TiviMate alternative for Windows and Mac (2026)
TiviMate has no Windows or Mac version. BoTV does: a live TV player with a real programme guide, channel groups and one account on every screen.
TiviMate is one of the most polished live TV players there is, and it has earned that reputation. It is built for Android TV and Fire TV, though, and there is no version for Windows or macOS. If part of your evening happens on a computer, TiviMate is not an option there.
On a computer, the usual fallback is VLC. It plays almost any stream, but it has no programme guide for a playlist: you get a list of channels, not what is on them now and next.
That gap is why BoTV runs on the desktop.
What BoTV is, and what it is not
BoTV is a media player. It does not provide, host or sell any channel, stream or subscription. You add the sources you already have the right to watch, for example:
- the TV included with your internet subscription;
- the playlist a broadcaster publishes for its own channels;
- a service you pay directly to a licensed operator;
- your own server (a tuner, TVHeadend, Jellyfin).
Most of them come as an M3U playlist or an Xtream Codes login, and BoTV gives them a guide and an interface made for the remote and the keyboard. Like TiviMate, the app is the player; the sources are yours.
What you get on Windows and Mac
A native app. BoTV runs natively on Windows and macOS. On a Mac it is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens like any other app, without a security warning.
A real programme guide. The guide comes from your source automatically, so what is on now and next appears on every channel without any setup. You can also add the address of another guide (EPG) in the settings.
Your channels, organised. Channel groups, a full grid for each group, and one search across everything you have added.
Built for a computer. Keyboard navigation throughout, a window you can shrink to a corner of the screen while you work, and a player with scrubbing and a choice of subtitles and audio tracks.
One account on every screen. Sign in on your computer, your phone and your Android TV: your sources, favourites and progress follow you. Add a playlist on the computer, and it is on the TV when you sit down.
Side by side
As of October 2026:
| TiviMate | VLC | BoTV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows and macOS | No | Yes | Yes |
| Android TV and Fire TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Programme guide (EPG) for a playlist | Yes | No | Yes |
| Xtream Codes login | Yes | No | Yes |
| M3U playlists | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Same setup on several devices | Backup and restore; one Premium licence covers up to 5 devices | No | Synced with a BoTV account |
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When to stay with TiviMate
If you watch only on Android TV or Fire TV and your setup suits you, TiviMate remains an excellent choice, with features BoTV does not have, such as recording in TiviMate Premium. BoTV is for those who also watch on a computer, or who want their setup to follow them from one screen to another.
Try it
BoTV is available for Windows, macOS, Android, Android TV and Fire TV at botv.app.
BoTV is a media player. It does not provide, host, distribute or endorse any content, stream, channel or subscription. You are responsible for the sources you connect. TiviMate and VLC are trademarks of their respective owners; BoTV is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.