Is MUBI or Philo better?

Neither clearly leads. MUBI starts at $7.99/month and Philo at $33/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, MUBI or Philo?

MUBI starts at $7.99/month and Philo at $33/month.

Does MUBI or Philo run on more platforms?

MUBI runs on Web, iOS, Android. Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.

What is MUBI best used for?

MUBI is most often used for watching curated arthouse, independent, and classic international cinema, discovering festival and awards-circuit films not on mainstream platforms, getting a free weekly theatrical ticket via mubi go in eligible cities, reading editorial film notes and curation alongside streaming. Of those, watching curated arthouse, independent, and classic international cinema and discovering festival and awards-circuit films not on mainstream platforms are not what Philo is typically brought in for.

What can MUBI do that Philo cannot?

MUBI covers Curated films, World cinema, Documentaries, Classics. Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams.

Entertainment · head to head

MUBI vs Philo

MUBI

Entertainment

Discover extraordinary cinema

From: $7.99/month
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

Each has a real cost: MUBI curated, rotating catalogue - films leave the service on a schedule rather than staying permanently available; 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: MUBI covers Curated films, Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MUBI and Philo actually diverge.

Attributes where MUBI and Philo differ
Attribute	MUBI	Philo
Starting price	$7.99/month	$33/month
Pricing model	subscription	Per household per month, single plan
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV
Founded	2007	Unknown

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 MUBI

Curated films
World cinema
Documentaries
Classics
New releases
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.

MUBI

Watching curated arthouse, independent, and classic international cinemanot Philo
Discovering festival and awards-circuit films not on mainstream platformsnot Philo
Getting a free weekly theatrical ticket via MUBI GO in eligible citiesnot Philo
Reading editorial film notes and curation alongside streamingnot Philo

Philo

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

Where each one falls short

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

MUBI

Curated, rotating catalogue - films leave the service on a schedule rather than staying permanently available
No live TV or broad back-catalogue - deliberately small, curated library rather than a comprehensive on-demand one
MUBI GO (free theater ticket plus streaming) is limited to select cities

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

MUBI

$7.99/month

Monthly$7.99/month
- Unlimited streaming access to curated films
- Download capability via iOS and Android apps
- Ad-free viewing

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 MUBI if

You need curated films.
You work on Web, iOS, Android.
You also want world cinema.

MUBI 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 MUBI or Philo better?: Neither clearly leads. MUBI starts at $7.99/month and Philo at $33/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MUBI or Philo?: MUBI starts at $7.99/month and Philo at $33/month.
Does MUBI or Philo run on more platforms?: MUBI runs on Web, iOS, Android. Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.
What is MUBI best used for?: MUBI is most often used for watching curated arthouse, independent, and classic international cinema, discovering festival and awards-circuit films not on mainstream platforms, getting a free weekly theatrical ticket via mubi go in eligible cities, reading editorial film notes and curation alongside streaming. Of those, watching curated arthouse, independent, and classic international cinema and discovering festival and awards-circuit films not on mainstream platforms are not what Philo is typically brought in for.
What can MUBI do that Philo cannot?: MUBI covers Curated films, World cinema, Documentaries, Classics. Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MUBI: How much does MUBI cost?

MUBI costs $7.99 per month USD on a monthly plan. An annual plan is available that saves 38% compared to monthly billing, though the exact annual price is not shown on the pricing page.

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.

MUBI: Is there a free trial for MUBI?

Yes, MUBI offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. After the trial ends, the membership converts to paid status.

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.

MUBI vs Philo

MUBI

Philo

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in MUBI

Only in Philo

What people use each for

MUBI

Philo

Where each one falls short

MUBI

Philo

Pricing, plan by plan

MUBI

Philo

Which should you pick?

Choose MUBI if

Choose Philo if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on MUBI

More on Philo

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Other head to heads