Is Castro or Philo better?

Neither clearly leads. Castro 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, Castro or Philo?

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

Does Castro or Philo run on more platforms?

Castro runs on iOS, Apple Watch, iPad. Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.

Can I use Castro for free?

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

What is Castro best used for?

Castro is most often used for podcast management, listening. Of those, podcast management and listening are not what Philo is typically brought in for.

What can Castro do that Philo cannot?

Castro covers Podcast app, Inbox system, Triage view, Playback. Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams.

Entertainment · head to head

Castro vs Philo

Castro

Entertainment

Podcast app with episode inbox

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 Castro has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Castro iOS/Apple-only, no Android support; 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: Castro covers Podcast app, Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Castro and Philo actually diverge.

Attributes where Castro and Philo differ
Attribute	Castro	Philo
Starting price	Free	$33/month
Pricing model	Unknown	Per household per month, single plan
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	iOS, Apple Watch, iPad	Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV
Founded	2013	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 Castro

Podcast app
Inbox system
Triage view
Playback
Discovery
Podcast services
Apple services
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.

Castro

Podcast managementnot Philo
Listeningnot Philo

Philo

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

Where each one falls short

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

Castro

iOS/Apple-only, no Android support
No unified inbox for managing multiple podcast accounts
Recent ownership change (2024) may affect long-term development

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

Castro

Free

FreeFree
- Core podcast management
- Inbox/queue/archive
- CarPlay support
Castro Plus$24.99/year
- Custom per-podcast settings
- Trim Silence
- Enhance Voices

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 Castro if

You need podcast app.
You want to start without paying.
You work on iOS, Apple Watch, iPad.
You also want inbox system.

Castro 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 Castro or Philo better?: Neither clearly leads. Castro 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, Castro or Philo?: Castro has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Castro and $33/month for Philo.
Does Castro or Philo run on more platforms?: Castro runs on iOS, Apple Watch, iPad. Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV.
Can I use Castro for free?: Yes. Castro has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Philo starts at $33/month.
What is Castro best used for?: Castro is most often used for podcast management, listening. Of those, podcast management and listening are not what Philo is typically brought in for.
What can Castro do that Philo cannot?: Castro covers Podcast app, Inbox system, Triage view, Playback. Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Castro: How much does Castro cost?

Castro 3 is free to download with optional Castro Plus subscription at $24.99/year (includes one-week free trial).

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.

Castro: What platforms does Castro support?

Castro is available on iPhone with an Apple Watch app and is expanding to iPad (launched August 4, 2025). There is no Android version.

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.

Castro: What are the key features of Castro Plus premium subscription?

Castro Plus adds custom per-podcast settings including Episode Limit, Trim Silence, Enhance Voices, Mono Mix, Skip Intros, and variable playback speed.

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.

Castro: How does Castro organize podcasts?

Castro uses an inbox/queue/archive split system where the inbox contains notifications of new episodes and the queue serves as an active playlist.

Source

Castro vs Philo

Castro

Philo

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Castro

Only in Philo

What people use each for

Castro

Philo

Where each one falls short

Castro

Philo

Pricing, plan by plan

Castro

Philo

Which should you pick?

Choose Castro if

Choose Philo if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Castro

More on Philo

Keep looking

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