Comparison

Ocular IPTV vs CouchTV

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

Head to head
About

Ocular IPTV

This app allows you to play your own media playlists from M3U URLs, Xtream Codes, or Stalker Portals. Enjoy features like picture-in-picture, AirPlay, and offline downloads for a personalized viewing experience.

Highlights
  • M3U, Xtream Codes, Stalker support
  • Picture-in-Picture playback
  • AirPlay and DLNA casting
  • Catch-up support
  • Offline downloads
  • Customizable dashboard
  • Built-in TV guide
Features
Read full description

Bring your own playlist -- This app does not provide any content. You provide your own M3U URL, Xtream Codes credentials or Stalker Portal from a service you legally subscribe to, and the app handles the playback. Features: M3U, Xtream Codes, Stalker support — paste a URL or sign in with your credentials Picture-in-Picture — keep watching while you use other apps AirPlay — stream to your Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible display DLNA casting — send playback to compatible devices on your network Catch-up support — rewatch recent programming on supported playlists Offline downloads — save content for watching without a connection Customisable dashboards — pin your favourite categories and rearrange the home screen Live, Movies, and Series sections with fast search across everything Built-in TV guide showing what's on now and next Designed for iOS Native iPhone and iPad design, smooth video playback, and full support for system features like Picture-in-Picture and AirPlay. Important This app is a player only. It does not include, sell, or provide access to any content, channels, or streams. You are responsible for the playlists you load and for ensuring you have the legal right to access that content.

About

CouchTV

Features
Read full description

Your cable connection, anywhere in your home: CouchTV turns your iPhone, iPad or Mac with Apple silicon into a TV using the DVB-C tuner in a compatible FRITZ!Box Cable router. SET UP IN SECONDS • Automatically finds your FRITZ!Box on the home network • Imports TV and radio channels, including HD and SD • Organizes FRITZ!Box and custom streams in a clear source overview • No sign-up, no account, no subscription LIVE TV MADE SIMPLE • Tap a channel and the player opens immediately • Picture in Picture: keep watching while you use other apps • Switch channels directly in the player • Favorites list, freely sortable via drag & drop • Sleep timer: pick a duration or a time – perfect for falling asleep • Control lock against accidental touches • Radio tab for all the box's radio stations • Light and dark appearance, your choice • Optimized layouts for iPhone, iPad and Macs with Apple silicon THE GUIDE AT A GLANCE • The electronic program guide (EPG) comes straight from the DVB-C signal – no external guide service required • One shared timeline for every channel with at least 24 hours of upcoming programs • Filter by all channels or favorites and jump back to Now at any time • Tap a program to open more information • The guide supports FRITZ!Box DVB-C channels; custom streams are intentionally excluded MORE SOURCES • Add your own streams (M3U playlists, HLS or RTSP URLs) • Direct streams and channel playlists are detected automatically from the URL and its content • Custom streams work without a FRITZ!Box • You provide the URLs; CouchTV includes no bundled public channel list • Optional iCloud sync for sources and favorites across your Apple devices PRIVACY • CouchTV requires no user account and contains no trackers • DVB-C playback stays between your device and your FRITZ!Box on the home network • Programme data is never transferred, even when iCloud sync is enabled TRY FOR FREE, UNLOCK ONCE • Free: custom stream and playlist URLs – plus 7 days of DVB-C playback through your own compatible cable router • CouchTV Pro (one-time purchase): permanently play DVB-C television and radio – no subscription or recurring fees FRITZ!Box TV and the guide require a compatible FRITZ!Box with a DVB-C tuner and DVB-C enabled (e.g. 6490, 6591 or 6660 Cable). Your iPhone, iPad or Mac must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Custom internet streams can be used without a FRITZ!Box. Encrypted pay-TV channels cannot be played. Only add sources you are authorised to use. CouchTV is not a product of AVM GmbH. FRITZ! and FRITZ!Box are trademarks of AVM GmbH, Berlin.

Screenshots

Ocular IPTV3 screens
CouchTV4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: CouchTV at 18.0 against Ocular IPTV's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Ocular IPTV sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CouchTV sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ocular IPTV ships an update every 5 days, CouchTV weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Ocular IPTV versus CouchTV: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOcular IPTVCouchTV
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB49 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperOliver Joneswhite balance - projects pool agency GmbH

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Ocular IPTV

One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$1.99
1 purchases

CouchTV

One-time1
  • CouchTV Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Ocular IPTV free?
Ocular IPTV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CouchTV free?
CouchTV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ocular IPTV or CouchTV have ads?
Neither Ocular IPTV nor CouchTV shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ocular IPTV or CouchTV?
Ocular IPTV ships an update every 5 days, and CouchTV weekly. Most recently, Ocular IPTV was updated on October 24, 2026 and CouchTV on October 24, 2026.

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