Free M3U editors compared
Of the eight free M3U editors below, six are tools you run yourself, on your own server or computer, with their code on GitHub. Two are commercial editors with a free plan or a free trial.
We read each one on its own site or code page on 3 November 2026. M3UTool is not free, so it is not in the table. Where it fits is further down.
No card needed.
Free M3U playlist editors side by side
The table shows what each tool says on its own site or code page. "Not in its description" means we did not find it there, not that the tool cannot do it.
| Editor | Free to use | Where it runs | Guide (EPG) | Link checks | Latest activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPTVBoss Basic | Free plan: 2 playlist sources, 3 EPG sources, 2 users, 1 layout. Pro from $25 a year | An editor app you install | EPG by hand and dummy EPG on Basic. Built-in EPGs and auto-mapping on Pro | Not listed on their site | Not checked |
| IPTVEditor | 7-day free trial: 1 playlist, up to 100,000 entries, 3 XMLTV sources. Then from €9.90 a year | Web, hosted for you | Connects tvg-ids to an XMLTV source for you. Export as .xml or .gzip, dummy entries | Not listed on their site | Not checked |
| Threadfin | Free, open source (MIT) | Self-hosted: Docker, or build it from source | Maps streams to guide data, merges XMLTV files, updates them by itself | Not in its description. Up to three backups per stream | Last change 3 October 2025 |
| xTeVe | Free, open source (MIT) | Self-hosted | Maps streams to guide data | Not in its description | Last code change 29 March 2021. No longer maintained |
| m3u-editor | Free for non-commercial use only (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) | Self-hosted with Docker, used in the browser | XMLTV files and links, and Schedules Direct | Not in its description | Last change 3 November 2026 |
| m3u-studio | Free, open source (GPL-2.0) | Self-hosted with Docker, on AMD64 and ARM64 | Guide settings for each stream | Yes: response times, to spot failed sources | Release 0.6.4, 25 October 2026 |
| m3u4me | Free, open source (GPL-3.0) | Self-hosted: install script for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora or Proxmox, or Docker | Browse the guide and match streams | Not in its description | Last change 17 October 2026 |
| m3u-epg-editor | Free, public domain (The Unlicense) | A Python script for the command line | Optimises M3U and guide files | Not in its description | Last change 4 December 2025 |
Checked 3 November 2026 on each maker’s own site or GitHub page. Latest activity is the newest release or change GitHub showed that day. The two commercial editors were not checked for a date. Some hosted editors are not in the table because we could not read their plans and limits on their own site.
What each free M3U editor is good for
A short, fair note on each one, from its own site or code page:
IPTVBoss Basic
A real free plan, not only a trial: 2 playlist sources, 3 EPG sources, 2 users and 1 layout. It edits and reorders in bulk, assigns logos, and lets you set the guide by hand or make placeholder guide entries. Built-in guides and automatic guide mapping come with the paid tiers. Compared with M3UTool.
IPTVEditor
Runs in the browser and hosts your playlists. The 7-day trial has 1 playlist with up to 100,000 entries and 3 XMLTV sources. It connects tvg-ids to an XMLTV source for you and keeps the list in step with your source about 10 times a day. Their site lists no link checker. Compared with M3UTool.
Threadfin
Free and open source. It sits between your playlist and the live TV of a media server: it maps streams to guide data, merges M3U and XMLTV files, updates both by itself and keeps up to three backups for each stream. It is the successor of the older proxy below, and its last change was on 3 October 2025.
xTeVe
Free and open source, but its last code change was on 29 March 2021, so it gets no fixes any more. For a new setup, look at its successor above.
m3u-editor
Very active, with a web interface you run with Docker, and full guide handling with XMLTV files and links. Its licence allows non-commercial use only, so check it before you use it for work. It starts with a default admin login: change it first.
m3u-studio
The one open-source tool here that checks links: it measures response times to spot failed sources. It runs with Docker on AMD64 and ARM64, so small ARM boxes work too, and it does batch edits and matches logos by name. Parts of its description are in Chinese.
m3u4me
Installs with one script or with Docker. Each playlist gets a short link on your own network, the list follows your provider, and it matches streams to the guide. Backups fit in one file, and a delete can be undone.
m3u-epg-editor
A Python script, not an editor with screens. It optimises M3U and guide files from the command line, for people who are happy with scripts.
Where M3UTool fits
M3UTool is not free. It is a hosted editor for big lists, link checks with backups and users, with the work done on our servers.
- A 14-day free trial with every feature, no card.
- Personal: 1 user (you) for €10 a year, with 2 playlists of up to 1 million streams each.
- It runs in the browser. Your provider is read again about every four hours, and your edits stay. About the editor.
- Link checks for quality, frame rate and reliability, and dead links switch to a working backup. How the link checker works.
- Guide matching for the whole list, with built-in country guides. How EPG matching works.
- Self-hosted on Windows or Linux too, with plans from €40 a year.
If a free tool does what you need, use it. More in How M3UTool works in our guide.
Prices
Personal is 1 user (you) for €10 a year. Pro is 10 to 400 users, from €15 a year. Every plan has every feature, and you can try them all free for 14 days first.
| Users | Price a year | Link checks a day |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 14 days free, no card | 5,000 |
| 1 (you) | €10 | 10,000 |
| 10 | €15 | 10,000 |
| 20 | €20 | 10,000 |
| 30 | €25 | 10,000 |
| 50 | €35 | 10,000 |
| 100 | €60 | 20,000 |
| 150 | €80 | 30,000 |
| 250 | €120 | 50,000 |
| 400 | €170 | 100,000 |
Prices are for 2 playlists of up to 1 million streams each. More playlists: 5 for €10, 10 for €25, 20 for €60 more a year. Bigger playlists: 2 million streams for €2, 5 million streams for €5 more a year per playlist. Every plan has every feature. Self-hosted M3UTool comes with plans from €40 a year.
M3UTool includes no content. You bring your own playlists.
Questions
Is there a free M3U editor online?
Few are free for good. Of the tools in the table, one web editor has a 7-day free trial and one commercial editor has a free plan with limits. The self-hosted tools are free, but you run them on your own server or computer.
Is IPTVBoss free?
Its Basic plan is free, with 2 playlist sources, 3 EPG sources, 2 users and 1 layout. The paid tiers start at $25 a year (checked 3 November 2026).
Is IPTVEditor free?
No. It has a 7-day free trial. Its plans start at €9.90 a year (checked 3 November 2026).
Is xTeVe still maintained?
No. Its last code change was on 29 March 2021. Its successor, which is based on it, is in the table above.
Which free M3U editor checks links?
Of the tools in the table, one open-source tool says so: it measures response times to spot failed sources. M3UTool checks every link for quality, frame rate and reliability, and switches dead links to a backup.
Can I use a free M3U editor for work?
Check each licence. MIT, GPL and The Unlicense allow commercial use. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 does not.
Is M3UTool free?
No. You get a 14-day free trial with every feature, no card. After that, plans start at €10 a year.
Does M3UTool include streams?
No. M3UTool includes no content. You bring your own playlists.
Try it on your own playlist
14-day free trial, no card. Every feature is on from the first day.
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