Short answer: Frndly TV is the cheapest legitimate live TV service in the US, and for one kind of viewer it's excellent value: someone who watches Hallmark, Lifetime, A&E, History and similar comfort channels and nothing else. The Classic plan at $10.99 a month is the one to get. The catch is quality and scope. The top picture quality is 720p, there's no sport, no news beyond weather, no local channels, and no big cable entertainment networks like HGTV or AMC. If any of those matter, Philo or Sling is a better starting point.
At a glance
Frndly TV, September 2026
| Price | $8.99, $10.99 or $12.99 a month |
| Channels | 50+ family and lifestyle channels |
| Best plan | Classic: HD, 2 streams, unlimited DVR |
| Missing | Sports, news, locals, HGTV, AMC, Food Network |
| Verdict | Great for Hallmark households; too narrow for most |
The three plans, and which one to pick
Every plan has the same channel lineup. You're choosing picture quality, screens and recording.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Quality | Streams | DVR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $8.99 | $83.88 | SD (480p) | 1 | None |
| Classic | $10.99 | $95.88 | HD (720p) | 2 | Unlimited, kept 3 months |
| Premium | $12.99 | $119.88 | HD (720p) | 4 | Unlimited, kept 9 months |
Skip Basic. Standard definition on a modern 50-inch TV looks soft, and with no DVR you're back to watching on the channel's schedule. Two dollars more for Classic fixes both.
Classic is the sweet spot for one or two viewers. HD, two screens, and unlimited recordings kept for three months.
Premium makes sense for a family with more than two TVs going at once, or someone who keeps recordings for months.
The annual plans are unusually good value. Classic annual works out to $7.99 a month, a saving of $36 over the year. Because Frndly's content isn't seasonal the way sport is, most people who stay a year would benefit. But try the 7-day free trial first, and only go annual if you're sure.
What you get, and what you don't
Frndly TV has been built around family-friendly, low-conflict viewing, which is also why it's so cheap: it leaves out the expensive channels.
The main draws: Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mysteries and Hallmark Family; A&E, History and Lifetime, along with Lifetime Movie Network; TLC; faith and family channels such as UPtv, BYUtv and Great American Family (lineups vary, so check Frndly's channel page); plus Game Show Network, children's channels such as BabyFirst, and The Weather Channel.
What's missing, and matters:
- No local channels. No ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox or PBS. An antenna solves this for free in most areas; our antenna guide explains how to check your reception.
- No sport. No ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT or regional networks.
- No news networks. No CNN, Fox News or MSNBC.
- No big cable entertainment. HGTV, Food Network, AMC, Discovery, Bravo and USA aren't on Frndly.
That last point surprises people who expect Frndly to be a cheap Philo. It isn't. The overlap is Hallmark, A&E, Lifetime and History; Philo adds the Discovery and AMC families.
Frndly also sells optional on-demand add-ons, such as Hallmark+, Lifetime Movie Club, A&E Crime Central and HISTORY Vault. These are libraries, not extra live channels, and they add a few dollars each. Only buy one if you'd watch it weekly.
Picture, DVR and the app
Picture quality tops out at 720p. That's not unusual for the channels involved, many of which are broadcast at 720p or 1080i anyway, but there's no 1080p or 4K option at any price. On a large TV you'll notice it on fine detail. For Hallmark movies and reality shows, most people don't mind.
The DVR is generous for the price. Unlimited recordings on Classic and Premium, with shows kept for three or nine months. There's also a lookback feature: reviews describe a 72-hour window for catching up on recently aired shows without having recorded them. For how cloud DVR generally works, see our recording explainer.
Devices: Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Google TV, Chromecast, Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, iPhone, Android and the web. LG TVs are a notable gap according to 2026 listings; if you have an LG, plan on a streaming stick. Our Roku guide covers setup on the most common platform.
No contract. It's month to month, or annual if you choose.
Ads: the live channels carry their normal ad breaks. There's no ad-free tier, but DVR recordings let you skip through them.
Frndly TV vs Philo vs Sling
These are the three cheap live TV services that come up most often. Here's how they compare on what actually differs.
| Frndly TV Classic | Philo | Sling Orange or Blue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $10.99 | $25 (or $33 with HBO Max) | $45.99 |
| Hallmark | Yes | Yes | No |
| HGTV, Food Network, AMC | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sport | No | No | Yes |
| News networks | No | No | Yes |
| Streams | 2 | 3 | 1 (Orange) or 3 (Blue) |
| DVR | Unlimited, 3 months | Unlimited, up to a year | 50 hours |
The pattern is clear. If Hallmark and Lifetime are the heart of it, Frndly is less than half Philo's price. If you also want HGTV, Food Network or AMC, Philo is worth the extra $14. Sling only makes sense if you need sport or news. We cover the Philo and Sling decision in detail in Sling TV vs Philo.
Three setups built around Frndly
Frndly works best as one piece of a cheap setup rather than a full replacement for cable. These are the combinations that make sense, with approximate yearly costs at September 2026 prices.
| Setup | Approx. per year | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Frndly Classic (annual) + antenna | about $96, plus a one-off $30 to $60 antenna | Hallmark, Lifetime, A&E, History, plus all local news and network shows |
| Frndly Classic + one on-demand app | about $190 to $280 | The above plus a library like Netflix's basic tier or Peacock |
| Frndly Classic + Philo | about $430 | Adds HGTV, Food Network, AMC and Discovery |
The first row is the headline. For less than $10 a month, plus an antenna you buy once, a household gets its comfort channels and its local news. That's a fraction of what the same home would pay for any full live TV bundle.
The third row is a warning, not a recommendation. If you find yourself adding Philo to Frndly, you'd usually be better off with Philo alone, since it already carries most of Frndly's key channels.
What we'd like Frndly to fix
Based on its published specs, three things hold the service back. The 720p ceiling feels dated on the large TVs most people now own, and even a 1080p option on Premium would help. The lack of an LG app pushes some viewers into buying extra hardware. And the Basic plan's standard-definition picture and missing DVR make it poor value next to Classic; it's there to advertise a low starting price more than to be chosen.
Who it's for
A great fit for:
- Hallmark fans, especially from October through December, when Hallmark's holiday movies dominate the schedule.
- Older viewers who want a handful of familiar channels without paying for sport they'll never watch.
- Families wanting a cheap, low-risk channel lineup for kids and grandparents.
- Anyone pairing it with an antenna for local news, which makes a $10.99 setup that covers a surprising amount.
Not a fit for:
- Anyone who watches live sport.
- Cable news viewers.
- Viewers who care about picture quality on a big screen.
- People who mostly watch HGTV, Food Network or Discovery shows.
If you fall in the "not a fit" group, our guide to the cheapest ways to watch live TV lays out the next steps up.
A word of caution while shopping at this price point. Frndly TV is a licensed service with apps in the official stores. Sellers offering "hundreds of channels for $10" are not the same thing, even if the price looks similar. The difference is that Frndly actually pays for the channels it carries, and it'll still be there next month.
Quick answers
How much is Frndly TV? $8.99 a month for Basic, $10.99 for Classic and $12.99 for Premium in 2026. Annual plans cost $83.88, $95.88 and $119.88.
Does Frndly TV have local channels? No. It carries no ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox or PBS stations.
Does Frndly TV have Hallmark Channel? Yes, along with Hallmark Mysteries and Hallmark Family.
Does Frndly TV have sports or news? No sport and no cable news networks. It carries The Weather Channel.
Is there a free trial? Yes, 7 days.
How many screens can I watch on? One on Basic, two on Classic, four on Premium.
Does Frndly TV have a DVR? Classic and Premium include unlimited DVR, keeping recordings for three and nine months respectively. Basic has none.
Is Frndly TV better than Philo? It's much cheaper and fine for Hallmark and Lifetime fans. Philo is better if you want HGTV, Food Network, AMC or Discovery.
Plan details from Frndly TV's help centre and 2026 listings; channel lineups and supported devices change, so check Frndly's current channel page before subscribing. Checked September 2026.