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Low-cost live TV in the US

Philo plans, price and how to cancel

Philo starts at $25.00 a month in the US (Essential). Philo is a low-cost live TV service: 70+ live channels, 100+ free channels, 75,000+ movies and shows on demand and a DVR that keeps recordings for up to a year. Essential is the main plan with a 7-day free trial; Bundle+ adds AMC+, HBO Max Basic with Ads and discovery+ with ads, without a trial. A free tier needs no credit card.

Compare streaming servicesHow to cancel

Tomas StankevičiusChecked 2026-11-11Facts from the Philo website and help center, with dates

What it costs

  • Essential$25.00/mo
  • Bundle+$33.00/mo
All plans and termsCheck on the official website
Price per month
$25.00–$33.00
Per year from
$300.00
Free trial
up to 7 days
Shortest term
monthly
  • Low price for live TV. Philo’s base plan costs less than full cable-replacement services.
  • DVR for a year. Record as much as you like and skip the ads in recordings.
  • 3 streams, 10 profiles. Each profile has its own history and recommendations.
  • Bundle+ extras. AMC+, HBO Max Basic with Ads and discovery+, all with ads.
  • Free Channels. 100+ free channels with no credit card.

Most important before you pay

Philo has a no-refund policy, and the 7-day trial is one per household and Essential only. Subscribing through Amazon, Apple, Google, Roku, Samsung or Vizio may cost more than paying Philo directly.

At a glance

Plans
Essential, Bundle+
Live channels
70+, plus 100+ free channels
DVR
Recordings kept up to 1 year
Streams / profiles
3 / up to 10
Free trial
7 days (Essential)
Contract
None

Plans and offers change — check the provider’s own page before you pay.

Prices in charts

Figures from the same checked prices as the plan table.

Show plan in charts:

Essential: $25.00 per month, $300.00 per year.

Fig. 1

Plan steps: what each price step adds

Essential$25.00
Bundle+$33.00

Column height shows the monthly price. Between the columns: what the pricier plan adds over the cheaper one.

EssentialOur score 4,4/5
$25.00/mo

Plus sales tax where applicable

Source · Checked

Today you pay $0.00

Free trial: 7 days — then the price above is charged.

Choose a plan

Billed monthly.

Prices with dates

Every price has a source and the date it was checked.

From the Philo website

Plans, trial and cancellation rules as philo.com and help.philo.com show them from the US.

Affiliate links are labeled

If a link is an affiliate link, we say so right next to it.

Short summary

Philo is the budget live TV pick for entertainment and lifestyle channels, with a generous DVR and 10 profiles. Bundle+ is good value if you’d watch AMC+, HBO Max and discovery+ with ads anyway. Check the channel list for the networks you need before you pay — and pay Philo directly to avoid a third-party surcharge.

Price and DVR

A low monthly price with recordings kept for up to a year.

A narrower lineup

About 70 live channels — check that yours are there.

Our top pick:
Households that want live entertainment channels and a DVR for less.
With caveats:
Anyone whose must-have networks aren’t in Philo’s channel list.

Who Philo is for, and who it isn’t

A budget live TV service with a strong DVR.

A good choice

  • If you record a lot

    Recordings are kept for up to a year, and you can skip the ads.

  • For households

    Up to 10 profiles and 3 streams at once.

  • If you want streaming apps too

    Bundle+ includes AMC+, HBO Max Basic with Ads and discovery+.

A weaker choice

  • If your channels aren’t in the lineup

    Check Philo’s channel list before subscribing.

  • If more than 3 people watch at once

    A fourth stream stops the longest-running one.

  • If you want a refund option

    Philo has a no-refund policy.

Two plans and a free tier

Prices are in the block above.

Two plans and a free tier
EssentialWhat it means in practice70+ live channels, 100+ free channels and on-demand shows, a 1-year DVR. 7-day free trial for new customers.
Bundle+What it means in practiceEverything in Essential plus All Reality on demand, AMC+ with ads (including Sundance Now, The Walking Dead Channel and Shudder), HBO Max Basic with Ads and discovery+ with ads. No free trial.
Free ChannelsWhat it means in practice100+ ad-supported channels at no cost and no credit card; record select content for up to 30 days.

Live channels and a DVR → Essential; you’d also pay for AMC+, HBO Max or discovery+ → Bundle+; just testing → Free Channels.

Our score and what it’s made of

This is our own assessment based on checked facts. It isn’t an average of user reviews or the provider’s claim. Below you’ll find every criterion with its weight and source.

4,5

out of 5 · average of 2 plans · 11 of 12 criteria checked

The score is calculated from the criteria you see below: each criterion shows its weight, what exactly we found and where. Where we have the provider’s page, there’s a link with a check date; where the number comes from our catalog, we say so. “Not found” means we didn’t find the data and the criterion isn’t counted. “Provider doesn’t say” means we went through the provider’s pages but the information isn’t there; that criterion isn’t counted either. If you disagree with the weights, the methodology shows all the parts, so you can weigh them your own way. App store ratings are shown only as text, and we don’t pass them to search engines as our own rating.

Scores for individual plans: Essential 4,4 · Bundle+ 4,5

The same for all Philo plans

Criteria that are the same for all of this provider’s plans
CriterionWhat we foundScoreSource
Content you can’t get for free(18 %)content only with a subscription5,0our catalog
Fit for US viewers(15 %)US channels, network libraries and local originals5,0source
Advertised price is the final price(10 %)sales tax is added at checkout3,0our catalog
Free way to try it(10 %)permanent free version available5,0our catalog
Maximum resolution(7 %)1080p Full HD3,0our catalog
Simultaneous streams(5 %)3 screens at the same time4,0our catalog
Offline viewing(7 %)provider doesn’t say—source
Profiles(4 %)up to 105,0our catalog
App rating(3 %)4,8 out of 54,8our catalog
Spatial audio and HDR(2 %)no2,0our catalog

Depends on plan

Criteria that differ between plans
CriterionEssentialBundle+
Price compared with others(10 %)25,00 USD/mo5,033,00 USD/mo5,0
What else is included(9 %)2 extra content types at no extra cost4,05 extra content types at no extra cost5,0

Availability in the US

The final price in the US is clear

You pay in dollars, and the price is the one the provider lists — sales tax, where your state charges it, is added at checkout.

  • price in dollars
  • tax terms are known
  • shared international price list — the price depends on your account’s country

Content

What you actually get to watch: catalog, languages, sports and events.

What Philo is, and what it isn’t

Philo streams live channels with a DVR, plus a large on-demand library. Its lineup is grouped into categories such as comedy, crime and drama, documentary, family, home and lifestyle, news, outdoors and sports, and reality.

  • Live channels

    70+ on the paid plans.

  • On demand

    75,000+ movies and shows.

  • Streaming apps in Bundle+

    AMC+, HBO Max Basic with Ads and discovery+, all with ads; ad-free upgrades cost extra.

Check Philo’s channel list for the specific networks you watch before you subscribe.

Pay Philo directly to avoid a surcharge

Philo says you always get the best price when you sign up directly on philo.com. Subscribing through Amazon, Apple, Google, Roku, Samsung or Vizio may add a surcharge.

How to switch

On your Account page, click Switch to Philo billing, confirm, and enter your payment details.

Then cancel the old one

Cancel the third-party subscription; the change takes effect after the current billing cycle.

DVR

Philo says the 12-month DVR applies when you’re billed directly by Philo.

Direct billing is cheaper and keeps the full DVR.

How Philo rates on the US App Store

On October 23, 2026, the Philo app had 4.8 out of 5 stars from about 69,600 ratings on the US App Store.

What the number covers

The iPhone and iPad app over its lifetime, not the service on your TV.

How to use it

Try Free Channels or the 7-day trial on your own devices first.

A strong app rating; the trial is the better test.

Quality and devices

What picture and sound depend on, and where it works.

Where you can watch

Where you can watch
TVs, streaming devices, phones and the webExamplesThe Philo app, including Roku, and philo.comCaveatUp to 3 streams at once; a fourth stops the longest-running stream.

App ratings in the stores

These are ratings from store users. They rate how the app works; they say nothing about whether the subscription price is fair.

App Store

iOS and iPadOS
4,8out of 5

69,607 ratings

Source

Ratings change constantly and often drop after price increases or removed features. We show the value from the check date together with the number of reviews, because 4.8 from two hundred and 4.5 from two million ratings aren’t the same thing.

Account and household

Profiles, downloads, sharing and how to cancel.

Profiles and streams

  • Up to 10 profiles per account, each with its own sign-in, viewing history and recommendations.
  • Three streams can play at the same time.
  • If a fourth stream starts, the longest-running stream stops.

Profiles aren’t streams

Ten people can have profiles, but only three can watch at once.

DVR and recordings

DVR and recordings
DVRHow it worksUnlimited, kept up to 1 year
Ads in recordingsHow it worksYou can fast-forward
Free ChannelsHow it worksSelect recordings for up to 30 days
Philo says the 12-month DVR applies when you’re billed directly by Philo.

Canceling

Philo has no contract. Cancel on philo.com if you pay Philo directly, or with Amazon, Apple, Google, Roku or Samsung if they bill you. You can reactivate any time.

Monthly, no contract

You keep the paid plan to the end of the billing cycle; no refunds.

Through a third-party biller

Cancel with that biller — and note it may charge a surcharge Philo doesn’t.

Free Channels stay

After the paid period ends, you can still watch Philo’s Free Channels.

Separate page: how to cancel this subscription →

Trial, streams and billing

The Philo rules that catch people out.

Trial, streams and billing
Free trialLimit7 days, Essential onlyWhat it depends onOne per household; not for past subscribers
StreamsLimit3 at onceWhat it depends onA fourth stops the longest-running stream
ProfilesLimitUp to 10What it depends onOwn history and recommendations
RefundsLimitNoneWhat it depends onCanceling stops future charges
Third-party billingLimitMay add a surchargeWhat it depends onAmazon, Apple, Google, Roku, Samsung, Vizio

Bundle+ has no trial

Philo’s 7-day free trial isn’t available with Bundle+.

What we don’t claim

Common claims about Philo, next to what Philo says.

  • Every Philo plan has a free trial.

    Only Essential — the 7-day trial isn’t available with Bundle+.

  • Philo costs the same everywhere you buy it.

    Third-party billers such as Amazon, Apple or Roku may add a surcharge.

  • Bundle+ includes ad-free HBO Max.

    It includes HBO Max Basic with Ads; HBO Max Standard is a separate add-on.

This list isn’t an accusation against the service. If you find something on our page that doesn’t match the official source, write to us.

When Philo is a good choice

  • Live TV on a budget

    Essential with 70+ channels.

    Compromise: A narrower lineup than full cable replacements.

  • Heavy recording

    Recordings kept for up to a year.

    Compromise: Only with direct Philo billing.

  • Several streaming apps

    Bundle+ with AMC+, HBO Max and discovery+.

    Compromise: All with ads; no trial.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Low price

    For live TV.

  • 1-year DVR

    Skip ads in recordings.

  • 10 profiles

    And 3 streams.

Cons

  • Narrower lineup

    About 70 live channels.

  • No refunds

    Per Philo’s policy.

  • Third-party surcharge

    When billed by app stores or TV makers.

Per year: Philo and alternatives

Price of the cheapest paid plan for 12 months as the provider lists it; below it, with VAT where VAT is not included. Bar length is the price with VAT.

ServicePrice
Netflix$107.88
Amazon Prime Video$107.88
HBO Max$109.99
Disney+$149.88
YouTube Premium$159.99
Philothis page$300.00

Philo compared with Sling TV and YouTube TV

Two budget services and a full cable replacement.

Philo compared with Sling TV and YouTube TV
Streams at oncePhilo3Sling TV1–4 by planYouTube TV3
DVRPhiloKept up to 1 yearSling TV50 hoursYouTube TVUnlimited
Free trialPhilo7 days (Essential)Sling TVNoneYouTube TV10 days
Free tierPhilo100+ Free ChannelsSling TV600+ on FreestreamYouTube TVNot listed
ContractPhiloNoneSling TVNoneYouTube TVNone

If you want cheap live entertainment — Philo

70+ channels and a 1-year DVR.

If you want ESPN or FOX News cheaply — Sling TV

Small plans with add-ons.

If you want a full cable replacement — YouTube TV

Locals, sports and 100+ channels.

Final verdict

Philo is a solid budget pick if its channel list covers what you watch: a low price, a 1-year DVR and 10 profiles. Pay Philo directly, try Essential for 7 days, and remember there are no refunds.

Choose it if

You want live entertainment channels and a DVR for less.

Think twice if

More than three people watch at once.

Skip it if

Your must-have networks aren’t in Philo’s lineup.

Sling TV is the other budget option with ESPN and FOX News plans; YouTube TV costs more but replaces cable fully.

Philo prices

Two Philo plans as its help center lists them.

Add-ons

Prices are per month, plus taxes where applicable, when you pay Philo directly. Pricing may vary through third-party billers, and add-ons such as ad-free AMC+ or HBO Max Standard cost extra.

How to cancel

Philo deals and discounts

We have no confirmed deals or promo codes for Philo right now. When the provider publishes one and we have checked it, the dates and terms will appear here — we never list made-up promo codes.

Track price and deals

Philo free trial

Free trial according to the provider:

  • Essential: 7 days

All free trials

How to pay less for Philo

There is no cheaper option we can confirm right now: among the confirmed Philo plans there is no cheaper annual version of the same plan and no family or student plan.

Compare the price with alternatives: Disney+ price · HBO Max price · Netflix price

We only show the provider’s official options — no shared accounts and no region switching.

Related articles

What subscribers complain about: a study of 26,598 reviewsStudent Discounts on Streaming and Subscriptions in the US (2026)Which Streaming Services Have Local Channels? ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC (2026)

FAQ

It’s worth it if you want live entertainment channels and a DVR for less. Think twice if more than three people watch at once. Skip it if your must-have networks aren’t in Philo’s lineup.

Bundle+ adds All Reality on demand, AMC+ with ads, HBO Max Basic with Ads and discovery+ with ads to the Essential lineup — but has no free trial.

Yes, 7 days of Essential for new customers, one per household. Bundle+ has no trial.

Three streams at a time; a fourth stops the longest-running stream. An account can have up to 10 profiles.

Up to a year when you’re billed directly by Philo; Free Channels recordings up to 30 days.

No — Philo says third-party billers may add a surcharge, and the best price is on philo.com.

Philo’s plans page doesn’t list one.

For older legacy plans, yes: Philo moved them to its 1-year DVR legacy plan at a higher price, and for legacy plans billed through Amazon the new price started November 7, 2025. For new subscribers, Philo added a cheaper Essential plan on March 10, 2026, next to Bundle+, the former Philo Core.

It depends on who charges you: Apple, Google, your carrier or TV provider, or the service itself. The guide walks through each channel step by step. How to cancel a subscription

How we work

This page is a comparison, and for every claim we say where it comes from.

The provider’s sources

The facts come from the Philo website (philo.com) and the Philo help center (help.philo.com).

We keep prices out of the text

Prices are in the price block, in the currency of the provider’s price list, with a source and a date.

How we check the data

If anything on this page has gone out of date, write to us — we’ll fix it and note the date.

The order in the comparison is decided by the type of service; commission size doesn’t affect it.

Some links to providers are affiliate links: if you subscribe through them, we may earn a commission. It affects neither the price nor the placement in the comparison. Affiliate links are always labeled next to the link itself.

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We compare the regular monthly price after promotions and free trials.

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