Streaming / Live TV · Tool Face-Off

YouTube TV vs Philo

Quick answer

YouTube TV is the all-rounder that covers sports, news, and local channels with a hefty price tag; Philo is the budget pick for entertainment lovers who never watch a game.

Our pick

YouTube TV

The cable replacement that actually replaces cable

4.5★

Philo

All the fun channels, none of the sports bill

3.2★

Monthly Price

$72.99/mo

$25/mo

Channel Count

~100+ channels

~70 channels

Local Broadcast Channels

ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX (most markets)

Not included

Sports Channels

ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, RSNs in some markets

None

DVR Storage

Unlimited cloud DVR

DVR Recording Length

9 months

1 year

Simultaneous Streams

3 (unlimited add-on ~$22.99/mo)

3 (unlimited streams included)

Supported Devices

Smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android, web

Free Trial

No current trial

7-day free trial

News Channels

CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and more

CNN, MSNBC, Fox News included

Premium Add-ons

HBO Max, Showtime, Sports Plus, etc.

Starz, AMC+, Nick Jr. add-ons

4K Content

Yes (4K Plus add-on ~$9.99/mo)

No 4K support

YouTube TV

Pricing★★½☆☆

Ease of Use★★★★½

Device Support★★★★½

Local Channels★★★★★

DVR & Recording★★★★★

Sports Coverage★★★★★

Channel Selection★★★★★

Philo

Pricing★★★★★

Ease of Use★★★★½

Device Support★★★★☆

Local Channels★☆☆☆☆

DVR & Recording★★★★☆

Sports Coverage★☆☆☆☆

Channel Selection★★★☆☆

Worth knowing

YouTube TV costs nearly 3x more than Philo per month.
Philo launched in 2017 and was originally built for college campuses.
YouTube TV's unlimited DVR is genuinely unlimited — no asterisks.
Philo skips sports and local channels entirely, which is literally how it keeps prices so low.
YouTube TV is available in nearly every U.S. market; Philo is nationwide by design since it skips local feeds.

Philo is partly owned by a group of major TV networks — meaning the channels are basically paying to be on the service that undercuts everyone else's pricing.

If you want

You want to cut cable completely and keep sports + local news

YouTube TV is the only one here that actually replicates the full cable experience, locals and all.

→ Pick YouTube TV

If you want

You just want HGTV, MTV, and Hallmark without a second mortgage

Philo delivers solid entertainment channels for $25/mo — it's hard to argue with that math.

→ Pick Philo

If you want

You have a big household with multiple simultaneous viewers

Philo includes unlimited streams at no extra cost; YouTube TV charges ~$23/mo more for the same perk.

→ Pick Philo