Hulu + Live TV vs. Philo
Hulu + Live TV has more channels (and Hulu), but Philo carries only the channels you might want—which is for you? CableTV.com breaks it down.
Price: $88.99–$99.99/mo.
Channels: 95+
Cloud DVR storage: 50 hrs.
Streams: 2
Price: $88.99–$99.99/mo.
Channels: 95+
Cloud DVR storage: 50 hrs.
Streams: 2
Price: $28.00/mo.
Channels: 70+
Cloud DVR storage: Unlimited
Streams: 3
Price: $28.00/mo.
Channels: 70+
Cloud DVR storage: Unlimited
Streams: 3
Hulu + Live TV and Philo are both excellent live TV streaming services, but they’re made for different audiences—basically, those who want more channels versus those who just want their favorite channels.
Hulu + Live TV is closer to a standard cable package, offering a variety of 95+ entertainment, sports, news, kids, and local channels, as well as access to the Hulu on-demand library of on-demand content.
Philo is skinny and niche, offering 70+ entertainment and lifestyle channels, and no sports or local channels. But, it is one of the few live TV streaming services that carry the Hallmark Channel—‘tis almost the season for holiday movies, after all.
The biggest difference: Hulu + Live TV starts at $88.99/mo., while Philo is just $28.00/mo.. We think Hulu + Live TV is the better service because of its fuller channel lineup and Hulu catalog, but Philo might just hit that sweet TV spot for you.
Hulu + Live TV vs. Philo pros and cons
Hulu + Live TV
✓ 95+ channels
✓ Hulu on-demand included
✗ Missing some popular channels
Philo
✓ Low price
✓ Unlimited cloud DVR
✗ No local or sports channels
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Deals and promotions
There are plenty of deals to be had with Hulu and Hulu + Live TV, including the popular Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select bundle—check out our Hulu deals guide for all the details.
Philo’s only current deal is its standard seven-day free trial period.
Compare Hulu + Live TV and Philo
| Service | Price | Channels | Streams | Cloud DVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | $88.99–$99.99/mo. | 95+ | 2 | 50 hrs. | View Plans for Hulu |
| Philo | $28.00/mo. | 70+ | 3 | Unlimited (1 yr.) | View Plans for Philo |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
While there are some channel overlaps between the two (both carry Comedy Central, Paramount Network, HGTV, and a handful of others), Hulu + Live TV is more of a “something for everyone” service, whereas Philo targets just fans of entertainment and lifestyle channels.
Plans and pricing
Hulu + Live TV plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | Channels | Streams | Cloud DVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | $88.99/mo. | 95+ | 2 | Unlimited | View plan |
| Hulu + Live TV, Disney+, ESPN Select (With Ads) | $89.99/mo. | 95+ | 2 | Unlimited | View plan |
| Hulu + Live TV, Disney+ Premium, ESPN Select | $94.99/mo. | 95+ | 2 | Unlimited | View plan |
| Hulu Premium + Live TV, Disney+ Premium, ESPN Select | $99.99/mo. | 95+ | 2 | Unlimited | View plan |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Hulu + Live TV’s price varies depending on whether you want the ad-supported or ad-free version of on-demand Hulu—and no, ad-free doesn’t apply to its live channels. There’s no way around ads on live TV, sorry.
Philo plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | Channels | Streams | Cloud DVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philo Core | $28.00/mo. | 70+ | 3 | Unlimited (1 yr.) | View Plans for Philo |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
There’s just one Philo plan, so it’s an easy choice—especially at just $28.00/mo.. But, as we’ll get to in a scroll or two, Philo’s channel focus is very specific and exclusionary to sports and local channels. If you want those channels, Philo isn’t for you.
Live channels
Hulu + Live TV vs. Philo live channels
More so than other live TV streaming services, Hulu + Live TV and Philo have somewhat similar channel lineups. Both carry Lifetime, A&E, HISTORY, and VICE, channels mostly absent from other services—but the resemblance ends there.
Philo has the advantage of carrying hard-to-find streaming channels like Hallmark, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Lifetime Movies, Science, and AXS TV. They’re all missing from Hulu + Live TV, but it does have sports and local channels. As you’ll see, it’s about to get real on the field.
Hulu + Live TV vs. Philo sports channels
AXS TV features pro wrestling, and MOTOR TREND has race car coverage—that’s pretty much all the sports you’ll get from Philo.
Hulu + Live TV, on the other hand, has a decent sports channel lineup featuring most of the essentials: ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, CBS Sports Network, and NBC Sports Network, as well as college-ball outlets AAC Network, Big Ten Network, and SEC Network. If you’re a sports fan, you’ll want Hulu + Live TV.
Hulu + Live TV vs. Philo local channels
| Channel* | Hulu + Live TV | Philo |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | ✔ | — |
| CBS | ✔ | — |
| The CW | ✔ | — |
| FOX | ✔ | — |
| NBC | ✔ | — |
| PBS | — | — |
| Telemundo | ✔ | — |
*Availability varies by area. Data effective as of post date.
Another blowout: Hulu + Live TV carries local ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and Telemundo channels in most markets, and it makes programming from The CW available on demand. Philo offers zero local channels.
Local channels are an easy workaround, though—all you need is a digital antenna to pick up area broadcasts over-the-air for free.
Premium channels and add-on packages
| Channel | Hulu + Live TV | Philo |
|---|---|---|
| HBO Max | $16.99/mo. | — |
| CINEMAX | $8.99/mo. | — |
| Paramount+ with SHOWTIME | $10.99/mo. | — |
| STARZ | $10.99/mo. | $11.00/mo. |
| MGM+ | — | $7.00/mo. |
| AMC+ | — | Included |
| Entertainment (13 extra channels) | $7.99/mo. | — |
| Español (6 extra channels) | $4.99/mo. | — |
Data effective as of post date.
Hulu+ Live TV has almost all of the top five premium-channel add-ons, missing only MGM+. Philo fills in the gap by offering STARZ and MGM+, plus free AMC+. Unless you’re a diehard MGM+ fan (Belgravia, anyone?), Hulu + Live TV wins here.
Hulu + Live TV also offers a pair of multi-channel add-ons:
- Entertainment: 13-channel package featuring BET Her, MTV2, NickToons, TeenNick, MTV Classic, American Heroes, CNBC World, Cooking Channel, Destination America, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, Science, and Magnolia Network.
- Español: Six-channel package featuring ESPN Deportes, Universo, CNN en Español, Discovery en Español, Discovery Familia, and HISTORY en Español.
Specs and features
Cloud DVR
| Service | Included storage | Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | 50 hrs. | 200 hrs. ($14.99/mo.) |
| Philo | Unlimited (1 yr.) | — |
Philo’s unlimited cloud DVR will store your recordings for a full year before auto-deleting them—that’s the sweetest DVR deal in live TV streaming. You could store a whole lot of A&E’s Storage Wars in that baby.
Hulu + Live TV’s 50-hour DVR seems a bit puny in comparison, but you can upgrade to the 200-hour Enhanced DVR for an extra $14.99 a month. Still, we prefer Philo’s unlimited approach.
Multiple streams
| Service | Simultaneous streams | Upgrades | Offline downloads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | 2 | Unlimited ($9.99/mo.) | ✔ |
| Philo | 3 | — | — |
Philo’s three simultaneous streams represent the average in TV streaming, while Hulu + Live TV (and Hulu) stubbornly sticks with just two. Also, if you want offline downloads for on-the-go viewing, it’s available only through the ad-free Hulu plan. Philo doesn’t do offline downloads at all, so it’s kind of a draw here.
Compatible devices
| Device | Hulu + Live TV | Philo |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Fire Cube, Stick, TV | ✔ | ✔ |
| Android phones, tablets | ✔ | ✔ |
| Android TV | ✔ | ✔ |
| Apple TV (4th gen.) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Apple TV 4K | ✔ | ✔ |
| Chromecast, Chromecast with Google TV | ✔ | ✔ |
| Echo Show | ✔ | — |
| iPhone, iPad | ✔ | ✔ |
| LG TVs (select models) | ✔ | — |
| Nintendo Switch | ✔ | — |
| NVIDIA SHIELD Pro TV | — | — |
| PC, Mac web browsers | ✔ | ✔ |
| PlayStation 3, 4, 5 | ✔ | — |
| Roku Ultra, Express, Premiere, Stick, TV | ✔ | ✔ |
| Samsung TVs (select models) | ✔ | — |
| TiVo Stream | ✔ | — |
| Wii | — | — |
| Xbox One | ✔ | — |
Philo is available on fewer streaming devices than Hulu + Live TV, with no support for PlayStation, Xbox, or most smart TVs.
Video and audio quality
Hulu + Live TV and Philo stream live TV at 720p, which is the same picture resolution you get with cable TV. On-demand content from both can stream at up to 1080p resolution, but only the Hulu side of Hulu + Live TV is capable of on-demand 4K UHD, and only on 4K-ready devices.
Hulu + Live TV supports 5.1 Dolby surround sound audio for shows and movies that utilize it (including the majority of Hulu’s originals), while Philo streams at standard 2.0 stereo only. Videophiles and audiophiles will appreciate Hulu + Live TV’s options over Philo’s
Is Hulu + Live TV or Philo worth it?
If you’re a newbie cord-cutter coming from the world of cable or satellite TV, Hulu + Live TV is a smooth transition—it has most of the popular channels you’d expect, as well as sports and local channels. It also includes Hulu, a content-filled on-demand library that led us to declare Hulu + Live TV as our editorial pick for the best value in live TV streaming. In this matchup, we much prefer Hulu + Live TV.
Philo is more of a skinny-bundle bargain for the viewer who has no use for local or sports channels but loves their house-hunting shows, foodie series, murder mysteries, holiday movies, and complete cannabis coverage (gotta love VICE). If entertainment and lifestyle TV is your jam, Philo might be the way to go. It’s also our obvious editorial pick for the cheapest live TV streaming service.
Hulu + Live TV vs. Philo FAQ
Is Is Hulu + Live TV or Philo better?
Hulu + Live TV is a better streaming service for those who want a more cable-like TV experience, with a wide variety of popular channels, including sports and local channels. Philo is better for viewers who want only entertainment and lifestyle channels like HGTV, TLC, Comedy Central, and Hallmark, with no local TV or sports programming.
Does Philo have local channels?
Philo carries no local channels in any market. If you want to get local channels, CableTV.com recommends purchasing a digital antenna to receive local broadcast stations over the air.
Is Hulu included with Hulu + Live TV?
Access to Hulu’s on-demand library of TV shows, movies, and originals is included with Hulu + Live TV, which streams through the same app.
Why you should trust us
Our experts employed hours of hands-on testing and crunched the numbers, rating Hulu + Live TV and Philo on bang for your buck, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction. Then we matched up the live TV streamers head-to-head to give a clearer picture of their strengths and weaknesses. For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.
