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Discovery+ vs Philo

Discovery+ logo

Discovery+

Entertainment

Unscripted content at your fingertips

From
$4.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Philo logo

Philo

Entertainment

Cheap entertainment-only live TV streaming with no sports and no local broadcast channels

From
$33/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Discovery+ standard plan starts at 5.99 USD per month but includes ads; an ad-free tier costs 9.99 USD per month; Philo there is no sports coverage of any kind, and no add-on exists to get it, so anyone wanting even occasional live sports needs a different service entirely.
  • They diverge on capability: Discovery+ covers Streaming, Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Discovery+ and Philo actually diverge.

Attributes where Discovery+ and Philo differ
AttributeDiscovery+Philo
Starting price$4.99/month$33/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer household per month, single plan
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tvWeb, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV
Founded2020Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Entertainment).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Discovery+

  • Streaming
  • Unscripted content
  • Reality TV
  • Originals
  • Downloads
  • Smart TVs
  • Streaming devices
  • Account security

Only in Philo

  • Unlimited cloud DVR
  • Around 70 channels
  • No contracts
  • Multiple simultaneous streams
  • Low base price
  • On-demand library

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Discovery+

  • Unscripted streamingnot Philo
  • Reality TV watchingnot Philo

Philo

  • A household that gets local news over an antenna and does not need it duplicated in a streaming bundlenot Discovery+
  • Someone who wants reality, lifestyle and general cable channels and has no interest in sports at allnot Discovery+
  • A budget cord-cutter comparing the lowest possible monthly cost among mainstream live TV servicesnot Discovery+
  • A second household or vacation home subscription where a full sports-inclusive bundle is not worth the costnot Discovery+

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Discovery+

  • Standard plan starts at 5.99 USD per month but includes ads; an ad-free tier costs 9.99 USD per month

Philo

  • There is no sports coverage of any kind, and no add-on exists to get it, so anyone wanting even occasional live sports needs a different service entirely.
  • It carries no local ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC affiliate feeds, so live local news and network prime time require an antenna or another service.
  • The channel count, at around 70, is meaningfully smaller than fuboTV or DirecTV Stream, so genre variety outside entertainment and lifestyle is limited.
  • News coverage is thin, with no major 24-hour cable news network included on the base lineup in the way some competitors carry CNN or Fox News.
  • Because it deliberately stays in one narrow lane, households whose needs change to include sports have to switch providers entirely rather than upgrading a Philo tier.

Pricing, plan by plan

Discovery+

$4.99/month
  • Standard$4.99/month
    • HD
    • Ad-supported
  • Premium$8.99/month
    • 4K
    • Ad-free

Philo

$33/month
  • Philo$33/month
    • Around 70 entertainment and lifestyle channels
    • Unlimited cloud DVR
    • No sports or local broadcast channels

Which should you pick?

Choose Discovery+ if

  • You need streaming.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
  • You also want unscripted content.
Discovery+ review

Choose Philo if

  • You need unlimited cloud dvr.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.
  • You also want around 70 channels.
Philo review

Questions people ask

Is Discovery+ or Philo better?
Neither clearly leads. Discovery+ starts at $4.99/month and Philo at $33/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Discovery+ or Philo?
Discovery+ starts at $4.99/month and Philo at $33/month.
Does Discovery+ or Philo run on more platforms?
Discovery+ runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv. Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.
What is Discovery+ best used for?
Discovery+ is most often used for unscripted streaming, reality tv watching. Of those, unscripted streaming and reality tv watching are not what Philo is typically brought in for.
What can Discovery+ do that Philo cannot?
Discovery+ covers Streaming, Unscripted content, Reality TV, Originals. Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Discovery+: How much does Discovery+ cost?

Discovery+ offers two tiers: Standard at $5.99/month with 4 simultaneous streams in Full HD, and Ad-Free at $9.99/month with the same streaming capability plus 100 downloads for offline viewing.

Source
Philo: Does Philo have any sports channels?

No, it excludes sports entirely, including ESPN and regional sports networks, and there is no add-on to get them.

Discovery+: Is there a free trial for Discovery+?

Yes, both Standard and Ad-Free plans offer a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Trial access is complimentary, but terms apply.

Source
Philo: Does Philo include local channels like ABC or NBC?

No, local broadcast affiliates are not included; you would need an antenna or a different streaming service for those.

Discovery+: Can I cancel Discovery+ anytime?

Yes. Your subscription automatically renews monthly, and you can cancel anytime without mentioned fees or penalties.

Source
Philo: Why is Philo so much cheaper than fuboTV?

Because it excludes the two most expensive categories of content to carry, sports rights and local broadcast retransmission fees.

Discovery+: What content is included with Discovery+ plans?

Both Standard and Ad-Free plans grant unlimited access to all 70,000+ episodes with new content added weekly. Ad-Free members can download 100 episodes to watch offline.

Source
Discovery+: How many devices can stream Discovery+ at once?

Both Standard and Ad-Free plans allow 4 simultaneous streams across devices.

Source
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