Frndly TV Review: Cost, Plans, and More
Frndly TV is cheap, but is it worth it? Our expert review of the skinny-bundle live TV streaming service lays out all you get (and don’t get) with Frndly TV.
Frndly TV
Price: $6.99–$10.99/mo.
Channels: 40+
Cloud DVR storage: Unlimited (3–9 mos.)
Is Frndly TV good?
We think Frndly is good for folks who want live family-friendly entertainment on the cheap. It carries over 40 channels, including A&E, Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, HISTORY, and The Weather Channel, for as little as $6.99 a month. It also offers unlimited cloud DVR storage with its more expensive plans, which are still relatively cheap at $8.99 and $10.99 monthly.
But, if you’re looking for a comparable replacement for cable or satellite TV service, Frndly TV isn’t it. There are no sports or local channels, and the majority of Frndly TV’s channels are—at best—filler obscura (BabyFirst, PixL, Recipe.TV, etc.).
Frndly TV’s biggest selling point is its collection of 10 A+E Networks live channels, which includes favorites like FYI, VICE, and Lifetime Movie Network. If you’re into those channels and couldn’t care less about sports or local content, you may have found your skinny-bundle streamer in Frndly TV.
Pros
- Low pricing
- A&E, Lifetime, and Hallmark channels
Cons
- No sports or local channels
- No cloud DVR or HD on Basic plan
Frndly TV free trials and deals
Frndly TV offers a seven-day free trial to get a feel for its live TV streaming service.
Frndly TV plans and pricing
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
The channel count and lineup is the same with each Frndly TV plan; it’s the cloud DVR and simultaneous streams that’ll cost you a little more. We like the Classic plan with two streams and unlimited cloud DVR storage for three months. if you’re not going to watch that show you recorded three months ago, are you ever? Probably not.
Frndly TV vs. the competition
| Service | Price | Channels | Streams | Cloud DVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frndly TV | $6.99–$10.99/mo. | 40+ | 1–4 | Unlimited (3–9 mos., Classic or Premium plans only) | View plans |
| YouTube TV | $72.99/mo. | 100+ | 3 | Unlimited (9 mos.) |
View plan Read YouTube TV review |
| Hulu + Live TV | $76.99–$89.99/mo. | 95+ | 2 | Unlimited (9 mos.) |
View plans Read Hulu + Live TV review |
| Philo | $25.00/mo. | 70+ | 3 | Unlimited (1 yr.) |
View plan Read Philo review |
| fuboTV | $32.99–$99.99/mo. | 65–260+ | 3 | 1,000 hrs. |
View plans Read fuboTV review |
| Sling TV | $40.00–$55.00/mo. | 30–45+ | 1–4 | 50 hrs. |
View plans Read Sling TV review |
| DIRECTV STREAM | $69.99–$159.99/mo. | 75–150+ | Unlimited | 20 hrs. |
View plans Read DIRECTV STREAM review |
| Vidgo | $69.99–$99.99/mo. | 110–250+ | 3 | N/A |
View plans Read Vidgo review |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Frndly TV is easily the least-expensive live TV streaming service out there, but CableTV.com doesn’t award it the editorial pick of “Cheapest”—that goes to Philo. Why? Philo’s 60-channel lineup makes it a more viable replacement for cable or satellite TV service. It’s like comparing apples to half-eaten apples.
Frndly TV channels
Frndly TV’s channel lineup is almost an even 50/50 split of popular channels and filler—unless channels like the World Fishing Network and UPtv are your jam. Cable staples like AMC, TNT TBS, FX, and ESPN are nowhere to be found, but Frndly TV’s stable of A+E Networks channels are nothing to sleep on, as they’re not available on all live TV streaming services.
Frndly TV channels
| Channel | Frndly TV (Basic, Classic, and Premium) |
|---|---|
| A | |
| A&E | ✔ |
| ABC | — |
| ACC Network | — |
| AMC | — |
| American Heroes Channel | — |
| Animal Planet | — |
| B | |
| BabyTV | ✔ |
| BBC America | — |
| BBC World News | — |
| beIN Sports | — |
| BET | — |
| BET Her | — |
| Big Ten Network | — |
| Bloomberg TV | — |
| Boomerang | — |
| Bravo | — |
| BYUtv | ✔ |
| C | |
| C-SPAN | — |
| Cartoon Network / Adult Swim | — |
| CBS | — |
| CBS Sports Network | — |
| Cheddar News | — |
| Circle | ✔ |
| CMT | — |
| CNBC | — |
| CNN | — |
| Comedy Central | — |
| COMET | — |
| Cooking Channel | — |
| COZI TV | — |
| Curiosity Stream | ✔ |
| The CW | — |
| D | |
| Decades | ✔ |
| Destination America | — |
| Discovery Channel | — |
| Discovery Family | — |
| Discovery Life | — |
| Disney Channel | — |
| Disney Junior | — |
| Disney XD | — |
| Dove Channel | ✔ |
| E | |
| E! | — |
| ESPN | — |
| ESPN2 | — |
| ESPNews | — |
| ESPNU | — |
| ESPN Deportes | — |
| F | |
| Family Movies Classic | ✔ |
| FETV | ✔ |
| Food Network | — |
| FOX* | — |
| Fox Business Network | — |
| Fox News | — |
| Fox Weather | — |
| FS1 | — |
| FS2 | — |
| Freeform | — |
| Frndly TV | ✔ |
| Fuse | — |
| FX | — |
| FXM | — |
| FXX | — |
| FYI | ✔ |
| G | |
| G4 | — |
| GAC Family | ✔ |
| GAC Living | ✔ |
| Galavisión | — |
| Game Show Network | ✔ |
| GetTV | ✔ |
| Golf Channel | — |
| H | |
| Hallmark Channel | ✔ |
| Hallmark Drama | ✔ |
| Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | ✔ |
| Heroes & Icons | ✔ |
| HGTV | — |
| HISTORY | ✔ |
| HLN | — |
| I | |
| IFC | — |
| Investigation Discovery (ID) | — |
| ION | — |
| INSP | ✔ |
| L | |
| Lifetime | ✔ |
| Lifetime Movie Network | ✔ |
| Logo TV | — |
| M | |
| Magnolia Network | — |
| MeTV | ✔ |
| MGM+™ | — |
| Military History | ✔ |
| MLB Network | — |
| MOTOR TREND | — |
| Movies! | ✔ |
| MSNBC | — |
| MTV | — |
| MTV2 | — |
| MTV Classic | — |
| MTV Live | — |
| N | |
| Nat Geo WILD | — |
| National Geographic Channel | — |
| NBA TV | — |
| NBC | — |
| NBC Universo | — |
| Newsmax | — |
| NewsNation | — |
| NFL Network | — |
| NFL RedZone | — |
| NHL Network | — |
| Nick Jr. | — |
| Nickelodeon / Nick at Nite | — |
| Nicktoons | — |
| O | |
| OANN | — |
| Olympic Channel | — |
| Outdoor Channel | ✔ |
| OWN | — |
| Oxygen True Crime | — |
| P | |
| Pac-12 Network | — |
| Paramount Network | — |
| PBS | — |
| PixL | ✔ |
| Pop | — |
| S | |
| Science | — |
| SEC Network | — |
| Smithsonian Channel | — |
| Sportsman Channel | ✔ |
| Stadium | — |
| Start TV | ✔ |
| Story Television | ✔ |
| SundanceTV | — |
| Syfy | — |
| T | |
| TBS | — |
| TCM | — |
| TeenNick | — |
| Telemundo | — |
| Tennis Channel | — |
| TLC | — |
| TNT | — |
| Travel Channel | — |
| truTV | — |
| TV Land | — |
| U | |
| UniMás | — |
| Universal Kids | — |
| Univision | — |
| UPtv | ✔ |
| USA Network | — |
| V | |
| VH1 | — |
| VICE | ✔ |
| W | |
| WEtv | — |
| Weather Channel | ✔ |
| World Fishing Network | ✔ |
Data effective as of post date.
Frndly TV live sports
There are no sports-centric channels on Frndly TV. However, ION does show WNBA games on Friday nights during the regular season.
If you’re looking to stream sports live, you’ll have to pay more for a service like YouTube TV, fuboTV, or DIRECTV STREAM. Read more about your TV sportsball options in our Best Streaming Services for Sports guide.
Frndly TV local channels
Frndly TV add-on channels
| Add-on | Price |
|---|---|
| Hallmark Movies Now | $4.99/mo. |
Premium add-ons like Max (formerly HBO Max) and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME aren’t available through Frndly TV, but Hallmark Movies Now is. If you want to watch an endless stream of Christmas movies over the holidays (or any time of the year, we don’t judge), HMN is worth the extra 5 bucks a month.
Frndly TV specs and features
Like its subscription plans, Frndly TV’s interface and features are as straightforward as can be. One big difference between Frndly TV and most every other streaming service: it offers no parental control options (given its chaste channel lineup, no big deal).
Multiple Streams
| Plan | Simultaneous streams |
|---|---|
| Basic | 1 |
| Classic | 2 |
| Premium | 4 |
Frndly TV’s Basic plan lives up to its name with just one simultaneous stream and, as you’ll see in a minute, no cloud DVR storage and limited video quality. Single viewers watching on a phone could get by with Basic, but larger households with multiple TVs will probably want to upgrade.
Cloud DVR
| Plan | Simultaneous streams |
|---|---|
| Basic | N/A |
| Classic | Unlimited (3 mos.) |
| Premium | Unlimited (9 mos.) |
What “Unlimited” means here: Classic’s cloud DVR will store your recorded shows for three months; Premium will keep them for nine months before deletion. Frndly TV also features a well-stocked on-demand library of shows from its channels, as well as a “72 Hour Look Back” that lets you watch shows aired within the past three days.
Devices
| Device | Frndly TV |
|---|---|
| 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 4, 5 | — |
| Roku Ultra, Express, Premiere, Stick, TV | ✔ |
| Samsung TVs (select models) | — |
| TiVo Stream | — |
| Wii | — |
| Xbox One | — |
Data effective as of post date.
Frndly TV covers the main streaming device bases, but no gaming consoles. Xboxers, ya burnt.
Frndly TV video and audio quality
Frndly TV’s Basic plan streams at 720p standard definition; Classic and Premium stream at 1080p high-def. All three plans feature standard 2.0 audio with no Dolby 5.1 surround sound capability.
Final take: Is Frndly TV worth it?
If you can get by without sports, local, and most popular cable channels, Frndly TV is a worthwhile live streaming deal—though we’d recommend its more expensive plans over the bare-bones Basic tier. Even at $8.99 or $10.99 a month, access to A&E, Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HISTORY, FYI, VICE, and the rest of the A+E Networks channels is a skinny-bundle steal
Frndly TV FAQ
What channels does Frndly TV have?
Frndly TV carries popular live channels like A&E, Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HISTORY, FYI, and VICE, as well as over 20 other lesser-known channels like Decades, Heroes & Icons, and Start TV.
Does Frndly TV have local channels?
To keep its monthly cost down, Frndly TV carries no local channels affiliated with ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, or PBS. You can easily get these channels in your area for free with a one-time purchase and installation of an over-the-air digital antenna.
What is better, Philo or Frndly TV?
If you want a channel lineup comparable to cable or satellite TV, the 60-channel Philo offers a wider selection of content than Frndly TV for $25 a month. But, like Frndly TV, Philo doesn’t have any sports or local channels.
Methodology
Our experts employed hours of hands-on testing with Frndly TV, rating the streaming service on bang for your buck, reliability, and features. Then we matched up Frndly TV with other live TV streaming services head to head to give a clearer picture of its strengths and weaknesses. For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.
