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These 4 Live TV Services Are All Cheaper Than YouTube TV

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YouTube TV payment money

If currently subscribed to YouTube TV and looking for a replacement, here are four cheaper live TV services that are worth considering. One of the benefits of streaming is that there are no long-term contracts in place, and this is especially true for live TV. While some live TV services offer a quarterly plan, most operate on a month-to-month basis. As a result, if you don’t like the service you are with or the price has gotten too high over the years, it’s easy enough to cancel and switch to an alternative.

YouTube TV is a good live TV streaming solution, and is actually the most popular service in the United States right now. However, it is not a cheap subscription. While YouTube TV originally started off at just $35 per month, the price has slowly increased over the years. Today, a standard YouTube TV subscription costs $64.99 per month, and the price will be even higher for homes that have opted to add additional channels and upgrades.

Before discussing the cheaper alternatives to YouTube TV, it is important to keep in mind that consumers won’t be getting a like-for-like replacement. Not only will the channel lineup be different, but subscribers might also lose out on additional features or benefits that they get with their current plan. For homes that like everything about YouTube TV, other than the price, they may need to consider carefully whether the savings on offer with a cheaper service are actually worth the trade-offs.

With that out of the way. Below are four live TV streaming services that you can sign up to today, and for less than the price of a YouTube TV subscription:

Cost p/m
Vidgo$55.95+
Sling TV$40+
Philo$25
Frndly TV$6.99+

Vidgo is cheaper than YouTube TV

Vidgo Live TV guide
Vidgo live TV guide

Vidgo might not be as well known as YouTube TV, but it is cheaper, and comes with a pretty decent channel lineup. While Vidgo offers more than one plan to choose from, the Plus plan is the only one that’s currently cheaper than YouTube TV. Priced at $59.95 per month, Plus unlocks access to more than 110 live TV channels including Big Ten Network, Discovery, ESPN, Hallmark, NFL Network, and Paramount Network, among others.

One of the downsides with Vidgo is the cloud DVR. While YouTube TV provides subscribers with an unlimited DVR, Vidgo limits Plus subscribers to just 20 hours of recording space. Furthermore, they only get the 20-hour DVR for free for the first three months. If DVR is important to a home, then Vidgo might not be the best option if switching away from YouTube TV to save on the cost.

Sling TV is cheaper than YouTube TV

Sling tv new app
Sling TV live TV guide

Sling TV is considerably cheaper than YouTube TV, making it a good option for any homes looking to switch services. Sling TV offers two main plans and both of them are priced at $40 each. While Sling Orange is better suited to families and college football, Sling Blue is a better option for news, pro football, and local channels. Sling does also offer the option to bundle both plans together at $55 per month, which means even the combined Sling Orange & Blue plan is cheaper than YouTube TV.

In terms of the DVR, Sling is a better alternative to Vidgo. All Sling subscribers currently get access to 50 hours of recording space for free, and have the option to upgrade to 200 hours for an additional $5 per month. However, Sling’s channel lineups are more limited than what YouTube TV (and Vidgo) offers, so some homes may find they don’t get all the channels they want or need. This is particularly true when it comes to local channels.

Philo is cheaper than YouTube TV

Philo Live TV guide
Philo live TV guide

Not only is Philo cheaper than YouTube TV, but it’s also cheaper than Vidgo and Sling TV as well. The standard Philo subscription costs just $25 per month and unlocks access to more than 60 live TV channels. In addition, there are no recording issues with Philo as all subscribers get access to an unlimited cloud DVR at no additional cost. All of which makes Philo a really good option for homes looking for an affordable live TV service.

While Philo does have a lot to offer, the cheaper price does mean there are some compromises. Although Philo offers access to a good selection of channels, it is not as rich as some of the other live TV services, and homes might find that some of their favorite channels are missing from the lineup. For example, Philo doesn’t offer access to any local channels or any sports channels, ruling it out as a solution for homes wanting to watch live sports.

Frndly TV is cheaper than YouTube TV

Frndly TV channel guide
Frndly TV live TV guide

Of all the live TV services mentioned here, Frndly TV is the cheapest overall. In fact, Frndly TV is a super affordable service with its live TV plans starting at just $6.99 per month. If you want to save as much as possible each month, but still have access to a number of popular channels including A&E, Hallmark, Lifetime, and The Weather Channel, Frndly TV is worth considering.

At $7 per month, Frndly TV does come with a number of compromises when compared to YouTube TV. The channel lineup is far from comparable and some homes may find they are missing out on a number of their favorite channels. In addition, the $7 Basic plan doesn’t provide any access to a DVR. For those that do want to record, the Classic and Premium plans both include an unlimited DVR. With even the most expensive Premium plan costing just $10.99 per month, upgrading is still considerably cheaper than YouTube TV.

Cheaper YouTube TV alternatives: summary

For homes that are finding YouTube TV to be too expensive, Vidgo, Sling TV, Philo, and Frndly TV all offer plans that can help to save on the monthly cost. If the variety of channels matters the most then Vidgo and Sling TV are probably the two options to focus on. For those simply wanting to save as much as possible each month, Philo and Frndly TV might be the best options to consider first.

No matter which of these services a home considers switching to, they are likely to lose out in some respect. Although YouTube TV is an expensive live TV service compared to others, the price does reflect the fact it’s a premium service. Whether it is the channel lineup, the DVR, or any of the other features, homes will likely be making a compromise somewhere along the line when switching away from YouTube TV.

John Finn

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