Linux IPTV players at a glance
- Hypnotix
- Linux Mint’s own player: M3U links, local M3U files and Xtream API
- IPTVnator
- AppImage, deb, rpm, Snap and Flatpak: M3U, Xtream Codes, Stalker portals and an XMLTV guide
- VLC
- Snap or your distribution’s package: plays an M3U link, no TV guide
- Kodi
- Flatpak or distribution packages: PVR IPTV Simple Client for M3U and XMLTV
From each project’s official pages, checked 5 October 2026.
Which player suits you?
| Player | Get it from | Logins | TV guide | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hypnotix | Included in Linux Mint | M3U link, local M3U file, Xtream API | An EPG field per provider | Linux Mint users who want something simple |
| IPTVnator | GitHub releases, Snap, Flatpak, AUR | M3U, Xtream Codes, Stalker portal | Yes, XMLTV | A full TV app on any distribution |
| VLC | Snap or your distribution’s package | M3U link | No | Checking a link, or watching a few channels |
| Kodi | Flatpak (Flathub) or your distribution | M3U with the PVR IPTV Simple Client | Yes, XMLTV | A PC connected to the TV, used with a remote |
All four are free and open source, and none of them comes with channels: they play the playlist or login from your provider. If you have Xtream Codes details but your player wants a link, see Xtream Codes to M3U.
Hypnotix on Linux Mint
Hypnotix is the Linux Mint team’s IPTV player. It first shipped with Linux Mint 20.1 and has been improved in later releases, so on Linux Mint it’s ready in the applications menu. It plays live TV and, if your provider offers them, films and series.
- Open Hypnotix, go to Providers and choose Add a new provider....
- Pick the Type: M3U URL, Local M3U File or Xtream API.
- Fill in the fields that appear: the URL (and Username and Password for Xtream API), or the Path to a local file. There’s also an EPG field for the guide link.
The full walkthrough, with shortcuts and fixes, is in our Hypnotix guide.
IPTVnator on any distribution
IPTVnator is a desktop IPTV player built with Electron. Its developer lists Linux builds as AppImage, deb, rpm, Snap and Flatpak, and it handles M3U playlists, Xtream Codes and Stalker portals, with an XMLTV guide, favourites and catch-up where the provider supports it. It can also hand playback to an external player such as mpv or VLC.
The quickest installs from the developer’s README:
sudo snap install iptvnator
On Arch-based distributions there’s an AUR package, iptvnator-bin; for anything else, download the build for your system from the project’s GitHub releases page. Avoid copies from other download sites.
VLC: the quick check
VideoLAN packages VLC for Ubuntu and many other distributions as a Snap, which gets the newest version; the version in your distribution’s own repository gets security fixes but not major upgrades until the next release.
sudo snap install vlc
Then open MediaOpen Network Stream, paste your M3U link and press Play. ViewPlaylist shows the channel list. VLC has no TV guide and can be slow with very large playlists, so it’s best for testing a link. See IPTV in VLC.
Kodi: a Linux PC as a TV box
Kodi gives you a full-screen TV guide you can use with a remote, through its PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on. On Linux, how you install it matters:
- Flatpak: the Kodi wiki points to Kodi on Flathub. It notes that the Team Kodi PPA for Ubuntu isn’t currently maintained, so use Flatpak, your distribution’s own Kodi, or a build from source.
- Debian and distributions that package Kodi: the PVR client comes as a separate package. The Kodi wiki’s example for Debian is
sudo apt install kodi-pvr-iptvsimple. - A dedicated TV PC: LibreELEC is a small Linux system that boots straight into Kodi.
Then add your M3U link and XMLTV guide in the add-on; see PVR IPTV Simple Client setup and Kodi for IPTV.
Tips for smooth playback
- Wayland: if Hypnotix’s video misbehaves, its README suggests adding
vo=x11to the MPV options in its preferences and starting it withGDK_BACKEND=x11 hypnotix. - Use a cable for the PC that plays live TV, or 5 GHz Wi-Fi close to the router. See Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- Hardware decoding: turn it on in the player’s settings if it’s off, so the graphics chip decodes the video instead of the processor.
- Buffering in the evening is usually the connection rather than the player; see buffering and freezing.
On Windows or a Mac instead? See IPTV on Windows and IPTV on Mac.