Philo is the cheaper service at $25 a month against $82.99 for YouTube TV's main plan (both as of Oct 2026), but it's built for entertainment only: Philo's own channel list has no ESPN and no local ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX. If you want live sport or local news, it's YouTube TV. If you mainly watch lifestyle, reality and drama channels, Philo covers that for far less.
These two services aren't really rivals. They're answers to different questions, and the price gap reflects that. Below I've put them side by side using each company's own pages, including the channels people don't expect to be missing.
YouTube TV vs Philo at a glance
| YouTube TV | Philo | |
|---|---|---|
| Main price | $82.99 a month (main plan) | $25 a month (Essential) |
| Cheaper or bigger option | Sports Plan $64.99, Sports + News $71.99 and other genre plans | Bundle+ $33 a month, adds HBO Max Basic with Ads, AMC+ and discovery+ |
| Channels | 100+ on the main plan | 70+ live channels |
| Local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX | Yes, by ZIP code | Not on Philo's channel list |
| ESPN and sports networks | Yes | Not on Philo's channel list |
| DVR | Unlimited, recordings kept 9 months | Unlimited, recordings kept 1 year |
| Streams at once | 3 (more with the 4K Plus add-on, at home) | 3 devices |
| Profiles | Up to 6 household accounts | Up to 10 profiles |
| Free trial | Offered to new users | 7 days on Essential |
All prices are in US dollars, from each company's own page as of October 2026. YouTube TV's page also lists intro offers for new users, and Philo has a free tier with no credit card, covered below.
The channel gap that decides it
Philo is an entertainment service. Its channel page lists networks like A&E, AMC, BET, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, HISTORY, Lifetime, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network and TLC. What it doesn't list is ESPN, the local broadcast networks, or cable news channels such as CNN and FOX News.
Here's the twist most comparisons miss: it works the other way too. A&E, Lifetime and HISTORY appear on Philo's list, but none of them appears anywhere on YouTube TV's welcome page, in any plan. So if those are the channels your household lives on, paying more for YouTube TV doesn't get them for you. My YouTube TV channel list shows every network by plan.
Price: what the gap buys you
The difference between Philo Essential and YouTube TV's main plan is large. What it buys is sport, local channels and news. If you need those, YouTube TV's cheaper Sports Plan at $64.99 still costs well over twice Philo, so there's no way to get live football at Philo's level on either service.
Philo's add-ons are priced as extras on top of your plan, as of October 2026: HBO Max Standard ad-free $13 more a month, discovery+ ad-free $8 more, Movies and More $3 more, AMC+ ad-free $4 more, MGM+ ad-free $8 more, ALLBLK $7 more, Hallmark+ $9 more and STARZ $12 more. YouTube TV sells its own add-ons, and the full breakdown is in this YouTube TV cost guide.
DVR, streams and sharing
- Recording: both give you unlimited cloud DVR space. YouTube TV keeps each recording for 9 months; Philo keeps them for a year when you bill directly with Philo.
- Skipping ads: Philo says you can fast forward through commercials on all recorded content, which is one of the main things it promotes.
- Screens: both allow 3 streams at once. YouTube TV's 4K Plus add-on lifts that to unlimited streams at home.
- Household: YouTube TV gives up to 6 separate accounts with their own libraries. Philo gives up to 10 profiles.
Free options
Philo has a free tier: create an account and you can watch its Free Channels with no credit card, and recordings there are kept for 30 days. Its paid Essential plan comes with a 7-day free trial. My Philo free trial guide covers the rules. YouTube TV offers new users a free trial too, but there's no free tier.
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Which should you choose?
- If you watch any live sport, choose YouTube TV. Philo has no ESPN and no local networks for NFL or college games.
- If you want local news and network shows live, choose YouTube TV.
- If your TV is HGTV, Food Network, Hallmark, reality shows and drama, start with Philo and save the difference.
- If A&E, Lifetime or HISTORY matter to you, Philo has them and YouTube TV doesn't.
My verdict
Don't pay for YouTube TV if nobody in your house watches sport or local channels: Philo does the entertainment side for a fraction of what YouTube TV charges, and it even carries channels YouTube TV doesn't. But the moment live games come into it, Philo is out of the running. If the only thing you'd miss is your local news, a TV antenna can fill that gap while Philo covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Is Philo cheaper than YouTube TV?
Yes. Philo Essential is $25 a month and YouTube TV's main plan is $82.99 a month, both as of October 2026.
Does Philo have local channels like YouTube TV?
No. Philo's channel list doesn't include ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX, while YouTube TV carries local networks based on your ZIP code.
Does Philo have ESPN?
No. ESPN isn't on Philo's channel list. For ESPN you'd need a service like YouTube TV.
Does YouTube TV have A&E and Lifetime?
No. A&E, Lifetime and HISTORY don't appear anywhere on YouTube TV's welcome page, but all three are on Philo's channel list.
