Is Philo or Pluto TV better?

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

Which is cheaper, Philo or Pluto TV?

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

Does Philo or Pluto TV run on more platforms?

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

Can I use Pluto TV for free?

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

What is Philo best used for?

Philo is most often used for a household that gets local news over an antenna and does not need it duplicated in a streaming bundle, someone who wants reality, lifestyle and general cable channels and has no interest in sports at all, a budget cord-cutter comparing the lowest possible monthly cost among mainstream live tv services, a second household or vacation home subscription where a full sports-inclusive bundle is not worth the cost. Of those, a household that gets local news over an antenna and does not need it duplicated in a streaming bundle and someone who wants reality, lifestyle and general cable channels and has no interest in sports at all are not what Pluto TV is typically brought in for.

What can Philo do that Pluto TV cannot?

Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams. Pluto TV covers Streaming, Live TV channels, Movies, TV shows.

Entertainment · head to head

Philo vs Pluto TV

Philo

Entertainment

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

From: $33/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

Pluto TV

Entertainment

Stream movies, TV shows and clips for free

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Pluto TV has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: 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.; Pluto TV pluto TV is entirely ad-supported free streaming with no paid tier, available in a stated list of regions including the US, Canada, Latin America, Brazil, Germany/Switzerland/Austria, UK, Spain, France, Norway, Sweden, Italy and Denmark (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024)
They diverge on capability: Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Pluto TV covers Streaming.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Philo and Pluto TV actually diverge.

Attributes where Philo and Pluto TV differ
Attribute	Philo	Pluto TV
Starting price	$33/month	Free
Pricing model	Per household per month, single plan	free
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV	Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv
Founded	Unknown	2013

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 Philo

Unlimited cloud DVR
Around 70 channels
No contracts
Multiple simultaneous streams
Low base price
On-demand library

Only in Pluto TV

Streaming
Live TV channels
Movies
TV shows
Recommendations
Smart TVs
Streaming devices
Account management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Philo

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

Pluto TV

Free streamingnot Philo
Live TVnot Philo
On-demand contentnot Philo

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Pluto TV

Pluto TV is entirely ad-supported free streaming with no paid tier, available in a stated list of regions including the US, Canada, Latin America, Brazil, Germany/Switzerland/Austria, UK, Spain, France, Norway, Sweden, Italy and Denmark (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024)

Pricing, plan by plan

Philo

$33/month

Philo$33/month
- Around 70 entertainment and lifestyle channels
- Unlimited cloud DVR
- No sports or local broadcast channels

Pluto TV

Free

FreeFree
- Full content
- Live channels
- Ad-supported

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Pluto TV if

You need streaming.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
You also want live tv channels.

Pluto TV review

Questions people ask

Is Philo or Pluto TV better?: Neither clearly leads. Philo starts at $33/month and Pluto TV at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Philo or Pluto TV?: Pluto TV has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $33/month for Philo and Free for Pluto TV.
Does Philo or Pluto TV run on more platforms?: Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV. Pluto TV runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
Can I use Pluto TV for free?: Yes. Pluto TV has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Philo starts at $33/month.
What is Philo best used for?: Philo is most often used for a household that gets local news over an antenna and does not need it duplicated in a streaming bundle, someone who wants reality, lifestyle and general cable channels and has no interest in sports at all, a budget cord-cutter comparing the lowest possible monthly cost among mainstream live tv services, a second household or vacation home subscription where a full sports-inclusive bundle is not worth the cost. Of those, a household that gets local news over an antenna and does not need it duplicated in a streaming bundle and someone who wants reality, lifestyle and general cable channels and has no interest in sports at all are not what Pluto TV is typically brought in for.
What can Philo do that Pluto TV cannot?: Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams. Pluto TV covers Streaming, Live TV channels, Movies, TV shows.

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.

Philo vs Pluto TV

Philo

Pluto TV

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Philo

Only in Pluto TV

What people use each for

Philo

Pluto TV

Where each one falls short

Philo

Pluto TV

Pricing, plan by plan

Philo

Pluto TV

Which should you pick?

Choose Philo if

Choose Pluto TV if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Philo

More on Pluto TV

Keep looking

Other head to heads