We have had a few emails over the last couple of months from some new IPTV users asking us is IPTV a VPN.
So we decided to put a quick article together which explains what each is and what differences them.
Is IPTV A VPN?
No IPTV is not a VPN they are 2 different things in general. IPTV allows you to watch streamed content online while a VPN allows you to encrypt your internet data and keep your IP address etc private as you use the internet.
What Is IPTV?
IPTV stands for internet protocol television and is a service run by OTT or IPTV providers such as mainstream satellite and cable providers or IPTV providers which are found online.
With IPTV you can put this service on most devices you own around your household and then can enjoy thousands of live TV channels from the best IPTV providers around.
You may also find IPTV technology being used in places like hotels where they link all the TVs together and show their own content or from a server they have hosted working over the internet.
You can see a more in-depth article on What Is IPTV to understand IPTV and IPTV Providers more.
What Is A VPN?
A VPN stands for virtual private network and is software that you can run on many internet-enabled devices such as laptops, PC, Windows, Macbooks, Smartphones, and more.
What the virtual private network (VPN) allows you to do is secure your network and encrypt the data so this will keep you private and secure when browsing the internet or even streaming IPTV or any other apps such as YouTube, Netflix, etc.
See What To Do If IPTV Is Not Working With NordVPN.
A VPN will keep your data encrypted so if you were using your laptop in a cafe you can not have any data stolen by what is named a man-in-the-middle attack which hackers can steal your personal data or gain login details to websites you have visited.
But in 2023 you must use a VPN when using IPTV in general due to some laws in most European countries which allows your internet provider to block your IPTV provider’s server when there is a football match on which the only way to stop this is by using a VPN.
We recommend using the VPN below and save up to 82% OFF (limited-time deal) and this will make sure you get the best IPTV experience in 2023 without any blackouts when the football is on.
For more information about this, you can check out our guide on Why You Must Use A VPN With IPTV.
Aside from using a VPN with IPTV it also is a good idea to get a VPN to protect your IP address when using IPTV services and to also use for geo-restrictions such as Netflix.
If you use Netflix and travel abroad you will notice you will need to use your VPN to access the UKs Netflix or USA Netflix or you can also get Netflix USA on your device using a VPN server in the USA to access a much larger catalog of both Movies and TV shows.
You can also use free VPN’s but the downside to this is they may not fully protect your data and also they come with small usage limits and not unlimited usage like buying a VPN from the mainstream VPN providers such as PureVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN.
See How To Find IPTV IP Address.
Final Thoughts
We hope we cleared up the differences between IPTV and a VPN from the questions we had sent in asking is IPTV a VPN.
Make sure to use a VPN in 2023 with IPTV and you will never have trouble with your IPTV provider again.