Philo
Depends
Confidence: Medium
US residents wanting a cheap cable replacement should buy.
New check
Comparison
Philo vs Pluto TV
Philo lands on Depends, and Pluto TV lands on Worth it.
Pluto TV
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
Use it if you want free, ad-supported lean-back TV with classic content and zero cost.
| Compare | Philo | Pluto TV |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Worth it |
| Best for | US-based cord-cutters on a budget | Cord-cutters replacing cable cheaply |
| Who it's not for | Anyone outside the United States . hard geo-block | Ad-haters . free means constant ad breaks |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.² | Legitimate and safe to stream, but a 2018 breach exposed ~3.2M accounts; FCC fined Pluto TV $3.5M for captioning violations.14 |
| Support quality | Only a support link on error page | No evidence found |
| Public sentiment | User chatter centers on geo-blocking disappointment outside the US rather than complaints about the product itself.⁶ | Users love the free, cable-style lean-back experience, but many complain the app has grown clunkier and more frustrating over time.12 |
| Biggest gotcha | VPN access is unreliable; service blocks VPN IP addresses⁵ | 2018 breach exposed ~3.2M accounts . use a unique password14 |
Pick Philo when
- US-based cord-cutters on a budget
- Entertainment and lifestyle channel watchers
- Households replacing basic cable
When Philo is not a fit
- Anyone outside the United States . hard geo-block
- People relying on VPN workarounds . they get blocked
- Guess: sports and local-broadcast fans
- Businesses . consumer TV service, not a workplace tool
Pick Pluto TV when
- Cord-cutters replacing cable cheaply
- Lean-back, channel-surfing TV watchers
- Classic TV and movie fans
- Anyone who won't pay for streaming
When Pluto TV is not a fit
- Ad-haters . free means constant ad breaks
- Viewers chasing brand-new releases and next-day episodes
- Premium live sports fans needing every game
- Offline viewers needing downloads
Sources
official
- Philo security page (none found)philo.comofficial
- How to Watch Philo on FireStick | Free One-week Trialfirestickhacks.comreview
- How to watch Philo outside the US (2025)reviewsfire.comreview
- Philo not working with VPN?reviewsfire.comreview
review
- How to Watch Philo Online from Abroad (Outside US)comparitech.comreview
- Unblock Philo TV Outside of the US Using Unlocatorunlocator.comreview
- Pluto TV . official sitepluto.tvofficial
- Pluto TV . Paramount brand pageparamount.comofficial
- Pluto TV Reviews 2025: What Users Really Thinkcheckthat.aireview
- Pluto TV . JustWatch listing (free, no subscription)justwatch.comofficial
- Pluto TV Data Breach . Mozilla Monitormonitor.mozilla.orgsecurity
- Pluto TV Data Breach . Have I Been Pwnedhaveibeenpwned.comsecurity
news