Channels vs Vidgo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Channels
This app allows you to watch live TV and recorded shows on any device, even when you're away from home. It offers a unified viewing experience across all your platforms, with features like commercial skipping and the ability to record new episodes of favorite shows.
- Record and watch on any device
- Pause and resume viewing across devices
- Schedule recordings remotely
- Skip commercials automatically
- Watch live TV with pause, rewind, and fast forward
- Support for surround sound and closed captioning
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Cut the cord without missing your shows. You don't have to lose your DVR just because you canceled your cable. Channels is easy for the whole family to love. Watch your favorite programs on every TV and device, from the living room, hotel room, or even on your commute. Channels delivers a unified experience across all your TVs, devices, and streaming platforms. Learn more about Channels and how it works at http://getchannels.com/features/ -- Record Your Shows -- • Record in one place, watch on every TV & iOS device. • Pause in one room and resume in another, or on your iPhone or iPad. • Pick your favorite shows or teams, and choose to record all or just their new airings. • Browse or search through 21 days worth of guide data that updates daily. • Schedule a recording from your phone while you're away from home. • Watch your favorite shows or teams while you're away from home. Live or recorded. • Watch your shows while they're currently recording. Don't wait for them to finish. • Your recordings get their commercials indexed, and can be automatically skipped. -- Watch Live TV -- • Pause, rewind, and fast forward live TV. • Support for full 5.1 surround sound. • Full support for closed captioning and alternate audio tracks. • Mark channels as favorites. Browse them for quicker access to your favorite networks. • Full support for VoiceOver. Browse and watch TV with ease. NOTE: DVR features require Channels DVR Server installed and running on your home computer or NAS to stream to your devices. Learn more at https://getchannels.com/dvr-server/ -- People Love Channels -- "One of the most capable cord-cutting replacements for a cable DVR" - TechHive "Apple TV just became the best box for streaming live broadcast TV" — Macworld "Apple TV already has at least one 'killer app'. The new third-party Apple TV app, Channels." — MacDailyNews "I can tell you it’s buttery smooth" — Zatz Not Funny! For questions, concerns, bug reports, and feature requests, contact us on twitter @getchannels or via email support@getchannels.com
Vidgo
Stream live TV channels, including popular sports networks like ESPN and FOX, at competitive prices. Access national and local channels for your favorite shows and sporting events. Enjoy TV on your terms with flexible entertainment packages.
- Live TV streaming
- Access to ESPN and FOX channels
- National and local channel options
- Competitively priced packages
- Live sports viewing
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Experience Live TV like never before! Score the best deal on live sports and TV. Watch all the ESPN and FOX channels at the lowest price available. Get total access to national and local channels featuring your favorite sports and TV shows. Choose from our competitively priced packages. Freedom to Entertain! Please note: This app features Nielsen's proprietary measurement software which contributes to market research, like Nielsen's TV Ratings. Please see https://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy for more information
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Channels at 73% against Vidgo's 19%. Channels also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Vidgo's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Vidgo sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $39.99 per month. Channels asks for nothing beyond the download.
Channels holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 577 and 270 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Channels's written reviews are positive against 19% of Vidgo's.
Channels ships an update every 3 weeks, Vidgo fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Channels | Vidgo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (577 ratings) — better | 2.4 (270 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.8% of reviews — better | 19.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 577 — better | 270 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 108 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fancy Bits, LLC | Vidgo, Inc. |
Customer experience
Channels
Vidgo
Bugs and requests
Channels
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Vidgo
Reported bugs
3 issues- Constant log-outs and login issues
- Channels not working as advertised
- Guide and navigation menus freezing or not loading
Requested features
3 requests- Improved compatibility with Apple devices
- Better DVR and on-demand functionality
- More reliable and consistent streaming performance
In-app purchases
Channels
No in-app purchases
Vidgo
- Vidgo MAS$39.991 Month
- Plus$69.991 Month
- Premium$84.991 Month
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- Ultimate$99.991 Month
