One year
Standard HD
Live TV and the on-demand library in Full HD on one screen.
$39/ year
Regular price $59Save $20
one payment covers 12 months
- 40,000 live channels + EPG guide
- 90,000 films & series
- Full HD picture
- 1 device
TL;DRThe short answer
On a $150 cable bill, three years of cable costs about $5,400. Three years of our Premium 4K plan costs $207, plus a one-time $30 to $60 for a streaming stick if you don’t have one. You keep paying for internet either way, so check whether dropping TV changes your internet price before you cut the cord.
CH 02Side by side
Three years of cable vs three years of IPTV
Round example numbers. Put your own bill in the first column; the IPTV side doesn’t change.
| Cable at $150 a month | IPTV Premium 4K | IPTV Lifetime Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $1,800 | $69 + stick $40 | $299 + stick $40 |
| Year 2 | $1,800 | $69 | $0 |
| Year 3 | $1,800 | $69 | $0 |
| Three-year total | $5,400 | $247 | $339 |
| Box rental | Usually extra per TV | None, you own the stick | None |
| Price rises | Common at contract end | Fixed yearly price | One payment |
| Screens | One per rented box | 1 (2-screen option $119/yr) | Up to 4 |
CH 03The bill
Where a cable bill actually goes
Open a cable statement and read past the package price. You’ll usually find a line for each rented box, a broadcast TV fee, a regional sports fee, taxes, and sometimes a separate DVR charge. On many bills those extras add a third or more to the advertised price.
Then there’s the promo cliff. A two-year deal ends, and the same package jumps by $20 to $40 a month unless you call and negotiate. That’s why we used $150 above: it’s a round figure for a mid-size package after fees, not a worst case.
A cable TV alternative only saves money if it replaces most of that bill, not just one channel. That’s the test to apply to any option, including ours.
CH 04Your numbers
Work out your own cable TV alternative math
Start from last month’s statement, not the advertised price. Add the package, every box fee, the broadcast and sports fees, the DVR line and tax, then multiply by 36. Call that C, three years of cable.
Now the IPTV side: the plan over three years (Standard HD $117, Premium 4K $207, Lifetime Max $299), plus one stick for each TV that needs one, roughly $30 to $60 apiece. Call it I. Last, ask your provider for the internet-only price; any increase over what you pay for internet today, times 36, is B.
Your saving is C minus I minus B. On most bills people send us, B is the number that surprises them, which is why the bundle question sits first in the list of catches below.
CH 05The catches
Five catches to check before you cut the cord
The bundle trap
If your internet and TV are one bundle, the internet price alone may go up when you drop TV. Ask your provider for the internet-only price before you cancel, and include it in your math.
Early termination fees
Leaving a contract early can cost a fee. If you have a few months left, it can make sense to start IPTV now and cancel cable when the contract ends.
Returning the boxes
Rented boxes and remotes have to go back, or you’re charged for them. Keep the return receipt.
Internet speed
A steady line matters more than a fast one. Each 4K screen wants about 15 Mbps to itself; HD needs a small slice of that. Homes with constant video calls or cloud backups should test at peak hours.
Locals
Affiliates in the big metros are usually there; smaller markets are patchier. Check our local channels guide before you assume.
CH 06Other options
Every cable TV alternative, side by side
An antenna. Free over-the-air locals in HD, if you live within range of the towers. Great as a backup, but it’s only locals, and reception depends on where you live and which way your windows face.
Big streaming apps. Excellent for on-demand shows, but each one covers part of what you watch, and live sport is spread across several. Stack four or five and you’re often back near a cable bill, still without international channels.
Live TV streaming bundles. The closest thing to cable over the internet, and priced close to cable too, with the same pattern of rises over time.
IPTV. Live channels from the US and abroad, sports, locals in most markets and a large on-demand library on one login, for a yearly or lifetime price. The trade-off is that you rely on a provider’s support rather than a cable company’s, so pick one that answers. That’s the case for IPTV as a cable TV alternative, and it’s why we put support on WhatsApp 7 days a week.
CH 07Checklist
A cord cutting plan that doesn’t leave you without TV
Do it in this order and nobody in the house misses a game.
0 of 7 checked
CH 08Plans
What the cable TV alternative costs here
A yearly price or a single lifetime price. No hardware to rent and no charge per TV.
Recommended
Premium 4K
The bigger library in 4K, with 3-day catch-up.
$69/ year
Regular price $99Save $30
one payment covers 12 months
- 60,000 live channels + EPG guide
- 200,000 films & series
- 4K Ultra-HD picture
- 3-day replay · 1 device
One payment
Lifetime Max
Pay once. Dedicated server and up to four screens.
$299one-time
Regular price $459Save $160
one payment, no renewals
- 80,000+ live channels + EPG guide
- 250,000+ films & series
- 4K / FHD · up to 4 screens
- Dedicated server · 7-day replay
- Card, Apple Pay, Google Payor bank transfer −10%
- 60-day refund windowask on WhatsApp or by email
- Login by emailusually within 5–30 minutes
- WhatsApp, 7 days+44 7490 300294
CH 09What you keep
What you keep, and what changes, when you cut the cord
You keep live TV: news, sports, local channels in most markets, international channels, plus a films and series library that cable doesn’t include at all. You keep the guide, too; the TV guide in IPTV apps looks a lot like the cable one.
What changes: you use an app instead of a cable box, and the remote is the stick’s remote. Support is on WhatsApp, not a phone queue. And on Premium 4K, replay replaces the DVR for most things: three days of catch-up on channels that support it.
For a wider look at the options, from big streaming apps to antennas, see our comparison of streaming services and IPTV. Wikipedia’s cord-cutting article has the background on the trend.
Is IPTV a full cable TV alternative or just an add-on?
For most homes it replaces cable completely: live channels, sports, news and locals in most markets, plus films and series. If one channel is essential, ask us to check it first.
Do I need new TVs?
No. A stick turns any set with a free HDMI socket into an IPTV screen, and many smart TVs need nothing extra at all.
How many screens do I need?
Count the TVs that are on together, not the TVs you own. Three sets that rarely overlap can share a two-stream plan. Our plan-by-household guide helps.
Lifetime or yearly?
Lifetime Max at $299 passes the two-screen Premium 4K yearly price in its third year, and it includes 4 screens and 7-day replay. If you’re unsure, start yearly.
Will my internet bill go up?
Your internet plan doesn’t need to change for IPTV in most homes. The risk is the bundle: some providers charge more for internet once TV is gone. Ask for the internet-only price before you cancel and decide with the real number.
What about the DVR recordings on my cable box?
They stay on the rented box and go back with it. Watch anything you care about before the return date. On Premium 4K and Lifetime Max, replay covers most of what people used the DVR for.
What if I want to go back?
Then ask for your money back. Anything up to day 60 after purchase qualifies; one WhatsApp message or email is all it takes.
WhatsApp, 7 days a weekLogin by email in 5–30 minutesCard, Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank transfer −10%60-day refund window
CH 11Before you switch
Send us your channel list
Tell us what you watch on cable today. We’ll check it against our lineup and suggest a plan from the IPTV subscription page.
60-day refund window · Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay · Bank transfer −10%