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Sling TV vs Philo: Best & Cheapest One to Replace Cable Depending on Your Needs

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Sling TV vs Philo is a worthy comparison of two low-cost, no-contract online streaming services. Both are significantly cheaper than cable, as well as most other live TV streaming services like FuboTV or Hulu Live. Aside from live TV, both also have on-demand libraries!

With the market filled with good options, it can be hard to tell the difference between them all. Read on to find out about how Sling vs Philo plans compare, how much they cost, what channels they offer, extras, and how customizable these plans are.

In a hurry? See how these streaming services are for yourself. Try Philo free for 7 days. :sling-cta-link:

If you’ve been considering either of these services, this side-by-side look will help you make the right decision for you!

Once you learn the similarities and differences in aspects like package features, pricing, channel lineup, you can make a better decision when it comes to choosing between the two.

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Sling TV vs Philo: At a Glance

Sling TV NFL Android
Android phone with Sling TV and NFL search results.

There are a number of things that you might consider important when shopping around for a streaming service. This section should shed some light on many of them.

You’ll get a brief look at the Sling TV vs Philo comparison in areas of price, overall value, streaming device compatibility, features, and more.

  • Price and Value – Sling TV is usually toted as being one of the cheapest streaming options available and with packages starting at $40.00/mo, that’s absolutely true. However, Philo happens to be the cheapest, offering a larger starting package for just $25/mo. Price-wise there is no wrong decision here. Even the cheapest cable package still costs more than both of these services put together.
  • Channel SelectionSling TV offers three package options with anywhere from 30 to 50 channels to start. Many add-ons are available, allowing you to increase your channel count to over 100 channels, depending on how many bundle packages you add. On the other hand, Philo offers 60+ channels in their only package with a small handful of add-ons.
  • Features – Both Sling TV allow you to stream on multiple devices at the same time. However, with Sling TV the device amount is two or three, depending on your package. Philo allows you simultaneous streaming on three devices at once. Both services provide access to an on-demand library, as well as the chance to use TV Everywhere apps. Philo is one of the few services to offer a cloud-DVR with unlimited storage space. Sling only offers 50 hours of space with the option to pay for 150 hours more.
  • Device Compatibility –Whether you choose Sling TV or Philo, you’ll be able to connect on a wide variety of devices. Both services work on iOS and Android devices, Roku, computers, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and more. Sling TV also works with Xbox One, Nvidia Shield, and AirTV.
  • Deals and Free Trial – Save 50% on Sling TV now! Try Philo free for 7 days. Sling TV also offers deals to new customers where if you sign up and pre-pay you can get discounts, or even free streaming equipment!

Overall, these services match in a lot of ways. If you want a bottomless DVR and the cheapest possible pricing option, Philo might be the service you’ve been looking for.

For sports fans, Sling TV is a no-brainer.

Still, before you make your decision, we should look at the Sling TV vs Philo plans and channel lineup.

Sling TV vs Philo Plans

Sling TV offers three packages plus add-ons while Philo offers one package and what you get is what you get, with no available addons.

This can make a side-by-side comparison tricky, but this basic overview of all available plans should give you what you need from a Sling TV vs Philo plan comparison.

No. of ChannelsPopular ChannelsPrice/mo
Sling TV Logo (2021 100x50)
🟠30+AMC, Cartoon Network, ESPN, ESPN2, HGTV, TBS, TNT$40.00/mo
🔵40+AMC, FS1, FX, TBS, USA, FOX, NBC$40.00/mo
🟠🔵45+Combination of both 🟠🔵*$55.00/mo
philo logo60+A&E, Animal Planet, Crackle, Hallmark (Channel, Drama, Movies & Mysteries), Lifetime Movies$25/mo
*Sling Orange + Blue offers a combination of both plans’ channels.

At first, Philo looks like a steal. $25/mo, way more channels than Sling, and some great entertainment channels that you need to pay extra for as a Sling subscriber.

Even if you combine Sling TV’s two plans, you get fewer channels. Philo also offers free unlimited DVR, while Sling only offers 50 hours with its plans. To get up to 200 hours of DVR with Sling, you need to pay extra.

Philo: Guide
Philo’s live TV guide.

If you’re looking for a cheap and easy cable replacement and you’re not bothered about local channels or sports, Philo is a clear winner. However, the subtleties that make Sling TV stand out are its sports channels and local networks.

You can get more details about both channel lineups by checking out Sling TV and Philo to learn more, or you can read on and see our channel comparison and Sling vs Philo add-on guide.

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Sling vs Philo Channels Compared

Before we compare specific channel categories, here is the line-up of all available channels. Items with a check are included with Philo. Those with an orange or blue circle are included in Sling Orange or Sling Blue. A red X means the channel is not available. And a dollar sign means the channel is available as an add-on.

You can find more about add-ons below the table.

Sling TVPhilo
Total Channels45+60+
A&E🟠 + 🔵✔️
AccuWeather✔️
AMC🟠 + 🔵✔️
American Heroes Channel💲✔️
Animal Planet✔️
Aspire✔️
AXS TV🟠 + 🔵✔️
BBC America🟠 + 🔵✔️
BBC World News💲✔️
BET🟠 + 🔵✔️
BET her✔️
Bloomberg Television🟠 + 🔵✔️
Bravo🔵
Cartoon Network🟠 + 🔵
Cheddar🟠 + 🔵✔️
Cleo TV✔️
CMT💲✔️
CNN🟠 + 🔵
Comedy Central🟠 + 🔵✔️
Comet TV🟠 + 🔵
Cooking Channel💲✔️
Crackle✔️
Crime + Investigation✔️
Destination America💲✔️
Discovery Channel🔵✔️
Discovery Family✔️
Discovery Life✔️
Disney Channel🟠
E!🔵
MGM+ Drive-In🟠 + 🔵
ESPN🟠
ESPN 2🟠
ESPN 3🟠
Food Network🟠 + 🔵✔️
FOX🔵
FOX News🔵
Freeform🟠
FS1🔵
fuse TV🟠 + 🔵
FX🔵
FYI Network💲✔️
GAC Family💲✔️
Game Show Network💲✔️
get TV✔️
Gusto TV✔️
Hallmark Channel💲✔️
Hallmark Drama💲✔️
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries💲✔️
HGTV🟠 + 🔵✔️
History Channel🟠 + 🔵✔️
HLN🔵
IFC🟠 + 🔵✔️
insp💲✔️
Investigation Discovery🟠 + 🔵✔️
Law & Crime💲✔️
Lifetime🟠 + 🔵✔️
Lifetime Movies✔️
Local Now🟠 + 🔵
Logo TV💲✔️
Magnolia Network💲✔️
MotorTrend🟠✔️
MSNBC🔵
MTV💲✔️
MTV Classic✔️
MTV2💲✔️
MTV Live✔️
National Geographic🔵
NBC🔵
newsy🟠 + 🔵
NFL Network🔵
Nick Jr🟠 + 🔵✔️
Nickelodeon✔️
Nicktoons💲✔️
Oprah Winfrey Network✔️
Paramount Network💲✔️
People TV✔️
PlayersTV✔️
pocket.watch✔️
Revolt💲✔️
Revry✔️
Ryan and Friends✔️
SCI💲✔️
Sundance TV💲✔️
Syfy🔵
Tastemade💲✔️
TBS🟠 + 🔵
TeenNick💲✔️
TLC🔵✔️
TNT🟠 + 🔵
Travel Channel🟠 + 🔵✔️
TruTV🔵
TV Land💲✔️
TV One✔️
UPtv✔️
USA🔵
VH1💲✔️
Vice🟠 + 🔵✔️
WE TV💲✔️

Sports

Sling TV wins this section, offering multiple ESPN networks, TNT, USA, and many other sports channels. The Sports Extra add-on makes Sling even more appealing.

Sling TV Golf
Sling TV offers great access to golf programming.

Philo does not offer sports channels in order to keep the package prices the lowest in streaming. Philo can be a good choice for budget-seeking sports fans with an additional service on the side, like ESPN+.

  • Sling TV: Sling TV includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. You’ll also have FOX and NBC in some locations, along with regional FOX and NBC Sports Networks. Other sports channels include FS1, FS2, USA, TNT, and NFL Network.
  • Philo: In an effort to keep costs at their lowest, Philo does not offer sports channels.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

News & Locals

Neither service offers a lot in the way of local content. That said, in some areas Sling TV offers NBC and FOX. Slings also offers ABC and CBS with indoor antennas in a few regions.

This makes them the winner in this section because Philo does not offer local content at all.

As for news channels, both services offer Viceland and Cheddar News. Sling TV goes a step further by also offering CNN. Otherwise, neither service offers MSNBC or FOX News, and as previously mentioned local channels are either limited or non-existent depending on the service you choose.

Sling’s News Extra add-on has even more news channels.

  • Sling TV: Local channels are limited to FOX and NBC, though the market area for these channels is extremely limited (learn more about Sling TV local channels here). Also available are Viceland, Newsy, CNN, Cheddar News, and FOX News.
  • Philo: Like with sports, local channels are not included. Cable news channels are often not included either. You do receive Viceland and Cheddar News though.

Entertainment

This one could be a toss-up. Philo offers plenty of great channels including Animal Planet and a few other cable-familiar channels that Sling TV doesn’t offer. They do share a lot of popular channels including AMC, HGTV, and Lifetime.

The only way Sling TV does better is that they include popular channels that also offer sports, which include TBS, TNT, USA, and truTV.

  • Sling TV: Popular channels include Bravo, AMC, Comedy Central, FX, Disney, HGTV, TNT, Lifetime, USA, and many more
  • Philo: This is where Philo shines. Channels include WEtv, TV Land, OWN, Nickelodeon, Hallmark, IFC, History, Discovery, BET, Food Network, Game Show Network, AMC, A&E, CMT, and many others

Notable Channels Missing

If we consider all channels available via add-ons, Sling TV has very little missing. The only service that could outdo Sling with missing channels is DIRECTV STREAM.

Philo, on the other hand, offers most cable channels and some premium movie networks as add-ons — most other channel categories are missing.

Sling TV: ABC and CBS are absent without an indoor antenna, and other local channels are limited. Also missing are Nickelodeon, CW, OWN, and Animal Planet, though most of these can be added via the add-on plans.

Philo: ESPN and all other sports channels are missing including TNT, TBS, USA, truTV, and others. No local channels are included, and the major cable news networks are absent, as well.


Remember, this is just an overview of both Sling TV and Philo. If you’d like to learn more, the best way to do so is to check out Sling TV and Philo for yourself!

Try Philo Free for 7 Days

Sling vs Philo Add-Ons

Not long ago, Philo did not have any add-ons. Now it does, and it’s necessary to compete with the dozens of channels you can additionally get with Sling TV!

Let’s start with Philo’s add-ons since there are far fewer:

  • Movies & More — this add on costs $3 per month. You get Cinemoi, HDNet Movies, MGM HD, Reelz, and Sony Movies.
  • MGM+ — $6 per month for three MGM+ channels. MGM+, MGM+ Hits, and MGM+ Marquee.
  • Starz — $9 per month for STARZ, STARZ Encore, and STARZ Family.

That’s all for Philo. Simple add-on structure, like the rest of the service. Even if you get all of them, you pay $43 per month for 70+ channels. Not bad.

As for Sling TV’s add-ons, there are many optional packages. Each add-on costs between $6 and $11 individually, but they can be bundled. You can get four for $13, or all available add-ons with your chosen plan for $21. Here they are:

  • Sports Extra — $11/mo for 10+ channels
  • Comedy Extra — $6/mo for 10+ comedy channels
  • News Extra — $6/mo for 10+ channels
  • Lifestyle Extra — $6/mo for 10+ channels
  • Hollywood Extra — $6/mo for 10+ channels
  • Heartland Extra — $6/mo for 10+ channels
  • AMC Plus — $7/mo for 4 channels
  • Kids Extra — $6/mo for 5 channels
  • DVR Plus — 150 hour DVR storage extension to a total of 200 hours. $5 per month.

On top of this, Sling TV offers further premium add-ons like Showtime, Starz, MGM+, CineFest, CineMoi, Bet+, and 20+ others, including international TV channel packs.

Sling TV’s Spanish language plan is also something Philo doesn’t compete with since Philo has no international foreign language plans.

So, if you have some money and want more channels in your custom line-up, Sling has an entire pick-and-mix for you to choose from. You can read more about Sling’s add-ons to find out exactly what you get.

Sling TV vs Philo Summary

In most of these comparisons, the decision often comes down to price. Sling TV normally wins this battle with ease, but Philo is just a little bit cheaper at just $25/mo.

In order to Philo to work for you, it’s important that you’re only looking for cable entertainment channels, not sports or local content. Sling TV offers a more complete package in that sense, despite local channels being limited. You can learn more in our Sling TV review.

Philo gives you as many channels as some of the more expensive services, but they only charge $25/mo. Local and sports channels aren’t available, but if you can live with that, you’ll get 60+ channels, an on-demand library, and a cloud-DVR with unlimited space for just $25/mo.

It’s hard to beat an offer like that! If you want to learn more, our Philo review is a great place to start.

In the end, it just depends on whether or not you want sports and how big you want your cloud-DVR to be.

Otherwise, the services are similar in what they offer, how much they cost, and how and where you can stream TV. If you’re still on the fence, sign up for one (or both) of the package trials and give them a try!

Are you interested in giving these services a shot?

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

Other Sling TV Comparisons

Wondering how other streaming services stack up? Check out these comparison articles:

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