Is mpv or Philo better?

Neither clearly leads. mpv 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, mpv or Philo?

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

Does mpv or Philo run on more platforms?

mpv runs on Mac, Windows, Linux. Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.

Can I use mpv for free?

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

What is mpv best used for?

mpv is most often used for a developer who wants to script or automate media playback rather than click through a graphical app, a linux user who wants a lightweight player without the overhead of a full desktop application shell, someone embedding video playback into another tool or workflow rather than using it as a standalone app, a power user who prefers editing a text config file over navigating a settings panel. Of those, a developer who wants to script or automate media playback rather than click through a graphical app and a linux user who wants a lightweight player without the overhead of a full desktop application shell are not what Philo is typically brought in for.

What can mpv do that Philo cannot?

mpv covers Command line control, Lua and JavaScript scripting, Plain text configuration, Cross-platform. Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams.

Entertainment · head to head

mpv vs Philo

mpv

Entertainment

Free open source command line video player with no graphical interface, built for scripting and precision

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 mpv has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: mpv there is no graphical interface at all by default, so a typical non-technical user will find it unusable without significant setup.; 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: mpv covers Command line control, Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which mpv and Philo actually diverge.

Attributes where mpv and Philo differ
Attribute	mpv	Philo
Starting price	Free	$33/month
Pricing model	Open source, no licence fee	Per household per month, single plan
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Mac, Windows, Linux	Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV

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 mpv

Command line control
Lua and JavaScript scripting
Plain text configuration
Cross-platform
Minimal on-screen overlay
Embeddable engine

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.

mpv

A developer who wants to script or automate media playback rather than click through a graphical appnot Philo
A Linux user who wants a lightweight player without the overhead of a full desktop application shellnot Philo
Someone embedding video playback into another tool or workflow rather than using it as a standalone appnot Philo
A power user who prefers editing a text config file over navigating a settings panelnot Philo

Philo

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

Where each one falls short

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

mpv

There is no graphical interface at all by default, so a typical non-technical user will find it unusable without significant setup.
It has no library browser, artwork fetching or organised media collection view, unlike IINA or Infuse.
There is no Apple TV, iOS or Android version, so it cannot be used for a living room or mobile streaming setup.
Configuration is entirely file and flag based, so getting a specific behaviour set up correctly has a real learning curve compared with a settings panel.
Because it is a general-purpose engine rather than a consumer product, there is no dedicated support channel beyond community forums and documentation.

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

mpv

Free

mpvFree
- Free and open source under GPL or LGPL depending on build
- No account, subscription or paid tier
- Cross-platform, same engine on every OS

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 mpv if

You need command line control.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Mac, Windows, Linux.
You also want lua and javascript scripting.

mpv 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 mpv or Philo better?: Neither clearly leads. mpv 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, mpv or Philo?: mpv has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for mpv and $33/month for Philo.
Does mpv or Philo run on more platforms?: mpv runs on Mac, Windows, Linux. Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.
Can I use mpv for free?: Yes. mpv has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Philo starts at $33/month.
What is mpv best used for?: mpv is most often used for a developer who wants to script or automate media playback rather than click through a graphical app, a linux user who wants a lightweight player without the overhead of a full desktop application shell, someone embedding video playback into another tool or workflow rather than using it as a standalone app, a power user who prefers editing a text config file over navigating a settings panel. Of those, a developer who wants to script or automate media playback rather than click through a graphical app and a linux user who wants a lightweight player without the overhead of a full desktop application shell are not what Philo is typically brought in for.
What can mpv do that Philo cannot?: mpv covers Command line control, Lua and JavaScript scripting, Plain text configuration, Cross-platform. Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

mpv: Is mpv free?

Yes, entirely, and it is open source with no paid tier of any kind.

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.

mpv: Does mpv have a GUI?

Not by default. It shows the video and a minimal overlay, but there are no menus, library or settings panel; IINA is the graphical Mac interface built on the same engine.

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.

mpv: Can mpv play from network shares or cloud storage?

It can play many stream types via command line arguments, but it has no built in browsable network or cloud library the way Infuse does.

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.

mpv vs Philo

mpv

Philo

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in mpv

Only in Philo

What people use each for

mpv

Philo

Where each one falls short

mpv

Philo

Pricing, plan by plan

mpv

Philo

Which should you pick?

Choose mpv if

Choose Philo if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on mpv

More on Philo

Keep looking

Other head to heads