Comparison

Apple TV vs IPTV Player by Smart Stream

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Apple TV

This app is a central hub for exclusive original series, movies, and live sports like Formula 1 and MLB. It also aggregates content from your favorite streaming services, allowing you to buy or rent titles and discover new shows.

Highlights
  • Exclusive Apple Originals
  • Live Formula 1 & MLB
  • Buy or rent movies
  • Aggregate streaming services
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Continue Watching feature
Features
Read full description

Apple TV is the home of exclusive Apple Original shows and movies, Formula 1®, MLS, Friday Night Baseball, thousands of movies to buy or rent, and all the best programming from your favorite streaming services — all in one place. With an Apple TV subscription: • Stream thousands of hours of Apple Originals—thrilling dramas, epic sci-fi, and feel-good comedies, all with no ads—including Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, Shrinking, Slow Horses, and F1 The Movie. • Enjoy new releases weekly, with no ads. • Watch every Formula 1 Grand Prix™ live—with all-access coverage for every practice, qualifying, Sprint, and race. • Watch Friday Night Baseball, with live MLB matchups every Friday of the regular season. • Watch every Major League Soccer match live throughout the regular season, the entire playoffs, and Leagues Cup, all with no blackouts. Discover more to watch: • Buy or rent newly released movies, and browse the Apple TV Store with over 100,000 movies and shows—including the largest selection of 4K HDR titles. • Add Apple TV Channels subscriptions and stream seamlessly in the Apple TV app — no additional apps, accounts, or passwords needed. • Connect over 100 video streaming apps to access all your favorite shows and movies in one place. Apple TV app makes all your TV watching easier: • Get personalized recommendations across everything you watch. • With Continue Watching, pick up where you left off across all your subscriptions and devices. • Add to Watchlist to keep track of what you want to watch later. • Browse sports to see live and upcoming matchups, and choose your favorite teams to automatically add games to Continue Watching and receive notifications for close games and more. • Easily find all of your purchased movies and shows in the Library. • Enjoy the best picture and sound quality in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos when available. • Stream over a Wi-Fi or cellular connection, or download to watch offline. • Find the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac, as well as smart TVs and streaming devices. Requirements: • iOS devices using iOS 12.3 or later • Some features require internet access over a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection • HDR video playback may not be available for all content or on all devices Apple TV subscription does not include third party-branded subscription services or content available for rental or purchase in the Apple TV app. In select regions, an Apple TV subscription may only be available as part of an iCloud+ subscription. If you subscribe to any Apple TV channels, payment will be charged to your Apple Account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless they are canceled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Simultaneous streams may be limited on a per-subscription basis. The availability of Apple TV features, channels, and related content may vary depending on the country or region from which you attempt to access them. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your Settings on the Apple TV app after purchase. See https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww for the Privacy Policy. Apple TV app Terms and Conditions can be found at https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/us/terms.html

About

IPTV Player by Smart Stream

This app allows you to watch live TV, movies, and series by adding your own playlists. It offers features like favoriting content, smart search, and background playback, utilizing the VLCKit player.

Highlights
  • Watch live TV, movies, and series
  • Add M3U and Xtream playlists
  • Favorite content for quick access
  • Smart search functionality
  • Adjust video aspect ratio
  • Background stream playback
Features
Read full description

IPTV Player by Smart Stream - Your Ultimate Streaming Solution Watch your favorite digital content, live TV streams, movies, and series with the IPTV Player by Smart Stream. This complete smart IPTV player solution is now available for download. Disclaimer: IPTV Player by Smart Stream does not provide any content and has no affiliation with any third-party provider. Features: * Browse movies and series in detail, with support for seasons and episodes for series. * Favorite your content like movies, series, live TVs, and videos for quick access. * Use smart search to find what you're looking for. * Change the video's aspect ratio to watch in your style. * Add multiple m3u stream & Xtream stream playlists. * Continue playing your stream in the background. Warnings: * It uses the VLCKit player, maintained by the developer of VLC. * The screenshots shown are examples only and do not point to any actual video content. Neither IPTV Player by Smart Stream nor its founder provides digital content and is not responsible for your content. To use this application, you are asked to provide your digital content. * Sample videos and images are in the Public Domain and do not violate any copyright. Disclaimer: * IPTV Player by Smart Stream does not provide or solicit any audiovisual content to users. * IPTV Player by Smart Stream has no affiliation with any third-party provider. * Users must provide their content. * We strictly do not endorse the streaming of copyright-protected material without permission from the copyright holder. Subscription Information: Recurring billing. Cancel anytime. $1.99 for the first month then $19.99/year or 3 Days Free Trial then $1.99/week Prices are in US dollars, may vary in countries other than the US, and are subject to change without notice. Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rOkkQbSFKM02clBXZs8ETgRwuxUPMt66_c3G7b4zrRc/edit?usp=sharing Terms and Conditions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WDOMoyUJmpIshCDJ69Gb9rkyqUbhQ7UgJxANAQbFHhA/edit?usp=sharing

Screenshots

Apple TV4 screens
IPTV Player by Smart Stream4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Apple TV at none against IPTV Player by Smart Stream's 2. Apple TV also leads on ratings volume (1.9M vs 44) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. IPTV Player by Smart Stream sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. Apple TV asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Apple TV against 4.7 for IPTV Player by Smart Stream. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Apple TV has 1.9M ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Apple TV ships an update every 2 months, IPTV Player by Smart Stream monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Apple TV versus IPTV Player by Smart Stream: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterApple TVIPTV Player by Smart Stream
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.9M ratings) — better4.7 (44 ratings)
Positive reviews43.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.9M — better44
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS10.2 — better13.4
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB82 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAppleHappy Tech LTD

Customer experience

Apple TV

All ratings1,880,713 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews5,832 reviews
Positive43.1%
Neutral8.8%
Negative48.0%

IPTV Player by Smart Stream

All ratings38 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.6%

Bugs and requests

Apple TV

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Playback issues and random freezes
  • Incorrect episode/content display
  • Syncing problems across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to save/bookmark content for later
  • Improved content organization and navigation
  • Sync playback progress across devices
  • Chromecast/casting support
  • User profiles and personalized recommendations

IPTV Player by Smart Stream

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Apple TV

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

IPTV Player by Smart Stream

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Weekly Membership3 Days trial$1.497 Days
  • Pro Yearly Membership1 Month trial$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Apple TV free?
Apple TV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is IPTV Player by Smart Stream free?
IPTV Player by Smart Stream is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Apple TV or IPTV Player by Smart Stream?
Apple TV is rated higher. Apple TV averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.9M ratings, while IPTV Player by Smart Stream averages 4.7 from 44 ratings.
Do Apple TV or IPTV Player by Smart Stream have ads?
Both Apple TV and IPTV Player by Smart Stream show ads.
Which is updated more often, Apple TV or IPTV Player by Smart Stream?
Apple TV ships an update every 2 months, and IPTV Player by Smart Stream monthly. Most recently, Apple TV was updated on November 2, 2026 and IPTV Player by Smart Stream on October 24, 2026.

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