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Kodi

Free, open-source media centre for the TV, with a huge add-on ecosystem.

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About Kodi

Kodi, formerly XBMC, is a free and open-source media centre designed for a TV and remote, with a ten-foot interface for browsing movies, shows, music, photos and games. It plays almost any file format from local drives and network shares, builds a library with artwork and metadata, and can be extended with add-ons and skins; it can also act as a client for Plex, Jellyfin and Emby or share its library over UPnP. Kodi runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and tvOS, and is popular on Raspberry Pi and Android TV boxes, including dedicated Kodi-based operating systems. It is a volunteer project with no paid tier. Unlike a server-first app it is mainly built for one screen, so syncing watch status across several rooms needs a shared database or a separate server. Kodi provides no content, and its name is often attached to piracy add-ons that the project does not support.

Best for: Tinkerers who want a fully customisable media centre on a TV, Pi or Android box.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Plays almost any format with no transcoding
  • Deep customisation with skins and add-ons
  • Free, open source and account-free

Why people leave

  • Built for a single screen rather than streaming to many devices
  • Setup and add-ons take time to learn
  • Reputation is hurt by unofficial piracy add-ons

Top Kodi alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1Plex logo
    Plex

    Streams one library to every device in the house and away from home.

    66.5
  2. 2Jellyfin logo
    Jellyfin

    A free server that syncs your library and watch status across many clients.

    62.6
  3. 3Emby logo
    Emby

    Server-based streaming with official apps and a Kodi add-on.

    59.6
  4. 4JRiver Media Center logo
    JRiver Media Center

    A paid all-in-one media centre with strong audio and DLNA serving.

    57.2
  5. 5Stremio logo
    Stremio

    Similar add-on driven media centre, with a simpler interface and watch progress synced across devices.

    38.6

Why people left Kodi

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Kodi, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

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Kodi: common questions

Is Kodi free?

Yes. Kodi is free, open-source software.

Is Kodi open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at xbmc/xbmc.

What platforms does Kodi run on?

Kodi is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.

What are the best alternatives to Kodi?

The highest-ranked Kodi alternatives right now are Plex, Jellyfin and Emby. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Kodi alternatives