TL;DR: If you record shows, watch several streams at once, use a Stalker portal or have three or more TVs, stay with TiviMate. It is ahead on those points and has years of polish. IPFlix Pro Player is worth a look if your playlist is heavy on movies and series, if several people share the TV and need their own profiles, if you are tired of typing playlists with a remote, or if you watch with older subtitle files that show broken characters. We make IPFlix, so weigh this article with that in mind; we have tried to state TiviMate’s strengths plainly.
Last checked: October 2026, IPFlix 1.9.2
Why people look for a TiviMate alternative
TiviMate is the player most often recommended for Android TV and Google TV, and for good reason. It has been on Google Play for years, has more than 5 million installs and a 4.2 rating (Google Play, checked 29 October 2026), and its live TV guide is the reference point other players are judged against.
People still go looking for alternatives. The reasons we see most often in forums are:
- Paying for features they consider basic in the free version.
- Moving to a new device, for example from a Fire TV Stick to an onn box or a Google TV Streamer, and taking the chance to try something else.
- A playlist that is mostly movies and series, where a live-TV-first layout feels like the wrong shape.
- A shared TV, where each person wants their own lists and the kids should not see everything.
If none of these apply to you and TiviMate works, there is no reason to switch.
Where TiviMate is ahead
Plainly, and without hedging:
- Recording (DVR). TiviMate can record. IPFlix cannot.
- Multiview. TiviMate can show several streams on screen at once. IPFlix cannot.
- Catch-up. TiviMate supports catch-up where your provider offers it. IPFlix does not support catch-up or timeshift.
- Stalker portals. TiviMate supports Stalker portal logins. IPFlix supports only M3U links and Xtream Codes.
- Multiple devices on one purchase. A TiviMate Premium licence covers up to five devices on one account. An IPFlix licence covers one device.
- Maturity. TiviMate has years of releases and a large user base behind it, so most odd playlist quirks have already been met and handled. IPFlix is younger.
- Guide customisation. TiviMate’s grid guide has a lot of layout options that long-time users rely on.
If any of the first five are must-haves, TiviMate is the better player for you today.
Where IPFlix is different
These are differences in focus rather than claims that IPFlix is “better”:
- Movies and series home. IPFlix fetches TMDB posters, backdrops, year and rating for your playlist’s movies and series, shows seasons and episodes, and moves to the next episode automatically. The home screen works like a streaming app: Continue Watching, Watch List, recently added, and rows you can reorder, hide, rename or add from any category.
- Profiles for a shared TV. Each profile, with 49 avatars to choose from, has its own categories, home rows and subtitle and audio preferences. Profiles can be Kids or Adult type, with an adult content filter per profile and a PIN for the adult section.
- QR setup. The TV shows a QR code; you scan it and type or paste your M3U link or Xtream login on your phone, then send it to the TV. No remote typing unless you want it.
- Older subtitle files decode correctly. Subtitles in old code pages, such as Windows-1254 Turkish, Cyrillic, Greek and Hebrew, display properly instead of as symbols. Subtitles can also turn on automatically when the audio is in a different language from your app language. See IPTV subtitles not working on Android TV for background.
- Bought through Google Play, no separate account. The purchase runs through Google Play on the TV. There is no companion app and no extra account to create. TiviMate Premium is tied to a TiviMate account that you buy through its Companion app or website and then sign in to on the TV.
- Price for one TV. In the US, IPFlix is about $7.99 a year or $24.99 for a lifetime licence, priced in local currency elsewhere, with a 7-day free trial on every new device that unlocks everything. Google Play lists TiviMate’s in-app purchases at $0.99 to $33.99 (checked 29 October 2026); most sources put its lifetime licence at about $33.99, and reports of its yearly price vary.
- Large playlists. On the Google TV emulator, IPFlix imported a 183,000-channel Xtream playlist in about 36 seconds and its 138,000-programme guide in about 4 seconds. That is our own measurement on an emulator, not a side-by-side test against TiviMate.
Comparison table
| TiviMate | IPFlix Pro Player | |
|---|---|---|
| Playlist types | M3U, Xtream Codes, Stalker portal | M3U/M3U8, Xtream Codes |
| Recording (DVR) | Yes | No |
| Multiview | Yes | No |
| Catch-up / timeshift | Yes | No |
| TV guide | Grid guide with many layout options | Guide plus now/next in the live info bar |
| Movies and series | Supported | TMDB posters, backdrops, ratings, next episode |
| Profiles | Parental controls | Multiple profiles, Kids/Adult types, adult PIN |
| Playlist entry | On the TV | QR code to phone, or on the TV |
| Old code-page subtitles | Not something we have tested | Decoded correctly |
| Purchase | TiviMate account via Companion app or website | Google Play, no separate account |
| Licence covers | Up to 5 devices | 1 device |
| Free use | Free version with limits | 7-day full trial, then paid |
| Ads | No | No |
| Platforms | Android TV / Google TV; Fire TV by sideload | Android TV / Google TV; APK for Fire OS |
TiviMate details come from its Google Play listing and public guides; check its listing for current prices and features.
Price in real numbers
For one TV, IPFlix costs less: about $24.99 lifetime against about $33.99 for TiviMate lifetime in the US.
For several TVs, the maths flips. TiviMate’s licence covers up to five devices, while IPFlix needs one licence per TV. Three TVs on IPFlix lifetime would be about $75, more than double TiviMate’s single licence. If you are equipping a whole house, that matters, and we would rather you know it up front.
Who should pick which
Pick TiviMate if
- You record, or plan to.
- You watch more than one stream at once.
- You use catch-up or a Stalker portal.
- You have three or more TVs to cover with one purchase.
- You mostly watch live TV and want the most configurable guide.
- You already own a TiviMate lifetime licence and it does what you need.
Pick IPFlix if
- Your playlist is mostly movies and series and you want it to look and browse like a streaming app.
- Several people share the TV and each needs their own profile, with a PIN on adult content.
- You want to set up a playlist from your phone instead of the remote, for yourself or for a relative.
- You watch with older subtitle files that show broken characters in other players.
- You have one or two TVs and prefer to pay through Google Play without a separate account.
Not sure?
Both apps can sit on the same device. Install IPFlix Pro Player from Google Play next to TiviMate and use the 7-day trial with your own playlist. If your provider allows only one connection, close one app before opening the other.
How to try IPFlix next to TiviMate
- Copy your playlist details. Your M3U link or Xtream server, username and password; the original message from your provider is the most reliable copy. Not sure which you have? See M3U vs Xtream Codes.
- Install IPFlix Pro Player from the Apps tab on Google TV, or from your phone using the Google Play link above.
- Create a profile, then scan the QR code on the “Add Your Playlist” screen with your phone.
- Paste your M3U link or enter your Xtream login on the phone page and send it to the TV.
- Choose your categories and accept the playlist’s TV guide.
- Use both for a week: live TV, a few movies, a series. Then decide.
Device-specific guides: Google TV Streamer, onn 4K Pro and 4K Plus, Chromecast with Google TV. Coming from a Fire TV Stick? Start with moving your playlist from Fire TV to Google TV.
FAQ
Is IPFlix a TiviMate clone?
No. Both are players for your own M3U or Xtream playlist, but they focus on different things. TiviMate centres on live TV, the guide and recording; IPFlix puts more weight on movies and series, profiles and setup from a phone.
Can IPFlix record like TiviMate?
No. IPFlix has no recording, multiview or catch-up. If you need those, TiviMate is the better choice.
Can I use one IPFlix licence on several TVs?
No. An IPFlix licence covers the device it was bought on. Each new device gets its own 7-day trial. If you need to cover many TVs with one purchase, TiviMate’s five-device licence is better value.
Will my TiviMate favourites move to IPFlix?
No. Favourites and history are stored by each app. Your playlist moves because it is just a link or a login, but you will pick favourites again.
Do either of these apps include channels?
No. Both are players only. You need your own playlist from a provider, and neither app sells or recommends one.
Does IPFlix work on Fire TV?
On Fire TV devices running Fire OS, yes, through the APK. It does not run on the newer Vega OS Fire TV Sticks, and neither does TiviMate. See our Fire TV moving guide.
Written by
IPFlix Team
Development Team
The team behind IPFlix Pro Player, a media player for Android TV and Google TV. We build and test it with real playlists of 180,000+ channels, on Chromecast with Google TV, onn and the Google TV emulator, and write these guides from what we see in the code and on those devices.
IPFlix Pro Player is a media player only. It does not provide or host any content. Users must provide their own playlists.
Get IPFlix Pro Player