Price
This is the biggest difference. Cable and satellite packages often run $80–$150+ per month with equipment rental and contracts. IPTV typically costs a fraction of that — often under $20/month — with no long-term contract, because there is no physical infrastructure or hardware rental.
Channels and content
Cable gives you regional packages. IPTV usually carries far more channels, including international and local content from many countries in one app, plus an on-demand library of movies and series. For expats and sports fans wanting events from multiple countries, IPTV is hard to beat.
Devices and flexibility
Cable needs a box per TV. IPTV runs on devices you already own — Smart TV, Firestick, phone, tablet, PC — and you can watch in different rooms or on the go. Multi-device plans let the household watch different things at once.
Reliability
Here cable still has an edge: a dedicated line is not affected by your internet quality. IPTV depends on a decent connection (15–25 Mbps for 4K). With good internet and a reputable provider running failover servers, IPTV is very stable — but if your broadband is weak, cable may buffer less.