Comparison

ShallowTV vs LinkStream IPTV Player

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

Head to head
About

ShallowTV

Stream your M3U playlists on Apple devices with a modern, intuitive media player. Organize content by category, enjoy live channels and on-demand videos, and resume playback seamlessly. Features include a mini player, favorites, and intelligent search.

Highlights
  • Import M3U playlists via URL or local file
  • Stream live channels and on-demand video
  • Automatic content categorization
  • Persistent mini player for multitasking
  • Mark favorite channels and videos
  • Intelligent search across playlists
  • Auto-refresh for updated playlists
Read full description

ShallowTV is a modern, native media player for streaming your M3U playlists on all your Apple devices. Import your own playlists and enjoy a beautiful, intuitive viewing experience. FEATURES • Import M3U Playlists Add playlists via URL or local file. Smart parsing automatically organizes your content by category. • Live Channels & Video On Demand Stream live content with real-time playback. Watch videos with progress tracking and resume from where you left off. • Smart Categories Content is automatically organized into categories like Entertainment, News, Sports, Kids & Family, and more. • Persistent Mini Player Keep watching while you browse. The mini player lets you control playback from anywhere in the app. • Favorites Mark your favorite channels and videos for quick access. • Search Find content across all your playlists instantly with intelligent search. • Beautiful Interface Designed specifically for Apple platforms with a clean, intuitive interface that feels right at home. • Full-Screen Playback Immersive viewing experience with intuitive overlay controls. • Auto-Refresh Playlists automatically stay up-to-date with smart change detection. SUPPORTED FORMATS • M3U and M3U8 playlists • HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) • Standard video formats (MP4, MOV, etc.) IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER ShallowTV is a media player application only. We do NOT provide any streaming content, channels, playlists, or media links. • Users must provide their own M3U playlists • Users are solely responsible for the content they access • Only stream content you own or have permission to view • ShallowTV does not host, distribute, or control any content For support: shallowtv.com Contact: contact@shallowtv.com

About

LinkStream IPTV Player

Features
Read full description

LinkStream is a private video stream player designed for users who want to organize and play their own legally authorized M3U and M3U8 stream URLs. The app does not provide, host, sell, distribute, or recommend any TV channels, movies, playlists, or streaming content. Users must add their own stream URLs and are responsible for using only content they have the legal right to access. Key Features: • Add your own M3U/M3U8 stream URLs • Import M3U playlists from a URL or local file • Play HLS streams with native video playback • Organize streams by category • Mark favorite streams for quick access • Sync your personal stream library with iCloud • Manage your private stream list on your own device LinkStream is built as a personal stream management and playback tool. No built-in channels, public playlists, or third-party content are included.

Screenshots

ShallowTV4 screens
LinkStream IPTV Player4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShallowTV at none against LinkStream IPTV Player's 1. ShallowTV also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and device support (5 vs 3). LinkStream IPTV Player's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. LinkStream IPTV Player sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ShallowTV asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShallowTV ships an update every 2 weeks, LinkStream IPTV Player every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Ā· 4 level
ShallowTV versus LinkStream IPTV Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShallowTVLinkStream IPTV Player
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB6 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperYing CongLuan Cu Xuan

In-app purchases

None

ShallowTV

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

LinkStream IPTV Player

One-time1
  • LinkStream Pro$1.99

Questions

Is ShallowTV free?
ShallowTV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LinkStream IPTV Player free?
LinkStream IPTV Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ShallowTV or LinkStream IPTV Player have ads?
Neither ShallowTV nor LinkStream IPTV Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ShallowTV or LinkStream IPTV Player?
ShallowTV ships an update every 2 weeks, and LinkStream IPTV Player every 2 months. Most recently, ShallowTV was updated on September 28, 2026 and LinkStream IPTV Player on September 30, 2026.

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