Odds are, your entertainment budget won’t cover all the streaming options out there. The only way you get the best mix of content is by comparing each service against all the others. Fortunately, Flixed has done it for you so you can sort things out quickly. Here we consider the choice of Philo vs Vidgo. Which one is the best match for you? Read on to find out!
Quick overview: Philo vs Vidgo
Philo is one of the most affordable Live TV streaming services out there. But getting to that low monthly price required hard choices. Philo took the typical basic cable lineup and stripped away all the channels that make cable so expensive. That means no sports channels, no local channels and none of the major news networks. What’s left is a lineup of popular lifestyle and entertainment channels.
Vidgo wants to be your affordable alternative to cable TV with interesting social features such as live chats and watch parties. Plans come in at a similar cost per month as rival services that offer full lineups of news, local, sports, lifestyle and entertainment channels. However, Vidgo’s lineup isn’t complete since you don’t get CBS, NBC or their respective cable channels.
| Philo | Vidgo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $25/month | Vidgo Plus $69.99/month |
| Vidgo Premium $84.99/month | ||
| Free Trial Length | 1 day with an email address or mobile number plus another 6 days with a credit card number. | No free trial. |
| Number of Channels | 70+ lifestyle and entertainment channels | Vidgo Plus 110+ channels |
| Vidgo Premium 150+ channels | ||
| DVR Capacity | Unlimited recording capacity. | |
| Keep recordings for 1 year. | No DVR feature except a beta test in Vidgo’s Roku app. | |
| Advanced Playback gives you 24 hours to watch some shows. | ||
| Device Support | Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Android, iOS and Roku | Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android, iOS, Roku |
| Simultaneous Streams | 3 simultaneous streams | 3 simultaneous streams |
Best Pricing: Philo vs Vidgo
Philo is a clear winner from a price standpoint — nearly a third of the cost of Vidgo — but which service offers the best value will depend on you.
Philo Base
Try 7 days free
- Unlimited cloud DVR saved for 1 year
- Stream on three screens
- Shows movies and 70+ channels
- 7-day free trial
$28/month
From its launch, Philo pitched itself as the streaming service with all the channels you want and none you don’t. One reason cable costs so much is all the channels you pay for but never watch. Not a sports fan? Or a news junky? Already get dozens of local channels through your TV antenna?
Instead of paying for channels you never watch, Philo’s cheap price and focused lineup lets you watch the content you like.
Source: Vidgo
Vidgo does cost more than Philo, but that’s the price you pay if you want sports channels and the big networks. For a similar cable alternative, check out our Sling TV vs Vidgo comparison. The two services have similar channel lineups and pricing.
Best free trial: Philo vs Vidgo
Totally risk-free, Philo is a better choice than Vidgo. You don’t even need to give Philo a credit card. Register with your mobile number and you can stream Philo for a day. Add your credit card and you can keep streaming for another six days without paying anything.
Vidgo is another story. There is no free trial. You commit to at least a month with no chance of a refund. And be careful of the discount plan since that requires a three-month, no refund commitment.
Best channels and add-ons: Philo vs Vidgo
This category is a toss-up since it all depends on what you want from a streaming service. Philo is perfect for certain people — like those who use a TV antenna for their local stations. A low-cost Philo subscription gives you the basic cable experience without a lot of expensive channels. You can also add premium channels like Starz or Epix for an extra fee.
Vidgo is more suited to people replacing their cable subscriptions. In most cases, however, you won’t get any local channels. If you do, they will only be your local Fox or ABC station. Vidgo does not offer add-ons or premium channels.
What to watch on Philo
As long as sports and 24-hour news aren’t important to you, Philo's channel lineup gives you plenty to watch including channels like:
- AMC
- Animal Planet
- BBC America
- Discovery
- Food Network
- HGTV
- Magnolia Network
- Nickelodeon
For a quick look at everything that Philo has to offer, check out our Philo Channel List. To see what’s on Philo now, check out our Philo TV Guide.
What to watch on Vidgo
Vidgo covers more bases with select networks, sports channels, news and more.
- Disney Channel
- ESPN
- Fox
- FS1
- Hallmark Channel
- Lifetime
- NFL Network
You can see the full lineup in our Vidgo Channel List article. To see what’s on Vidgo now, check out our Vidgo TV Guide.
Vidgo Mas
Only $10 for your first month
- 45+ live Spanish channels
- On demand content
- Cloud DVR
- Stream on three screens
$39.99/month
Vidgo Plus
Only $10 for your first month
- On demand content
- Cloud DVR
- 110+ channels
- Stream on three screens
$69.99/month
Vidgo Premium
Only $10 for your first month
- 150+ channels
- On demand content
- Cloud DVR
- Stream on three screens
$84.99/month
Vidgo Ultimate
- All English and Spanish channels
- The most live sports
- News and local shows
- Stream on three screens
$99.99/month
Best DVR and offline viewing: Philo vs Vidgo
Just by having a DVR, Philo is the clear winner. But Philo’s DVR isn’t just a checkbox feature. You can record as many shows as you want — and keep them for up to a year. That’s a better deal than almost every live TV streaming service out there. You can also create up to 10 user profiles so everyone in the family gets their own DVR library. However, Philo does not offer an offline-viewing mode. Read our review of Philo’s DVR feature for more details.
Except for a beta test project in its Roku app, Vidgo doesn’t have a DVR. What it does offer is an “Advanced Playback” feature. Available on “many of the most popular channels”, this feature gives you 24 hours to watch any show or event. Learn more about it in Vidgo DVR and Offline Viewing article.
Best device support: Philo vs Vidgo
This is another tossup, but Philo slightly edges out Vidgo by supporting televisions and other devices running Android TV. Both of these streaming services focus on the most popular streaming platforms. You can get mobile apps for iOS or Android, browser support for desktops and laptops as well as apps on devices using Roku, Amazon FireTV or Apple TV.
You can read more in our articles about Philo device support and Vidgo device support.
Best simultaneous streaming: Philo vs Vidgo
Philo and Vidgo offer the same three-device limit on simultaneous streaming. You can learn more in our Philo simultaneous streaming and Vidgo simultaneous streaming articles.
Which is better: Philo vs Vidgo?
Overall, Philo is a more polished streaming service. It knows what it wants to be — an affordable source of lifestyle and entertainment content — and it delivers. For a low monthly price, you skip all the channels that make cable so expensive. Philo’s DVR support is best in class, and its device support covers almost everyone. You get seven days to try Philo for free so there’s no reason not to kick the tires.
Having said that, Philo might not be the right choice if you’re looking for a live TV streaming service that can replace your cable subscription. Philo will never have local channels, sports channels or the big cable news networks.
Vidgo wants to be that alternative to cable, but it isn’t quite there. You don’t get CBS, NBC or any of the cable channels those networks produce. Advanced Playback isn’t a great substitute for a DVR. You may be one of those people Vidgo’s perfect for, but you’ll have to pay for a month’s service just to find out.
Chris Casper • Author
Chris Casper is a former tech industry product manager who escaped from California for New Mexico. Now he writes about science and tech while searching for the perfect green chile sauce.
Lisa Holden • Editor
Lisa Holden is an editor and creative based in Houston, TX. Lisa holds a BA in African-American Studies from Temple University and has spent her career working in news publications and magazines, even founding a magazine herself. She began working as an editor for Flixed in 2023. When she’s not editing or working on one of her many creative endeavors (whenever that is), she enjoys traveling to new places and biking on sunny days.
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