Best IPTV Player: 8 Apps Ranked and Compared by Device

The best IPTV player for most people right now is TiviMate on an Android TV or Google TV device, with iMPlayer as the strongest choice if you also use Apple TV, iPhone or iPad. Televizo, IPTV Smarters, Kodi and VLC each win in specific situations, which we cover below with a comparison table and a pick for every device.

One thing to know first: every app on this list is a player only. None of them ships with channels. You add a playlist or login from a service you subscribe to, and the player handles the guide, favorites and playback.

How we ranked these IPTV players

We compared each player using official store listings and developer pages at the time of writing. Features and prices change often, so check the store page before you pay.

• Platform coverage: which devices it officially runs on and whether it is in an official app store.
• Login types: M3U playlist URL, Xtream Codes login, or both.
• EPG quality: whether it shows a proper TV guide grid and accepts external XMLTV guides.
• Extras: catch-up, recording, multi-view and parental controls.
• Cost and upkeep: free or paid, and whether the app is still being updated.

The 8 best IPTV players, ranked

1. TiviMate: best overall for Android TV and Google TV

TiviMate is built for the TV screen and remote. Its Google Play listing describes it as designed for Android TV, and it is not optimized for phones or tablets. The guide grid is fast and easy to read, and the developer lists catch-up, recording, multi-view and parental controls among its features.

The free version covers the basics, while the advanced features sit behind a paid Premium upgrade (annual and lifetime options have been offered; check the in-app price). TiviMate is not in the Amazon Appstore, so Fire TV owners have to sideload it, and it cannot be installed on the newer Fire TV Sticks that run Vega OS. Our full TiviMate IPTV guide walks through setup.

2. iMPlayer: best for Apple TV and mixed households

iMPlayer, from HzApps (Horizon Applications), is one of the few polished players available in both the Google Play Store (TV and mobile versions) and the Apple App Store for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. It supports M3U playlists and Xtream-style logins, full EPG, external guide sources and local timeshift.

The app is free to install with a premium subscription sold in-app; the Apple listing showed a premium subscription at around $24.99 at the time of writing. Multi-view is available on iPad only, and the listing does not mention recording.

3. Televizo: best free-feeling option for Android phones and TVs

Televizo runs on Android phones, tablets, TVs and Chromebooks via Google Play and was updated in 2026. It handles multiple M3U and Xtream Codes playlists, unlimited XMLTV guides, catch-up, Chromecast, favorites and a playlist editor that doubles as parental control.

It has optional in-app purchases. Recording and multi-view are not listed in its description, so pick TiviMate if those matter to you.

4. IPTV Smarters Pro: familiar, but check where you download it

IPTV Smarters is the player many providers point new customers to, because its Xtream Codes login screen is simple. The catch is availability. The original IPTV Smarters Pro was pulled from Google Play years ago and is not in the Amazon Appstore, so Android and Fire TV users usually install it from the developer’s website. On Apple devices, the developer (WHMCS Smarters) currently publishes Smarters Player Lite, which runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV with a small one-time premium unlock.

Watch out for lookalike apps with similar names from other publishers. Our guide to downloading IPTV Smarters Pro safely explains which version to get on each device.

5. Kodi with PVR IPTV Simple Client: best for tinkerers

Kodi is a free, open-source media center for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android (on Google Play) and Raspberry Pi. Adding the official PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on turns it into a live TV player that reads M3U playlists and XMLTV guides, with catch-up and timeshift support.

It takes more setup than a dedicated player, uses the M3U URL rather than an Xtream login, and does not do scheduled recording. Kodi on iPhone requires a jailbroken device, so skip it on Apple.

6. VLC: best for testing a playlist on a computer

VLC is free, open source and available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Apple TV. Open a network stream, paste an M3U URL and you can check in seconds whether a playlist works. It has no TV guide grid, no Xtream login and no multi-view, so it is a testing and backup tool rather than a daily player. For more desktop options, see our list of IPTV players for Windows.

7. GSE Smart IPTV: a long-running Apple option

GSE SMART IPTV PRO (by droidvision) is a paid app on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, with a separate paid Apple TV version. It supports XMLTV guides and lists live TV recording on iOS. The Apple TV edition was last updated in 2023. Be aware that a different app called “GSE Smart IPTV Player Live TV” from another publisher sells subscriptions. Read our GSE Smart IPTV review for details.

8. Perfect Player: lightweight, but showing its age

Perfect Player was popular on Android boxes and Windows for its light interface. Google removed it from Play in 2019 after a copyright complaint the developer disputed, and updates have been uneven since. For a new setup, we would choose Televizo or TiviMate.

IPTV player comparison table

Best IPTV player for each device

If your TV runs Samsung Tizen or LG webOS, most of the players above are not available in those stores. Plugging in a cheap Google TV or Fire OS stick is usually the simplest fix. Apple TV owners can find more options in our best free IPTV player for Apple TV roundup.

What to check before you pay for a player

1. Confirm the app is from the official developer and, where possible, installed from an official store.
2. Make sure it supports the login your service gives you (M3U URL, Xtream Codes, or both).
3. Try the free version first and load your full channel list and guide before upgrading.
4. Check how many devices a premium license covers if you have several TVs.
5. Look at the last update date. A player that has not been updated in years may break on new devices.

Remember that IPTV technology is legal, but services that rebroadcast channels without a license are not. Check that your content source holds the rights and that it is legal where you live.

Which IPTV player should you choose?

If you watch mainly on an Android TV or Google TV box, install TiviMate and upgrade to Premium if you want recording and multi-view. If your household mixes Apple TV, iPhones and Android, iMPlayer gives you one interface everywhere. Use Televizo for a capable Android option, Kodi if you like to customize, and keep VLC around for quick tests.

A player is only as good as the service behind it. If you still need content to load into it, our plan, IPTV Journal, costs $89 for 12 months and works with all the players above through M3U or Xtream Codes. You can see the plan details here.

FAQ

What is the best IPTV player overall?

For most people it is TiviMate on an Android TV or Google TV device, thanks to its fast guide and features like recording and multi-view in the Premium version. On Apple devices, iMPlayer is the strongest all-round choice.

Do IPTV players come with channels?

No. TiviMate, iMPlayer, Televizo, IPTV Smarters, Kodi, VLC and the others are only players. You need to add a playlist or login from a service you subscribe to.

Is there a good free IPTV player?

Yes. VLC and Kodi with the PVR IPTV Simple Client are completely free. Televizo and the free tiers of TiviMate and iMPlayer also cover basic live TV viewing with a guide.

Is IPTV Smarters Pro still on the Google Play Store?

The original IPTV Smarters Pro is not currently on Google Play or the Amazon Appstore, so Android users usually install it from the developer’s website. On Apple devices, the developer publishes Smarters Player Lite in the App Store.

Can I install TiviMate on any Fire TV Stick?

Only on models that run Fire OS, by sideloading it, because TiviMate is not in the Amazon Appstore. Newer Fire TV Sticks running Vega OS block sideloading and do not run Android apps.

Which IPTV player supports multi-view?

TiviMate Premium offers multi-view on Android TV devices, and iMPlayer offers MultiView on iPad. Most other players on this list do not list multi-view as a feature.