In a Nutshell
pros
- 24/7 customer service
- 7-day free trial
- Unlimited DVR recordings
cons
- Only one plan available
- Limited selection of news and sports programming
Philo: Plans & Pricing
Philo subscription
Best for affordable access to streaming services
Before committing to a plan, you can trial Philo’s services for free for 7 days.
How Much Does Philo Cost?
While many of its competitors offer a range of plans, Philo has just one package. It carries a $25 monthly fee and includes more than 60 live and on-demand channels.
Its middling monthly cost means Philo is among the most affordable live and on-demand providers on the market. As with any streaming service, however, determining if Philo offers value for money will depend on whether it provides a channel lineup that appeals to you. Although it could be an excellent choice for drama and reality TV fans, Philo is unlikely to be a good investment if your priority is current affairs or sports, as it has a relatively limited offering in these areas.
Here’s a list of some of the popular channels you can find on Philo.
- AMC
- Animal Planet
- BBC America
- Hallmark Channel
- HGTV
- History
- Investigation Discovery
- Lifetime
- MTV
- Nickelodeon
- Comedy Central
- Discovery Channel
- Food Network
- Oprah Winfrey Network
- VH1
- WE tv
- BET
- CMT
Optional Add-Ons
Although Philo only offers a single plan, you can upgrade with the following optional add-ons.
- Movies & More ($3 per month); includes Cinémoi, HDNeT Movies, Reelz, MGM HD, and Sony Movies
- Epix ($6 per month): includes Epix, Epix Hits, and Epix 2
- Starz ($9 per month): includes Starz, Starz Encore, and Starz Kids and Family
Note: You can receive a 7-day free trial for any add-ons you’re considering for your account.
How Does Philo Work?
To sign up to Philo, you’ll need to provide a mobile phone number or email address and a future payment method.
Once you’ve become a member, you can stream its content via the following media players.
- Roku (all current models)
- Fire TV (all models)
- Apple TV (4th generation or later)
- Android TV (5.0 or later and devices must be certified to use Google’s Play Store)
- Chromecast (2nd generation or later)
Alternatively, you can watch via your browser, though your iPhone and iPad, or through Android phones and tablets.
Philo allows you to stream content from your account on up to 3 devices simultaneously, which could prove useful if several of your family’s favorite shows are on at the same time. Likewise, Philo will allow you to create up to 10 profiles on your account, with each user having their own sign-in credentials, saved shows, and viewing history.
As a new user, you can record an unlimited number of live and future shows to your DVR and save these for up to 12 months. If, however, you are an existing customer, you may be limited to unlimited recordings within a 30-day period in which you can save content to your DVR, although existing users can upgrade their allowance.
Overall, we were impressed by the site’s ease of use and didn’t have any problems finding the information we needed about the service.
Is Philo Reliable and Safe?
Philo has a rating of 3.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot, which is classified as average. Several of the users who rated Philo as excellent praised its customer service and stated that it offers good value for money. Those who were less satisfied, however, claimed that Philo includes too many advertisements and that the connection can be unreliable. Be aware, these ratings are based on just 13 reviews.
Although Philo is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has a rating of B with the body, it has a score of 1 out of 5 based on customer reviews.
Help and Support
You can contact Philo over phone, live chat, or through its online query form. Its phone and online chat service is available 24/7.
When we contacted the company over online chat, we received an immediate and very polite response that provided all the information we requested.
Although Philo doesn’t have FAQs, its online help center contains an extensive selection of guides and how-to articles that explain the key points for using the service.
There is also a blog on Philo’s website, which covers a wide variety of entertainment-related topics. Recent posts relate to Black History Month and original movies available through the provider.
What About the Philo App?
You can download Philo’s app from Google Play or the App Store. It allows you to watch TV on the go, as well as providing you with access to the recordings on your DVR.
You can also use your app as a remote control through Philo Connect, which allows you to browse saved shows and search for content without interrupting playback on your TV. Although this feature is currently only available on Android devices, Philo has plans to extend the service to iOS.
Bottom Line
If you’re seeking an affordable streaming solution, Philo could be an attractive option. As well as providing access to more than 60 channels, it offers unlimited DVR recordings and allows you to stream across 3 devices simultaneously. And while its limited selection of sports and current affairs means the provider may not be ideal for fans of this type of programming, it provides excellent value for money for those who prefer drama and reality shows.
