Sling TV vs. Philo: What's the Difference?

Both Sling TV and Philo allow you to access cable TV stations at a fraction of the cost you pay for your cable TV package. They offer many of the same stations, but you'll spend much less if you go with Philo. However, with that savings come some tradeoffs, including fewer popular channels and fewer devices to stream from.

Overall Findings

The biggest difference between Sling TV and Philo, aside from the higher price for Sling TV, is the flexibility. Sling TV offers two plans with a different mix of channels tailored for people who prefer ESPN (Orange) to NFL Network or Fox Sports (Blue), and if you want access to family channels like Disney Channel or Freeform (Blue).

With Philo, you can attach add-ons like AMC+ and STARZ, but fewer major news streams (no ABC, NBC, or Fox) and sports channels are available.

You can also access Sling TV from many more streaming devices and apps than Philo, although both support all the major devices.

Content: Sling TV Has Much More Content

Philo offers an impressive 70+ live channels, including A&E, several Discovery channels, MTV, Comedy Central, and more. Most of these are focused on entertainment but there are also reality and music channels. Don't expect any major news networks like ABC, NBC, or CBS. There are also no major sports networks included. Unfortunately, these are more commonly the networks people want access to when they decide to cut cable TV entirely. However, some sports-related channels that do come with Philo include beIN SPORTS XTRA and Overtime

You won't find any original content on Philo like you do on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu. But Philo has partnered with TV Everywhere so that you can use any TV Everywhere apps to purchase on-demand content. You can also purchase AMC+, MGM+, STARZ, and more as add-ons to the plan.

Sling offers packages to let users "customize" their TV-watching experience. Both plans included the same 24 channels (AMC, CNN, Lifetime, Food Network, and more), but there are a few differences:

• Sling Orange: Includes six exclusive sports and family channels, including ESPN, Freeform, and Disney Channel.
• Sling Blue: Includes 14 exclusive news and entertainment channels, including MSNBC, Fox News, TLC, and NFL Network.

If you browse the two offerings and can't decide, you can also buy the Orange + Blue package at a discounted price.

Features: Philo Offers More Services for Less

Philo includes a cloud DVR service with unlimited storage. Anything you save in your DVR cloud account will stay there for a year. This makes it easy to build a great library of shows or movies you don't want to miss and leaves you plenty of time to watch your content.

Sling TV also includes a Cloud DVR service, where you can record up to 50 hours of content for free. Or you can upgrade to 200 hours for $5 extra per month. You can only stream or record one stream at a time with the Orange plan, or up to three at a time with the Blue plan. If you upgrade to Orange + Blue, you get four simultaneous streams.

These services recommend that your internet support speeds of up to 25 Mbps (Sling) or 13 Mbps (Philo) for the best quality when streaming from multiple devices simultaneously.

Accessibility: Browsing Experience Roughly the Same

You can access Philo on streaming devices like Roku or the Amazon Fire TV Stick. Philo uses a dark theme that's easier on the eyes in a dark room, and it's very easy to browse available shows and view full descriptions by holding down the OK button. Other devices that support Philo include Android TV, Apple TV, and Android and iOS devices. You can also cast content from Philo to your Chromecast.

Sling TV is accessible on many more streaming devices and services than Philo. These include all the same ones Philo supports, but also LG TVs, Xbox, and Meta Quest. Sling TV's interface looks a lot like Netflix's with its cable TV grid. It also has a dark theme so it's easy on the eyes like Philo. You can choose your favorite channels or shows and it includes an On Now section for shows that are currently on the air.

Cost: Philo Is Far More Budget-Friendly

Philo's live TV streaming service comes with one fixed monthly $28 price. However, there are a few add-ons available, including AMC+ ($4/mo), MGM+ $6/mo), STARZ ($10/mo), and a Movie & More add-on for $3/mo. There's a 7-day free trial so you can check out the content to see if it's what you want.

Sling TV offers both the Orange and the Blue plans for $40 a month, with a few add-ons for things like extended DVR streaming ($5), and extra channels (varies by deal) for sports, news, kids, Hollywood, and other content. There are also premium add-ons; options include AMC+, MGM+, and STARZ, just like Philo, but also dozens of others, like BET+, Hallmark Movies Now, ScreamFlix, and True Royalty TV.

Final Verdict: Philo for Value, Sling TV for Variety

If you're looking for a wider selection of channel and content options, you'll probably be disappointed with Philo. This is especially true if you watch a lot of news or sports. Sling TV is truly built as a replacement for cable TV, while Philo is more of a "money is tight" option when you really need to slash your bills.

If you can afford the $12 extra for a Sling TV account, you won't be disappointed. It offers enough live TV and add-ons that you'll never run out of something to watch. However, if you do need to settle for Philo, you'll at least enjoy unlimited DVR recording and enough channels that everyone in the family should be able to find something to watch, without breaking the bank.