Frndly TV Review: How the Family-Friendly Streamer Competes in 2023

In 2023, it seems like we’re all reconsidering how much money we spend on cable and streaming services per month. It can be hard to capture all of the TV shows we love watching in one platform. As a result, it becomes a challenge to find the best streaming services with the right channels for the least amount of money per month.

Related: Try Frndly TV today

We are going to break down our Frndly TV review, so that you can see if this new streaming service will work for you as a way to cut back on TV watching costs this year.

What is Frndly TV?

Frndly TV is a streaming service that offers another option to those cord cutting from cable. Their goal is to provide “feel-good, quality TV for less.” The platform comes with 40+ channels including Lifetime, A&E, and the Hallmark Channel. It’s just as accessible as the other streaming platforms in that you can stream Frndly TV on a Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV.

It includes live TV and on-demand capabilities, so you can enjoy these 40 channels as you did on a traditional cable plan. They offer three subscriptions all at low cost and the two more expensive subscriptions offer DVR recordings. Even if you forget to record your favorite shows, you can watch 72 hours back in time on their channels, so you won’t miss out.

Frndly is growing in popularity and as of December 2022, it has 700,000 subscribers. 

Who owns Frndly TV?

Frndly TV is privately owned, so they are not backed by any corporation. Bassil El-Khatib, Michael McKenna, Andy Karofsky, and Mike McClain founded the company in 2019. Bassil worked at Dish and Sling TV before starting Frndly TV and his goal was to develop a much more affordable option for people who love cable channels. They are headquartered in Denver, Colorado. 

How much is Frndly TV?

Their basic option is the Basic plan for $6.99 per month, which is extremely affordable. This does not come with DVR capabilities, but you get the full list of channels for live TV and on-demand. Another restriction is that you can only watch Frndly TV on one screen at a time with this plan.

For the next level up, you can get a high-definition subscription under their Classic plan. This is $8.99 per month and comes with 3 months of unlimited DVR. By paying another $2 monthly, two screens in your home can watch at once. 

Lastly, the most expensive plan is $10.99 per month under the Premium plan. It is also HD quality with 9 months of unlimited DVR and 4 screens can watch at once. If your whole family enjoys watching these live channels, it’s definitely worth trying out this option.

Frndly TV offers free cancellations at any time, so no commitments are necessary. They also offer a 7-day free trial so that you can experiment with this streaming service before purchasing your first month.

Frndly TV reviews always reference the price. It is significantly cheaper than most streaming services out there. While you will not have access to other popular shows that are exclusively on streaming platforms like Netflix or Hulu, it can be worth the money if you watch these specific channels a lot. It will even save you money as compared to cable. 

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How much cheaper is Frndly TV than Cable?

The short answer is a lot cheaper. The average American spends between $25.40 – $71.37 per month on basic cable. That doesn’t include the combination of cable and internet bills that most people see monthly at a much higher rate. Frndly acts like basic cable in that you do not have access to extended channels, but you’re only paying $6.99-$10.99 per month. If you are looking to cut back on your cable bill monthly, this is a great option that can be paired with other streaming services.

Does Frndly TV have commercials?

Yes, Frndly TV comes with commercials, which is how they can afford to offer their programs at a low cost. Since it is still live TV, commercials exist like you would see on cable TV. You can upgrade the basic plan for DVR plan options, which means you can fast forward through the commercials. If commercials on cable tend to bother you, it’s definitely worth paying an extra $2-4 a month to get that DVR option.

Is Frndly TV legit?

Frndly TV provides channels that are the exact same as cable, so it is legit. There is no need to buy another physical product like a cable box, so you can stream on your mobile device and smart TVs that you already have at home.

Reviewers love Frndly TV because of the live TV access that completely beats cable pricing. A lot of people mention the Hallmark channel or QVC as their favorite channels to access on Frndly TV. This is especially true for the Christmas season, family movies, and great prices on family-friendly products.

Some Frndly TV reviews have expressed the desire to have access to more channels, so while it is definitely a legit streaming service, it’s worth recognizing that there are only 40 channels right now. It may be best supplemented with another streaming service. Even Frndly TV plus another service, like Netflix, would be cheaper than a traditional monthly cable bill. 

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Is Frndly TV targeted towards families?

Yes, Frndly TV was founded with feel-good TV shows and movies in mind, which makes it family-friendly. For example, Heartland, Hallmark, and Lifetime offer movies that the whole family can enjoy. Other channels like A&E do include crime shows, but there is no channel option on Frndly TV that will be as mature as the other streaming services out there.

Frndly TV includes Dove Kids, which is a channel for children that offers educational and animated options. It’s appropriate for families of all ages, so you can feel comfortable turning it on for your children. This channel includes over 12,000 titles that Frndly TV plays, but it is the only child-specific channel they provide.

Interestingly, Frndly TV doesn’t specify a way to add parental controls to the platform. However, it doesn’t seem like there is a general worry as to the content provided based on Frndly TV reviews.

Can I use Frndly TV on my mobile device?

Yes, you can use the Frndly TV app on your mobile device to stream shows. However, you cannot create more than one profile on Frndly TV like you can on some other streaming services. Everyone who is using the account in the same home will have to use the same profile to watch TV. 

As outlined previously, you can watch on up to four screens with one Premium subscription. However, you cannot do other things while watching Frndly on your mobile device. This is important to keep in mind because we often look at texts or browse other shows while something plays on cable at the moment. With Frndly TV, you have to exit the current show in order to pick something else. While this isn’t a make or break feature, it might be difficult for people used to Netflix or Prime Video’s functionality to get used to.

How does Frndly TV compare to other cheap or free streaming services?

Tubi

Tubi is another new streaming platform that offers affordable access to movies and TV. It also comes with ads, but has fewer interruptions than cable and is completely free to access. Uniquely, Tubi is taking over based on the sheer number of options they have for on-demand movies. In addition, they do have live TV, which includes many news channels and even sports networks.

While this seems like a superior deal, the Frndly TV review shows us that it depends on what channels you watch the most. Tubi doesn’t have QVC or the Hallmark Channel and includes non-family-friendly options. If you find yourself watching Frndly’s channels on cable, it’s probably worth getting. You can always use Tubi for free to supplement your Frndly subscription.

Pluto TV

Pluto TV is very similar to Tubi as it is free with commercials and has on-demand and live TV as well. They organize their channel options by genre, which definitely modernizes the live TV streaming game. They also offer more sport and local news streaming options than Frndly TV or others, so this is a key reason why you might use it.

Neither Pluto TV or Frndly TV have an ad-free option that you can pay for, so you can certainly use PlutoTV for free to supplement things you do not see on Frndly TV. Once again, Frndly offers certain channels and DVR options, which makes it worth trying.

Hoopla

As another free streaming option, Hoopla is actually a public library that you can bring into your home. It’s completely free for this reason, but there is a limit to monthly use. In addition to TV and movies, Hoopla provides eBooks and audiobooks through your library card. If you’re an avid reader and a library member, this is a great option.

However, it still doesn’t provide the same services that Frndly TV does. Frndly TV is definitely geared towards those who watch live TV or cable, which Hoopla does not offer. If you think you would benefit from both, you can use these services together, so that you can benefit from your local library as well as get cheaper live channels.

Philo

Philo is considered a pretty low cost option for streaming. They provide TV shows, movies, and 70+ live channels for $25/month. They actually offer a few of the channels that Frndly TV does, but their price point is much higher. For example, Philo includes A&E, the History Channel, and Lifetime, as does Frndly TV. They have channels like the Food Network and HGTV, which Frndly TV does not offer.

Ultimately, if you are looking for a family-friendly service with live channels, Frndly TV is probably the right choice for you. Philo includes more teen or adult-friendly channels like MTV and TLC. There’s no denying that Frndly TV is also much cheaper, but it comes down to your channel usage the most.

What are our final thoughts?

This streaming option will not be for everyone. There are a couple of specifications that make this service more of a cable cutters dream. Specifically, the list of channels is similar to basic cable packages, so you shouldn’t have to give up anything you like watching.

It’s not the most accessible in terms of TV shows but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s goes along with the family-friendly demographic that was the planned customer. If you often enjoy your cable channels and want to find the cheapest option out there, Frndly TV is definitely for you. If you are mainly looking for popular shows and stream on your phone a lot, then we recommend that you look elsewhere or pair Frndly TV with another streaming service that has more mass-produced content.