Best IPTV App Ireland: Free and Paid Players Compared

TiviMate on a Firestick or Android TV, IPTV Smarters Pro on phones, iPads and Apple TV, and IBO Player on Samsung and LG smart TVs.

That covers most Irish homes. Any app that accepts an M3U link or an Xtream Codes login works with IPTV Pass, so if you already like a player, keep it. The app is only the window; the channels, 4K versions and catch-up come from your pass.

Three questions decide the right app for you. Which device will you watch on most? Do you want a full Sky-style TV guide or a simple menu? And are you happy to pay a small fee to the app maker for extra features such as recording? Answer those and the checker below will point you to one or two apps.

Pick your device to highlight the apps that run on it, then tap any app for its details: login type, cost, 4K and HEVC, recording and the setup guide.

The best IPTV player in Ireland for you is the one your device runs smoothly; 4K and HEVC also depend on your TV or box, not just the app.

TiviMate if you watch mostly on a Firestick or Android TV box and want a proper TV guide. IPTV Smarters Pro if you watch on phones, iPads or Apple TV, or want the same app on every device.

In the IPTV Smarters Pro vs TiviMate Ireland question, the big difference is the guide. TiviMate shows a full TV grid you can scroll across like the Sky guide, with favourites, catch-up and, on Premium, recording and several playlists. Smarters is simpler: you pick live TV, films or series from a home screen, which suits less techy users and phones. For Smarters vs TiviMate on picture quality, there's no difference; both play the same 4K, FHD, HEVC and HD streams. Plenty of households use both: TiviMate on the big TV, Smarters on phones. Remember that each device needs its own login, whichever app you choose.

IPTV Smarters Pro in Ireland logs in with the Xtream Codes API: choose "Login with Xtream Codes API" and type the three details we send you on WhatsApp.

That's the whole IPTV Smarters Pro login. The Smarters Xtream Codes API option loads live TV, films, series and the guide in one go, which is better than adding an M3U link.

Why does Smarters say "invalid username"? Nine times out of ten it's a typing issue: a space at the end, a capital letter where there shouldn't be one, or a URL missing "http://" or the port number. Copy and paste each detail from WhatsApp rather than typing it.

IPTV Smarters not loading? Close the app fully and reopen it, check your internet, then clear the app's cache in your device settings. If only one channel won't play, try its HD or HEVC version. Still stuck? Message us and we'll check your login.

TiviMate in Ireland is the favourite app for Firestick and Android TV. To add your pass, open TiviMate, choose "Add playlist", then "Xtream Codes", and enter the server, username and password we send.

That's the TiviMate add playlist Xtream Codes route; it brings in the TV guide automatically. Name the playlist "IPTV Pass", tick live TV, films and series, and finish.

Is TiviMate free? The basic app is free and plays your channels with a full guide. TiviMate Premium is a paid upgrade bought through the separate TiviMate Companion app on a phone, as a yearly or lifetime licence. The TiviMate Premium price is shown in the Companion app before you pay, and it can change, so check it there. Is TiviMate Premium worth it? If you want recording, several playlists, custom channel groups and catch-up from the guide, many users think so. If you only watch live channels, the free version is enough.

TiviMate EPG not updating? Go to Settings › EPG and choose "Update EPG", and set the update interval to every few hours. If the guide is still empty, remove and re-add the playlist.

TiviMate catch-up: channels with catch-up show a small clock icon. Open the TV guide, scroll back to a past programme and press play. Some catch-up features need Premium. Full steps: Firestick setup guide and Android TV setup guide.

IBO Player is the easiest app on Samsung and LG smart TVs. When you open it, it shows a MAC address and a device key on screen.

Send us a photo of that screen on WhatsApp and we'll add your playlist to that IBO Player MAC address, or you can upload it yourself on the IBO Player website using the MAC and key. The "IBO Player activation code" people search for is usually that device key. Do I need to pay for IBO Player? It has a free trial period, then the app maker charges an activation fee, either per year or once for life. The IBO Player price per year is set by the app maker, not by us; check it on the official IBO Player website before paying, and only pay there.

IBO Player vs Smarters: on a smart TV, IBO is simpler to set up and looks cleaner; on phones, Smarters is free and fine. IBO XPlayer is a newer player from the same family with a similar setup, and IBO VPN Player adds a built-in VPN for privacy. Full steps: smart TV setup guide.

They work like IBO Player: install the app on your smart TV, note the MAC address it shows, and the playlist is added to that MAC on the app's website.

Fees are set by each app maker and change, so we don't list figures here; check the price on the official site before paying.

All four work well. Here's how each one logs in.

Use Xtream Codes whenever your app offers it. It's three details, username, password and server, and it loads live TV, films, series and the TV guide together.

On M3U vs Xtream Codes: an M3U link is one long web address with your login inside it. It works in more apps, including VLC, but the guide usually needs a second "EPG" link, and films and series can arrive as one long list. Xtream Codes keeps everything sorted and updates the line-up for you. We send both, so pick whichever your app asks for. Keep either one private: anyone with your link can use your login, and since each login is for one device only, never share it.

IPTV Smarters Pro is the best free IPTV player for most people, with TiviMate's free version close behind on Android TV and Firestick.

XCIPTV is also free and fast on Android boxes, and VLC is free everywhere but has no TV guide. The limits of free players are usually fewer features rather than worse pictures: no recording, one playlist, or adverts in some apps. Smart TV apps like IBO Player, Smart IPTV and SmartOne are the exception; they're free to try, then paid. Whatever you pick, test it during the free trial before paying any app fee, so you know it suits your TV and remote.

Any player that accepts M3U or Xtream Codes. These ones are popular with our customers too:

• UHF: a clean player for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.
• Smart STB: turns a Samsung or LG TV into a MAG-style box using a portal address.
• Duplex IPTV, CR7 Player and BOB Player: MAC-based smart TV players set up the same way as IBO Player.
• IPTV Smarters Lite and Smarters Player Lite: lighter versions of Smarters, good on older phones.
• Kodi: works with the PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on and your M3U link.

New Fire TV Sticks on Vega OS (such as the 4K Select) can't install most of these apps. See which Firestick to buy.

Quick answers. Tap a question.

Got your app? Test it free

Install the app, then ask for a 24-hour trial login and try it on your own TV. No card, one per person.