Qanat vs IPTV Smarters Pro: a free alternative
Qanat is a player only. Bring your own subscription. IPTV Smarters Pro works the same way. The real difference between the two is how you install it and what the interface feels like on a TV.
The short answer
IPTV Smarters Pro is the best-known name in IPTV, but the official app is not listed on Google Play — it is distributed through its own website, on several platforms. Qanat installs as a signed direct APK: the SHA-256 and the signing certificate are published, the Downloader code is 3328259, and a Google Play build is on the way. If what matters to you is a known, signed build and an interface made for the remote, Qanat is the alternative.
Side by side
| Feature | Qanat | IPTV Smarters Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | Free | — |
| Contains ads | ✗ | — |
| Xtream Codes | ✓ | ✓ |
| M3U | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stalker / MAC | ✓ | — |
| EPG grid | ✓ | — |
| Catch-up | ✓ | — |
| Timeshift | ✓ | — |
| Recording (DVR) | ✗ | — |
| Multi-view | ✗ | — |
| Chromecast | ✗ | — |
| Profiles + PIN | ✓ | — |
| Phones by touch | ✓ | — |
| Full Arabic RTL | ✓ | — |
| On Google Play | Coming soon | ✗ |
Where IPTV Smarters Pro is better
- Name recognition. It is the most widely known IPTV app, and it is distributed through its own website on several platforms, so it is easy to find.
- Its published listing gives us only the formats it supports — Xtream Codes and M3U — and no price model, so we make no claim about its price or about features we could not verify.
- A playlist in either of those two formats works in Qanat as well, so switching does not mean setting everything up again.
Where Qanat is different
- A store-quality signed build. A direct APK with a published SHA-256 and signing certificate, a self-updater on the same host, and a Google Play build on the way.
- A TV-first interface. The drawer, the guide grid, the now/next line and the player OSD are all built around a remote control.
- A real guide, not just a channel list: a TV guide grid, now and next under every channel, catch-up inside your provider's archive window, timeshift to pause live TV, and programme reminders.
- No ads and no tracking. No analytics, no advertising SDK, no account, and credentials stay encrypted on the device.
- An in-app mini player that keeps the channel playing in a corner while you browse, and a Qanat row on the Google TV home screen.
- Phones by touch, a full Arabic right-to-left interface, and sign-in by QR code with your phone.
How to try Qanat
Qanat is free and installs in about a minute. On a Fire TV, open the free Downloader app, enter code 3328259 and confirm the install. On an Android TV box or an Android phone, download the same signed APK. The Google Play build is on the way. Qanat stays a player: add a playlist from your own provider, by typing the details or by scanning a QR code with your phone. The interface is Arabic right-to-left as well as English.