We all know Philo and Frndly TV are budget-friendly alternatives to more stacked (or is it bloated?) live TV streaming services. But how do they compare to the popular Sling Blue plan? You'll be surprised to know that Philo has notable channels the two others don't, namely, Paramount Network, MTV, and Nickelodeon. And for its part, the family-friendly Frndly is the only one among the three to have QVC and The Weather Channel (though it is also the only one without Discovery). But if local news is your priority, then Sling Blue might have them all beat: in select markets, it offers local NBC, Fox, and ABC networks.
The downside to Sling Blue, however, is its limited DVR storage. Unlike Philo and Frndly, which have unlimited cloud DVR, you can only record up to 50 hours on Sling. So, whether you're comparing channels, DVR, device compatibilities, or free-trial lengths, you can read below to see how all three services match up to one another.
Philo vs Frndly TV vs Sling Blue
Which is cheaper?
The cheapest of the three streaming service in order are: Frndly TV ($6.99), Philo ($28), and the most expensive of the bunch, Sling Blue ($45).
Philo vs Frndly TV vs Sling Blue channel lineups
| Channel | Philo $28/month |
Frndly TV $6.99/month |
Sling Blue $45/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&E | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AccuWeather | Yes | Yes | - |
| AMC | Yes | - | Yes |
| American Heroes Channel | Yes | - | - |
| Animal Planet | Yes | - | - |
| aspireTV | Yes | - | - |
| AXS TV | Yes | - | Yes |
| BBC America | Yes | - | Yes |
| BBC World News | Yes | - | - |
| BET | Yes | - | Yes |
| BET Her | Yes | - | - |
| Bloomberg | - | - | Yes |
| Bloomberg Television | - | - | Yes |
| Bravo | - | - | Yes |
| BYUtv | - | Yes | - |
| Cartoon Network | - | - | Yes |
| Catchy Comedy | Yes | - | - |
| Charge! | - | - | Yes |
| Cheddar | Yes | - | - |
| Cheddar News | Yes | - | - |
| Circle | - | Yes | - |
| Cleo | Yes | - | - |
| Cleo TV | Yes | - | - |
| CMT | Yes | - | - |
| CNN | - | - | Yes |
| Comedy Central | Yes | - | Yes |
| Comet | - | - | Yes |
| Cooking Channel | Yes | - | - |
| Crackle | Yes | - | - |
| Crime-Investigation | Yes | Yes | - |
| Curiosity Channel | - | Yes | - |
| DECADES | - | Yes | - |
| Destination America | Yes | - | - |
| Discovery | Yes | - | Yes |
| Discovery Channel | Yes | - | Yes |
| Discovery Family | Yes | - | - |
| Discovery Life | Yes | - | - |
| Dove Channel | - | Yes | - |
| E! | - | - | Yes |
| EPIX Drive-In | - | - | Yes |
| FETV | Yes | Yes | - |
| FMC | - | Yes | - |
| Food Network | Yes | - | Yes |
| Fox News | - | - | Yes |
| Fox News Channel | - | - | Yes |
| Fox Sports | - | - | Yes |
| Fox Sports 1 | - | - | Yes |
| Fox Sports 1 (FS1) | - | - | Yes |
| FS1 | - | - | Yes |
| Fuse | - | - | Yes |
| FX | - | - | Yes |
| FYI | Yes | Yes | - |
| Game Show Network | Yes | - | - |
| GetTV | Yes | Yes | - |
| Great American Family | Yes | Yes | - |
| Great American Living | Yes | Yes | - |
| Gusto TV | Yes | - | - |
| Hallmark | Yes | Yes | - |
| Hallmark Channel | Yes | Yes | - |
| Hallmark Family | Yes | Yes | - |
| Hallmark Mystery | Yes | Yes | - |
| Heartland | - | Yes | - |
| Heroes & Icons | Yes | Yes | - |
| HGTV | Yes | - | Yes |
| History | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| History Channel | - | Yes | - |
| HLN | - | - | Yes |
| ID | - | - | Yes |
| IFC | Yes | - | Yes |
| INSP | Yes | Yes | - |
| Investigation Discovery | Yes | - | Yes |
| Investigation Discovery (ID) | - | - | Yes |
| ION | - | Yes | - |
| ION Mystery | - | Yes | - |
| Justice Central | - | Yes | - |
| Justice Central TV | - | Yes | - |
| KIN | Yes | - | - |
| Lifetime | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lifetime Movie Network | - | Yes | - |
| LMN | Yes | - | - |
| Local Now | - | Yes | Yes |
| Logo | Yes | - | - |
| Magnolia Network | Yes | - | - |
| MeTV | Yes | Yes | - |
| MeTV Toons | Yes | Yes | - |
| Military HISTORY | - | Yes | - |
| Motor Trend | Yes | - | - |
| MSNBC | - | - | Yes |
| MTV | Yes | - | - |
| MTV Classic | Yes | - | - |
| MTV Live | Yes | - | - |
| MTV2 | Yes | - | - |
| National Geographic | - | - | Yes |
| NBC | - | - | Yes |
| NFL Network | - | - | Yes |
| Nick Jr. | Yes | - | Yes |
| Nickelodeon | Yes | - | - |
| Nicktoons | Yes | - | - |
| Outdoor Channel | - | Yes | - |
| Paramount Network | Yes | - | - |
| PlayersTV | Yes | - | - |
| pocket.watch | Yes | - | - |
| Pop | Yes | - | - |
| Pop TV | Yes | - | - |
| QVC | - | Yes | - |
| Recipe.TV | - | Yes | - |
| RetroCrush | Yes | - | - |
| REVOLT | Yes | - | - |
| Revry | Yes | - | - |
| Ryan and Friends | Yes | - | - |
| Science | Yes | - | - |
| Science Channel | Yes | - | - |
| Smithsonian Channel | Yes | - | - |
| Sportsman Channel | - | Yes | - |
| Start TV | Yes | Yes | - |
| Story Television | Yes | Yes | - |
| Sundance TV | Yes | - | - |
| SYFY | - | - | Yes |
| Tastemade | Yes | - | - |
| TBS | - | - | Yes |
| TeenNick | Yes | - | - |
| The Weather Channel | - | Yes | - |
| TLC | Yes | - | Yes |
| TNT | - | - | Yes |
| Travel Channel | Yes | - | Yes |
| truTV | - | - | Yes |
| TV Land | Yes | - | - |
| TV One | Yes | - | - |
| UPtv | Yes | Yes | - |
| USA | - | - | Yes |
| Vevo 80s | Yes | - | - |
| Vevo 90s | Yes | - | - |
| Vevo Country | Yes | - | - |
| Vevo Hip-Hop | Yes | - | - |
| Vevo Pop | Yes | - | - |
| VH1 | Yes | - | - |
| Vice | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| W | Yes | Yes | - |
| WE tv | Yes | - | - |
| Weather Channel | - | Yes | - |
Device availability comparaison
Where each streaming service has an app:| Device | Philo $28/month |
Frndly TV $6.99/month |
Sling Blue $45/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airplay | Yes | - | Yes |
| Airplay supported | Yes | - | Yes |
| AirTV | - | - | Yes |
| Amazon Fire TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Android TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chromecast | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fire TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Yes | - | - |
| LG | - | - | Yes |
| LG TV | - | - | Yes |
| Roku | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Samsung | Yes | - | Yes |
| Samsung TV | Yes | - | Yes |
| Xbox | - | - | Yes |
| Xbox 360 | - | - | Yes |
Trials: Philo includes a free trial
Philo has a free trial of 7 days.
Trials: Frndly TV includes a free trial
Frndly TV has a free trial of 7 days.
Trial: Sling Blue does not offer a trial
Sling Blue is currently not offering a trial.
Why get Philo?
Nothing beats the price: $28 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.
Why get Frndly TV?
Frndly is one of the cheapest Live TV streaming services out there, so if there is a chance you're only interested in the channels it offers (such as Hallmark), go for it. However, if you like more options and are willing to pay more, there are streaming services with many (many!) more options.
Why get Sling Blue?
If you like channels such as Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, and TBS, Sling Blue is a cheap alternative to cable - costing only $40 a month.
If you like channels such as Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, and TBS, Sling Blue is a cheap alternative to cable - costing only $40 a month.
Price: $45/month
Device availability: Airplay supported, AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox 360
Channel lineup: A&E, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Bravo, Cartoon Network, Charge!, CNN, Comedy Central, Comet, Discovery Channel, E!, EPIX Drive-In, Food Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fuse, FX, HGTV, History, HLN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Local Now, MSNBC, National Geographic, NFL Network, Nick Jr., SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, USA, Vice
Ready to cut the cord? Here are the 14 live TV streaming services that offer a free trial.
More lists
Lists on how to save money by cutting the cord.
The streaming services on this page were chosen by our editors. 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.