Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported streaming service owned by Paramount. It offers its own themed channels and on-demand titles, not the live cable networks. A paid IPTV subscription such as IPTVMaple streams the actual live channels, including CBC, CTV, Global, TSN, Sportsnet and US networks, with live sports, a TV guide and catch-up. Pluto TV costs nothing; IPTV gives you live TV that Pluto TV doesn’t carry.
Quick comparison
| Pluto TV | IPTV (IPTVMaple) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | From $9 a month, about $4.08/month on a 12-month plan |
| Ads | Yes, inside programs | Only the ads the channel itself broadcasts |
| Channel type | Curated themed channels (FAST) | Live broadcast and cable networks |
| Canadian networks live | No | CBC, CTV, Global, City, TVA and more |
| Live NHL, NFL, NBA, soccer | No | On TSN, Sportsnet, ESPN and others |
| TV guide and catch-up | Guide for Pluto’s channels | Full EPG; catch-up on supported channels |
| Account | Optional | Login sent after order or free trial |
What Pluto TV is good at
Pluto TV runs “FAST” channels: free, ad-supported streams built around a show, a genre or a back catalogue, such as classic sitcoms, crime dramas, movies or news clips. It launched in Canada in late 2023 and has its own apps for smart TVs, phones and streaming sticks. If you want something on in the background and don’t mind ads, it’s a decent free extra.
What Pluto TV doesn’t do
- No live cable networks: you won’t find TSN, Sportsnet, CTV or CNN as they air.
- No live major sports: Hockey Night in Canada, the Super Bowl or the Champions League aren’t on Pluto TV.
- Limited choice: the lineup is what Pluto chooses, and it changes.
Can you watch Pluto TV through an IPTV app?
People search for a “Pluto TV M3U” to load Pluto channels into TiviMate or another IPTV player. Pluto TV doesn’t publish an official M3U playlist; lists shared online are made by third parties and tend to break when Pluto changes its streams. The reliable way is Pluto TV’s own app, which you can install alongside your IPTV player on the same Fire TV Stick or Android TV.
Which one should you choose?
- Pluto TV: you only watch reruns and movies casually and want to spend nothing.
- IPTV: you want live Canadian and US channels, live sports, news as it happens, or channels from your home country.
- Both: many cord-cutters keep a free app like Pluto TV and add IPTV for live TV and sports.
You can test the difference yourself with our free 24-hour IPTV trial. To understand the technology, read what is IPTV.
