Before we start, we want to highlight a particularly relevant stream in these uncertain times. Sling TV is one of the best options for streaming in 2021 with a rich catalogue of 50+ live channels and 50k+ on-demand movies and episodes.
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Philo: Best Sling TV Alternative for Entertainment TV
Philo Pricing and Packages
Philo offers a single, $20 streaming channel package for subscribers.| 61 Channels 7-day free trial $20.00/ month | 61 channels Starz and Epix add-ons 3 simultaneous streams 30-Day DVR | SIGN UP |
Philo Channels
For your money, you’ll mostly get lifestyle and entertainment channels. The reason that Philo is so cheap is that it does not carry pricey news and sports channels, or partner with local NBC/ABC/CBS/Fox affiliates (which are also expensive to offer). For more information on Philo channels, check here.Philo Supported Devices
Device support is still a bit weak on Philo compared to our other picks. There are apps for both iOS and Android, but there are no gaming console apps available yet or any apps for smart TVs. Other supported devices include Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. The full list of supported devices includes:- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Amazon Fire TV (all models), Chromecast and Roku (all current models)
- Smart TVs: Android TV (5.0 and up)
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android (7.0 and up), iOS (10.3 and up)
- Game consoles: None
- Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers
Philo Simultaneous Streams
You can watch on up to 3 devices at once, and most TV Everywhere services support Philo, so you can log into each channel’s website for additional content. To learn more about Philo’s simultaneous streams, click here.Philo DVR
Philo also has great features, including an unlimited, 30-day DVR. Your videos won’t delete until after 30 days. Check here to learn more about Philo’s DVR.Philo On-Demand Library
Philo’s on-demand library easily beats what you’ll get through Sling TV. Philo provides 20,000+ hours of on-demand content, as well as a 72-hour rewind feature that provides the freshest content from most channels for 3 days.
FuboTV: Best Sling TV Alternative for Sports Channels
FuboTV Pricing and Packages
If you subscribe to fuboTV, you’ll be able to choose between four streaming service packages, starting at $64.99 for 90+ channels.| Family 7-day free trial $64.99/ month | 114 channels 3 simultaneous streams 500 hours of DVR space ESPN SHOWTIME Sports Plus add-on | SIGN UP |
| Family Plan with Showtime 7-day free trial $74.99/ month | 114 channels 2 simultaneous streams 500 hours of DVR space ESPN SHOWTIME included Sports Plus add-on | SIGN UP |
| Ultra 7-day free trial $84.99/ month | 196 channels 3 simultaneous streams 500 hours of DVR space ESPN SHOWTIME included Sports Plus add-on | SIGN UP |
FuboTV Channels
No matter which package you choose, you’ll get a huge number of sports channels, as well as top entertainment, lifestyle, and news channels like USA, TNT, TBS, IFC, CNBC, HLN, and more. You’ll also get local broadcast affiliate networks, in most areas. Importantly, though, fuboTV has one big hole in its sports channel line-up: ESPN. The service has not managed to get ESPN added to its channel line-up, meaning if you absolutely need ESPN, you may be better off sticking to Sling TV or other options. Learn more about fuboTV’s channel packages here.FuboTV Supported Devices
Although it’s app library is not as large as Sling TV’s, fuboTV still has great device support. You can watch on your iOS or Android devices, as well as modern web browsers, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Apple TV. The full list of fuboTV’s supported devices includes:- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Amazon Fire TV and TV Stick (1st gen and up), Chromecast and Roku (2, 3 and 4)
- Smart TVs: Android TV (4.4 and up)
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS
- Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers
FuboTV Simultaneous Streams
Through fuboTV, you can only stream on 2 devices at once. Still, that’s better than Sling Orange, which only offers 1 stream per account, but less than Sling Blue, which provides 3 device streams per account. However, you can add a third device stream to fuboTV with either an add-on or a higher-tier subscription package. You can learn more about fuboTV’s simultaneous streaming policy here.FuboTV DVR
You’ll get a cloud DVR included in the cost of your subscription, which comes with 30 hours of storage (compared to Sling TV’s 50-hour cloud DVR that costs $5 per month extra). You can upgrade this to 500 hours for a $10/month fee. You can also stream to 2 devices simultaneously, and add a third stream for a $6/month fee. You can learn more about fuboTV’s cloud DVR here.FuboTV On-Demand Library
Sling TV promotes an on-demand library of 10,000 hours of content. However, based on the number of channels available through its service, fuboTV’s on-demand library is considerably larger. Most channels provide multiple TV show series, movies, and sporting events on-demand through fuboTV. As well, the service offers a 72-hour rewind feature that makes it possible to get fresh content from most channels on offer for at least 3 days after the content airs. Learn more about fuboTV’s on-demand library here.
Hulu With Live TV: Best Sling TV Alternative for On-Demand TV
Hulu With Live TV Pricing and Packages
There’s just one, simple streaming package available through Hulu With Live TV, which comes in at $64.99 per month.| Hulu + Live TV 7-Day Free Trial $64.99/ month | 67 Channels 2 simultaneous streams ESPN and Disney | SIGN UP |
Hulu With Live TV Channels
Depending on your location, your channel lineup may vary. However, every subscription package will come with a key line-up of sports, entertainment, news, and local networks, including ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, AMC, A&E, HGTV, and more. To learn more about Hulu’s live TV channels, check here.Hulu With Live TV Supported Devices
Hulu’s device support is among the strongest you’ll get. There are apps for most popular streaming TV devices, iOS and Android, some smart TVs, and even the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles. The full list of supported devices includes:- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Amazon Fire TV and TV Stick, Chromecast and Roku (most models)
- Smart TVs: LG TV (select models), Samsung TV (select models), Android TV and Roku TV
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android (5.0 and up), iOS (11 and up), Amazon Fire (tablets)
- Game consoles: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox 360
- Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers
- Smart home devices: Amazon Echo Show (video and voice controls)
- Desktop operating systems: Windows 10 (dedicated app)
Hulu With Live TV Simultaneous Streams
Through Hulu Live TV, you’ll get 2 simultaneous streams per account. This is better than Sling Orange but less than Sling Blue. However, you can also upgrade to 3 streams per account out-of-network, and an unlimited number of streams through your home WiFi network if you sign-up for the Unlimited Screens add-on. To learn more about Hulu’s Live TV streaming policy, check here.Hulu With Live TV DVR
Hulu With Live TV also includes a great, intuitive DVR. Offering 50 hours of storage, it’s comparable to the Sling TV DVR, but you can upgrade to 200 hours of storage for an added monthly fee with the Enhanced DVR Package. You can learn more about Hulu Live TV’s DVR here.Hulu With Live TV On-Demand Library
The biggest reason you may want to opt for Hulu With Live TV over Sling Orange + Blue is the on-demand library. Hulu With Live TV provides over 85,000 titles in its on-demand library, which is a combination of the regular Hulu on-demand library, and the on-demand options available through the live TV channels you get through the service. You can learn more about Hulu’s on-demand library here.
AT&T TV Now: Best Sling TV Alternative for HBO Fans
AT&T TV Now Pricing and Packages
If you’re bargain shopping, AT&T TV Now is not the best option for you. The service starts at $55 per month for 45+ channels, which is $10 pricier than Sling Orange + Blue for a similar number of channels.| Plus 7-day free trial $55/ month | 45+ channels 3 simultaneous streams 500 hours of DVR space Add-ons like HBO and Showtime | SIGN UP |
| Max 7-day free trial $80/ month | 60+ channels 3 simultaneous streams 500 hours of DVR space HBO Max Included | SIGN UP |
AT&T TV Now Channels
Thanks to its large offering, you can get pretty much any popular cable TV channel you want through AT&T TV Now. That includes HBO, which comes as part of the package for the two introductory options, as well as most local broadcast networks, major entertainment networks, and popular sports channels. You can learn more about AT&T TV Now’s channels here.AT&T TV Now Supported Devices
There are a large number of supported devices available through AT&T TV Now. You can stream on every popular TV-connected devices, every major mobile operating system, and a large number of smart TV brands. The full list of supported devices includes:- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Amazon Fire TV (all versions), Chromecast, Roku (LT and up), AirTV
- Smart TVs: LG TV (Web OS 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0, as well as select 2016-2018 models), Samsung TV (2016 through 2018 models), Android TV (4.4 and up), Roku TV, Mi TV,
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android (4.4 and up), iOS (11 and up), Amazon Fire (tablets)
- Game consoles: Xbox One
- Desktop browsers: Chrome on Mac and Windows recommended
AT&T TV Now Simultaneous Streams
AT&T TV Now only offers simultaneous streaming on 2 devices. This is worse than the Sling TV Blue plan but better than the Orange plan. You can add another stream for $5 per month, bringing it up to the same level as Sling Orange. To learn more about AT&T TV Now’s simultaneous streaming policy, check here.AT&T TV Now TV DVR
If you want cloud DVR, AT&T TV Now is now a great option. the company recently beefed up the DVR include 500 hours of storage with a 60-day expiration date on stored videos. To learn more about AT&T TV Now’s DVR, check here.AT&T TV Now On-Demand Library
AT&T’s live TV streaming service provides a much more extensive on-demand library than you’ll get with Sling TV. Not only is there more content thanks to the number of live TV channels providing on-demand content, AT&T offers a good selection of its own content thanks to its ownership of different content providers. You can learn more about AT&T TV Now’s on-demand library here.
Vidgo: Best Sling TV Alternative for Social TV Watchers
Vidgo Pricing and Packages
Similar to Sling TV, Vidgo has two English language packages to choose from. Its Core Package is just $45 per month, while its Plus Package is $55 per month. The Core Package is an attractive offer if you’re currently using the Sling Orange + Blue package. Vidgo Core has the same price, but over a dozen more channels. You’ll also find almost all the same channels in the Vidgo Core package that are available with Sling Orange + Blue. Learn more here.Vidgo Channels
Vidgo is sports heavy, even with the lower-cost Core Package. ESPN, Fox Sports, ACC Network, Pac-12 Networks, and more come included. The service also features a plethora of entertainment and news networks in both English-language channel packages. The Core Package offers 65+ channels, while the Plus Package boosts that to 90+ channels. Learn more here.Vidgo Supported Devices
Device support is still fairly limited with Vidgo, although it has available apps for the most popular devices on the market. Stream on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, on TV-connected devices (including the Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku), or on your desktop or laptop computer. As of this time of writing, the service has no apps for gaming consoles.Vidgo Simultaneous Streams
This service hits the market trend with 3 simultaneous streams available per account.Vidgo DVR
The biggest drawback to Vidgo is the lack of a DVR. At present, there is no cloud DVR available for free, nor can you purchase one as a paid add-on.Vidgo On-Demand Library
To help make up for its lack of DVR, Vidgo provides extensive on-demand content. Almost every channel available through the service includes a wide selection of current and older content. That includes TV shows, movies, and sporting events.YouTube TV: Best Sling TV Alternative for Local Channels
YouTube TV Pricing and Packages
Where Sling TV is complex and hard-to-understand, YouTube TV is incredibly simple. You pay $64.99 per month – no contract – for access to 70+ cable and OTA networks, including most local affiliate stations. You can learn more about YouTube TV’s pricing here.YouTube TV Channels
Whereas Sling TV provides a mixture of channels within different streaming packages, YouTube TV offers 70+ networks in one package. Almost all the channels you’d get through Sling TV’s two primary packages, and many of its add-on packages, are available in one package through YouTube TV. You’ll also get a much better selection of local broadcast networks, which helps make YouTube TV a better option for those without an over-the-air antenna. To learn more about YouTube TV’s channels, check here.YouTube TV Supported Devices
YouTube TV’s supported device library is a bit limited compared to Sling TV. There’s no app for Amazon Fire TV devices at this time, for example, but YouTube TV’s library of apps is still growing. The full list of supported devices includes:- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Chromecast and Roku (most models)
- Smart TVs: Android TV (select models), Samsung TV (2016+ models only), LG TV (2016+ models only), Vizio (select SmartCast models), Hisense (select models), Sharp (select models)
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android (5.0 and up), iOS (9.1 and up)
- Game consoles: Xbox One (all versions)
- Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers
YouTube TV Simultaneous Streams
YouTube TV also offers simultaneous streaming on 3 devices. This is the same amount you’ll get through Sling Blue and more than what you’d get through Sling Orange. Even better, you’ll get mostly the same channels as you get through Sling Orange, but without the 1-stream-per-account limitation. You can learn more about YouTube TV’s streaming policy here.YouTube TV DVR
Finally, YouTube TV has the best DVR service available anywhere. You get completely unlimited cloud DVR storage, and your recording will remain for up to 9 months. Compared to Sling TV’s paltry 50 hours, YouTube comes out on top. Even better, you can create 6 separate user profiles using YouTube TV, and each profile user gets their own 9-month cloud DVR. To learn more about YouTube TV’s DVR storage, check here.YouTube TV On-Demand Library
You’ll find YouTube TV’s on-demand library is vastly superior to what you’ll get through Sling TV. YouTube TV offers a wider selection of channels for the cost, but also has some interesting YouTube Originals, as well as access to more TV Everywhere apps. You can learn more about YouTube TV’s on-demand library here.The Biggest Problems of Sling TV – Explained
Sling TV functions well, it offers a reasonable selection of channels and it has very reliable streaming performance overall. Our problem with Sling TV is that it tries to bill itself as a budget alternative to cable, especially with its much-touted $30/month subscription fee for both Sling Orange and Sling Blue. This is simply not true. The truth is that Sling TV is going to cost you much more than $30 a month. When compared to other competing streaming services, it just doesn’t give you enough for your money. Here are the biggest problems we have with Sling TV. Let’s take a look at them now, and then discuss how other, alternative streaming services address them.Adding more channels is confusing, expensive
Premium networks
You can subscribe to premium channels such as Showtime and HBO for an additional fee. HBO will cost you $15/month, Showtime channels $10/month, and Starz channels $9/month.Extras
“Extras” are channel packages that are built around a certain lifestyle, such as Sports, Comedy, or News. Most Extra packages cost $5/month, but some (like the the Blue Service’s Sports Extra) will cost you $10/month.1-device limit with basic Orange streaming plan
That $30/month Orange plan? Yeah, you’re only going to be able to use it on a single device. This is incredibly restrictive. Even AT&T TV Now allows simultaneous streaming on 2 devices. You can choose the $25/month Blue plan and get streaming for Blue channels on 3 devices – but you’ll miss out on the channels that are available with the Orange plan. Even if you choose to get both services, you can still only stream Orange channels on a single device. Yet again, this shows that SlingTV has been purposefully designed to make people subscribe to their $40/month Blue+Orange plan. A single streaming device is absolutely ridiculous – especially for families who are interested in replacing cable with a lower-cost alternative.Additional charge for DVR functionality
Re: this article. About the time it was written, maybe a little before or after, Sling and HBO had a parting of ways. You can’t get HBO on Sling now. I’ve been a Sling user about a year and a half now and I’m not happy with it. Thanks for the article.
I’m with you. I was a steady user of Sling TV. It’s aweful. They keep raising the price slowly. I have been with them for 5-6 years and the ESPN and Disney channels which are mainly watched are always buffering. It is ridiculous. I have called about it and it’s always stop and restart the app. Also, clear the cache. It makes no sense to do it for 2 channels though. The other channels don’t buffer. I’ll find an alternative soon…
Sony announced they were shutting down Vue back in 2019.