Although it can get confusing to have to choose between streaming services, making the right choice can mean the difference between having a new show or movie to watch every night and feeling like you’re stuck paying for a subscription you never watch. Philo and Pluto TV, for example, have some similarities and a ton of differences. Below, we’ll break down all the ways the two streamers are alike and how they’re different, allowing new cord cutters to make an informed choice between them.

Philo vs Pluto TV: everything 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, or 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 Pluto TV?

Pluto TV is a free streaming service that tries to replicate the feel of watching old-school cable. It focuses on free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels, offering an inventory of hundreds of such networks in a nostalgic grid-style channel guide that allows viewers to sort their view to see their favorite channels first, watch a specific channel category, and more.

Audiences will also find a large selection of on-demand titles from Pluto TV, mostly from the Paramount TV and movie library. There are a ton of vintage titles available on Pluto TV, and it also features newer content from Paramount-owned cable channels in addition to some licensed content.

Do Philo and Pluto TV both have ads?

Yes, both Philo and Pluto TV have ads. Philo has ads during playback of live TV content, and there is no way to upgrade a viewer’s subscription to skip these ads. Philo’s Bundle+ subscription includes access to AMC+, discovery+, and HBO Max, and viewers can pay extra to upgrade to ad-free plans with these services. However, all live and on-demand content on Philo includes ads.

That’s true of Pluto TV as well. The streamer has a big selection of FAST channels and on-demand titles, but all of this programming comes with ads, and there is no way to remove them from your viewing experience.

What does Philo have that Pluto doesn’t?

In short, live cable channels. Philo is a pay-TV service, and even though it doesn’t have live sports or local broadcast channels, the streamer does carry a selection of popular cable entertainment channels that are usually very difficult to watch for free.

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.

Pluto TV carries a large variety of free streaming channels, but there is no way to watch live cable channels with a Pluto account.

Do Philo or Pluto TV have live sports?

Pluto TV actually has the advantage here. The streamer carries the Golazo Network from CBS Sports, which offers live soccer matches and shoulder programming — including occasional broadcasts of UEFA Champions League games and other marquee leagues. PBR RidePass offers rodeo coverage, and DAZN Ringside offers select combat sports events.

Philo, on the other hand, omits live sports entirely. The streamer does have some FAST channels affiliated with American sports leagues, but it doesn’t carry any live sports channels in its package.

Do Philo and Pluto TV have anything in common?

Yes, Pluto TV and Philo currently share a selection of FAST channels. See the channels you can find on both streaming services in the list below:

• 48 Hours
• A&E Crime 360
• AllBlk Gems
• America’s Test Kitchen
• BBC News
• The Bob Ross Channel
• Buzzr
• CBS News 24/7
• Cold Case Files
• Confess
• Deal or No Deal
• Discovery Turbo
• Dog the Bounty Hunter
• Dog Whisperer
• FailArmy
• Game Show Central
• Heartland
• Home.Made.Nation
• Hot Bench
• HSN
• Judge Judy
• Judge Nosey
• Living with Evil
• Love Nature
• Matched, Married, Meet
• Modern Marvels
• MovieSphere
• MythBusters
• Nash Bridges
• Nosey
• PBS Antiques Roadshow
• The Pet Collective
• The Price Is Right: The Barker Era
• QVC
• Revry
• Ryan and Friends
• Say Yes to the Dress
• Slightly Off IFC
• Sweet Escapes
• Tennis Channel 2
• Tiny House Nation
• UnXplained Zone
• The Walking Dead Universe
• World Poker Tour

The bottom line

If you’re trying to choose between Philo and Pluto TV, you don’t really have to. Pluto TV is free, which means having both services costs the same amount as having a Philo subscription alone. But there’s no doubting that the two streamers are very different in a lot of ways, and those differences matter when you’re trying to decide what to watch.

If you value having access to cable entertainment channels and on-demand subscription streaming services, Philo is the way to go. Viewers can watch Philo’s channel package for $25 per month, or upgrade to the Bundle+ subscription for $33 per month and get AMC+, discovery+, and HBO Max along with their cable channels.

If you want more of a lean-back experience that still has the feel of a pay-TV service without the price, Pluto TV is the best way to go. This service piles on the FAST channels, while also delivering plenty of on-demand content at no cost (as long as viewers don’t mind watching with commercials).

Either streamer will connect viewers to good-quality TV shows and movies, but only one offers live cable channel access as well. That’s the biggest difference between Philo and Pluto TV, and hopefully we’ve helped to smooth out any confusion between the two popular streaming platforms.