TiviMate vs IBO Player

The short verdict

On an Android TV device, choose TiviMate. It reads our Xtream Codes login, builds the TV guide itself and lists catch-up, recording and Multiview. On a smart TV that cannot run TiviMate, IBO Player is an option, as long as you are happy to activate it with the TV's MAC address and pay its developer for a licence once the 7-day testing period ends.

TiviMate vs IBO Player is not a fair fight on the same device, because the two apps aim at different screens. TiviMate is built for Android TV and a remote. IBO Player shows Samsung, LG webOS, Sony, Android TV, Roku, Apple TV and Windows on its website and offers downloads for Android, Windows, macOS and Linux. That makes IBO Player most useful where TiviMate cannot be installed at all.

Everything below comes from what each developer publishes: the TiviMate website and Google Play listing, and the IBO Player website, its support page and its downloads page. Where a developer does not state something, the table says so. The sources are listed at the end of the page.

TiviMate vs IBO Player: 12 points compared

"Not stated by the developer" means the official pages do not mention it. It may still exist inside the app, but we do not present it as a fact.

The biggest practical gap is the TV guide. TiviMate builds its own guide grid from the playlist. IBO Player's site says plainly that the app does not have an EPG system integrated, and that a guide works only if your provider has an EPG-ready system.

IBO Player's activation and licence

Activation is the biggest everyday difference in TiviMate vs IBO Player. IBO Player works differently from most apps. According to its support page, the app starts a 7-day testing period by itself on first launch and shows a MAC ID and a Device Key. After that period, you visit iboplayer.com, choose Activate License, enter the MAC ID and Device Key, and complete the purchase. The licence is offered as a yearly or a lifetime plan, paid to its developer.

1. Install IBO Player on the TV and open it once.
2. Write down the MAC ID and Device Key the app shows.
3. Use the 7-day testing period to load your M3U playlist and check playback.
4. To keep using it, buy a yearly or lifetime licence on iboplayer.com with the same MAC ID and Device Key.

Warning. IBO Player's website states that there are no refunds after purchase. Use the full testing period on the exact TV you will watch on before you buy the licence.

Two details save time. IBO Player's FAQ notes that each TV has two MAC addresses, one for Wi-Fi and one for Ethernet, so use the one the app shows on screen. And because the licence is tied to that device, a new TV means a new activation. TiviMate works the other way: Premium belongs to your TiviMate account, and you manage your activated devices on tivimate.com or in the Companion app.

Smart TV support

Smart TVs are where TiviMate vs IBO Player turns in IBO's favor. TiviMate is designed for Android TV and has no Samsung or LG app: Samsung TVs run Tizen and LG TVs run webOS, each with its own app store. IBO Player's website shows Samsung, LG webOS, Sony, Android TV, Roku, Apple TV and Windows as compatible devices. Those appear as logos only, with no written list of models, so check the developer's site for your exact TV before you rely on it.

The IBO Player downloads page lists installers for Android, Windows 10 and later, macOS on Intel and Linux. On an Android TV box you could install either app, and on that kind of device TiviMate offers more of the features people look for.

Tip. If you own a Samsung or LG TV and want TiviMate's guide and recording, the simplest route is a small Android TV device on the HDMI port. Our Android TV and Google TV setup guide covers it.

TV guide and features

TiviMate describes its EPG as a way to "browse the full program schedule in a fast, clear grid", and it lists catch-up, recording, Multiview, favorite channels, search and parental controls. With our Xtream Codes login, the guide arrives with the playlist and fills in on its own. Our TiviMate EPG guide covers the rare cases where it stays empty.

IBO Player's site lists parental controls and the option to select languages in movies and series. For the guide, its answer is that the app has no EPG system integrated but works with a provider whose EPG is ready for it. Catch-up, recording and watching several channels at once are not mentioned on its pages.

So on TiviMate vs IBO Player features, TiviMate states more. That does not make IBO Player a bad app; it makes it a simpler one, built to play a playlist on TVs where richer players do not run.

Make sure you install the right IBO Player

App stores list several players with names close to IBO Player, from other companies. The one this page compares is run by IBO DEV Ltd. at iboplayer.com. Its own setup guide says to download it from your device's app store, and its downloads page offers the Android APK and versions for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Before you pay for a licence, check that the app's store listing or start screen points to iboplayer.com, and activate it only on iboplayer.com with the MAC ID and Device Key the app shows. A licence bought for a look-alike app does not carry over.

Price model

TiviMate is free to install. TiviMate Premium is sold only by its developer as a yearly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase, with the price shown at the point of purchase. Our TiviMate Premium price page tracks the US figures.

IBO Player gives a 7-day testing period, then needs a yearly or lifetime licence for each device, paid to its developer, with no refunds after purchase according to its site. Neither app includes channels, so the TiviMate vs IBO Player choice never changes what you watch, only how you watch it.

The channels come from your IPTV subscription. Ours plays in both apps through the M3U link, and in TiviMate through the Xtream Codes login too. Plans start at $4.16/mo and are billed once with no auto-renew: see the IPTV plans for TiviMate and every app.

Choose TiviMate if, choose IBO Player if

Choose TiviMate if

• You watch on Android TV, Google TV, NVIDIA SHIELD or a Fire TV on Fire OS.
• You want a built-in TV guide, catch-up and recording.
• You want to log in with Xtream Codes instead of a long M3U link.
• You want Premium tied to your account rather than to one device.

Choose IBO Player if

• You watch on a smart TV that cannot run TiviMate and you do not want a box.
• A simple M3U player is enough for you.
• You are fine with a licence per device after the 7-day testing period.

For other options, our best IPTV player apps guide compares more players, and TiviMate vs IPTV Smarters covers the app that also runs on iPhone and Apple TV. Every TiviMate guide is in the TiviMate guides hub.