YouTube TV has more than doubled in price since its 2017 launch. When it first hit our screens, it was expensive, at $35, but it offered a substantial array of movies, shows, and more. But now, YouTube TV costs $83 per month.
It’s time to hit the cancel button and move to these much cheaper YouTube TV alternatives.
Free TV streaming services
Free streaming, free media server
It doesn’t get cheaper than free, and there is an impressive selection of no-cost TV streaming channels for those who don’t mind sitting through ads. Here are some of my favorite options:
- Tubi: An ad-supported channel owned by the Fox Corporation. It boasts over 250,000 movies and TV show episodes across 78 channels and has content deals with Lionsgate and MGM.
- Pluto TV: Owned and operated by Paramount Global, Pluto TV offers plenty of live and on-demand content. Its parent company includes some of my favorite channels, including MTV, CBS, and Comedy Central, on the platform.
- Midnight Pulp: Cineverse’s channel for cult and genre film: horror, sci-fi, kung fu, and everything too weird for the mainstream catalogs.
- Plex: In addition to giving you your own personalized media library, Plex offers free, ad-supported live TV, movies, and TV shows. While the content may be limited, I like the interface and the convenience of having all my content in one well-organized place.
However, if the free services don’t have what you want to watch, there are paid streaming options, too.
Frndly
Cheap streaming with loads of options
If you enjoy live TV, with a focus on lifestyle channels and documentaries, Frndly offers an affordable service. Frndly has three plans:
- The basic plan, which costs $8, provides standard-definition viewing on one screen.
- For $10, the intermediate plan doubles the screens and includes a DVR service to save titles for up to three months.
- The $12 premium plan provides four screens and up to nine months of DVR storage.
Frndly’s channel selection is relatively modest compared to its more expensive on-demand counterparts, but as a cheap cable TV alternative, it still offers good value. Over 50 channels are available, including History, Ion, Hallmark, A&E, INSP, Game Show Network, and The Weather Channel. It also offers a sizeable selection of movies and local TV channels to keep you entertained.
Philo
Still half the price of YouTube TV
At $25 per month, Philo is significantly more expensive than Frndly. However, it is less than half the price of YouTube TV and still feels like a premium service. Philo has heaps of brilliant features, with over 70 live channels, a DVR service with unlimited storage for up to one year, and over 100 free channels offering preprogrammed content.
While it isn’t comprehensive enough to replace cable TV entirely, with few news channels and nothing to offer sports fans, Philo has plenty to justify its price tag. Channels include BBC America, BET, Discovery Channel, Comedy Central, Hallmark, SCI, Lifetime, and the Travel Channel, with AMC+ shows and movies added at no extra charge. You can navigate these via a user-friendly interface, though viewing quality maxes out at 1080p (no 4K), and some ads appear throughout Philo’s content.
Sling TV
One of the most comprehensive YouTube TV alternatives
Cord-cutters looking for a cable TV alternative won’t find a better solution than Sling TV. At an entry-level price of $45 per month, it’s certainly not cheap, with extra costs added for services like DVR storage and additional channels. With that said, Sling TV is one of the most comprehensive YouTube substitutes, with plenty to shout about.
Two plans are available on Sling TV: Orange and Blue. Each costs $45, or you can get both for $61 a month. The Orange plan is ideal for sports fans, with ESPN in glorious 4K and ESPN2 and ESPN3 as standard. The Blue plan is more network TV-oriented, with Fox, NBC, and ABC available. This distinction aside, subscribers will receive between 35 and 46 channels, with the most popular movie and TV services available on both plans.
Now TV
Perfect for Xfinity subscribers
If you are an Xfinity internet subscriber, you can add Now TV to your package for an additional $20 monthly fee. The Now TV subscription has 40 live TV channels, Peacock Premium, and dozens of streaming channels to rival YouTube TV.
Channels include lifestyle options like Hallmark, Cooking, Discovery, History, BBC America, Lifetime, Science Channel, Vice, and the Weather Channel. However, it lacks sports channels, and movies are not as well represented as on-demand streaming channels like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Benefits include up to 20 hours of DVR storage and a friendly UI for live and streamed content, with a nifty mini-guide that lets you channel surf while watching.