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Paramount+ vs Philo

Paramount+ logo

Paramount+

Entertainment

A mountain of entertainment

From
$5.99/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: Paramount+ the App Store listing states Paramount+ gates all of SHOWTIME behind the Premium plan only, and separately caps household profiles at six, without stating either plan price in the visible description.; 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: Paramount+ 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 Paramount+ and Philo actually diverge.

Attributes where Paramount+ and Philo differ
AttributeParamount+Philo
Starting price$5.99/month$33/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer household per month, single plan
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Smart-tvWeb, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV
Founded2021Unknown

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 Paramount+

  • Streaming
  • Live sports
  • CBS shows
  • Nickelodeon
  • Smart TVs
  • Gaming consoles
  • Parental controls
  • Profile management

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.

Paramount+

  • TV streamingnot Philo
  • Sportsnot Philo
  • Kids contentnot Philo

Philo

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

Where each one falls short

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

Paramount+

  • The App Store listing states Paramount+ gates all of SHOWTIME behind the Premium plan only, and separately caps household profiles at six, without stating either plan price in the visible description.
  • The App Store listing states the base Paramount+ plan carries ads and does not include ad-free viewing, offline downloads, or a local CBS station live stream, which are reserved for the Premium plan.

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

Paramount+

$5.99/month
  • Essential$5.99/month
    • Limited ads
    • Full library
  • With Showtime$11.99/month
    • Ad-free
    • Showtime
    • Downloads

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 Paramount+ if

  • You need streaming.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv.
  • You also want live sports.
Paramount+ 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 Paramount+ or Philo better?
Neither clearly leads. Paramount+ starts at $5.99/month and Philo at $33/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paramount+ or Philo?
Paramount+ starts at $5.99/month and Philo at $33/month.
Does Paramount+ or Philo run on more platforms?
Paramount+ runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv. Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.
What is Paramount+ best used for?
Paramount+ is most often used for tv streaming, sports, kids content. Of those, tv streaming and sports are not what Philo is typically brought in for.
What can Paramount+ do that Philo cannot?
Paramount+ covers Streaming, Live sports, CBS shows, Nickelodeon. Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

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