Is Philo or Stitcher better?

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

Which is cheaper, Philo or Stitcher?

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

Does Philo or Stitcher run on more platforms?

Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV. Stitcher runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers.

Can I use Stitcher for free?

Yes. Stitcher 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 Stitcher is typically brought in for.

What can Philo do that Stitcher cannot?

Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams. Stitcher covers Podcast streaming, Original content, Ad-free, Offline listening.

Entertainment · head to head

Philo vs Stitcher

Philo

Entertainment

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

From: $33/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

Stitcher

Entertainment

Premium podcast subscription service

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Stitcher 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.; Stitcher service discontinued August 29, 2023
They diverge on capability: Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Stitcher covers Podcast streaming.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Philo and Stitcher actually diverge.

Attributes where Philo and Stitcher differ
Attribute	Philo	Stitcher
Starting price	$33/month	Free
Pricing model	Per household per month, single plan	freemium
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV	Web, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers
Founded	Unknown	2007

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 Stitcher

Podcast streaming
Original content
Ad-free
Offline listening
Recommendations
Smart speakers
Car systems
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 Stitcher
Someone who wants reality, lifestyle and general cable channels and has no interest in sports at allnot Stitcher
A budget cord-cutter comparing the lowest possible monthly cost among mainstream live TV servicesnot Stitcher
A second household or vacation home subscription where a full sports-inclusive bundle is not worth the costnot Stitcher

Stitcher

Podcast listeningnot Philo
Audio entertainmentnot 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.

Stitcher

Service discontinued August 29, 2023
No longer available for download or use

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

Stitcher

Free

FreeFree
- Free podcasts
- Ad-supported
Stitcher Premium$4.99/month
- Ad-free
- Exclusives

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 Stitcher if

You need podcast streaming.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers.
You also want original content.

Stitcher review

Questions people ask

Is Philo or Stitcher better?: Neither clearly leads. Philo starts at $33/month and Stitcher at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Philo or Stitcher?: Stitcher has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $33/month for Philo and Free for Stitcher.
Does Philo or Stitcher run on more platforms?: Philo runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV. Stitcher runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers.
Can I use Stitcher for free?: Yes. Stitcher 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 Stitcher is typically brought in for.
What can Philo do that Stitcher cannot?: Philo covers Unlimited cloud DVR, Around 70 channels, No contracts, Multiple simultaneous streams. Stitcher covers Podcast streaming, Original content, Ad-free, Offline listening.

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.

Stitcher: Is Stitcher still available?

No. Stitcher shut down on August 29, 2023. SiriusXM, which acquired Stitcher in 2020, discontinued the app to consolidate podcasts into its flagship SiriusXM subscription. Users can listen to podcasts via the SiriusXM app instead.

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.

Philo vs Stitcher

Philo

Stitcher

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Philo

Only in Stitcher

What people use each for

Philo

Stitcher

Where each one falls short

Philo

Stitcher

Pricing, plan by plan

Philo

Stitcher

Which should you pick?

Choose Philo if

Choose Stitcher if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Philo

More on Stitcher

Keep looking

Other head to heads