Is Philo or Shudder better?

Neither clearly leads. Philo starts at $33/month and Shudder at $5.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Philo or Shudder?

Philo starts at $33/month and Shudder at $5.99/month.

Does Philo or Shudder run on more platforms?

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

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 Shudder is typically brought in for.

What can Philo do that Shudder cannot?

Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams. Shudder covers Horror content, Thrillers, Original series, Exclusive films.

Entertainment · head to head

Philo vs Shudder

Philo

Entertainment

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

From: $33/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

Shudder

Entertainment

Horror and thriller streaming

From: $5.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

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.; Shudder subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, per the App Store listing
They diverge on capability: Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Shudder covers Horror content.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Philo and Shudder actually diverge.

Attributes where Philo and Shudder differ
Attribute	Philo	Shudder
Starting price	$33/month	$5.99/month
Pricing model	Per household per month, single plan	subscription
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV	Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv
Founded	Unknown	2015

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 Philo

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

Only in Shudder

Horror content
Thrillers
Original series
Exclusive films
Watchlist
Smart TVs
Streaming devices
Account security

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 Shudder
Someone who wants reality, lifestyle and general cable channels and has no interest in sports at allnot Shudder
A budget cord-cutter comparing the lowest possible monthly cost among mainstream live TV servicesnot Shudder
A second household or vacation home subscription where a full sports-inclusive bundle is not worth the costnot Shudder

Shudder

Horror streamingnot Philo
Thriller watchingnot 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.

Shudder

Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, per the App Store listing
Default subscription length is 1 month, billed and renewed on a rolling monthly basis, per the App Store listing

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

Shudder

$5.99/month

Basic$5.99/month
- HD
- 1 device
Premium$8.99/month
- 4K
- 4 devices

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 Shudder if

You need horror content.
You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
You also want thrillers.

Shudder review

Questions people ask

Is Philo or Shudder better?: Neither clearly leads. Philo starts at $33/month and Shudder at $5.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Philo or Shudder?: Philo starts at $33/month and Shudder at $5.99/month.
Does Philo or Shudder run on more platforms?: Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV. Shudder runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
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 Shudder is typically brought in for.
What can Philo do that Shudder cannot?: Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams. Shudder covers Horror content, Thrillers, Original series, Exclusive films.

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 Shudder

Philo

Shudder

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Philo

Only in Shudder

What people use each for

Philo

Shudder

Where each one falls short

Philo

Shudder

Pricing, plan by plan

Philo

Shudder

Which should you pick?

Choose Philo if

Choose Shudder if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Philo

More on Shudder

Keep looking

Other head to heads