Philo vs fuboTV
Last updated: September 27, 2022
If you are thinking about cutting the cord on cable TV — or if you already have, — you should consider the merits of Philo and fuboTV. Both Philo and fuboTV are streaming video services that give you high-quality content at an affordable price. However, fuboTV and Philo have some important differences as well. You’ve come to the right place to find out about these streaming video services. We have all of the details of each service neatly organized below for you.
Philo: A low-cost video service with popular TV networks
Pros
- One of the most affordable live TV streaming services on the market
- Unlimited DVR storage in the cloud lasts upwards of an entire month
- 10 accounts per membership
- Channel lineup includes the top cable channels such as Comedy Central, AMC, Discovery Channel, A&E, and the History Channel
Cons
- Lacks compatibility with smart TVs, PlayStation, Xbox, and other video game consoles
- No local channels
- No sports or news
fuboTV: A live TV streaming service with 90+ channels
Pros
- Both sports channels and local news are included
- Compatible with smart TVs as well as PlayStation, Xbox and other gaming consoles
- Four package options available, including 200+-channel Ultra package
Cons
- Limited cloud DVR space
- More expensive than most other streaming services
- Tops out at 720p resolution
What’s the Difference between Philo and fuboTV?
A Philo subscription and a fuboTV subscription are designed to do the same basic thing: deliver live streaming TV. These are both subscription services that give us multiple live TV channels — kind of like cable! But there are differences, too.
As we’ll talk about later, the key difference is the price. With Philo, you’ll pay less — but you’ll also miss out on sports and local news.
These two services both offer cloud DVRs that let you record live TV, but they have different amounts of cloud DVR storage. fuboTV’s DVR storage tops out at 1000 hours, while Philo provides unlimited DVR cloud storage for a year.
Philo offers only one main package, but you have the option to tack on a couple of add-ons.
fuboTV provides several packages at varying price points: Starter, Pro, Elite and Latino Quarterly. Elite runs $80 per month and provides around 150 channels along with on-demand content. fuboTV features 35 sports channels, while Philo does not have a single sports channel.
What You Can Watch on fuboTV vs. Philo
Though Philo doesn’t offer sports, news, or local channels, it provides a wide array of the top cable channels, such as A&E, VH1, ID Discovery, Comedy Central, and Cartoon Network. fuboTV provides some of the most popular cable channels, too, but — in contrast with Philo — it also gives us major networks, sports, and news channels. If you are interested in sports channels and premium channels such as Showtime, fuboTV will suit your interests. Examples of fuboTV’s cable channels include:
- TVLand
- Nickelodeon
- CMT
- History Channel
- BET
fuboTV sports channels include:
- NFL Network
- NBC Sports Network
- Big 10 Network
- NBA TV
- CBS Sports network
- Eleven Sports
If you want even more sports channels, you can pay $9 more per month for the fuboTV Sports Extra add-on pack, which includes NFL RedZone, Fight Network, FNTSY Sports Network, Fox College Sports channels, and more.
How Much Will You Spend on Philo vs. fuboTV?
These streaming video services are quite different in terms of price. Philo provides a single package along with the option of add-ons. Philo’s only package has over 60 channels and costs $25 per month. Adding Epix costs another $6 per month, while adding Starz will set viewers back $9 per month. All of this is very cheap for a live TV streaming service — something we really liked when we checked out the service for our Philo review.
Alternatively, fuboTV has several package options available. The Ultra package runs $80 per month and provides nearly 200 channels. The Family Plan with Showtime runs $74.99. The basic Family package runs $65 per month, providing 114 channels.
If cost is your primary concern, Philo’s $25 monthly fee for basic service is appealing. If getting sports and local news is more important to you, it might be worth paying $65 or more per month for fuboTV (for more on why that is, be sure to check out our fuboTV review).
Philo Vs. fuboTV: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between these two services comes down to what you want to watch. There’s no need to make a commitment to either fuboTV or Philo right now. Each streaming service provides a convenient, seven-day free trial that doesn’t require a contract. As long as you have a reliable internet connection, you can stream either of these services. However, there are meaningful differences between fuboTV and Philo that will ultimately shape your decision.
If you watch a lot of local channels, sports, and/or news, fuboTV may be the better choice, as Philo offers no such channels. However, if you are partial to cable channels such as Discovery, FYI, A&E, AMC, and Cartoon Network, and aren’t interested in watching much else, Philo TV may be perfect for you. If you want to watch movies and series on SHOWTIME, check out fuboTV because Philo offers STARZ but no other premium networks (meaning no SHOWTIME or HBO).
However, if cost is your primary concern, Philo may be your best bet, as it costs a mere $25 per month. If you are willing to limit your programming options to reality TV and lifestyle shows, as well as other content commonly featured on popular cable TV channels, you’ll be more than happy with Philo. However, Philo’s content doesn’t extend beyond these genres.
Philo’s resolution maxes out at 1080p for on-demand content and 720p for live TV,, while fuboTV has select on-demand content available in 4k. Take your time and review the merits and weak points of both fuboTV and Philo so that you’ll be able to make a truly informed decision.