Short answer: if you watch on a Firestick or Android TV box and want it to feel like a normal TV guide, use TiviMate. If you watch on an iPhone, iPad, computer or a Smart TV app, or you just want the simplest free start, use IPTV Smarters Pro. Both play exactly the same channels from the same subscription, so you can't really choose wrong, and you can switch any time.
Here's how they compare in more detail.
At a Glance
| TiviMate | IPTV Smarters Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Firestick / Fire TV | Yes | Yes (installed with Downloader) |
| Android TV boxes | Yes | Yes |
| Android phones and tablets | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone and iPad | No | Yes |
| Windows and Mac | No | Yes |
| Samsung / LG Smart TV apps | No | On some models |
| Price | Free version, paid Premium upgrade | Free |
| Login types | Xtream Codes, M3U | Xtream Codes, M3U |
| Best for | Big-screen TV-guide browsing | Using one app on every device |
Devices: Where Each App Works
This is the deciding factor for most households.
TiviMate is Android only. That covers Fire TV devices, Android TV boxes and Android phones and tablets, which is where most IPTV viewing happens. It doesn't exist for Apple devices, computers or Smart TV app stores.
IPTV Smarters Pro runs almost everywhere: Android, Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Mac and, depending on the model and country, some Samsung and LG Smart TVs.
If your home mixes devices, for example a Firestick in the living room and an iPad in the bedroom, Smarters lets you use the same app on both. Many people also use TiviMate on the main TV and Smarters everywhere else, which works fine with the same login.
Interface: Remote vs Touch
TiviMate is built for a TV and a remote control. It opens straight into a grid TV guide, much like a cable box, so you scroll through channels and see what's on now and next without switching screens. Most people who try it on a big screen find it the more comfortable of the two.
IPTV Smarters Pro opens on a dashboard with separate sections for Live TV, Movies, Series and the TV guide. It's very easy to understand on a phone, tablet or computer, where you tap rather than click through with a remote. On a TV it works well too, it just takes a few more clicks to move around.
Pick: TiviMate on a TV, Smarters on touchscreens.
TV Guide (EPG)
Both apps load the TV guide automatically when you log in with Xtream Codes.
TiviMate gives you more control over the guide: you can add extra guide sources and fix channels that are matched to the wrong programme listings. If you care about a perfectly accurate guide, that's a real advantage.
IPTV Smarters Pro shows the guide your provider supplies. When that guide is good, which it is with most decent providers, you won't notice a difference.
Movies and Series
Both apps show your provider's movie and series library. Smarters puts it front and centre with poster artwork, which suits browsing on a phone or tablet. TiviMate includes on-demand content too, but it's built mainly around live TV.
Recording and Catch-Up
TiviMate Premium can record live TV to your device's storage or a USB drive, and lets you open catch-up programmes from the TV guide if your provider supports catch-up.
IPTV Smarters Pro's options for recording and catch-up vary by version and device, and catch-up depends on your provider either way. If recording is important to you, TiviMate on an Android device with enough storage is the safer choice.
Price
IPTV Smarters Pro is free to use.
TiviMate has a free version, but most of its best features sit behind the Premium upgrade, which you buy through TiviMate's companion app. It's inexpensive, but it is a cost, and the free version is fairly limited on its own.
Either way, the app is only the player. You still need an IPTV subscription to give it something to play.
Performance and Buffering
Neither app creates the stream; they both play what your provider sends. On the same device, connection and server, the picture quality is essentially the same.
TiviMate offers a few more playback settings, such as the buffer size and decoder choice, which can help on some devices. Smarters lets you switch between built-in players. If one app stutters, it's worth trying the other, but most buffering comes from the connection or the server, not the app. Our guide to fixing IPTV buffering covers that step by step.
Our Recommendation
- Firestick or Android TV box, and you watch mostly live TV: TiviMate (with Premium).
- iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows or a Smart TV app: IPTV Smarters Pro.
- Brand new to IPTV: start with IPTV Smarters Pro. It's free and the setup is the simplest. You can always try TiviMate later with the same login.
Setting up Smarters for the first time? Follow our IPTV Smarters Pro setup guide. Every IPTVWatchHub plan works in both apps, from $5 a month on the 12-month plan. See plans and prices.