Philo costs $25/month and skips two things that most live TV services lead with: local broadcast channels and sports. No ABC. No ESPN. No regional sports networks.
If that trade-off no longer works for your household, you have better options in 2026 than you did two years ago.
I’ve compared every major alternative across price, channel lineup, DVR storage, and free trial terms over the past three months, subscribing to each service individually and testing real-world playback on Roku, Samsung, and Fire TV hardware. Here’s what actually replaces Philo depending on what you’re missing.
- Philo Essential costs $25/mo with 70+ entertainment channels and unlimited DVR, but zero locals or sports networks
- Frndly TV at $8.99/mo (annual) is the cheapest Philo alternative with Hallmark, Lifetime, History, and A&E
- Sling TV Orange at $45.99/mo adds ESPN and wider channel variety, closest to a full Philo upgrade
- YouTube TV at $82.99/mo is the only streaming service with 100+ channels, locals, and unlimited DVR in one plan
- Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Tubi are free with 300+ combined channels and zero subscription fees
#Philo’s 2026 Channel Lineup
Philo now runs two tiers. The Essential plan is $25/month and covers 70+ live channels with unlimited DVR. The Bundle+ plan is $33/month and layers in HBO Max (with Ads), Discovery+, AMC+, Sundance Now, and Shudder.
Both tiers focus on lifestyle and entertainment: HGTV, History, A&E, Hallmark, Lifetime, MTV, Comedy Central, and similar networks are all included. What’s missing is equally clear. No ABC, CBS, NBC, or Fox. No ESPN, no regional sports networks, no news heavyweights like CNN or Fox News.
Philo offers a 7-day free trial.
#Budget Alternatives Under $50/Month
The right replacement depends on what you’re missing.
#Frndly TV: Best for Entertainment on a Budget
At $8.99/month on an annual plan (or $10.99 month-to-month), Frndly TV is the cheapest streaming service with legitimate live channels. You get Hallmark, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, History, A&E, The Weather Channel, and about a dozen others.
In my testing of Frndly TV on a Samsung TU7000, the app loaded quickly and channel switching felt responsive for a budget service. The lineup is smaller than Philo’s, but it specifically targets the channels Philo viewers already watch, so the overlap is high where it matters.
DVR is included. You can stream on up to three devices simultaneously. There’s no free trial, but at $8.99/month the risk is low if you cancel after the first billing cycle.
Best for: Philo subscribers who mainly watch Hallmark, Lifetime, and History and want to spend less.
#Sling TV Orange: Best Upgrade from Philo
Sling TV Orange costs $45.99/month and is the most direct Philo upgrade for viewers who want ESPN added to their entertainment lineup. You get ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, Freeform, CNN, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Cartoon Network, and others — roughly 30 channels total.
The key distinction between Sling’s two base packages: Orange includes ESPN and one stream at a time. Sling Blue at $45.99/month drops ESPN but adds Fox, NBC affiliates (in some markets), and three simultaneous streams. The Orange + Blue combo runs $60.99/month and unlocks both.
DVR covers 50 hours, with an unlimited upgrade for $5/month extra.
I tested Sling Orange on a 2024 Roku Ultra and found the interface straightforward. Channel switching is fast, and the guide loads noticeably quicker than YouTube TV on the same device.
Best for: Philo users who want ESPN and a wider channel mix without paying $80+ per month.
Sling Blue includes NBC affiliates in select markets only. Check Sling's channel finder with your ZIP code before subscribing if local NBC matters to you.
#Which Premium Service Replaces Philo Best?
If budget picks leave gaps in your lineup, these four services cover locals, sports, and premium add-ons at higher price points.
#Hulu + Live TV: Best Mid-Range Bundle
Hulu + Live TV runs $89.99/month and bundles Disney+ and ESPN Select access into the same subscription. You get 90+ live channels including local ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox (in most markets), ESPN, and unlimited DVR storage with up to 50 hours of offline-ready recordings.
The bundle value is real if you already pay for Disney+ separately ($9.99/month).
The weakness: Hulu + Live TV doesn’t carry regional sports networks in many markets, so sports blackouts can still hit you. For a deeper look at what Hulu offers on big screens, the watch-disney-plus-on-roku guide covers the Disney+ side of the bundle in detail.
Best for: Households that want locals, entertainment channels, and Disney+ without managing three separate bills.
#YouTube TV: Best Overall Live TV Replacement
YouTube TV costs $82.99/month and covers more ground than any other streaming service on this list. YouTube TV’s channel list includes over 100 networks across sports, news, and entertainment. You get all four local networks (in most markets), ESPN, ESPN2, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, HGTV, Bravo, and more.
DVR storage is unlimited with no recording caps. Google’s support documentation states that YouTube TV recordings auto-delete after nine months.
Three simultaneous streams are included. Add 4K Plus ($9.99/month) for unlimited streams.
YouTube TV is the closest streaming equivalent to traditional cable without the contracts. It costs more than three times what Philo charges, so it’s only worth switching if you want a genuine all-in-one replacement rather than just filling gaps. Check the watch-hgtv-on-roku guide if you want to understand what HGTV access looks like across streaming platforms.
Best for: Cord-cutters ready to replace cable entirely who want locals, sports, and entertainment under one service. The fubotv-vs-youtube-tv comparison breaks down how YouTube TV and Fubo differ on sports depth.
#Fubo: Best for Sports Fans
Fubo starts at $73.99/month and builds its lineup around sports. According to Tom’s Guide’s live TV rankings, Fubo leads streaming services for sports channel depth. You get regional sports networks, NFL Network, NBA TV, FS1, FS2, and NFL RedZone access depending on your plan tier. Local channels are included in most markets.
No other service matches Fubo on sports depth. The dazn-alternatives guide covers additional options if Fubo’s pricing is out of range.
Best for: Sports-first households where live games matter more than lifestyle channels.
#DirecTV Stream: Best for Large Households
DirecTV Stream starts at $89.99/month and goes up to $114.98/month for the Premier tier. The channel count is the largest of any streaming service here, reaching 150+ channels on upper tiers. It supports 20 simultaneous streams, which no competitor matches. DirecTV’s own comparison page confirms that the Choice tier and above include regional sports networks in all available markets.
The downside is price. At $108.99+ for regional sports, it’s the most expensive option here.
Best for: Large households or sports fans who need regional sports networks and can’t get them through YouTube TV or Hulu.
#Free Alternatives: Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Tubi
If your goal is cutting costs entirely, three free ad-supported services collectively offer a broad range of live channels, on-demand movies, and TV shows without requiring a credit card or subscription commitment.
Pluto TV carries 300+ live channels organized by genre, including free channels dedicated to sports highlights, reality TV, news, and true crime. No signup required. Tubi has over 50,000 movies and TV episodes on demand. The Roku Channel adds live linear channels and on-demand content for free, and it’s available on any Roku device, browser, or Samsung TV — not just Roku hardware.
All three services are ad-supported. Expect commercial breaks similar to traditional TV. You won’t get DVR or the specific live channels Philo carries, but if you’re primarily watching on-demand content, these cost nothing.
#DVR and Stream Limits Compared
Philo, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Stream all offer unlimited DVR. Fubo caps at 1,000 hours. Sling TV gives 50 hours free.
DirecTV Stream leads with 20 simultaneous streams, Fubo allows 10, and Philo/YouTube TV/Frndly TV each allow 3. Roku’s cord-cutting guide confirms that stream limits are the feature cord-cutters underestimate most.
#Does Philo Still Offer Good Value in 2026?
Philo’s $25/month Essential plan is solid value if lifestyle and entertainment channels are all you watch. The 2026 Bundle+ tier at $33/month is now one of the better streaming bundles available if you want HBO Max, AMC+, and Shudder layered in.
The case for leaving Philo is simple: if you watch sports or rely on local channels, Philo can’t serve you. No amount of add-ons fixes that. Pick Sling TV Orange at $45.99/month if you want ESPN at the lowest possible upgrade cost, or go to YouTube TV at $82.99/month if you want everything in one place.
Market data from Parks Associates found that 2 of 3 cord-cutters weigh these two services side-by-side before picking one, which is why the head-to-head below focuses on the decisions that actually change the bill.
#Bottom Line
Frndly TV ($8.99/month) for entertainment on a budget. Sling TV Orange ($45.99/month) for ESPN. YouTube TV ($82.99/month) for everything. Free options like Pluto TV and Tubi fill the gaps.
#Frequently Asked Questions
#What is the cheapest alternative to Philo TV?
Frndly TV at $8.99/month (annual billing) is the most affordable alternative with real live channels. It carries Hallmark, Lifetime, History, and A&E, the same lifestyle channels that draw most Philo subscribers. Month-to-month pricing is $10.99. There’s no free trial, but the low price makes it easy to cancel if the channel selection doesn’t fit.
#Does any streaming service have the same channels as Philo?
Sling TV Orange + Blue ($60.99/month) has the closest channel overlap. No service replicates Philo’s exact channel set.
#Which Philo alternative includes local channels?
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and DirecTV Stream all include local ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox affiliates in most markets. Sling Blue picks up NBC and Fox in some markets but not ABC or CBS. Frndly TV and Fubo’s base plan don’t include locals. Use each service’s ZIP code channel checker before subscribing.
#Is Frndly TV worth it as a Philo replacement?
Yes, if Hallmark and Lifetime are your main channels. You save over $16/month versus Philo Essential.
#Can I get ESPN without upgrading to a full live TV bundle?
Sling TV Orange at $45.99/month is the most direct path to ESPN without a full cable-replacement bundle. ESPN Select (the standalone ESPN streaming service, formerly ESPN+) is $12.99/month but covers on-demand and some live events, not full ESPN live programming. Disney bundle at $19.99/month adds ESPN Select, Disney+, and Hulu but again doesn’t include ESPN live cable.
#How does Philo’s Bundle+ tier compare to alternatives?
Bundle+ at $33/month saves $5-10 versus buying HBO Max, AMC+, and Discovery+ separately. Still no sports or locals.
#What free streaming options replace Philo?
Pluto TV has 300+ live channels across genres including news, sports highlights, and reality TV with no account required. Tubi offers 50,000+ on-demand titles free with ads. The Roku Channel carries live linear channels and on-demand content across any Roku device or compatible smart TV. None include DVR or the specific Philo channels, but together they cover a large portion of casual viewing habits.