Philo vs Paramount+: which is better?

Philo and Paramount+ are not as big as Netflix or Youtube TV, but they have unique offers between them that are worth considering.

To help you choose which one is for you, we have listed their differences in a number of criteria below. 

In Live TV, Philo wins

Paramount+ has a meager channel lineup: CBS local affiliates, CBS News (CBSN), CBS Sports, and ET Live.

Philo offers over 60 channels, including AMC, BBC America, Lifetime, TLC, MTV, and even the Paramount Network channel.

In on-demand content, Paramount+ wins on quantity, but Philo on choice

Philo's on-demand library includes 60,000 movies, shows, and specials. Paramount+ is stacked with content you can choose from as well, but it is mostly from their partner channels: Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Smithsonian Channel, etc. 

Channels on Philo and not Paramount+ Premium

The channels that Philo has and which are not available on Paramount+ Premium:

Channels on Paramount+ Premium and not Philo

The channels that Paramount+ Premium has which are not available on Philo:

  • CBS local channels
  • CBS Sports HQ
  • CBSN
  • ET Live

Popularity: Paramount+ Premium is more popular than Philo

Paramount+ Premium has 42,000,000 subscribers whereas Philo has 800,000 subscribers. This means that Paramount+ Premium has 41,200,000 more subscribers than Philo. That's a pretty big difference.

Price: Paramount+ Premium is cheaper than Philo

Paramount+ Premium's costs $12 whereas Philo costs $25. Getting Philo instead of Paramount+ Premium will set you back $13 more every month.

Why get Philo?

Nothing beats the price: $25 is really cheap, one of the cheapest ways out there to get Live TV. And the fact that you get unlimited DVR -if you care about that kind of stuff- on top of that is kind of crazy. Just as a comparison, Youtube TV offers unlimited DVR but it costs three times as much.

Go to Philo

Why get Paramount+ Premium?

Soccer fans can enjoy every UEFA Champions League game and every UEFA Europa League game on Paramount+. Football fans can enjoy many NFL and College Football games on CBS Sports. Plus, there are CBS local channels that cover most of the United States.

Go to Paramount+ Premium

Devices: Paramount+ Premium is more widely available than Philo

Paramount+ Premium is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation 4, Portal TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Vizio, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X or Xfinity Flex.

Whereas Philo is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, iPhone, Roku or Samsung TV. That's 7 less devices than Paramount+ Premium.

Channel count: Philo has 82 channels more than Paramount+ Premium

Philo's lineup includes 86 channels whereas Paramount+ Premium has only 4 channels. Getting a subscription to Philo will give you access to 82 more channels than Paramount+ Premium. That's quite a bit of channels.

Trial: Philo offers a trial

Philo has a trial. The trial duration is 7 days.

Find out more on Philo

Trial: Paramount+ Premium offers a trial

Paramount+ Premium has a trial. The trial duration is 7 days.

Find out more on Paramount+ Premium

Philo's specialty

The specialties of Philo are: Lifestyle, News, True Crime.

Paramount+ Premium's specialty

The specialties of Paramount+ Premium are: Action, Family, Movies, Old TV shows, Original series, Science fiction, Soccer, Sports, TV shows.

Channels on both Paramount+ Premium and Philo

The channels that are available on both Paramount+ Premium and Philo are:

    If you choose to subscribe to a streaming service we recommend as a result of our research, analysis, and curation, our work is sometimes (but not always) supported by an affiliate commission from the streaming service when you make a purchase.

    Paramount Plus is mostly a Netflix-style streaming service, offering movies and TV shows on-demand like The Good Fight and Yellowstone. 

    The premium plan of Paramount Plus gives you access to Live TV from CBS: CBS local channels, CBS News (CBSN), CBS Sports, ET live, and some live sporting events like NFL on CBS Live. It also offers on-demand access to programming from Comedy Central, MTV, BET, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Paramount Pictures, and Smithsonian Channel.

    As of 2023, it increased its monthly price to $11.99, but with that comes a significant upgrade: Premium members have access to all of Showtime's content, which includes movies and shows like Billions, Dexter, and Yellowjackets, as well as live coverage on sports including boxing, football, and MMA.

    Price: $11.99/month

    Free Trial: 7 days

    Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation 4, Portal TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Vizio, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Xfinity Flex

    Channel lineup: CBS local channels, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, ET Live