I watch a lot of live TV, movies, and shows through IPTV, and ever since I switched from Android to iOS, I have been on the lookout for good IPTV players. I was honestly surprised to see how many options are available on the Apple App Store. After testing a wide range of apps, both free and paid, I narrowed down a list of the best IPTV player apps for iPhone and iPad. In this blog, I will walk you through each of my top picks based on my hands-on experience and highlight its features.
Whether you are looking for a simple way to stream your M3U playlists or a user who needs advanced features like parental control, multi-screen support, AirPlay, or external subtitles, there is an IPTV player on this list that will fit your needs. Before proceeding further, make sure to subscribe to an IPTV Provider of your choice and get the required playlist credentials.
My Recommendations – Best IPTV Apps for iPhone and iPad
Below is the summary table that includes all the IPTV players I have covered in this post. You can pick the one that suits your preferences and satisfies your needs.
| Player | Playlist Support | EPG | AirPlay | Parental Control | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smarters Player Lite | M3U, Xtream Codes | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Free |
| GSE SMART IPTV PRO | M3U, JSON, Xtream Codes | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | $2.99 |
| IPTVX | Xtream Codes API, M3U, M3U8, PLEX and SMB | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Freemium (In-App Purchases) |
| IPTV Stream Player | M3U | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Free |
| LillyPlayer | M3U, Xtream Codes | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Freemium (In-App Purchases) |
Smarters Player Lite
When I first tried Smarters Player Lite, I was expecting a clean interface and a free version. Luckily, the UI felt intuitive, and the app was free to use. Even if you are not tech-savvy, navigating through menus, adding playlists, or adjusting settings is easy. I loaded both M3U and Xtream Codes playlist formats and tested them. Both the playlist formats work well on this player. The app also supports local files and lets me seamlessly stream the videos stored on my device.
One feature I liked about this app is the customization options. The app has several features, such as AirPlay, Chromecast, PIP Mode, playback lock, etc. Plus, I liked the high-quality playback when watching live TV channels. The app supports advanced codecs, so the video quality stays top-notch even when the Internet connection is slow. Whether I was streaming live TV or media from my device, the app worked fine without any buffering or lag. If you want a reliable and lightweight player, Smarters Player Lite is a good choice for your iPhone. It is easy to use, user-friendly and has smooth playback compared to other ones in the list.
Read My Complete Review About Smarters Player Lite.
GSE SMART IPTV PRO
After using GSE SMART IPTV PRO on my iPhone, I can say that it is one of the most reliable IPTV players online. This app is not free. I paid a one-time fee of $2.99 to use this player on my iOS device. The first thing that I liked was its multiple playlist support. Whether you have an M3U URL, Xtream Codes, JSON, database playlists, or secure links, GSE SMART IPTV PRO lets you add and stream the content offered by your provider hassle-free.
The loading speed was impressive, and there were no buffering or freezing issues while streaming the content on the player. The built-in video player is powerful enough to handle almost any stream, including RTMP links with tokens. One of the best features was the web interface playlist management. I could easily upload, edit, and export playlists from my desktop browser. The app also includes EPG support (Electronic Program Guide). This helps me keep track of TV schedules. The app also supports Chromecast and AirPlay. With this, I mirrored the app’s content to the TV and viewed the content on a big screen. The parental control support, subtitle support in .srt format, and multi-language interface are the other best things about this app.
Read My Complete Review About GSE SMART IPTV PRO
IPTVX
If you are looking for a premium IPTV player with tons of smart features, IPTVX is definitely worth trying. I liked its modern UI and seamless navigation. IPTVX feels less like a traditional IPTV player and more like an OTT streaming service, such as Netflix, etc. What impressed me is how well IPTVX organizes and categorizes content. The sections like Continue Watching, Favorites, and Recently Added give me a personalized experience. IPTVX supports multiple playlist formats, such as Xtream API, M3U, M3U8, PLEX, and SMB. One of my favorite things about the app was the TV Series interface. It shows episode details and progress tracking and offers a Next Episode button.
IPTVX also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG. Another standout feature is its EPG integration. IPTVX can automatically detect and load the EPG file if your playlist includes one. Additional perks like AirPlay 2, Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, subtitles, audio track selection, multi-screen support, and offline viewing make this app extremely versatile. I also loved the Apple iCloud synchronization. This kept my progress and settings the same across devices.
IPTV Stream Player
When I installed IPTV Stream Player on my iPhone, I was not expecting much beyond basic playback. But this app surprised me. The built-in video player on this app is too good. It supports 4K content and plays smoothly without freezing or lagging. I tested it with my M3U playlists, and the streams started up quickly without any issues. One feature I liked was the Advanced Search. Whether I was searching through playlists, live TV channels, or VODs, the app made it easy to find what I was looking for. The “Global Favorites” and “Recent Playlist” sections also helped me go back into the content I frequently watched.
Parental Control is another best feature of this app. It lets you restrict specific content or categories. There is also a content hiding option for added privacy and a speed test tool built-in to check your network performance. Overall, IPTV Stream Player is best for users who prefer a clean UI interface with core features. It is a fast, simple, and effective player for the iPhone and iPad devices.
LillyPlayer
When I started using LillyPlayer on my iPhone, I found that it supports local video and audio formats, along with IPTV content. Whether I streamed a 4K video or played locally stored media, the quality was top-notch. The app supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and hardware acceleration and lets you tweak audio/video settings with equalizers, Bluetooth sync, and multiple audio tracks. It also offers unique features like Trakt.tv sync, PiP mode, TVHeadend support, and subtitles from OpenSubtitles.org. There is also iCloud sync. With this, your settings and watch history will be the same across Apple devices.
It is a premium player that offers affordable plans, such as $0.99/month, $4.49/6 months, $8.49/year, or $26.99 for lifetime access. I went for the yearly plan, and it has been worth it. LillyPlayer also makes accessing content flexible. It supports M3U playlists and Xtream Codes API, along with EPG and replay features. If you are a fan of networked content, you will love that it connects to SMB, FTP, WebDAV, and UPnP for both streaming and downloading. LillyPlayer is perfect for anyone who wants a versatile and powerful IPTV player for iPhone.
Other Top IPTV Players for iPhone
Apart from the players I have used above, there are some other IPTV apps for iPhones that are worth using. These apps’ performance is also good and have unique features like the ones above.
Which IPTV Player is the Best One for iPhone and iPad?
After trying all of these IPTV players on my iPhone and iPad, I can say that the “best” player depends on your personal priorities and how you like to stream. If you want a free player, then Smarters Player Lite is an excellent pick. It is free, stable, and perfect for those who just want to upload a playlist and start watching without any problem. For those who want advanced features at a low price, GSE Smart IPTV Pro is the best choice.
If you care about design, advanced metadata, and watching across Apple devices, then IPTVX is the one you need to install. Whatever you choose, remember that none of these apps offer IPTV content themselves. You will need your own playlist or subscription. But with the right player, your streaming experience on iPhone or iPad can be seamless.