Kodi can be used without paying: Free and open source under GPL-2.0-or-later. Check the vendor’s pricing page for current limits.

Yes. Kodi publishes its source code under the GPL-2.0-or-later license.

Which platforms does Kodi support?

Kodi is available on: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.

What is Kodi best for?

A home theater setup on a TV or media box. In our ranking of media players it is number 5 of 10 with a score of 84.0.

What are the best alternatives to Kodi?

The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are VLC media player, Plex, Jellyfin, Infuse.

Kodi

Open-source home theater software for playing local and streamed media

#5 of 10 in best media players
Free and open source
Free to use
Open source
WindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroid

84.0

Score in best media players

Visit kodi.tv Alternatives Compare Share

Ranked 5 of 10 in best media players

Free home theater software that plays local files and add-on content on Android, Windows, macOS and Linux. Add-on quality varies, and it is a player rather than a server.

Best for A home theater setup on a TV or media box

About Kodi

Kodi is a media center application that plays local video, music and photos, and it adds content through add-ons. Its project page describes it as free and open-source home theater and media center software for digital media. It runs on Android, Linux, BSD, macOS, iOS, tvOS and Windows.

Kodi is released under GPL-2.0-or-later, and the source is on GitHub. Its add-ons extend what the app can play, but add-on quality varies. It suits people building a home theater on a TV or media box, while VLC suits playing files on a single computer and Jellyfin suits serving a library to several devices.

Key features

Home theater interface
Add-on system
Open source, GPL-2.0-or-later
Runs on Android, Windows, macOS and Linux

Strengths

Free and open source for home theater use
Plays local files and streams through add-ons
Runs on many devices, including TV boxes

Limits

Add-on quality varies across the ecosystem
Setup and add-on choices take some learning

Where Kodi ranks

Best media players#5of 10 · 84.0
Best for: A home theater setup on a TV or media box

How Kodi compares

Product	Score	Price	Platforms	Serves a home library
#3Jellyfin	87.5	Free and open source	WebAndroidSelf-hosted	Yes
#4Infuse	85.5	Free plan, paid upgrades	macOSiOS, iPadOS	No
#5Kodi	84.0	Free and open source	WindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroid	No
#6Emby	83.0	Free plan, paid upgrades	AndroidiOSWindows	Yes
#7mpv	82.5	Free and open source	WindowsmacOSLinux	No

The full comparison table for best media players has all 10 products.

Alternatives to Kodi

All 9 alternatives

Compare Kodi

Kodi vs IINA

Questions about Kodi

Is Kodi free?: Kodi can be used without paying: Free and open source under GPL-2.0-or-later. Check the vendor’s pricing page for current limits.
Is Kodi open source?: Yes. Kodi publishes its source code under the GPL-2.0-or-later license.
Which platforms does Kodi support?: Kodi is available on: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
What is Kodi best for?: A home theater setup on a TV or media box. In our ranking of media players it is number 5 of 10 with a score of 84.0.
What are the best alternatives to Kodi?: The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are VLC media player, Plex, Jellyfin, Infuse.

Show this ranking on your site

If you make or maintain Kodi, this badge links back to this page and shows its current rank. It updates when the ranking does.

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