The era of COVID has brought significant changes to our lifestyle. Staying within our homes for months has made us turn to technology for entertainment purposes. Many streaming services allow their customers to enjoy smooth Live TV streaming on their iPhones and iPads.
The market currently offers a wide range of platforms dedicated to Live TV streaming for iOS and iPadOS. However, finding one that suits your preferences and budget can be a daunting task. So, here is a list of the best Live TV apps for iPhone and iPad.
Note. While these apps are free to download, you’ll need subscription plans to access most of the content they provide.
1. YouTube TV – Editors’ Choice
YouTube TV is thriving as one of the best free live TV apps. The online platform avoids the problems associated with cable TV. In addition, YouTube TV offers access to over 85 channels for new subscribers with the Basic plan.
When it comes to content library, YouTube TV raises the bar much higher than other streaming portals. Here you can stream over 100 channels, from the typical cable TV channels to the less common ones. What’s more, YouTube TV allows users to enjoy live streaming and on-demand shows on their iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. In addition, the platform allows you to access local partner channels such as CBS, NBC, FOX, etc. by entering your zip code.
If you use YouTube TV for Live TV, you get 4K streaming, high-quality DVR features, offline viewing of DVR recordings, and unlimited simultaneous streams on a registered home network. You get access to HD 1080p streaming and a frame rate of 60 FPS (frames per second). YouTube TV spoils its customers by offering multiple subscription packages to suit different budgets and preferences.
pros
- Wide selection of sports and news channels
- Subscription sharing option, up to 6 YouTube TV accounts per family
- DVR recordings are kept for 9 months
- Additional packages for sports fans
Minuses
- Download issues sometimes interrupt Live TV
Price: Free
2. Apple TV – Inexpensive 4K streaming
Apple launched its exclusive Apple TV+ streaming platform in 2019 so users can watch live sports, news, movies, and web shows. User-friendly interface, authentic programming and various products give the platform an edge over its competitors. In addition, the platform offers convenient subscription plans that start at $6.99 per month.
Enjoy HD 4K streaming with Dolby Atmos on the Apple TV+ app. Apple recently announced a 10-year streaming deal with the most popular soccer league, Major League Soccer (MLS). So, if you want to watch upcoming games on the Apple TV app, check out our guide on how to get an MLS season pass.
According to reports, some of the upcoming shows on Apple TV+ are Ted Lasso Season 3, Extrapolations, Monster Factory, My Country, The Big Door, Tetris, etc. In case you didn’t know, Apple is giving three months. Free Apple TV+ subscription when you buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac.
The portal allows you to access high-quality premium features and download content for easy offline viewing on iOS. If you’re an avid fan of live TV, you should be aware of the constant pain that pop-ups bring with them. However, with Apple TV+, you don’t have to worry about these ads.
pros
- Offline downloads on iOS
- 4K and HDR streaming, Dolby Atmos
- Full accessibility and user interface
Minuses
- Limited content compared to competitors
- Live streaming limited to sports and news channels
Price: Free
3. Sling TV – Convenient Live Streaming
Sling TV may be the perfect choice if you are looking for reliable, inexpensive and effective free live TV apps. The platform offers two basic plans to choose from, namely Sling Orange and Sling Blue. You can buy Sling Orange or Sling Blue individually, or combine both basic plans to get more features, channels, and services. Use Sling Free to watch thousands of hours of free live streaming.
Each plan has its own advantages and limitations. For example, Sling Blue doesn’t support ESPN, so if you’re into sports, I suggest you check out Sling Orange. Sling Orange offers over 32 channels, Sling Blue offers over 42 channels, and the combination includes over 50 channels. Sling recently added local ABC affiliates in 8 regional markets. With the Sling Freestream option, you can stream for free.
You can choose the most suitable Sling TV tariff plan using the built-in Service Optimizer Tool. The portal provides 50 hours of DVR cloud storage at no extra charge. You can also record multiple shows running at the same time. Sling Orange allows you to stream to one device, while Sling Blue allows you to stream to four devices. With the combo package, you can stream four screens at the same time.
pros
- Rewind, forward and pause allowed on live TV
- Low starting cost
- Huge content catalog
- Special add-on plans
Minuses
- No free trial
- Limited local branches
Price: Free
4. fuboTV – made for sports fans
If you are a sports lover, fuboTV can be the perfect choice among the best Live TV apps for iPhone and iPad. The platform is thriving as a great sports streaming app for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and NCAA. The app works in the US, Canada, France and Spain.
fuboTV supports over 100 channels in various tariff plans. Plus, you get access to over 1,000 hours of DVR storage and an exquisite selection of sports channels. The list includes channels covering college, national and international sports. Apart from regular games, you can also browse non-traditional games such as adventure sports, F1 racing and cycling. In addition, you can watch Spanish and Portuguese sports channels on fuboTV.
The portal works on iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Android, Android TV and Windows PC. You can watch three shows at the same time, although additional streams are subject to additional fees. fuboTV has three plans for English speakers and one for Spanish users.
The Pro plan has over 125 channels and three screen streams, while the Elite plan supports 178 channels and streaming up to 10 screens. The third plan is the Ultimate Plan, which offers 214 channels and includes Sports Plus included with the NFL RedZone channel, Showtime, and the News Plus package.
pros
- Fast forward or skip ads in recorded shows
- Supports European sports leagues
- Wide range of sports content
Minuses
- Expensive
- Does not support local sports channels
Price: Free
5. DirecTV – Enjoy Regional TV
DirecTV is the market-leading platform for free viewing of live TV apps on iOS. This allows you to opt out of your cable or satellite TV subscription and allows you to watch TV programs at your convenience. However, the portal spoils customers by offering over 150 channels in its premium plan.
You can access DirecTV on Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android, Roku, smart TVs, and PCs. The live streaming app offers access to the most popular networks like CBS and FOX News and ESPN channels. DirecTV offers different plans for customers with different budgets and choices. The cheapest plan available here is the Entertainment plan. In this plan, you can find popular sports, entertainment and news channels.
The second plan, Choice, allows you to stream regional sports networks connected to your area. For example, if you are from New York, you can watch SNY, YES and MSG on DIRECTV STREAM. While the Entertainment plan offers over 65 channels, the Choice plan provides over 90 channels. DirecTV’s premium package is called Ultimate or Premier.
pros
- Add premium channels to lower tier packages for an additional fee.
- Unlimited dash cam storage
- The bookmark allows you to add on-demand shows to your watchlist.
- Huge portfolio of channels
Minuses
- Does not provide an NFL Sunday ticket.
- Bad content search features
- Higher delay time
Price: Free
6. Hulu – Individual Live
Hulu shines as one of the most trusted and oldest streaming apps in the industry. The basic version of the platform does not include Live TV, as the latter is part of an additional subscription plan. If you’re already a Hulu user, you can quickly switch to an additional subscription and enjoy the Live TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, and other smart TVs.
The basic plan on Hulu costs $7.99 per month. If you want to work on the version without add-ons, you must pay $14.99 per month to the portal. You can enable add-ons such as HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz. In addition, the platform allows you to combine Hulu subscriptions with Disney Plus and ESPN and save on the initial subscription cost on these platforms.
The Live TV streaming service is available as part of the Hulu+ Live TV subscription plan. This plan offers access to over 85 channels in various areas. In addition, the Live TV option allows you to record your shows for up to 50 hours. However, add-ons can extend this period.
pros
- Low monthly cost of the basic plan
- Quick Show Updates
- Possibility of assembly and additions
- Free Trial
Minuses
- Smaller content library
- Missing seasons of old series
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $7.99)
7. Plex – Watch live and on-demand TV
If you’re looking for the best app to watch live TV, Plex should be one of your top choices. This great app provides a diverse library of content besides the free channels. Here you will find over 250 live channels and over 50,000 on-demand TV shows and movies.
One of the most exciting features of Plex is the ability to include your paid subscription services in a Plex cluster to create a customized “one-stop solution”for personalized streaming. You can download Plex for free on iOS phones, iOS tablets, Android devices, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV Chromecast, Samsung smart TVs, and more.
Plex offers customers a free account where you get access to all the basic streaming and media features. In addition, it allows you to stream media files to other devices and supports many media formats, including 4K. For high-end services, you can switch to a Plex Pass account, which costs $4.99/month, $39.99/year, or $149.99 for lifetime access.
A premium account includes features such as auto tagging, automatic lyrics, Live TV support via antenna or tuner, and offline mobile sync. In addition, multiplayer support is available on a Plex Pass account.
pros
- Seamless customization
- Growing content library
- DVR storage
Minuses
- Long and frequent announcements
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $4.99)
8. Pluto TV – Free Live TV
Pluto TV is one of the best live TV apps for iPhone and iPad. Pluto TV, owned by Paramount Global, operates without a monthly subscription module. What’s more, the app is compatible with multiple devices such as Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, etc.
As part of the content library, you get over 250 live TV channels for free. The list includes news channels such as Pluto News, CNN, CBSN, Bloomberg TV and Newsmax TV, sports channels such as Fox Sports, CBS Sports HQ and NFL Channel, and entertainment channels such as Comedy Central, VH1, MTV, Nickelodeon, etc. Access various on-demand movies and TV shows.
The platform is available in the US, UK and Germany.
pros
- Free access
- Diverse content library
- No account registration
Minuses
- Too many ads
Price: Free
Summarizing
Live TV allows you to immerse yourself in the magic of TV, movies and shows from the comfort of your home. Unfortunately, while many platforms allow you to watch live TV, finding the best of the bunch can take time and effort. That’s where I hope this curated list of the best live streaming apps for iPhone and iPad comes in handy.
You can choose a plan that suits your budget and offers shows that suit your interests. Although I tried to list the most relevant ones here, you can still enlighten me with your favorite apps not included in the list.