Is Jellyfin or Philo better?

Neither clearly leads. Jellyfin starts at Free and Philo at $33/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Jellyfin or Philo?

Jellyfin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Jellyfin and $33/month for Philo.

Does Jellyfin or Philo run on more platforms?

Jellyfin runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Desktop, Docker. Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.

Can I use Jellyfin for free?

Yes. Jellyfin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Philo starts at $33/month.

What is Jellyfin best used for?

Jellyfin is most often used for open-source media streaming, self-hosted library. Of those, open-source media streaming and self-hosted library are not what Philo is typically brought in for.

What can Jellyfin do that Philo cannot?

Jellyfin covers Media server, Streaming, Library management, Open source. Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams.

Entertainment · head to head

Jellyfin vs Philo

Jellyfin

Entertainment

The free software media system

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Philo

Entertainment

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

From: $33/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Jellyfin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Jellyfin no commercial support or SLA available; project is volunteer-maintained; 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: Jellyfin covers Media server, Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Jellyfin and Philo actually diverge.

Attributes where Jellyfin and Philo differ
Attribute	Jellyfin	Philo
Starting price	Free	$33/month
Pricing model	free	Per household per month, single plan
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Desktop, Docker	Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV
Founded	2018	Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Jellyfin

Media server
Streaming
Library management
Open source
Self-hosted
Smart TVs
Streaming devices
Mobile devices

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.

Jellyfin

Open-source media streamingnot Philo
Self-hosted librarynot Philo

Philo

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

Where each one falls short

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

Jellyfin

No commercial support or SLA available; project is volunteer-maintained
Self-hosted deployment required; no cloud hosting provided by project

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

Jellyfin

Free

FreeFree
- Unlimited streaming
- Open source
- No ads

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 Jellyfin if

You need media server.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Desktop, Docker.
You also want streaming.

Jellyfin 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 Jellyfin or Philo better?: Neither clearly leads. Jellyfin starts at Free and Philo at $33/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Jellyfin or Philo?: Jellyfin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Jellyfin and $33/month for Philo.
Does Jellyfin or Philo run on more platforms?: Jellyfin runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Desktop, Docker. Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.
Can I use Jellyfin for free?: Yes. Jellyfin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Philo starts at $33/month.
What is Jellyfin best used for?: Jellyfin is most often used for open-source media streaming, self-hosted library. Of those, open-source media streaming and self-hosted library are not what Philo is typically brought in for.
What can Jellyfin do that Philo cannot?: Jellyfin covers Media server, Streaming, Library management, Open source. Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Jellyfin: How much does Jellyfin cost?

Jellyfin is completely free with no costs, hidden fees, or subscriptions. The Jellyfin server and official clients are free to download and use for personal, commercial, or any other purpose. There are no paid tiers or premium features.

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.

Jellyfin: Is Jellyfin open source?

Yes, Jellyfin is free and open-source software distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Users can download, use, study, modify, and distribute it at no cost. The project is maintained by volunteers and supported through user donations.

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.

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.

Jellyfin vs Philo

Jellyfin

Philo

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Jellyfin

Only in Philo

What people use each for

Jellyfin

Philo

Where each one falls short

Jellyfin

Philo

Pricing, plan by plan

Jellyfin

Philo

Which should you pick?

Choose Jellyfin if

Choose Philo if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Jellyfin

More on Philo

Keep looking

Other head to heads