Overall Findings
Philo and YouTube TV are dramatically different when it comes to content. Philo is the budget-friendly option if you’re looking to cut cable but don’t have much room in your budget for a replacement. The $20/month Philo package lets you keep watching some TV networks. If you want a replacement for cable TV, then you’ll need to pay for it. For $64.99 with YouTube TV, you’ll enjoy mostly the same TV networks you enjoyed with cable, as well as add-on packages for many of the premium channels you love. In terms of features and accessibility, Philo and YouTube TV are very similar. You can add a few more profiles to your Philo account, but both services offer unlimited DVR storage. However, you can store shows and movies longer on YouTube TV’s DVR service.
Content: YouTube TV Is Like Real Cable TV
Philo, one of the least expensive streaming TV options, offers over 60 channels. These channels include some of the more popular entertainment networks like A&E, Comedy Central, several Hallmark channels, History, and several Nickelodeon networks for kids. Philo doesn’t offer any sports networks, but you may find some movies to stream on the Paramount Network and a few less-popular news networks like BBC and Newsy. There are just a few add-on packages for Premium channels like Epix or Starz networks. On the other hand, YouTube TV is about as close to a cable TV subscription as you can get in terms of content. You’ll find over 85 channels there, including popular ones like FX, SyFy, and Adult Swim. YouTube TV includes news, local, and sports networks like ABC, NBC, FOX, ESPN, MLB Network, and NBC Sports. If you’re open to paying a little more, you can get add-on networks like Cinemax, HBO, and Showtime.
Features: YouTube TV and Philo Options are Almost Identical
Even though it’s less expensive, Philo offers one of the best cloud DVR options compared to other TV streaming services. It lets you save live TV in your DVR cloud account for 30 days, and the DVR service includes unlimited storage. You can save up as many shows or movies as you like without worrying about running out of space, so long as you watch them within a month. Philo lets you create ten profiles with one account, and you can stream from up to 3 devices at once. The one TV streaming service that does beat Philo in cloud DVR recording is YouTube TV. YouTube TV offers unlimited DVR storage, except it stores your recordings for up to 9 months. YouTube TV lets you create six profiles with one account, and you can also stream from 3 devices. While the two services offer roughly the same features, YouTube TV comes out slightly ahead by letting you store your recorded content nine times longer than Philo does.
Accessibility: YouTube TV Offers More Accessibility
The interface is straightforward, with three top tabs that organize content into Library (for DVR content), Home (featured and live content), and Live (TV programming grid).
Cost: Philo Gives You TV Without Cable TV Prices
With Philo live TV pricing, you get the most simplicity of any streaming service. There’s a basic subscription fee of $20 a month. If you want, you could also purchase an EPX add-on for $6 per month or STARZ for $9 per month. That’s the limit of flexibility with Philo. You can subscribe to a 7-day free trial to see if the service is for you. YouTube TV may cost over twice as much, at $64.99 per month, but you also get much more for that price. Unlike Philo, YouTube TV is an almost perfect replacement for cable TV, with nearly all of the network channels you’d be giving up if you cancel your cable service. And if you love premium channels, YouTube TV offers many more add-on options as well.
Final Verdict
If you don’t have much of a budget and need to cut cable, Philo gives you the option to enjoy some of your favorite TV channels without breaking the bank. You’ll still have access to some of the TV shows you love, and many even movies, at barely a quarter of what your cable TV bill used to be. However, if you can afford a bit more, you can enjoy a nearly identical experience to cable with YouTube TV. Even though it’s a lot more expensive than Philo, YouTube TV provides almost as many channels and access from virtually any device. If you can afford it, YouTube TV is the better choice and well worth the cost.
