Windows Media Center Alternatives for Mac

Windows Media Center is not available for Mac but there are plenty of alternatives that runs on macOS with similar functionality. The best Mac alternative is Kodi, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 25 alternatives to Windows Media Center and 11 are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to Windows Media Center are Plex, Universal Media Server, Emby and Infuse.

Windows Media Center alternatives are mainly Media Centers but may also be Media Servers or Media Players. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Windows Media Center.

Windows Media Center

Paid • Proprietary
Media Center

Windows Media Center (WMC) turns your computer into a home entertainment hub, compiling media from your computer and the...

More about Windows Media Center

Windows Media Center alternatives page was last updated

Kodi
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Center
Media Player
Media Server
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
iPad
Flathub
Flatpak
Raspberry Pi
Fire TV
71 Kodi alternatives
Kodi, formerly XBMC, is a free and open source media player and entertainment center for Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, XBox, and iOS. Kodi is designed to be the perfect companion to a home theater PC - it supports an almost endless range of remote controls, and combined with its...
- - Kodi is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Windows Media Center.
- - Kodi is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Windows Media Center.
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Kodi Features
1. Ad-freeKodi doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
2. PortableKodi can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. AirPlay SupportKodi can stream or share content to your Mac, Apple TV, or compatible smart TV.
4. Support for 4KKodi supports watching, rendering or exporting 4K content (also know as UHD or Ultra HD).
5. Dark ModeKodi supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
6. Works OfflineKodi can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
7. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsKodi can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
Media Streaming
TV Shows meta data support
Video library
Media library
Automatic subtitles download
Built-in Media Downloader
Support for subtitles
Music Library
Support for DLNA
Built-in Media converter
Opinions about Kodi as a Alternative to Windows Media Center
Most users think Kodi is a great Windows Media Center alternative.
Plex
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Media Center
Media Server
Media Player
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
Android Tablet
Windows Phone
iPad
Apple TV
Daydream
Kindle Fire
Android TV
Kodi
Roku
91 Plex alternatives
Plex is a one-stop destination to stream movies, TV shows, sports & music. Check good movies to watch on Plex and stream all your personal media libraries on every device.
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Plex Features
1. Works OfflinePlex can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
2. Kids ModePlex allows you to create and manage your kids' profiles in order to protect them.
Media Streaming
Play local content
Local Storage
Media Transcoding
Remote Media Access
Automatic Library Search
Support for subtitles
Support for DLNA
Media sharing
Automatic subtitles download
Comments about Plex as a Alternative to Windows Media Center
Some users think Plex is a great Windows Media Center alternative, some don't.
Guest
plex's website does not mention anything of live tv.
Negative comment •
-4
Universal Media Server
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Server
Media Center
Mac
Windows
Linux
48 Universal Media Server alternatives
Universal Media Server is a media server capable of serving videos, audio and images to any DLNA-capable device. It supports any device capable of DLNA and runs on all major operating systems: Windows, OS X and Linux.
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Universal Media Server Features
1. LightweightUniversal Media Server consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Configurable
DNLA Server
Dedicated Server Hosting
Media Transcoding
Simple installation
Playstation
Support for DLNA
Java based
Streaming
Opinions about Universal Media Server as a Alternative to Windows Media Center
This alternative is disputed. Universal Media Server is still a legitimate Windows Media Center alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.
Emby
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Media Center
Media Server
Media Manager
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
Windows Phone
iPad
Self-Hosted
Apple TV
Kindle Fire
Cloudron
Playstation
Xbox
45 Emby alternatives
Emby, formerly Media Browser, is a media aggregator plugin for Media Center that takes your recorded, digital, or ripped media and presents it in a simple, easy to use interface. Emby prides itself on delivering a fast, intuitive, media rich experience for the whole family.
- - Emby is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to Windows Media Center.
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Emby Features
1. Chromecast SupportCast your content to a Chromecast connected device with Emby.
2. Ad-freeEmby doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Kids ModeEmby allows you to create and manage your kids' profiles in order to protect them.
Media Streaming
Browser Gallery
Private gallery
Optimized for Mobile
Local server
Remote Media Access
Media Transcoding
Asset Pipeline
Remote playback
Infuse
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Media Center
Media Server
Mac
iPhone
iPad
Apple TV
72 Infuse alternatives
Ignite your video content with Infuse – the beautiful way to watch almost any video format on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. No need to convert files! Infuse is optimized for iOS 12, with powerful streaming options, trakt sync, and unmatched AirPlay & subtitle support.
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Infuse Features
Vast format support
Support for DLNA
TV Shows meta data support
HDR Support
Metadata Search
Serviio
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Media Server
Video Streaming App
Mac
Windows
Linux
47 Serviio alternatives
Serviio is a free media server. It allows you to stream your media files (music, video or images) to any DLNA-certified renderer device (e.g. a TV set, Bluray player, games console) on your home network.
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Serviio Features
Create Playlist
Playstation
Support for DLNA
Media Streaming
Stream audio
Support for subtitles
Xbox
PS3 Media Server
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Server
Media Center
Mac
Windows
Linux
38 PS3 Media Server alternatives
PS3 Media Server is a DLNA compliant Upnp Media Server for the PS3, written in Java, with the purpose of streaming or transcoding.
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PS3 Media Server Features
DNLA Server
Support for DLNA
Discontinued
The project seems to be no longer developed, but last version, 1.90.1, released in August 2013, can be still downloaded from the official website.
JRiver Media Center
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
Audio Player
Media Center
Media Player
Mac
Windows
55 JRiver Media Center alternatives
JRiver Media Center is a multimedia application that allows the user to play and organize various types of media on a computer.
- - JRiver Media Center is the most popular commercial alternative to Windows Media Center.
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JRiver Media Center Features
1. PortableJRiver Media Center can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Music Library
Configurable
Music collection
Squire
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
Movie Streaming Service
Media Center
Torrent Streaming Service
Mac
iPhone
iPad
Apple TV
72 Squire alternatives
Squire is a media center to stream movies and shows from torrents or local files. It’s an always-running menu bar app. The brain where all the local video files or installed streams are processed and sent to the clients.
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Squire Features
Stream video to Apple TV
MythTV
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Center
Media Server
Mac
Windows
Linux
42 MythTV alternatives
MythTV is a free, open source media center and digital video recorder (DVR) distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL. With its plugin architecture, MythTV can be transformed into a home media center suite, capable of managing your personal photo, video, and music collections...
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MythTV Features
TV Tuner
DVR
TV Streaming
Freevo
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Center
Mac
Windows
Linux
18 Freevo alternatives
Freevo is an open source HTPC media centre software integrating PVR / DVR funtionality along with music, video, gaming, home automation and more. It is written in python and uses existing popular software such as mplayer, xine and vlc.
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Freevo Features
DVR
Discontinued
The project seems to be no longer maintained. Last stable version, 1.9.2 Beta, released in March 2011, can be still downloaded from GitHub.