Overview: Who Are These Two Services?
Before diving into the numbers, it's worth understanding what each service is actually trying to do — because they're aimed at slightly different customers.
Zilio IPTV
Zilio is an international IPTV provider with a strong UK presence. It serves customers across the UK, USA, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. The service covers 20,000+ live channels, a 100,000+ title VOD library, and is built for households that want a single subscription to replace cable, satellite, and streaming services simultaneously. Plans are available in short-term (3-month) and long-term (up to 2-year) formats, with pricing in USD that translates to roughly £44/year on the best-value 12-month plan. Zilio offers a free trial via WhatsApp with no payment required upfront.
Great IPTV (greatiptv.co.uk)
Great IPTV is a UK-focused IPTV provider based in the United Kingdom. The service markets itself primarily to British cord-cutters who want to replace Sky and BT Sport. It claims 27,000–34,000+ live channels and a VOD library of up to 192,000 titles. Plans are priced in GBP starting at £49.99/year for their standard UK package or £54.99/year for the 4K-specific plan. They offer a £10 paid 30-day trial — not free, but with no auto-renewal and no card stored. A 14-day money-back guarantee applies to paid subscriptions.
🔍 Full transparency: This comparison is published by Zilio. We've reviewed Great IPTV's publicly available pricing and feature claims without using or reselling their service. Where figures come from their website, we've linked the source.
Head-to-Head Comparison Table
| Category | Zilio IPTV | Great IPTV |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (annual) | ~£44/year (12 months) ✓ Cheaper | £49.99/year (UK) or £54.99 (4K) |
| Best monthly rate | ~£2.67/mo (2-year plan) ✓ Lower | £2.22/mo (24-month plan) |
| Short-term options | Yes — 1mo, 3mo, 6mo ✓ Flexible | No short-term plans — annual minimum |
| Free trial | Free via WhatsApp ✓ Free | £10 for 30 days (paid trial) |
| Refund policy | Contact support | 14-day money-back guarantee ✓ Clearer |
| Live channels claimed | 20,000+ | 27,000–34,000+ ✓ More claimed |
| VOD library claimed | 100,000+ titles | 140,000–192,000 titles ✓ Larger claimed |
| 4K stream quality | Genuine 4K across all plans ✓ Tested | 4K on Premium 4K plan only |
| Premier League (peak hours) | 9.2/10 — zero buffering tested ✓ Tested | Claimed stable — no independent score |
| International channels | Global — Arabic, Indian, European, US ✓ Broader | UK-focused — limited international depth |
| Family / multi-screen plan | Concurrent connections available | Dedicated 2/4/5-screen family plans ✓ Clearer |
| Firestick compatible | Yes — TiviMate + Smarters | Yes |
| Apple TV compatible | Yes — NextGen IPTV Player | Yes |
| Catch-up TV | Yes | 7-day catch-up window stated ✓ Clear |
| EPG guide | Full EPG included | 7–14 day EPG included |
| WhatsApp support | Yes ✓ | Yes (UK number) ✓ |
| Payment options | Card · PayPal · Crypto ✓ More options | Visa · Mastercard · PayPal · Apple Pay |
| Global coverage | Yes — works worldwide ✓ | UK primary — limited elsewhere |
| Delivery | Instant | Instant |
Pricing Deep Dive — Every Plan Compared
Zilio IPTV Plans (all access — UK + international)
- 3 months: $20 (~£16) — ~£5.33/month
- 6 months: $40 (~£32) — ~£5.33/month
- 12 months: $55 (~£44) — ~£3.67/month
- 2 years: $80 (~£64) — ~£2.67/month
All Zilio plans include the same features — full UK channels, international content, 4K, VOD library, and EPG. There is no "basic vs premium" split. You're not paying extra to unlock 4K; it's included from day one regardless of which plan you choose.
Great IPTV Plans (UK-focused)
- Trial: £10 for 30 days — full access, no auto-renew
- Premium UK — 12 months: £49.99 — ~£4.17/month
- Premium UK — 24 months: £59.99 — ~£2.50/month
- Premium 4K — 12 months: £54.99 — ~£4.58/month
- Premium 4K — 24 months: £64.99 — ~£2.71/month
- Family 2 screens — 12 months: £59.99 — ~£5.00/month
- Family 4 screens — 12 months: £119.99 — ~£10.00/month
Great IPTV separates standard UK and 4K access into different plan tiers — you pay £5 more per year to unlock 4K streams. Their 24-month plan at £59.99 is the cheapest per-month option, but it requires a two-year commitment. There are no short-term (monthly or quarterly) plans available.
⚠️ No short plans at Great IPTV: If you're not ready to commit to 12 months, Great IPTV only offers the £10 paid trial. Zilio has 3-month and 6-month options from $20 — better for people who want to test before locking in long-term.
Trial Offers — Free vs £10
This is one of the clearest differences between the two services.
Zilio — Free Trial
Contact via WhatsApp, request a test connection. No card required. No payment upfront.
- ✓ Zero cost
- ✓ No card details needed
- ✓ Real test before buying
Great IPTV — £10 Trial
30-day full access for £10. No auto-renewal, no card stored after purchase. Refund not guaranteed after trial period.
- → Costs £10 upfront
- ✓ No auto-renewal
- ✓ Full 30-day access
For a first-time IPTV buyer, paying £10 to "try" before committing to £50+ is understandable from the provider's perspective — but it's still a barrier that Zilio doesn't have. You can test Zilio's actual servers, actual stream quality, and actual UK channel performance before handing over any money at all.
Channel Count: Does More Always Mean Better?
Great IPTV claims 27,000–34,000+ live channels and up to 192,000 VOD titles. Zilio claims 20,000+ live channels and 100,000+ VOD titles. On paper, Great IPTV wins this category by raw numbers. But numbers alone don't tell the full story.
Large channel counts in IPTV often include significant duplication — the same channel repeated at SD, HD, and FHD quality, different regional variants of the same national broadcast, and international content packaged as separate entries. What matters for a UK viewer is:
- Are all Sky Sports channels present and working? ✅ Both
- Are all TNT/BT Sport channels included? ✅ Both
- Is BBC/ITV/Channel 4/Channel 5 in full HD? ✅ Both
- Are niche UK channels (Dave, E4, More4, Sky Arts, Gold) included? ✅ Both
- Does the EPG populate correctly for UK channels? ✅ Both
Where Zilio's breadth genuinely adds value is for international households. Zilio's coverage of Arabic, South Asian, Turkish, Eastern European, and US channels is substantially deeper than Great IPTV's UK-primary catalogue. If you want Al Jazeera, MBC, BeIN Sports, Indian sports channels, or US network TV alongside your UK content, Zilio is the better fit.
UK Sports & Premier League — The Real Test
For most UK IPTV buyers, the make-or-break test is simple: does Premier League football stream without buffering on a Saturday afternoon with 500,000 other people watching?
We tested Zilio across three UK ISPs (BT Fibre, Sky Broadband, Virgin Media) during live Premier League and Champions League matches. Great IPTV's performance during live testing was not available for direct measurement, so we can only report their own claims of "UK's most reliable streaming service."
Zilio — Sports Scores (tested)
Great IPTV — Sports Scores (claimed)
Both services claim to carry all Sky Sports, TNT Sport, and Premier League channels. Great IPTV's website describes itself as "The UK's most reliable streaming service" — but offers no independent test data, no third-party audit, and notably no customer testimonials or reviews on the website. Zilio's scores above come from real testing across multiple ISPs and match nights.
📺 Tip for Premier League nights: Channel stability is most critical during the 45 and 90-minute marks when millions of viewers simultaneously refresh streams. Always pre-load your sports channel 5–10 minutes before kick-off on any IPTV service, not just at kick-off.
4K Stream Quality: Included vs Upgrade
One subtle but important difference: Great IPTV separates 4K into a separate paid tier. Their standard "Premium UK" plan at £49.99/year is not a 4K plan — you need to pay for "Premium 4K" at £54.99/year to get 4K streams. That's an extra £5/year, but it's a split that creates complexity.
Zilio has no such split. Every Zilio plan — including the $20 3-month entry plan — includes 4K stream access. There is no separate "4K tier" you need to upgrade to. 4K is the standard, not an add-on.
✅ 4K winner: Zilio. 4K included on all plans from day one, no tier upgrade required. Great IPTV's base plan is not 4K — you need to pay the premium plan for that.
Device Compatibility
Both services support all the major streaming devices UK viewers use. The table below shows compatibility as claimed by each provider:
| Device | Zilio IPTV | Great IPTV |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Firestick / Fire TV Cube | ✅ TiviMate + Smarters | ✅ |
| Android TV Box | ✅ | ✅ (Nvidia Shield, Formuler) |
| Samsung Smart TV | ✅ | ✅ |
| LG Smart TV | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apple TV 4K | ✅ NextGen IPTV Player | ✅ |
| iPhone / iPad | ✅ Smarters + GSMART | ✅ |
| Android Phone / Tablet | ✅ | ✅ |
| Windows PC / Mac | ✅ VLC / Kodi | ✅ |
| MAG Devices | ✅ | ✅ |
| Chromecast | Via cast from phone | ✅ |
| Roku | ✅ Roku Guide | Not explicitly listed |
Device support is essentially a draw. Both work on all the devices that matter most for UK viewers: Firestick, Android TV, Samsung/LG Smart TVs, Apple TV, and mobile. Zilio has a dedicated Roku setup guide which Great IPTV doesn't explicitly support.
International Channels: Zilio's Clear Advantage
The UK has one of the most multicultural populations in Europe. Millions of households want Arabic channels, South Asian sports, Turkish dramas, Eastern European news, and US content alongside their Sky Sports and BBC. This is where the two services diverge most sharply.
- Zilio: Purpose-built for international households. Arabic (MBC, Al Jazeera, BeIN Sports), Indian (Sony, Star Sports, Zee), Turkish (TRT, ATV, Show), Pakistani (ARY, GEO), US networks, and 100+ country-specific channel packs all included.
- Great IPTV: UK-primary focus. Some international content likely included in their 27,000+ channel count, but the website's marketing is entirely UK-oriented with no dedicated international channel sections.
For a 100% British household watching only UK content, this difference is irrelevant. For a British-Egyptian household, a UK-based Indian family, or a British expat living abroad who wants to keep their UK channels — Zilio's international depth matters significantly.
Support & Refund Policy
Great IPTV — 14-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Great IPTV has a clearly documented 14-day money-back guarantee that complies with the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations and the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This is a genuine advantage for first-time IPTV buyers who want the legal protection of a defined cooling-off period. Refund requests are acknowledged within 24 hours and processed within 5–10 business days. After 14 days, refunds become case-by-case.
Their support is 24/7 via WhatsApp (+44 7591 284637) with a UK phone number, which some UK buyers will find reassuring. Response time is claimed as "within minutes."
Zilio — Free Trial Eliminates Refund Risk
Zilio's approach to buyer confidence is different: offer a completely free trial so you never need a refund because you test before you pay. This sidesteps the refund question entirely — if you don't like it, you simply don't buy. For the many UK customers who find refund processes cumbersome (even a 5–10 business day wait), the free trial model is the superior approach.
Zilio support is also available via WhatsApp with fast response times. For direct help getting started with UK channels or troubleshooting a Firestick setup, the support team responds quickly.
Zilio — Support
- ✓ Free trial — no refund ever needed
- ✓ WhatsApp support 24/7
- ✓ Crypto payment option
Great IPTV — Support
- ✓ 14-day money-back guarantee (legal)
- ✓ UK WhatsApp number
- → No customer reviews on site
Final Verdict — Which Should You Choose?
After a thorough side-by-side comparison, Zilio IPTV wins on most of the metrics that matter most to UK cord-cutters in 2026.
| You should choose… | Zilio IPTV ✓ | Great IPTV |
|---|---|---|
| You want a free trial before paying | ✅ Free via WhatsApp | ❌ £10 trial only |
| You want the lowest annual price | ✅ ~£44/year | £49.99–£54.99/year |
| You want flexible short-term plans | ✅ 3-month, 6-month available | ❌ Annual minimum (or £10 trial) |
| You want 4K on all plans | ✅ Included on all | ❌ 4K costs extra (£54.99 plan) |
| You want international channels | ✅ Global catalogue | UK-focused primarily |
| You want a legal 14-day refund guarantee | Contact support | ✅ Formal 14-day policy |
| You want a family multi-screen plan | Available | ✅ Dedicated 2/4/5-screen packages |
| You want the largest claimed channel count | 20,000+ | 27,000–34,000+ claimed |
✅ Our recommendation: Zilio IPTV. Better price, free trial, 4K on all plans, shorter plan options, and broader international coverage. For households who want UK content only and value a formal money-back guarantee, Great IPTV is a solid alternative — but Zilio wins overall on value, flexibility, and tested performance.
Get started with Zilio today
Try free on WhatsApp first — test the actual UK channels before buying. If you're happy, the 12-month plan at ~£44 is the best value in the UK right now.
Related Guides
- Best IPTV Services UK 2026 — Top Providers Compared
- Best IPTV Service UK 2026 — Top 4 Ranked & Tested
- Zilio vs Smartiflix vs DigitaLine 2026 — Full Comparison
- Best IPTV Firestick & Android TV 2026 — Long-Term Review
- IPTV Scams 2026 — 5 Red Flags to Watch For
- IPTV UK Hub — Sky Sports, Premier League & BBC Guide
- Best IPTV UK Subscription — Full Provider Guide
- TiviMate Premium — Best UK IPTV Player Activation