PickAChannel vs UPlayer8
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PickAChannel
Organize and access your existing IPTV sources with a fast, native experience across Apple devices. Supports M3U, Xtream Codes, and XMLTV formats for a unified library with program guides and rich media details.
- Connect M3U, Xtream Codes, or XMLTV sources
- Unified, searchable channel library
- Live program guide (EPG)
- Rich media detail pages
- iCloud sync for connections
- Native SwiftUI experience
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PickAChannel turns any IPTV source you already have into a fast, beautifully organized, native experience — on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. PickAChannel does not provide, sell, or promote any IPTV, streaming, or television service of any kind. All content sources are supplied entirely by you. You are solely responsible for ensuring you have the legal right to access any stream, playlist, or content source you connect. CONNECT YOUR WAY Add a connection using any of three standard, open formats: • An M3U / M3U8 playlist URL • An Xtream Codes server (host, username, password) • An XMLTV (EPG) feed, for program-guide data on its own or layered onto either connection type above ONE LIBRARY, EVERY SCREEN Once connected, your channels, movies, and shows are organized into a single searchable, favoritable library — with a live program guide that highlights what's on right now. FEATURES • Live TV, Movies, and Shows, with search and category filters • Favorites, with drag-to-reorder on Apple TV • Live program guide (EPG) with on-air-now highlighting • Rich Movie and Show detail pages — poster, cast, rating, synopsis — when available • iCloud sync of your saved connections across every device — your credentials live only in your own private iCloud account, never on our servers • A native SwiftUI app built specifically for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro — not a stretched-out port Bring your own source. PickAChannel handles the rest.
UPlayer8
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UPlayer8 is a video player for watching TV channels, movies and series with your own streaming provider account. It works on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac. UPlayer8 does not provide content. The app contains no channels, movies or series. You enter the account details given by your provider (server address, username and password) or an M3U playlist URL, and the app only plays those streams. Without an account from a legitimate provider, the app has no use for you. FEATURES • Sign in with a server account or an M3U/M3U8 playlist • Live channels, program guide, categories and favorites • Movies and series with season and episode tracking • Continue watching: start on one device, pick up on another • Multiple accounts; accounts and progress sync between your devices via iCloud • MKV, AVI, TS, MP4 and HLS support • Subtitle and audio track selection • Accent-insensitive search PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION Watching with your own account requires a yearly Premium subscription. It starts with a 3-day free trial; cancel before the trial ends and you will not be charged. Demo content (openly licensed films by the Blender Foundation) can be watched without a subscription. The subscription renews automatically at the same price unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. You can manage the subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your App Store account settings. Any unused portion of the free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://app.ust8.com/uplayer8/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: UPlayer8 at none against PickAChannel's 1. UPlayer8 also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.5). On price, update cadence and device support 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
Both are free to download. PickAChannel sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. UPlayer8 asks for nothing beyond the download.
PickAChannel ships an update every 9 days, UPlayer8 fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PickAChannel | UPlayer8 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 101 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Ricardo E. Marrero Guzman | Seckin Ust |
In-app purchases
PickAChannel
- PickAChannel Pro$12.99
UPlayer8
No in-app purchases









