are We There Yet
- Baywatch
- beIN Sports XTRA
- The Bob Ross Channel
- BUZZR
- Caught in Providence
- Chasing Criminals
- Cheddar
- Comedy Dynamics
- Crime Scenes
- Deal or No Deal USA
- Ebony TV by Lionsgate
- Family Unscripted
- Fear Factor USA
- Game Show Central
- Ghosts are Real
- Heartland
- How To
- Living with Evil
- LOL-Network
- Love & Marriage
- Love Nature
- MovieSphere
- Mysterious Worlds
- Nosey
- OuterSphere
- Outside
- Paws & Claws
- So…Real
- Sweet Escapes
- TV One Crime & Justice
- Unique Lives
- Welcome Home
The bottom line
If you’re trying to choose between Philo and Tubi, you don’t really have to. There’s no need to pick between them, as both streamers serve different needs. Tubi has a big library of on-demand shows and movies to browse through, and while it has FAST channels as well, it doesn’t provide any access to live cable channels.
That’s where Philo comes in. The service has a package of around 15 top cable entertainment networks, plus FAST channels and the option to bundle with on-demand entertainment from AMC+, discovery+, and HBO Max, plus more premium add-ons.
Since Tubi is free, there’s nothing at all stopping viewers from having subscriptions to both services. Tubi will always be there when you need a free TV episode or movie to turn on in the background, while Philo will help connect you to popular cable entertainment channels at a reasonable price.
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Philo
Philo is a live TV streaming service designed for entertainment lovers, offering flexible ways to watch without the high price of traditional TV bundles. The service now features two paid plans — Essential and Bundle+ — alongside its existing free streaming offering, giving customers a range of options depending on how much live and premium content they want.
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Tubi
Tubi is a free video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 200,000+ movies and TV episodes - more than any other streaming service. Its ad breaks are shorter and less frequent than most free services. Fox executives have called their service “TV on steroids.”
